LittleBLUECorvette said:

JoeBala said:

Yep good and trashy. My first thought it's Dynasty with music. There was one song in the first episode tha sounded like a JT song, but of course Timberland is doing the music. It's trashy fun. I like it so far gonna watch the 2nd episode today + that Halle Berry(Grace Gealey) looking gal is HOT.

[Edited 1/25/15 8:40am]

Shes Kevin Harts attorney on Real Husbands

No she's not! Trina Shaw is,although they do lookalike. Plus easy on the eyes...

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

FUNKNROLL (AOA Version) was featured at the 34 min mark of tonights episode.

[Edited 1/28/15 18:41pm]

Yup!..And for a few seconds I was like; "that sounds a lot like P"...then I realized it was..."The Good Wife"played it a few weeks ago too.

That is GREAT!!! This the FOURTH time that 's MEGA NpgMusicPublishing company has placed one of his masterpieces! This year is bringing in MEGA bucks 4 's NpgMusicPublishing Company...

getxxxx said:

FUNKNROLL (AOA Version) was featured at the 34 min mark of tonights episode.

[Edited 1/28/15 18:41pm]

Which scene was going on when the song was being played? I completely missed that somehow.

getxxxx said:

FUNKNROLL (AOA Version) was featured at the 34 min mark of tonights episode.

[Edited 1/28/15 18:41pm]

Yep...............and Prince was discussed in the Suits episode tonight as well.

They played the Funknroll Instrumental before they played the real version. I was thinking it sounded a lot like it and then when they played the real version later it was pretty cool. It was a club scene like they were just getting to a club or something. It fit in well and made me like the song more than I ever have before. The rest of the music just sounds like rehashed Timbaland beats with new vocals. I used to like Timbaland a lot but he doesn't seem on top of his game anymore.

To each his own, but 4 me the central question lingers: how good (nor long last) a "drama" about an industry that no longer exists?

JamFanHot said:

To each his own, but 4 me the central question lingers: how good (nor long last) a "drama" about an industry that no longer exists?

let's face it........there is a reason it is not on cable tv

How can Howard's character complain about a lack of sales due to illegal downloads and copying, but----then say that "Empire Records will be traded publicly?

Without a parent-company or major distrubitor?

[Edited 2/2/15 6:48am]

babynoz said:

I didn't watch the last episode but am I the only one who thinks the character is modeled after jayz or maybe a composite of him and another hip hop mogul?

I get a mix of Jay-Z, Berry Gordy, and a bit of Suge.

LOVE this show. When I heard that the inspiration for it was based on King Lear I knew I was going to be all the way IN for this.

I love how they play around with themes and concepts from mythology, medieval literature, and different poli sci works of philosophy but wrapping it all up into a contemporary music-industry package, and of course, being a kid of the 70s & 80s I dig the nod to pop culture novel's like the Godfather and soaps Dynasty/Dallas. It's great fun and each week I like picking and choosing clues as to how those characters are written, knowing what we know about the literary inspiration for the show.

JamFanHot said:

To each his own, but 4 me the central question lingers: how good (nor long last) a "drama" about an industry that no longer exists?

But therein lies what many are missing. This drama is not about the music industry per se, that's just the package it's wrapped up in to make this particular literary contruct relateable to a contemporary audience. The story itself is ageless.

.

Empire is based on a classic storytelling template exemplified in ancient mythology, medieval pieces like "King Lear", the theatrical play "Lion in the Winter" and (in contemporary pop culture) Mario Puzo's "Godfather" novel. It goes like this: a glorious king at the apex of his rule and in his sunset days becomes weakened, he must decide which of his three heirs have the wherewithall to continue the uncontested reign of his empire after his death.

.

Each of his children resembles their father in some way, possessing some charcahter trait or other of his (the good, bad, and the ugly), but none have the complete package deeming them worthy to be named heir apparent, so then grooming begins via a test of "Survival of Fittest" and consuequently, all hell breaks loose. While the kingdom is in quiet disarray, enter in appoaching enemies from beyond the kingdom walls to breach their security, and then we start to see said King and all the players in question excersise treaties and concepts in famous philosophical works like Niccolo Machiavelli's "THE PRINCE" and Sun Tzu's "ART OF WAR". Throw in a few nods to Dallas, Dynasty, and the show writers 'apparent fascination with animal kingdom and Scriptural metaphors and boom, you have EMPIRE.

.

I think it's all pretty damned clever, actually. But then, I am a poli-sci geek who loves a good book, so it's hilarious for me for to make the correlations between character, archetype, metaphor and philosophical concepts. Cookie, by the way, is THE baddest (and most fun!) version of Queen Eleanor of Aquitaine to date onscreen, and I say that knowing I loved me some Glenn Close when she did it in the screenplay's "original" setting for Lion In Winter.

[Edited 2/4/15 3:44am]

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

Finally a BLACK soap!!1

[Edited 2/12/15 15:15pm]

I know about "Generations" that was over 25 years ago.

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

I know about "Generations" that was over 25 years ago.

But you said "finally" like there weren't any. Bird Of The Iron Feather was from the 1970s. The Tyler Perry one is recent.

MickyDolenz said:

KCOOLMUZIQ said:

I know about "Generations" that was over 25 years ago.

But you said "finally" like there weren't any. Bird Of The Iron Feather was from the 1970s. The Tyler Perry one is recent.

You right! I forgot about "The Haves & The Haves Not'...

I used to like "Generations"..Surprised they never put it on DVD. That's where I remember seeing Vivica for the 1st time.

SPYZFAN1 said:

I used to like "Generations"..Surprised they never put it on DVD. That's where I remember seeing Vivica for the 1st time.

I watched every episode I could........

SPYZFAN1 said:

I used to like "Generations"..Surprised they never put it on DVD. That's where I remember seeing Vivica for the 1st time.

Me too! I also remember Richard Roundtree being on that show.

The dialogue is relentlessly crass, but the show has a timeless appeal. Damn you, Lee Daniels! I'm getting into Empire now!

Last night's episode was EVERYTHING! I'm really loving this show. It started out corny and over the top, but each week the shows keep getting better and better. They've been really fleshing out the main characters on this show very well so they're not just 1-dimensional, good guy/bad guy or stereotypical characters. Like the oldest brother Andre is the most interesting and complex character in the show and last night's scene of him about to lose it in the recording studio last night was fantastic. They actor that plays Andre is an excellent actor!

And the promo for next week's episode looks to be the episode of all episodes! Totally here for it! This show is like crack--totally addicting!

I'm sad this season is ending in 3 weeks.

[Edited 2/26/15 9:51am]

How do I feel about Empire?

NaughtyKitty said:

Last night's episode was EVERYTHING! I'm really loving this show. It started out corny and over the top, but each week the shows keep getting better and better. They've been really fleshing out the main characters on this show very well so they're not just 1-dimensional, good guy/bad guy or stereotypical characters. Like the oldest brother Andre is the most interesting and complex character in the show and last night's scene of him about to lose it in the recording studio last night was fantastic. They actor that plays Andre is an excellent actor!

And the promo for next week's episode looks to be the episode of all episodes! Totally here for it! This show is like crack--totally addicting!

I'm sad this season is ending in 3 weeks.

[Edited 2/26/15 9:51am]

Yeah the show was definitely over-the-top when it first started and for the most part it is still that way, LOL. The only thing that I don't like about the show is the music. I find it to be painfully corny and mediocre which surprises me since Timbaland is the executive music producer on the show! Anyway, I've seen all of the episodes and it does seem that the show has improved a lot since the first one. I think the actor who plays Andre is a great actor. I enjoyed his role in Selma as well. It also helps that he's nice to look at too!

Been HOOKED since I saw this

SeventeenDayze said:

NaughtyKitty said:

Last night's episode was EVERYTHING! I'm really loving this show. It started out corny and over the top, but each week the shows keep getting better and better. They've been really fleshing out the main characters on this show very well so they're not just 1-dimensional, good guy/bad guy or stereotypical characters. Like the oldest brother Andre is the most interesting and complex character in the show and last night's scene of him about to lose it in the recording studio last night was fantastic. They actor that plays Andre is an excellent actor!

And the promo for next week's episode looks to be the episode of all episodes! Totally here for it! This show is like crack--totally addicting!

I'm sad this season is ending in 3 weeks.

[Edited 2/26/15 9:51am]

Yeah the show was definitely over-the-top when it first started and for the most part it is still that way, LOL. The only thing that I don't like about the show is the music. I find it to be painfully corny and mediocre which surprises me since Timbaland is the executive music producer on the show! Anyway, I've seen all of the episodes and it does seem that the show has improved a lot since the first one. I think the actor who plays Andre is a great actor. I enjoyed his role in Selma as well. It also helps that he's nice to look at too!

Yeah the show is still pretty over the top and gives plenty of jaw dropping moments, but it doesnt seem as ridiculous as it was the first few episodes I think the music is slowly starting to get better. Jamal's song he sang last night is the first song that I've really liked and even considered downloading. And I gotta confess that....


I also like Drip Drop yes that song is corny as all get out but it's super catchy lol!

She make that thang go

Drip, drop, drip drippity drop

Drip drop...

[Edited 2/26/15 13:00pm]

Well, I love over the top theactrics so it's right down my alley. And though the characters do have some cliche about them, they're not predictable. Like said above, there's no completely evil, completely angelic characters which adds flavor for me. Yeah its got me and I didn't even know it was coming on I just somehow ended flipping to it's premiere, talk about fate.

NaughtyKitty said:

SeventeenDayze said:

Yeah the show was definitely over-the-top when it first started and for the most part it is still that way, LOL. The only thing that I don't like about the show is the music. I find it to be painfully corny and mediocre which surprises me since Timbaland is the executive music producer on the show! Anyway, I've seen all of the episodes and it does seem that the show has improved a lot since the first one. I think the actor who plays Andre is a great actor. I enjoyed his role in Selma as well. It also helps that he's nice to look at too!

Yeah the show is still pretty over the top and gives plenty of jaw dropping moments, but it doesnt seem as ridiculous as it was the first few episodes I think the music is slowly starting to get better. Jamal's song he sang last night is the first song that I've really liked and even considered downloading. And I gotta confess that....


I also like Drip Drop yes that song is corny as all get out but it's super catchy lol!

She make that thang go

Drip, drop, drip drippity drop

Drip drop...

[Edited 2/26/15 13:00pm]

Okay, I'll give you the drip drop song, it was a bit catchy but it still passes off as painfully cheesy The song from last night from Jamal wasn't too bad. There's just something off about the way the music sounds on the show. I can't quite place my finger on it but it seems that the show tries too hard sometimes.