They Call Him Drizzy

Last week, Canada's very own rapper Drake, released his much anticipated debut album "Thank Me Later." To celebrate the release of his album, an HMV located downtown Toronto offered the first 500 people who bought his album a pass to an autograph signing with Drake the following week. Hundreds of fans lined up over night to be one of the first 500 and luckily I was one of them!

I attended the autograph signing earlier this week and boy was it crazy! Many fans lined up at HMV overnight even though they were guaranteed a spot to meet him after getting a special laminate for being one of the first 500 people to buy his album. I went there about 3 hours before the signing and hung out with some friends before hand.

Once people were let into the store, everyone went crazy, super excited to see Drake. They let people in chunks so that the store wouldn't get too crowded and uncontrollable. The promoters of the signing, radio station Flow 93.5, hosted the event and told everyone the rules of the signing which were no photographs with Drake (to make the signing go faster apparently) and to have ONE item ready to be signed by Drake (once again to make the signing go faster).

Although I was a little disappointed about the picture, I was super excited that I would be meeting Drake in just a few minutes. The "no pictures and one item signed only" rule did make the meet and greet go a lot faster and it felt like only seconds before it was my turn to go up. Super excited, I was at a loss for words when I was face-to-face with one of the freshest rappers in the game!

Drake shook my hand and began signing my copy of his CD. He asked who he should make it out to, and I spelt out my name, K-H-I-Z-E-R. He replied, "that sounds like an ill name bro." I asked him to try and pronounce it and like the first reaction I always get with my name, he pronounced, "KAISER??" (like the bun). I was laughed and told him how its actually pronounced and he replied, "Khizer! (with the right pronunciation) damn that's even more tight!!" He shook my hand again and security then started rushing me out. Starstruck wasn't the feeling I had but it was more really just super happy and excited to have met a person I really admire and have respect for. What made me even more happy was how down to earth and caring he was for all his fans! Despite his crazy security, Drake really showed interest in meeting each one of his fans and had a genuine smile for each person that came up. Despite the "one item" rule, he signed multiple things for others (something I found out later on) and was just really humble, sincere and genuine.

From his beginnings on long running Canadian TV show, Degrassi The Next Generation, to his mixtapes that got mad attention, Drake has come a very long way! He finally released his debut last week and it debuted at number 1 both in the US and in Canada! The album features many high profile collaborations featuring Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Lil Wayne, Nicki Minaj, T.I., Kanye West, Boi1Da, Timbaland just to name a few! It is one of the best hip hop debuts in a really long time and is such a solid album that everyone should definitely check out...even if you're not a fan of the genre! Here's hoping he remembers my name!

Check out Drake on Twitter at www.twitter.com/drakkardnoir and on Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/thisisdrake!

Photo credits go to the ATF (All Things Fresh) blog; the biggest Drake fan site! Check it out here: http://allthings-fresh.net/.

Concert Review: Bamboozle Festival

Concert Review: Bamboozle Festival

Featuring: LMFAO, Good Charlotte

Date: June 16th, 2010

Location: Molson Amphitheatre, Toronto, Ontario

Last night I went with a friend of mine to the Toronto stop of the Bamboozle Road Show. The main performers lined up to perform at the show included Forever The Sickest Kids, Good Charlotte, LMFAO, Third Eye Blind, All Time Low, and Boys Like Girls. My friend and I stayed enough to see Good Charlotte and LMFAO, who were the bands I was most interested to see, especially LMFAO since I had seen Good Charlotte two years prior.

The first performance we saw was of Good Charlotte. They put on an okay show, but it was kind of interesting see them on stage having had no new album since 2007’s Good Morning Revival. Midway through the show they performed a new song dubbed “Like Its Her Birthday” which will be on their new album they announced on the tour to be released in September. Although I was a pretty big fan of theirs a few years back, their performance didn’t really convince me or tell me why I was a fan. They weren’t really energetic with their performances and didn’t show much enthusiasm. For a band that’s been around for almost a decade now, I did expect more from their show. Perhaps dating Nicole Richie and fathering her child has taken a toll on Joel’s career?

The second performance we saw was by the Hip-Hop/Pop/Dance or perhaps “Party Rock” duo LMFAO known for their singles, “I’m In Miami Bitch” and “Shots”. From beginning to end, this band created a non-stop party. It seemed as if they belonged more inside a club rather than a big venue because of their style of music, but regardless they were amazing. They sang completely live, which is sometimes rare nowadays, and put on a very entertaining show. They had crazy dancers, some dressed as a lego blocks, and others decked out in “Party Rock gear” (I guess a nonchalant way of advertising their clothing line). The costumes, the choreography, and the overall energy they had on stage was just incredible. They were a little out of place though at the festival; if you look at the rest of the line up, they were the only ones of their genre. Although I went specifically to see them, the rest of the crowd knew them more just for their singles and only really got into them then. Regardless, for a fairly new band, they definitely put on a show and had great stage presence and would be perfect openers for artists like Lady GaGa, Black Eyed Peas, or any energetic pop performers as these guys know how to “get the party started!”

Overall, the Bamboozle Festival was fun, despite seeing just two performers. The set up was fun with gaps between each bands to get merchandise, socialize, and meet some bands (the side stage ones for the most part) walking around the venue. Because the Molson Amphitheater is outdoors, there was some fun in the sun as well with the great weather going on.

I would definitely recommend everyone to check out LMFAO if they can, but I might pass on Good Charlotte. Although they have a bunch of catchy songs, their show just felt a little lackluster, especially for a band that’s been in the game for nearly a decade.

Adventures at Vervegirl

As many of you guys know, I've been interning at Vervegirl Magazine for the last few months now, however I haven't really blogged about my experiences as a intern at the company. These past few weeks have been quite busy with various projects I've completed and am currently working on, so I feel now is a great time to write about some of my adventures at Vervegirl!

Although I have been interning there for almost 7 months now (I can't believe its been that long!), these past few months have been a few of the most eventful! It started with the February issue of the magazine in which my name finally began getting published in the header of the magazine. It was definitely an exciting and exhilarating feeling seeing my name in the magazine. Following this, I had quite a few projects lined up which included editing a behind-the-scenes interview of Jesse Labelle on the set of his upcoming music video, Lost.

After editing the interview and getting the A-OK to have it posted online it was on to the next project right away which included editing an event held by model Stacey McKenzie called the Walk This Way workshop. Editing this event was a lot of fun because there was so much going on which made the video very progressive and fun with lots of cuts, edits, music, and titles! Definitely a lot going on which made it a fun video. Similar in style, the next video was editing the May/June behind the scenes cover shoot video featuring Tara Jean Popowich, winner of So You Think You Can Dance Canada Season 2. This video was not only a lot of fun to edit, but it was also fun seeing the interview done with Tara who was really professional and down to earth!

Following this project, a bigger door opened for me at Vervegirl; I had a little meeting with one of my superiors at the office, the online editor, and we spoke about my time there thus far, and about what I would like to get out of the internship, etc. It was a refreshing talk as she understood a lot about my passion for media and "promoted" me almost to a cinematographer or videographer for the company! This let me not only edit the behind the scenes videos, or interviews, but also put me behind the camera and let me film such events. It was definitely an honour for me to get bumped up to that position!

Since then, my first official film project was supposed to be an interview with UK singer, Kate Nash, however that fell through due to conflicting schedules. My first official film project then became an interview done with Ottawa up-and-coming singer, Alex Lacasse at the Vervegirl studios. Having previously "met" him at a Hedley concert, and exchanging conversations via Twitter, it was definitely nice to finally meet and speak to him face-to-face at the interview. Filming the interview was a lot of fun as I got to use two cameras, so I was able to have different angles and shots for the editing process. Alex Lacasse was a very nice guy, not to mention he is extremely talented and focussed on the direction and where he wants to go. He not only writes his own songs, he produces the beats and rhythms using software at home, writes for other artists like Girlicious, all this and his debut album hasn't even come out yet! He's definitely an artist to watch out for! The edited product came out very nice as well. Check it out below and here.

The next event that I got to film was another interview, this time with Canadian R&B sensation, Karl Wolf. He came in for an interview at Vervegirl studios to speak about his single 80s Baby, and his career thus far. Again, I was able to use two cameras to film which made it a really fun project. The interviewer from Vervegirl who took his interview did an amazing job keeping flow and interest in their conversation and keeping it well engaged...this was all impressive as it was her first interview she did. Very impressive (I'll post a link once it is edited). Karl was also a very nice guy who also has a major focus on his career. He has some great aspirations for his music videos and a potential acting career. He produces his own songs and also directs his own music videos. His songs are heavily infectious also and most carry a flavour of Middle Eastern music which make them that much more appealing!

In between the two videos, I edited another behind the scenes video, this one was the Fanshawe College annual Unbound Fashion Show. This project was fun to edit, and I was able to incorporate Lady GaGa's song Fashion in it, which made me happy as it is one of my favourite's of hers. My latest project began just this Friday when I filmed an interview done with super-talented singer, Charice. Known for her amazing voice and the story of her rise to stardom, Charice was very charismatic and proved how amazing her voice was by singing some acapella for us! The video should be up shortly, but in the meantime you can check out a link to a Vervegirl tidbit on her here.

Looking into the future, I already have a few exciting projects that might happen in the next few weeks. I don't want to give anything away just in case it doesn't happen, but I will know very soon. Definitely excited not only for that, but my continuously growth with Vervegirl.

I am very grateful to have had this opportunity to intern at Vervegirl come across me, and would like to thank everyone at the headquarters for being so amazing and making me feel like home every time I am there. My skills as an editor and now as a videographer have been growing so much since I've started and I've learned so much from this internship. Not only that, but after going to University for a completely opposite field, it is nice to intern somewhere where I can live out my other dream and passion which is in media. Thank you Vervegirl!

I leave you with some of my videos below. They can all be seen on www.vervegirl.com! Make sure to follow Vervegirl and their amazing staff on Twitter at:

www.twitter.com/miss_vervegirl

www.twitter.com/vervegirlmag

www.twitter.com/kimucooper

www.twitter.com/kristiamandaa

I look forward to updating with you with more adventures as they happen!

For now, peace and love,

Khizer

It's 2:20 AM and I'm writing a blog.

Alright guys, this will be really short since, as you can read, its 2:20 AM and am dead tired just about ready to go to bed.

Today was a really amazing day for many reasons. This morning I got a call from TD Bank who wanted me to do a phone interview with them and then do an online test, which definitely made me morning as I am currently looking for another job.

Number 2, and the more amazing news I wanted to share with the readers of this blog is that today I did my first in person interview. As many of you know, I've done webcam interviews with various celebrities, but today I was able to do my first in person live interview with Canadian singer, Jesse Labelle!

I was able to catch up with Jesse before he opened for The New Cities & Faber Drive on their nationwide tour, and it went amazing. Of course, after playing back the interview I know things I can do differently, but overall, I think it was good. This was actually the interview I was talking about in my last post, and it's Khizerlicious.com exclusive! The interview was done specifically for this blog and might also be posted on Vervegirl. It'll be up in the next few days but here's some behind the scenes picture of the interview.

Lastly, and I type this as I yawn, I told you guys last week how I was going to film an interview of Kate Nash for Vervegirl...unfortunately that didn't work out as Kate Nash and her team cancelled both days which was a bummer not only for me, but my leader who was super excited to do the interview. However, the brighter side of this picture is that later this month and in early June I'll be filming two interviews, one for up and coming Canadian singer Alex Lacasse, and one for Canadian/Lebanese singer Karl Wolf. Both of those should be exciting.

Anyways, I think I will wrap this up and call it a night! Check out some behind the scenes pictures below...the interview will be up hopefully this weekend and will be one of many cool Khizerlicious.com exclusive to come your way.

Also, make sure you guys follow me on Twitter: www.twitter.com/khizerpervez. That's the best way to find out what's going on with me in between my blog posts!

Good night guys!

Khizer + Kate Nash?

EDIT #1: So this interview didn't happen today and has been postponed to tomorrow because of Kate's schedule! I will still fill everyone in on how it goes!

Yes you read right!

After work today I will be heading to Kate Nash's hotel (aka the hotel she's staying at while in Toronto) and will be filming an interview a co-worker from Vervegirl will be doing with her!

After filming the interview I'll also be editing it and it will be posted on Vervegirl Magazine's official website!

I'll make sure to post it here and tell everyone how it went!

For those of you who don't know, Kate Nash is a singer from the UK who sings indie pop music. Here's a song:

Have a happy Monday everyone.

Movie Review: The Back-Up Plan

Jennifer Lopez? J.Lo? Is that name even relevant anymore? Since 2007's album Brave, Jennifer Lopez disappeared out of the limelight. The name that was always on the tabloids whether it be for music, movies, or personal life, Jennifer Lopez was one of the biggest celebrities of the new millennium...until she got married (this time for good...so far at least) and had kids. She disappeared for almost 3 years until the AMA (American Music Awards) last year in which she performed a new single from her upcoming album Love? And now, she's making her official comeback to the big screen with her latest theatrical release, The Back-Up Plan.

The Back-Up Plan is a romantic comedy film starring Jennifer Lopez as Zoe. The movie starts off showing Zoe getting artificially inseminated through a sperm bank in order to get pregnant. Through flashbacks we find out that she doesn't a feel a man is right for her at the moment, as she isn't able to find the perfect one but at the same time she really wants a child so, she feels getting inseminated is the best way to achieve that goal. Soon after she gets inseminated, of course, she meets Stan (Alex O'Loughlin, Whiteout) who at first seems like a jerk to her, but eventually they warm up to each other and fall for each other...if only it could be that simple. As she continues to develop feelings for Stan, her insemination proves to be successful and she becomes pregnant. Trouble. How does Stan take the news of the pregnancy? Does he stand by her Zoe or does he walk away? Does Zoe cope well with her pregnancy and balance a new love in her life? All these answers can be found by watching the movie. Now, the real questions are: How did I enjoy the film? Was it movie worth the anticipation? Was Jennifer Lopez successfully able to make a comeback or should she just become a stay-at-home mom? Keep reading!

Khizer's review:

The movie was excellent! It was a very refreshing romantic comedy and definitely did pass my expectations thus being worth the anticipation. What I liked most about this movie was that although the plot has its cliche moments it was unique in its own genre; instead of falling the typical pattern of a romcom, the story went in reverse order: she gets pregnant, then finds love, then delivers her kids, and then decides whether marriage happens or not. This made watching the movie even more interesting. Jennifer Lopez, who is no where near a shabby actress, pulled of this role with much ease. I think being pregnant and actually going through the process of delivering a child (twins for that matter) really helped her get into the role and gave her much comfort when acting many scenes. Her chemistry with Alex O'Loughlin was great and boy did she look gorgeous throughout the film! Jennifer Lopez is now 40, married, and has kids, but she still somehow manages to look hotter than ever, especially while sporting bangs! The movie does have its cheesy and cliche moments but that is expected from almost any romantic comedy. Also, if there are any animal lovers, there is a dog in the movie who is handicapped and on a wheelchair that is so cute and adds to the movie. This idea does steal a little from Along Came Polly, but nonetheless it is cute. The one problem I had with the movie was how they chose to introduce it; it just started off showing Zoe getting inseminated and then through flashbacks explaining why she did it. I would've preferred if they made the film a little longer and showed some more at the beginning about how she is over the dating scene and just wants children before showing her get inseminated. Other than that, the movie was great.

So the big question is, was Jennifer Lopez able to make a big comeback with this film? In general, yes. The movie was the #1 movie on its opening day, and eventually was #2 with the overall weekend box office making over 12 million. The movie had great anticipation and although getting some negative reviews, there are many positive ones as well. Commercially, yes, it was a good comeback movie. Was it a good comeback movie career wise? Well, she could've done better. Jennifer Lopez has shown her versatility as an actress from dramatic roles like Selena to an abused woman in Enough and a temperamental daughter-in-law in Monster-in-Law. Dramas, thrillers, romantic comedies, and action are all genres in which Jennifer Lopez can successfully pull off a role. However, since romantic comedies aren't always praised for the acting in the film, nor do they get much recognition during awards season, I think in that aspect this film wasn't the best role to choose. Regardless, I don't think Jennifer Lopez did this film for the purpose of critical praise and award nominations, but more to get back on the map, which I think this film will help her do. Romantic comedy well done. Jennifer's back and she's still from the block.

Khizer's rating: 3.5 stars

Movie Review: Beauty and the Briefcase

As many of you know, I’ve been a pretty big Hilary Duff fan, for quite some years now. Consequently, I get pretty excited when she releases new material whether it be movies, music, or TV guest appearances. As of late, she’s had quite a few new releases including her movie Greta, her appearance on the current season of Gossip Girl, and the latest release, her made for TV movie, Beauty and the Briefcase.

Beauty and the Briefcase is a romantic comedy film that recently premiered on ABC Family. Despite being just a TV movie, it is Duff’s first motion picture that has gotten major publicity and promo since 2006’s Material Girls. Although I’m a huge fan, I wasn’t going into the film with high expectations. Her latest projects did disappoint a little; Gossip Girl, although a mature themed show, didn’t quite showcase Duff’s acting capabilities and According To Greta, despite being a really good film, disappointed with the ending. Therefore, I went into the movie with no expectations and no bias. How did that turn out? Keep reading.

The movie revolves around Lane Daniels (Hilary Duff, War Inc.) who is an aspiring journalist trying to get a position for Cosmopolitan. Although at first she is rejected, the editor in chief reconsiders and gives Lane the task to do the cover story for the next issue. This job is a little more than what Lane bargained for; she has to go undercover, work at a financial office and date various men to ultimately writing an article about dating men in suits. Of course, you can see where the story will go with this plot, and although it is a cliche story, that’s what most romantic comedies; recycled plots. Lane has a checklist that she follows for her “magic man” which includes things like being able to play an instrument, having an accent, etc. and while working on the story, she meets a man that completes the checklist, but the only problem is, he isn’t a “man in a suit” as she meets him at a restaurant not in the office. The film goes on with her trying to balance all these men which include her boss Tom (Michael McMillian, True Blood), her co-worker Seth (Matt Dallas, Kyle XY) and the guy she meets at the restaurant, Liam (Chris Carmack, The O.C.) and of course getting all tied up and going over her head to the point that the focus of her article changes.

Khizer’s Review:

The movie was cute. Nothing more, nothing less. From beginning to end, it was cute seeing Lane’s character develop and see her go undercover and work on her story. The movie was engaging enough to make me actually want to yell to the screen telling Lane what and what not to do. As a result, I think it can be said that Hilary’s acting in this film was above par. Although the script was a little redundant and cheesy, Hilary had no blame for that nor did the writers of the script as the movie is actually based on the book “Diary of a Working Girl” by Daniella Brodsky. Hilary shared great chemistry with almost all her co-stars, however what bugged me was the fact that for doing a story on dating men in suits, she only really dated two men in suits, and one of them was her boss, Tom, whom she only really had lunch with. I know this may have been part of the storyline, but I would think that they would have a few more men that she could have dated in her process. As well, for people who are familiar with (and like) Lizzie McGuire, this movie will be a sort-of treat. Throughout the movie, Lane’s character has a voiceover of her inner thoughts, reminiscent to Lizzie McGuire’s alter ego. Having this voice gave the movie a “Lizzie All Grown Up” feel. At first I thought it was a bit cheesy, but by the end of it, I started liking it.

Overall, there’s not much to review on this movie. The storyline is typical and cliche, but that’s what romantic comedies are, as I stated above. For what it was, I think the movie was well done. Hilary definitely showed a mature side of her acting, and it was nice to see her in a romantic comedy geared more towards her older fans. If al else fails, she could create a niche in the romantic comedy genre and could possibly become the next Sandra Bullock or Kate Hudson of the genre. Oh and I must mention, Duff looked beyond gorgeous throughout the movie. Matt Dallas, Michael McMillian, and Chris Carmack were all good in their roles, however Chris Carmack’s British accent in the film was evidently fake. Other notes about the movie; Amanda Walsh (former MuchMusic VJ) was also in the film playing the role of Hilary’s best friend, and Jennifer Coolidge (Hilary’s step mom in A Cinderella Story) made a guest appearance.

Final verdict? If you’re into romantic comedies, this won’t be a huge disappointment nor will it raise the bar for future romcom’s. If you’re into Duff, this movie will be a treat for everyone. Or if you’re simply looking to pass time, this movie will do the trick. If romantic comedies aren’t your thing, I wouldn’t recommend watching this one as it won’t sell you on the genre. Basically what I’m trying to say is, the movie was a good watch for a TV movie and that is about all.

Khizer’s rating: 3 stars