BET WANTS US TO READ A BOOK!
Over the weekend I turned to the Black Entertainment Television (BET) station because I was actually trying to catch a viewing of the Lil' Webbie & Lil' Boosie "Wipe Me Down" music video. I hadn’t seen it yet, but I knew it was definitely on one of their video countdown shows for some reason? As we all know, BET is known for consistently playing the highest quality of ghetto music videos from the urban radio’s Top 20 most requested. After suffering through two episodes of BET’s new hit dating show “Hell Date,” which was HELL to watch actually! It's nothing more than a bad rendition of Blind Date meets MTV’s Punk’d! Luckily, I noticed that BET's greatest show ever 106 & Park was coming on next! This particular episode of 106 was a replay of Friday’s show, which doesn’t really matter because they show the same videos for weeks at a time in most cases. So, as I was getting my urban video overdose on, I heard the hosts of the show say that BET has worked directly with some cartoonist dude to create a new music video entitled “Read a Book.” Just hearing the title alone shocked me? I was actually felt a sense of pride toward BET at that moment. I initially thought that BET had turned over a new leaf by incorporating some positive imagery for our youth to indulge in, over the typical glorification of sex, violence and money in most videos today? Turn off the TV youngsters and pickup a book because BET said so is the message I was hoping to get from this video? Before I say anything more, I would like you to watch the video for yourself. Well, here is the uncut version of that special video that BET aired for the world to see. Brace yourselves if you haven’t seen it already…

Read a Book (Uncut Video Version)


Now, after watching this video in its entirety, how do you feel about it? Personally, I felt like I had been bamboozled once again by BET! I was actually a little offended as well. I couldn’t believe what I had just witnessed. It begged me to ask the question, have the folks over at BET finally lost their minds? Even the hosts of show seemed a little taken back and uncomfortable about the whole video experience. As I replayed this baffling video in my mind, I was trying to look past the simplistic ignorance and suggestive imagery that plagued the video tremendously to hopefully find a positive message. Is it possible that this video was saturated with such negative imagery to make a powerful point? The point being that there are so many music videos that use these types of negative images and language to promote negative stereotypes, why not use the same trickery to sell a positive message? Read a book, brush your teeth, wear deodorant and stop wasting money are all positive messages, but would a child actually digest these messages in a more positive demographic? Is this video a new type of tool for communicating positive messages to the youth today? Is putting the word BOOK on big bouncing cartoon booties more effective than an educated person saying the same thing in a lecture? Hmmm, I would hope that even in these dire times that our youth have not been brainwashed to the point where these types of videos are the only means of effective communication in 2007. Personally, I think whatever underlying message that was supposed to be understood from this video was lost, leaving black folks with another embarrassing BET moment for the records. Dammit, I hate when that happens, but on a more positive note...I have posted the infamous "Wipe Me Down" video for all to enjoy. I know after watching that previous video your forehead is probably full of sweat because of your frustration, so let Webbie and Boosie WIPE YA DOWN! Now, you can turn those frowns upside down and enjoy...

Boosie, Webbie & Foxx - Wipe Me Down (Hotta Uncut Remix)


Now, that's quality television at its finest ladies and gentlemen!!

SOUND SPOT: KEVIN MICHAEL
I have deliberately been holding off on doing a post on this up and coming artist named Kevin Michael because I just wasn't sure what all the buzz was about? I heard this dude's name a lot at the beginning of year before I actually knew what his image was about, or even what his music sounded like. I am pretty familiar with how the game of promoting a new artist works, so it’s sometimes difficult for me to decipher who is really worth paying attention to. Mister Michael’s management should be applauded for their tireless efforts to get his name out to the masses. After doing some necessary investigating and finally hearing a few tracks from Kevin, I am beginning to understand why so many folks are becoming fans of this young man. He has a unique and funky style that makes you take notice, while keeping the subject matter in his music very relatable to the masses. At first look Kevin Michael may seem like an artist with a gimmick, but after further investigation it becomes obvious that’s not the case. Avoiding the hurdle of being typecast as one thing, Kevin seems to effortlessly incorporate several genres of music like funk, pop and soul to create his refreshing sound.

In this age of digital music, Kevin Michael has decided to release his first musical EP project entitled “Kevin Michael’s Yadig?” through iTunes only for download. This project does have some definite gems on it for sure, but one of my favorite tracks him at this time is definitely the addictive “Vicki’s Secrets (Acoustic Version)” song! Good stuff no matter how you spin in my personal opinion. I must give props to Akil Dasan who handled the beat boxing and guitar playing on the acoustic tracks. Dude is pretty nice with his too. There will definitely be more to come on Kevin Michael in the near future, but before I end this post I will leave you with a few goodies to get more familiar with this up and comer.

First, make sure that you watch these two videos:

Kevin Michael - It Don't Make a Difference To Me (Acoustic)


Kevin Michael - Vicki's Secrets (Acoustic)


Second, checkout the very informative audio interview with Mr. Michael from my peoples over at Flowink:

www.flowink.com

Lastly, checkout these Kevin Michael's web sites to get more familiar with this artist:

www.kevinmichael.com

www.myspace.com/kevinmichaelmusic

THE PUMAZ & SHELLTOEZ MIXX!
I've been holding off on posting this mixx for a minute now, but I think it's about time to give some deserved shine to the original old school b-boys and break dancers from back in the day! I'm talking about the katz that carried their own piece of cardboard around at all times, because they never knew when somebody was going to challenge them. For the dudes that kept their suede Pumas fresh to def with fat colorful laces that purposely matched their headband. I'm talking about walking around with a boom box in hand blasting the latest cassette tape with eight double d batteries in your pocket just in case. I'm talking about those four fingered gold nugget rings, fury Kangol hats, Gazelle glasses, ski goggles in the Summertime, Lee Jean freshly creased and all dat! Now, that's hip-hop for real! I am happy to see that some elements of the b-boy/break dancing movement are still alive in some places around the country. I will admit that most of this new generation of break dancers is on some bionic steroid type ish with the difficult dance moves and tricks that they pull off these days, but it's all entertaining. I am still partial to the old schoolers though. The break dancing music has changed a little bit though? A song like Afrika Bambaataa's classic "Planet Rock" was a definite must have in the boombox when it was breakdance challenge time back in the day. It's funny though, because you can still throw that Bambaataa joint on at any club in 2007, and people will still get into an uproar. I guess that's how you know you have a classic record!

Check the classic break dance footage from back in the day:

Turbo - Broom Dancing in Breakin' Movie (classic)


Classic Roxy Breakdance Battle from Beat Street Movie

I pulled b-boy tracks from everywhere to put this mix together, including a couple of cassette tapes. Technology is a wonderful thing! So, today I present you with the "Pumaz & Shelltoez Mixx" full of my favorite electronic and break dance tracks. The quality of some of the tracks may be a little shaky at times, but that's what gives it that nostalgic feel. Breaks and beats playa! This is hip-hop music when it was still raw and gritty, so I hope you can appreciate it?

PUMAZ & SHELLTOEZ MIXX TRACK LISTING:

• 01*Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Looking For The Perfect Beat
• 02*Twilight 12 - Electric Kingdom
• 03*Cybotron - Clear
• 04*Newcleus - Jam On It
• 05*Newcleus - Jam On Revenge (Wikki-Wikki Song)
• 06*Globe & Whizkid - Play That Beat Mr. DJ
• 07*Planet Patrol - Play At Your Own Risk
• 08*Afrika Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Planet Rock
• 09*Egyptian Lover - An My Beat Goes
• 10*Twilight 22 - Siberian Nights
• 11*Hashim Al - Naafiysh (The Soul)
• 12*Jonsun Crew - Pack Jam
• 13*Supreme Team - Hey DJ
• 14*Africa Bambaataa & The Soulsonic Force - Renegades of Funk
• 15*Egyptian Lover - Egypt Egypt
• 16*Newcleus - Push The Button
• 17*Herbie Hancock - Rockit

KOPP PUMAZ & SHELLTOEZ HERE!

WHITE SOFT ROCKS THAT ROLL!
Personally, I am not an avid TV watcher anymore. Sadly, television has suffered the same fate as urban radio over the last few years by becoming predictable, uneventful, and basically just a waste of time. Even though the excessive amount of reality shows on TV these days is annoying, I feel that television's biggest tragedy are those damn infomercials! I hate those things with a passion just for the simple fact that everything from car waxing winter gloves to pipe cutting butter knives all end up costing the same low-low phuckin' price of only $19.99 (plus shipping & handling of course)! I can't believe that people actually buy some of that mess? Even though the majority of America's television programming has gone down the picture tubes over the last decade, there are a few exceptions I'd like to point out. I am actually pretty entertained when I watch sporting events, ESPN, Man vs. Wild, King of Queens (re-runs), Family Guy, and the occasional late night movies that Cinemax airs on Saturday nights (that should actually be on the Playboy channel) after the kiddies have gone to bed! Besides those few occasions, if the television is on in my house it's basically just playing the position of background noise while I am doing something else more constructive.

Recently, I had fallen asleep with the television was on staring at me after watching an hilarious late night episode of the Family Guy, when I was suddenly awakened by the sounds of a melodic tune playing? This familiar song made my unconscious mind pay total attention like being slapped in the face with leather glove. Reluctantly, I opened my very tired eyes to peek at the television screen, and after a few seconds I realized that I was watching a phuckin' infomercial! How could I have fallen for the late night TV trickery dammit? Looking through blurry eyes, I could have sworn that I saw Chuck Norris? I immediately thought it was probably, Chuck Norris and Suzanne Summers sweating to the oldies for 8 minutes with a Total Gym-Thigh Master duel workout machine or some shyt like that? If you haven't figured it out, wasting my precious eye juices looking at things of no relevant value really bugs the hell out of me! So, as I was angrily reaching for the remote control to put the television out of its misery, I heard another familiar song that made my earwax vibrate with overwhelming blissfulness! It was the classic song "What You Won't Do For Love" performed by one of my favorite old school white singers named Bobby Caldwell (shown in the pic above). For all of you youngsters that truly enjoy quality adult contemporary music, Mr. Caldwell is that dude! I know Bobby is sporting a freshly cut mullet in that photo above, but let's not make hasty judgments based on the man’s hairstyle people. Not only is this talented white man soulful, but he also sounds like a black man when he's singing, kind of like Jon B and Michael Jackson! After hearing Bobby playing through the television, I was totally focused at that point (infomercial or not). You don't sleep on Mr. Caldwell snitches...

After a few seconds, I finally figured out that the good folks over at Timelife were sponsoring the infomercial. They sell all genres of classic music from yester-year, but this particular infomercial was centered on promoting their 10-disc collection of Soft Rock Classics. Now, I bet when you most you saw the words 'SOFT' and 'ROCK' together in the previous sentence, you automatically became uninterested, right? If that's the case, I encourage you to keep reading anyway. Please, don't let genre titles deter you from discovering more great music. Personally, I think a lot of black folks (especially the young ones) have become conditioned to only allow themselves the opportunity to enjoy music from two basic genres...SOUL and RAP? Believe it or not, there are many more great artists and songs that should be heard by all. How can you ever discover if you never explore? I feel if more people opened their minds and ears to all genres of music instead of just two, there would be less folks giving up on music as a whole? With that being said, I will step down off of my musical soapbox and get back to the topic at hand...

As I was saying earlier, the folks over at Timelife have lots of classic music for purchase, if that's your thing? This infomercial reminded me of many groups from soft rock's past that had some real hits back in the day. If you watch any television commercials, I bet that you have heard the majority of these songs in many of your favorites. Those catchy commercial jingles that you thought were originally created by that particular company were probably ripped from an old soft rock tune. Even though plenty of you youngsters are probably not old enough to remember many of these old school classics, most of them sound pretty good today. While a lot of you are in your whips yelling out "Hey Bay Bay" and playing mediocre tracks from T-Pain and Akon, I'm playing Michael McDonald and Bobby Caldwell's greatest hits snitches! Sincerely though, I challenge all of my visitors to take a chance and put your ears on some this classic goodness. You can freely peruse through the Timelife.com catalogs of music at your leisure. I am actually pretty curious to know what you folks think about it...

Lastly, don't eva, neva, eva, eva think that SoundNexx is just another hip-hop or soul blog, because it's actually about a musical movement. We dabble in a little bit of everything out this way, and to prove it I'm doing a post on Folk music and Polka dancing next week, so stay tuned!

I have posted the TimeLife link below:

The Timelife Music Catalogs

Bobby Caldwell - What You Won't Do For Love (Video)

Get this Bobby Caldwell "What You Won't Do For Love" joint here...

I'll leave you with this Bobby Caldwell joint as well just for good measure! Who thought Dwele did it first??

SOUNDNEXX NASIRZ-DOPIST-RE-MIXX!
Who's world is this? Thee rap game has mentored (even with all of it's negative imagery)some rappers into a somehwat legendary status amongst their peers, and I would be a total lier if I didn't acknowledge Nasir Jones a.k.a Nas as one of them! No matter how you may personally feel about Nas as an artist, you definitely have to respect his impact on the rap and music movement as a whole. Personally, I have always admired Nas' ability to remain diverse in his subject matter over his career. He can easily shift gears between uplifting his people, to sharing in graphic detail the trials and tribulations of ghetto life. There are not too many emcees that can do that with such ease. Even through what some called a career slump, Nas has been able to remain relevant in 2007. While many of his peers have fallen to the waste side, Nas continues to challenge the powers that be and evolve as an artist while doing so! Whether you hate him or not, you definitely have to respect him and that's more than most rappers get from me in these dismal days in hip-hop!

I have been playing this mixx I call "NasirzDopistRe-Mixx" a lot lately, so I decided to post for you good folks to hear. It's a musical collage of many of my favorite Nas remix tracks. Some of these tracks are older and some are not, but either way kopp it while you can! The remix production is pretty thorough overall, so I think most Nas fans will enjoy this compilation of goodies?

NASIRZ-DOPIST RE-MIXX TRACKLISTING:

01~Good Morning (remix) feat. Slick Rick
02~Made You Look (remix) feat. Jadakiss & Ludacris
03~Thug Mansion (remix) feat. 2pac
04~The Flyest (remix) feat. M.F. Doom
05~The Cross (remix) feat. 9th Wonder
06~Bridging The Gap (remix) feat. Olu Dara
07~One Mic (remix)
08~Family (remix) feat. Mobb Deep
09~Hope (remix) feat. Chrisette Michele
10~2nd Childhood (remix)
11~Revolutionary Warfare (remix) feat. Lake
12~Fast Life (remix) feat. Kool G. Rap
13~Verbal Murderers (remix) feat. Styles P
14~F*ck You (remix) feat. 50 Cent
15~It Ain't Hard To Tell (remix) feat. Kid Slime
16~One Love (remix) feat. Q-Tip
17~Thief's Theme (remix)
18~Stillmatic (remix)
19~Warrior Song (remix) feat. Alicia Keys
20~Ethered (remix)
21~Blaze A 50 (remix) feat. M.F. Doom
22~Street Dreams (remix) feat. R. Kelly
23~One Love (Doom remix outro)

NAS GOT THEM REMIXES HERE!

SOUL CLASSIC: Rebbie Jackson - Centipede

Kneegrow History Fack: I bet most of ya'll probably didn't know that Rebbie Jackson was actually the first black woman to play the Marvel Comics character Storm (from the X-Men movies) on screen? She couldn't fly like Halle Berries did in her movie, but she'd definitely throw a lightning bolt on ya azz in a minute! Rebbie's movements were more believable than Halle's overall to me. I think it was the red dress that took it over the top for me? I felt like I was actually in a real thunderstorm while watching this video. Her pet cobra was the true star of this video in my personal opinion, but Rebbie delivered a helluva performance herself though! The sistah was talented!

Don't believe me...well peep it out for yourself:



Phuck Janet, Jermaine & Tito! It's all about Rebbie dammit! Don't sleep...unless it's time to go to bed...

ET 7: SOUNDNEXX SPACEBOOGIEFUNK MIXX!
When I think about old school funk a few names come to mind right off the back. Funkateers like James Brown, Parliment Funkadelic, George Clinton, Cameo, Zapp, Lyn Collins, etc. kept the funk alive back in the day. With the lack of live instrumentation in the music these days, it seems like the funk has been lost? Or has it? Actually, there are a few katz that still have the funk flowing through their musical veins. In my opinion artists like these keep the music industry balanced because they have chosen to go totally against the predictable, and sometimes tired sounding musical norms that have become today's standard. While many are afraid to push the creative envelope, artists like these thrive off of it! Many brainwashed music fans feel that these types of off-beaten sounds and rhythms can be undigestable and even annoying? Sadly, the mainstream has somehow bamboozled the masses into believing that these types of grooves are unworthy, and most of trash that saturates the radio airwaves is the truth? Unlike a lot of other sites that I have seen, I think that most of the folks that frequent SoundNexx on the regular are pretty open minded about hearing different types of music? That's what I entended this blog to be about when I first started it, and that hasn't changed. Hopefully, the music and info that I share is somehow healing the ears and minds of the folks that actually believe that great music can only sound one way?

With that being said, here is your next dose of funky soul medication entitled "Ear Test 7: SpaceBoogieFunk Mixx!" SoundNexx's prescription recommends that you take a listen to this mixx atleast once a day for 3 weeks. Clean your ears with a q-tip dipped in peroxide before every listen. WARNING: Do not listen just before going to bed because this funk can cause insomnia! MEDICATION SIDE EFFECTS: Neck soreness from bobbing your head constantly. This medication is safe enough to be heard on an empty stomach. If your symptoms don't get any better in one week, double your dosage and throw your radio in the trash!

THE SPACEBOOGIEFUNK TRACKLISTING:

01_Sa-Ra ft. Bilal - Sweet Sour You
02_Chronkite - No Trace of Luv
03_Luv Bugs - There For U
04_J*Davey - Cameras
05_Up Hygh - Let Me Look
06_Ty ft. Eska - Aim For Your Goals
07_Muhsinah - Millions
08_Waajeed ft. Tiombe - O'Bloody Days O'Starry Nights
09_Georgia Anne Muldrow - Wrong Way
10_Spacek - It's Not Gonna Happen
11_Up Hygh - The Gift
12_Leonne Ujare - Locean
13_J Dilla ft. Jack Davey - Red Light
14_Sa-Ra - Rosebuds
15_Plantlife - We Can Get Down
16_Heavy - Sqre One
17-Eska -DaShow
18_PPP ft. Rich Medina & Sy Smith - Can't Hold Back (Remix)
19_Pattie Blingh - Re
20_Ty ft. De La Soul - The Idea
21_Georgia Anne Muldrow - Leroy
22_J*Davey - No More
23_Illamath - Burn Rubber (Dam Funk Remix)

Typeout (written shoutout) to my peepz CubikArubik, DJ Jamal and DJ Synflood for going against the musical grain!

GET THAT SPACEBOOGIE HERE!

Chrisette Michele - Best Of Me

If you are still sleeping on Chrisy, time to wake up!!

DEATH OF THE MOVIE SOUNDTRACK!
A couple of decades ago, the average movie soundtrack was nothing but a score of opera sounding theme music that most urban music fans could care less about! I mean there were some great movie theme exceptions like "Star Wars" and the original "Superman" that plenty of folks probably liked, but would you spend your money to purchase those soundtracks on CD? Hell naww!! In most cases the music that a moviegoer may have enjoyed hearing while watching a flick inside of a movie theatre doesn't have the same impact as listening to it in your car. I just can't invision somebody saying "Yo, turn up that Empire Strikes Back theme music louder playa! That joint is pretty HOT??" Back in the day movie soundtracks were basically just scores of musical sounds that was considered just another component of the overall movie making experience. Soundtracks of that nature were never intended to sell millions of records. That was until somebody got the bright idea to use the movie soundtrack as a promotional tool. The movie soundtrack game would be changed forever! Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think the first label to use a movie soundtrack as a promotional tool was Suge Knight and The Death Row label when they released the "Above The Rim" soundtrack? This compilation was used as a movie soundtrack to promote the Death Row artists. I thought that was pretty clever myself. The majority of the soundtrack songs were not even heard in the movie itself. That didn't really matter because the soundtrack was classic material! That's back when the Westcoast was dominating the urban rap music scene, so the ATR compilation was a big hit! That soundtrack changed the movie soundtrack game forever. I realize that movies like Krush Groove, Juice and New Jack City had soundtracks that came out prior to Above The Rim, but they didn't have the same impact. Plus, most of the songs from those soundtracks were actually heard in the movies.

After that, just about every urban movie had a soundtrack filled with new singles and upcoming artists that some respecting label was trying to push. Some of the soundtracks were good, and some weren't. A few had a hot track here or there. I will admit that I have purchased plenty of movie soundtracks over the years, and in several cases I felt ripped off! It's kind of like tearing the package open on your last condom, and realizing that it has a hole in it! The reality is that mediocre songs are just that no matter if you package them as a soundtrack, compilation or an album. There were some cases where the movie soundtracks were actually better than the movie (Gridlock'd, High School High, Sunset Park). Then there were others where both the movie and the soundtrack both sucked (Sprung, Woo, I Got The Hook Up)!!

Now, it's 2007, and I can't remember the last movie soundtrack that actually made an impact musically over the last seven years? It seems like the artists promotion trend has finally faded away for good, or has it? Personally, I won't be buying a movie soundtrack anytime soon unless Prince, Dwele, Phonte and Joe Sample did a song together produced by Pete Rock, and it was only available on soundtrack, then I just might? An that's only if I couldn't find it on the internet first. Other than that happening...FORGET ABOUT IT!

Here are my two favorite tracks from the "Above The Rim" soundtrack:

Tupac - Pain

Sweet Sable - Old Times' Sake

Here's a list of my favorite movie soundtracks over the past few years:

Krush Groove
Juice
Sunset Park
New Jack City
Soul In the Hole
Boyz-N-The-Hood
Menace II Society
Jason's Lyric
Strictly Business
House Party (1,2 &3)
Higher Learning
High School High
Dangerous Minds
Dead Presidents
A Thin Line Between Love and Hate
Murder Was The Case
Friday
Poetic Justice
Player's Club
Belly
Boomerang
Waiting To Exhale
Set It Off
Don't Be A Menace...
A Low Down Dirty Shame
Tales From The Hood
Soul Food
Kill Bill Vol. 1
Black Mask
Gridlock'd
Do The Right Thing
New Jersey Drive Soundtrack (1 & 2)

Love Jones

The Show Soundtrack

SOUNDSPOT: ILLA J
You maybe thinking, I've seen this kat before?? If you peeped the late great J*Dilla music video for "Won't Do" then you have seen him before! He was the dude (that you thought was Jay Dee) lipsinging Dilla's verses in that video. He's actually an upcoming producer/rapper himself, and he goes by the name of Illa J. Oh yeah, and he's Jay Dee's younger brother as well. I'm always down for my fellow Detroit brothaz and sistaz trying to make a come up in the music business, but I will admit I was a little skeptical of the Illa J movement initially? Is this young man's musical movement a journey about paying homage to Jay Dee or is he just using his brother's fame to make a name for himself? You judge for yourselves. First off, his rap name sounds a too similiar to J Dilla, but that is his older deceased brother, so maybe it's a respect thing? Personally, I take his choice of name as him paying homage to his dead brother. The other ironic thing about Illa J is that he actually sounds and looks like a younger Jay Dee as well. They are kinfolk though, so I guess that can be expected as well? The boy can't pick his looks or tone of voice, right? Lastly, is Illa J's familiar production style. After hearing a few of his tracks, his style sounds like a combination of Black Milk and Jay Dee's blended together? He did learn his production skills and tricks from Jay Dee, so I would expect that Illa J would have that same sound to a degree. If it works, why change it?

With all of that being said, I still think Illa J is going to receive lots of negative feedback initially because his style resembles Dilla's in a lot of ways! Most of these fickle rap fans today are very cynical about things like that, so I hope he's prepared for it? Illa J doesn't seem like he's joined the rap game just to be another rapper trying to do a Dilla inpersonation. As a matter of fact, don't even call him a rapper because he considers himself a musician. A musician on a crusade to balance out the mainstream rap trash with some needed quality, and finish what Jay Dee started by remaining true to the music. It's true that Jay Dee's shoes are pretty big to fill, but I think with the right push and marketing that Illa can definitely make some serious moves in the industry. Mentoring under Jay Dee for so many years has given this kat lots of useful knowledge and experience that should definitely help him be successful in his career. Also, I think he truly understands that he's being passed the musical torch left by his brother, whether he wants the responsibility or not. After reading a couple of his interviews though, Illa seems to feel that he's up for the challenge. I checked out Illa's first E.P. release at a local record store around the way, and it didn't take that long to realize that the boy has some real talent. The beats were pretty hot, plus his flow was solid! He is still in the process of working on his first album release, which will hopefully see the light of day at the end of the year? You should be hearing his production on new material from Busta Rhymes, Phat Kat and Guilty Simpson in the near future as well...

Keep your eyes and ears open...

Checkout this Illa J track called:

"I'm Ain't Gonna Die"

Checkout more tracks from Illa J here:

www.myspace.com/illajmusic

Vintage Dilla studio video footage:

DETROIT'S TURBO HUSTLE!
I think I should start this post off by first defining the word "Hustle" to all of my non-black American friends around the world that may not have a clue about what it is. The definition of Hustle is: A group dance involving two or more people who precisely execute predetermined dance moves in a synchronized manner. A hustle is the perfect time for the shy, less attractive, overweight, cross-eyed and musty people who sometimes don't get asked to dance at a party the chance to finally hit the dance floor and shake a tail feather. Since, individual dances have almost been non-existent over the last few years, ballroom dancing, slide and hustle dances have become very popular in the urban club scene. The dance moves vary from simple steps to the impossible to learn without a professional trainer type moves, but it's all fun nevertheless. With cadence, timing and rhythm being a major part of doing any hustle, it will definitely become apparent how good of a dancer you really are. Mister Twinkle Toes can become Ms. Two Left Shoes in a matter seconds once the hustle track comes through the speakers...

I would just say that me and the CLUB are not friends anymore! When we first started hanging out back in the day it was cool, but I realized that as I got older things were starting to change in our friendship. I was growing up, but the CLUB wasn't changing a bit. It was the same ole' thang every weekend. Hanging out until the wee hours of the morning, driving home half sleep and smelling like a dirty astray was becoming unfulfilling. Because of that the CLUB and I have parted ways indefinitely! It was a sad ending to a good friendship, but the reality is we grew apart. The last time the CLUB and I actually hung out, 'The Cha-Cha Slide' was the group dance of choice. When the deejay would put that record on it didn't matter what you were doing, or where you were in the building (the bar, leaning against the wall, the toilet) it was time to dance dammit! Even the roaches would be gettin' they're 'Cha-Cha Slide' on too! Nobody was exempt.

In 2007 though, The Cha-Cha Slide has been rightfully added to the Dance Hall of Fame category along with other great group dances of the past like 'The Electric Slide' and 'The Doin' Da Butt Dance' from year's past. Now, there's a new hustle dance sheriff in Motown, and its name is 'The Turbo Hustle' created by Detroit's own DJ Maestro. If you didn't know, there are a few urban cities around the country that are pretty serious about their hustle dance game. There are hustle groups and funded dance tournaments that go on around the country to support the hustle movement. It seems like every month there is a new hustle being created that is more challenging than its predecessors. Out of all the hustles that I have tried to master and failed miserably, 'The Turbo Hustle' is by far the most exhausting! It's like the bionic 'Cha-Cha Slide' on crack with a splash of 'Jazzercising Aerobics!' It's seems more like a workout than actually dancing. I got tired from just watching this dayum music video alone, so see what you can do with it! I suggest you take sip of Gatorade before watching this video though...

DJ Maestro - The Turbo Hustle








Now, that your hustle workout is complete, hopefully you have enough strength to checkout DJ Maestro's web site and album information??

D.J. Maestro's Web Site:
www.bombzmusik.com

Album information:
D.J. Maestro Presents Steve Jackson's Ballroom, Hustle 101

KANYE ORIGINAL SAMPLES!
For some reason a lot of folks seem to hate on Kanye West! Comments about his style of dress and even his rhyme skills have been negatively criticized over his career. The only thing that everybody can normally agree on is the dope production that Kanye has provided us over years. It definitely hard to deny the guys pure genius when it comes to making hot beats. Artists from all genres of music seem to be checking for Mr. West. When you actually review his discography you quickly realize that this dude has worked with just about everybody that is anybody in the hip-hop music game. Not being afraid to take challenging risk when it comes to creating his own production sound has paid off for him tremendously in my personal opinion. Not only does it keep his production sounding fresh, but it also keeps everyone guessing on what he will do next! At this point in his career, Kanye seems to be one step ahead of his peers. While many newer hip-hop producers seem to have gone stale in the creativity department, Kanye West keeps reinventing his sound with each project he works on. Like most new school producers today, he relies his technique of music sampling to create his beats. With production sampling being so popular these days, it's hard not to hear the same sample used several times by different producers. Kanye is a master at speeding up and slowing down his samples of choice perfectly, so sometimes it's difficult for untrained ears to hear what sample is actually being used? Clever indeed, but today I will be shedding some light on a few of his beats by revealing the original sample that he used to make it.

Checkout the diversity of this sample selection I've provided for you today. Kanye will take a sample from just about anything, and I think that's why most folks dig his unique production in the first place?

CLICK THE HIGHLIGHTED LINK(S) TO HEAR EACH TRACK...

Jay-Z - Lucifer uses this original sample: Max Romeo - I Chase The Devil

Twista - Overnight Celebrity uses this original sample: Lenny Williams - You Know I Love You

Kanye West - The Good, The Bad & The Ugly uses this sample - Al Green - I Wish U Were Here

Kanye West - Stronger uses this original sample: Daft Punk - Harder Better Faster Stronger

CRS (Kanye, Lupe Fiasco & Pharrell) - Us Placers uses this sample: Thom Yorke - The Eraser

SOUNDNEXX LUVLUST&LYFE MIXX!
I'm posting this chumpy just in time for the Fourth of July holiday, so I present you folks with some mellow grooves to chill to while you get your BBQing and liquor drinking on today! The LuvLust&Lyfe Mixx is packed with a little soul for just about everybody, so definitely put your ears on it. Outside listening to some great music, I'd like to pass along some important safety tips that may just come in handy today! First, make sure you wash all raw meat with warm water prior to putting it on the grill. This precaution is not only to reduce the chances of getting sick if you don't, but it just a stanka-dank thing to do, so don't be nasty! Second, never play catch with a lit M-80 firecracker because if you didn't know, missing fingers are very unattractive. Have you ever dated somebody with missing fingers? Probably not, unless you were desperate, so just be careful! Lately, please avoid drinking and driving! I know plenty of lead gutt drinkers out there think you can handle your liquor, but why take the chance playa?

Aight, I'm about to head out myself, so I'd like to wish everyone a Happy & Safe 4th of July!

LUVLUST&LYFE MIXX TRACKLIST:

01-Kelly Rowland feat. Tank - The Show
02-Floetry - Hello
03-Carl Thomas - Say I Do
04-Monica Blaire - Breathe
05-Dave Young - I Can Do
06-Dwele - Luv
07-Chrisette Michele - Mr. Radio
08-Rome - I Belong To You
09-Smooth - Strawberries
10-J*Davey - Let It Bleed
11-Raphael Saadiq - Make My Day
12-V feat. Jill Scott - Born Again
13-Kelly Price - It's Gonna Rain
14-Ryan Toby - So Good
15-Zo feat. Tiffany Paige - Free
16-Howard Hewett - Can You Feel Me
17-RWE feat. Bilal - Can't Hide Love
18-Smokey Robinson - Quiet Storm

GET LUVLUST&LYFE HERE!

CAMP LO IN BLACK HOLLYWOOD!
Many artists say "don't call it a comeback" even though we still do when they have been missing from the music scene for several years. The word 'comeback' can have a negative overtone to it when referring to music artists that feel they have remained relevant even during their extended absence. I personally just define the phrase as what it states...'coming back,' but to some degree I understand why many seasoned artists frown when it's used. The term 'comeback' has been used to describe an aging artist past his or her prime that is still trying to be relevant even when they are not, by releasing new music that barely touches the essence of their former self. I'm quite sure you can come up with several examples that fall into that definition without even thinking too hard? Believe it or not, most of these katz that you think have fallen off planet are on the grind everyday behind the scenes trying to create new music and business moves for themselves. With that being said...how many of you folks actually remember the rap duo Camp Lo? Group members Sonny Cheeba & Geechie Suede have always been one my favs from the hip-hop scene back in the day. With their own original style, flow and gift of gab, Camp Lo changed the rap game with early tracks like "Coolie High" and "Luchini (This Is It)," plus their 1997 debut album "Uptown Saturday Night" still gets added into my rotation from time to time. In 2002, they released their second album "Lets Do It Again," which didn't outshine their debut, but it was a solid release by many hip-hop standards. Outside of a couple guest appearances and mixtapes, Camp Lo has been missing in action for a few years.

Now, it's 2007 (10 years after their debut) and the duo is back with a new joint entitled "Black Hollywood" that hits the streets on July 24th! Judging by the tracks I've heard off the new album so far, Sonny and Geechie haven't lost a step when it comes to their unique style and infectious delivery. They are still blessing their fans with that Bronx hip-hop soul that they are known for, which is a good thing if you ask me! Oh, you didn't ask me? So, what playa...I told ya anyway! Actually, I commend Camp Lo for remaining true to their original rap style in 2007 by not trying to reinvent themselves for a new generation of fickle rap fans. That's pretty rare in these grim days of mainstream hip-hop. Year after year you see artists trying to conform to the newest music fad instead of continuing the formula that made them successful in the first place. I guess some may feel that remaining true to an original style can sometimes become stale and outdated? An artist should remain current with the ever changing music trends to actually remain relevant? Hmmm...To some degree I guess that has some validity as well. The reality is when it's all said and done the choice comes down to the individual artists themselves.

Here's the question: Take a chance on reinventing yourself trying to keep up with current (mostly wack) music fads and jeopardize losing your loyal fanbase, or stay truly grounded to your roots and possibly become stale, outdated and eventually irrelevant??

Here's my answer as a fan: No matter what career path an artist may take musically the reality is...if the finished product is great nobody cares, but if it's wack everybody cares!

With that being said, watch these classic videos:

Camp Lo - Luchini (This Is It)

Camp Lo - Black Nostaljack


Now, checkout the Camp Lo Myspace page for some new tracks:

www.myspace.com/therealcamplo

Strange Fruit Project - Get Live feat. Erykah Badu


If you are still unfamiliar with Strange Fruit, git famil-e-yah!