My girl Angie Stone had a hot album last year, but this joint is definitely is my favorite track! The production is tight and the lyrics hit home, plus with Angie putting down those nice vocals makes this a perfect combination like that Filet-O-Fish combo meal at McDonald's. Ummm, tastie! What part of the fish is that?
Damn, Angie is sportin' some hot weaves/wigs in this video! First she hit us with that Syleena Johnson/Dolly Parton-ish (down ya back) steelo, then took it to some Aretha Frankin 1990s flava, finally bringing home with that Mary J/Pepa ghetto girl asymmetric cut on that a$$. Go head Stoney!!
Step your unbeweavable game up ladies!!
This will hopefully keep you folks content until my next soul driven mixx that will be dropping real soon... Stay tuned...
YO! MTV RAPS HISTORY! Personally, I am not a huge fan of MTV anymore. Why? Well, the biggest reason is that they seem to have sold their musical roots down the river for stock in the wack reality TV craze that's sweeping the nation these days. I wish they would get back to playing music videos and live concerts again one day. Looking back on MTV's long history, I definitely feel that their greatest accomplishment would have the be the creation the hip-hop classic Yo! MTV Raps. The show was hosted by Ed Lover and Doctor Dre, and if you considered yourself a true hip-hop artist from the late 80s to the mid 90s that's where you wanted to be. This is where hip-hop lived back then, period! It's difficult to put into words how critical this show was to the overall hip-hop movement that we know today, but please believe it. One of the saddest days in hip-hop history is when MTV ended the Yo! MTV Raps show in 1995 after seven seasons on the air. Instead of going out with a bunch of sad goodbyes, Ed and Dre decided to turn the final episode into a farewell celebration. Damn near anybody that ever touched a mic was in the audience during the the final episode of the show. It ended up being one of the longest emcee freestyle sessions ever aired on television. It was definitely a monumental hip-hop moment worth remembering.
Freestyle session one included verses spit by: Rakim, KRS-One, Chubb Rock, Erick Sermon and MC Serch. Freestyle sesson two included verses spit by: Redman, Method Man, Large Professor, Special Ed and Craig Mack. Flavor Flav was spitting some jibberish as the credits rolled, but fortunately it was not included in these clips. I have provided links to both sessions below, so check them if you haven't or add them to your hip-hop archives if you have. Make sure you peep them either way.
Along time ago somebody told me that Tone Loc was the best rapper in the game reppin' the Westcoast? It was probably because of this song right here:
Saturday, March 08, 2008
GROUP VANISHINGS! It amazes me how the music industry has changed over the last 20 years. This is especially evident in the R&B/Soul genre. Remember back in the 1990s when there was an overwhelming amount of R&B groups on the music scene? There were so many groups popping up like weeds every other week that it was annoying. It was very difficult to keep track of all the groups that were trying to make a name for themselves at the cost of the consumers that purchased many of their wack albums. Personally, I threw many of my hard earned dollars down the drain by taking purchase chances based on a nice album cover or hot producer. Most of these fly-by-night groups careers were over after their first album went tin, but in most cases the money had already been made. From me that is! I remember feeling like a cheated sucka several times after skipping through an whole album and only liking one track!
Luckily there were a few groups that dropped back in the Golden Era that actually had a decent album or two. One album that still gets a spin or three from time to time is Intro's self-titled album. The beats were banging and the vocals were on point. If you've never heard that album make a point to so if the opportunity presents itself. So, it's 2008 now and R&B groups are damn near extinct. The few that remain seem to be barely making ends meet, because it seems like music fans don't care about groups any more. I hate the overkill of groups back in the day, but to some degree I miss them now. Believe me, I can survive just fine without them, but there seems to be a vacancy in music right now. Where are Puffy and Heavy D when you need them? Maybe in 2018 things will be different for the success of R&B groups, but until then we can only reflect back to yester-year. I have decided to post a mixx of showcasing some of my favorite male R&B groups from back in the day. This is an older mixx, but hopefully it will still bring you some joy. Put your ears on this one...
SOUNDNEXX MALE GROUPZ MIXX 01-bel biv devoe - b.b.d. (i thought it was me) 02-tony! toni! tone! - baby doll 03-today - why you get funky on me 04-portrait - here we go again 05-after 7 - one night 06-surface - i missed 07-dru hill - whatever u want 08-guy - spend time 09-soul 4 real - if you want it (remix) ft. mcgruff 10-shomari - if you feel the need 11-jagged edge - wednesday lover 12-playa - all the way 13-lo-key - i got a thang 4 ya 14-rude boys - written all over your face ft. gerald levert 15-jodeci - alone 16-silk - i can go deep 17-u.n.v - something's goin' on
MORE OF THAT BADUISM! I don't know about you all, but I am still totally engrossed in the Nu Amerykah joint. I have spoken with many Badu fans about this album, and it seems to be either they hate it or love it. There seems to be no middle ground whatsoever. Personally, I like some tracks better than others, but none are even close to being wack. Erykah takes her music places where most wouldn't even think about going, and she gets my applauds for that alone. Regardless of where you stand or sit on Ms. Badu's new album, I have some good news. Erykah released another project back in December 2007 she calls "Badu." It sort of a greatest hits compilation, but she's thrown in a few rare gems that may have gotten by the average fan. That "Love Hangover" joint I posted a few days ago was from that compilation. Check out the track listing below: 1. Your mind 2. Love hangover (Live @ BET 2007) 3. Wu 4. Music is everything 5. Live 6. Apple tree Cafe 7. Didn't cha know 8. Fly away (featuring Sa-Ra and Georgia Anne Muldrow) 9. I want you 10. Love of my life (featuring Common) 11. Bag lady 12. Hold on (featuring Pharaoh Monch) 13. You got me (featuring The Roots) 14. Think Twice (featuring Roy Hargrove) 15. Ye-yo 16. Today 17. Never 18. Your precious love (featuring D'angelo) (Note: tracks 17 and 18 are merged into one track) Badu will hopefully be releasing PART 2 of her new album in late Summer? So, keep your extensively long toes crossed!
Sunday, March 02, 2008
CRATE DIGGIN', YOUNGSTA! Just the other day I found myself crate diggin’ through my many archives of music and I came across a gem from the Golden Age era of rap. Yes, the era that many heads consider to be the BEST of the BEST when it comes to rap music. The album was Da Youngsta’s second joint “No Mercy” that dropped back in 1994! There first album entitled “Something 4 The Youngsta’s” was a little bubble-gummish for my personal taste with track titles like “Rated PG” ~ “Neighborhood Bully” & “Cartoons” in the line-up. Back then there seemed to be a massive amount kids trying their hands at rapping and singing, so I was a initially hesitant about the “No Mercy” joint. That all went away when I found out that the legendary producer Marley Marl was executive producing the album. Marley always came with the hot beats! Sure enough after listening Da Youngsta’s second album a couple of times, it was quickly one of my favorites of that year. Not only were the beats sickingly hot, but also the young Philly emcees seemed like that had really grown up over the two years since their first album. They went from rapping about stuffed animals to speaking on growing up in the inner city.
Da Youngsta’s biggest single to date would definitely have to be “Hip-Hop Ride” off their second joint produced by legendary Marley Marl. This joint still bangs even in 2008, so peep the video:
HIP-HOP RIDE (VIDEO)
To end this post on a great note, I am also sharing this little mini-mixx of young rap katz that did it right back in the 90s when it came to spitting a hot verse. I call this one the "90z Rap Kiddz Mixx." None of that rap crap that we've been overwhelmed with over the last few years here my friends. This mixx is on that gutta butta flavor that will definitely take you back to the good old days, featuring Illegal, Chi-Ali, Kris Kross, Shyheim and Da Youngsta's of course. Put your ears on it and hear what you think. RAP KIDDZ TRACK LISTING: 01^Da Youngsta's - Stayed Away 02^Chi-Ali - Age Ain't Nothin' But A # 03^Illegal - Illegal Will Rock 04^Shyheim - On and On 05^Da Youngsta's - No Mercy 06^Chi-Ali - Step Up 07^Shyheim - Shaolin Style ft. Squig 08^Kris Kross - Alright (Remix) ft. Supercat 09^Da Youngsta's - No More Hard Times 10^Illegal - Understand The Flow 11^Chi-Ali - In My Room GET RAP KIDDZ HERE
Monday, February 25, 2008
SOUNDSPOT: LINA This good lookin' lady in the photo on left goes by the name Lina. The craziest thing is her is that she's been doing her thing-thing for a minute, but many music lovers don't even know her. Some know a couple of her past singles, but wouldn't even recognize her on an album cover. That's pretty sad because Lina is talented in my opinion. Her biggest smash record to date is definitely the track "It's Alright" from her debut album called "Stranger on Earth" that dropped in 2001. At that time her sound was strange to many, because she was doing something totally different with her music. Some of her tracks had a spacey like ballroom feel to it with a touch of soul and rock. I dug her debut from the gitty-up, while many slept! With mixed reviews of her debut, Lina just vanished from the music scene. I thought she was gone forever, but then she popped up like a morning erection in 2005 with her second album release "The Inner Beauty Movement." Her second album still had her original sound, but it was definitely more polished. Soul music lovers seemed a little excepting about Lina's second joint. Album tracks like "Smooth" and "All Around The World" featuring the scruffy looking Anthony Hamilton putting it down like a 1970s blacksplotation flick is worth the price of admission. If you missed her first two albums, be sure to check them out when you get a chance. Alright, that's enough about Lina's past. Lets move on to 2008, where my girl Lin-Lin has just dropped her third album called "Morning Star." This joint is leaning toward left field too, but it still remains very soulful throughout. I'm definitely digging it for sure! In a small way she reminds me of other dope female soul artists like Davina, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Adriana Evans. The mainstream doesn't know what to do with them and most music fans are confused about them. It's great music no matter how you label it, so take the plunge. As I always encourage, support artists like these because they are the true future of this music that we know and love. It's artists like Lina that keep me interested in soul music and even blogging about music. If all I had to write about was Omarion, T-Pain, Cassie & Ray J, I'd shut this muthasucka down with the quickness! You'd be saying bye-bye to the Sound guy! For more info about Lina and her music, click the links below: http://www.lina-music.com/ www.myspace.com/linamusic Then put eyes and ears on this new video from Lina as well:
Lina - I'll Stick Around
Now...you are free to bounce, or check for some dope mixxes on the right hand side!
Sunday, February 24, 2008
ERYKAH BADU CHANGES AMERYKAH! Ms. Badu has not lost a step since she dropped her classic record "On & On" back in the day, and in 2008 she's still taking even larger strides musically. Her genius is unmatched when you combine her originality, style, creativity, and obvious brilliance. She has managed to make a lane all her own on the musical freeway a.k.a the music industry filled with rehashed carbon copies. While many have conformed in hopes of being successful, Ms. Badu has stayed going against the grain. I would consider her successful as well. Let me be frank by saying that Erykah Badu is the ish, and don't you let anyone tell you any different! I'm rarely impressed with live shows, but the first time I saw her perform live back in the late 1990s I knew I had witnessed something special. Seeing her perform a third time in 2007 made it clear that she still hasn't lost a step when it comes to putting on a great live experiences. It's not a just a concert, it's a journey of musical pleasure takes your love of her music to another level. If you haven't seen Erykah do her thing live, you have definitely been missing out. Do yourself a favor and catch her live when she comes to your town. Don't be a cheap sucka neither!
If you don't know by now, Erykah is releasing her new album "New Amerykah: Part One" on February 26, 2008. The album has been getting plenty of promotion around the internet and record stores, so I know real music lovers are feenin' for this joint. I promised myself that I wouldn't post anything about this album until after I put ears on it first. Now, that I have had the album in rotation for a minute, I can say that I fully digested it. It took me about three good listens to get the full understanding of this album. There are a lot good messages embedded throughout the joint that may get overlooked on the first couple of listens. Erykah is definitely taking her fans to a different level musically, but it's all for the good. We need more albums like this to remind us that being different and taking risks is important. Not only is it important, but it's necessary to keep real music alive. New Amerykah is soulfully groundbreaking! I won't go into too much detail about the album because I want you folks to form your own opinions after hearing it, then we can talk about it later. I will definitely be purchasing my copy of this hot joint on Tuesday, and I hope you will too. Show Erykah some love here: www.myspace.com/erykahbadu Let me show you some love by clicking below:
EAR TEST 8: SACRAFICIAL JAMZ MIXX! I thought it was about that time for another Ear Test mixx, since I haven't posted one in a few months. I call this chumpy "Ear Test 8: Sacraficial Jamz" and you need this one. For all of you newer SoundNexx visitors my Ear Test series mixxes are used to showcase some of that soul music that can't be labeled under any one genre. This music consist of heavy basslines, catchy rhythms and diverse lyricism. Not radio friendly music at all. Just the way I like it actually! Like all of the mixxes that I post, I'm using this joint as a way for you folks to discover some new and dope artists. No, most of you probably won't recognize the majority of the artist names on this track list, but don't let that discourage you from checking it out. Think of it like the first time you had sex, it was probably scary initially, but the pay off was hopefully worth it. If you are still a virgin, ignore the previous sentence and download it anyway! With dope artists like Madvillian, Osunlade, Georgia Anne Muldrow and Marvin Gaye in the same mixx how can you lose? EAR TEST 8 TRACK LISTING: 01~Bite The Dust Intro - Eska 02~Blind Man - Cut Chemist & L.A. Carnival 03~And I (Remix) - Break Reform 04~Rhinestone Cowboy (Remix) - Madvillian 05~Distructions - Robb Scott 06~My Reflection - Osunlade 07~Longing - Geology feat. Lorah Cross 08~Turn Left - Little Dragon 09~The Gunshot - Nicolay & Kay 10~It's U (Remix) - Domu feat. Tiombe Lockhart 11~Le Fox - Owusu & Hannibal 12~Too Much Tenderness - Koushik 13~Noitulover - W. Ellington Felton feat. Lou-Lou 14~W.C. Recycler (Remix) - Gerogia Anne Muldrow 15~I Want You (Remix) - Marvin Gaye 16~Everybody Loves The Sunshine - Incognito 17~See No Evil - Tony Remy & Bluey
GIFTS ON V-DAY! Maybe it’s just me, but for some reason I think Valentine’s Day is a holiday created by the retailers to make even more money during the year that isn’t being spent during the major holidays. If that’s your thing, then enjoy it. In my opinion, you don’t need a specific day to express your love for someone. That should be going all through the year. So, back in the day when I was naïve enough to get caught up in the holiday hype, I would try to things that I thought were pretty original instead of predictable stuff. I realize that something genuine coming from the heart goes a lot further than a box of candy. With that being said I have decided to share one of my personal Valentine’s Day gift ideas for you fellas out there that desire an original approach. So, check it out.
I call this the gift of music. This gift works better with a person you have been with a little bit of time. If you’ve just met them with in the last couple of months, this gift may not be the one for you. Since, I enjoy music and I have a lot of it, I came up with the idea of telling my girl a story with love songs. It took me a while to find the right songs to fit into this compilation, but in the end it all came together. I started the story with songs that described the feelings I had when we first met. Then the songs transitioned into describing how I enjoyed the time we spent together and so on. You know the rest. Just let the music tell them how you feelie-feel, whatever that may be. Women eat that kind of stuff up, because it’s personal and it shows effort. She’ll throw those dead roses in the trash after a few days, but she’ll hold on to that personalized compilation forever. I used a 90 minute cassette tape to put my compilation together, so you know it had to be dope for it to still be in her possession. That’s just an inexpensive yet effective Valentine’s Day gift you can share, but I would suggest you do some else to go along with it though. Don’t be a cheap sucka! Take her to dinner and a movie or something as well.
Alright, enough of the sentimentals, lets get into some music. It is slow jam soul time folks. These joints are on some of that “Quiet Storm” in the rain type mixxes, which are perfect when in chill mode. A couple of these joints are re-ups, but I actually think one of them was never shared, so get them while you can.
SOUND SPOT: JOSE' JAMES I'm about to change up the music pace around the piece with this next kat that I'm about to speak on right now. He may not look like it at first glance, but this dude Jose' James is a jazz musician and he's definitely serious with his. My dude Synflood turned me on to this dude, and now I'm doing the same for you. Let me start off by saying that Mr. James is on the come up right now and he's redefining the whole contemporary music movement. He effortlessly combines jazz, hip-hop, soul and blues into an original sound that he can call his own. Some of his musical influences include Marvin Gaye, Billie Holiday and John Coltrane, which is obvious at times when you listen to his music. Jose' is a proud New York native that definitely has that East Coast swagger, but don't confuse him with a local rapper from around the way though. He sports his fitteds, t-shirts and jeans, but dats about it when it comes to any rapper comparisons.
He's a true vocalist that reminds of me of the days when so-called singers could actually sing! His music is deep and lyrics are even deeper at times. What you need to do is listen to his latest album called "The Dreamer" and get dose of what Mr. James is bringing to the musical table. The album is hot in my opinion, but I truly enjoy this type of music. It's that Saturday afternoon chilling at the house type music. Since, I have such a wide array of visitors that come through this site on the regular, I already know some of you will hear Jose' do his thing and think it stinks? If that's the case, I suggest you give yourself some time to get familiar with his sound. Don't think of this type of music as fast-food, because it's more like a 5-course meal with dessert afterwards. It takes time to appreciate music like this, so be patient and give your ears a chance to digest what's being heard. Check out Jose' do his thing during a live session:
I know you've heard about the "Flashing Lights" video, right? The masses have been waiting on the video for months now! No more video still shots and fake fan renditions dammit! This time it's the real thing, and it better be good too? Let's peep it, shall we.
Awww, man...I'm half way dissappointed with this video overall! The T&A was pretty original, even though I can see that in just about any ole' rap video in 2008. I have a question though. Where the hell is Dwele? Shyt, I almost thought Kanye wasn't going to be in the video either until ole' girl started giving him the business with that spade shovel. Why was the damn song shortened? With only two people in the whole video I'm quite sure playing the full verison of the song wouldn't have taken Kanye over budget. Now, I bet a massive group of people around the internet will take it upon themselves to try and explain what the true message behind this video really is. Don't look forward to that happening on this site though, because I'm not even going there with Kanye and his brilliant video concept? I guess it is kind of cool to get offed in your own video though...
Saturday, February 09, 2008
I MET ROSCOE JENKINS! Fresh out of the movie theater (no bootlegs here) from watching the funny flick "Welcome Home Roscoe Jenkins" and I must say that I enjoyed it! Pure comedy entertainment! Personally, I normally don't like Martin Lawrence's movies. Phucka Big Momma! This Roscoe flick was different though in a better way. Yes, it was predictable, but if it's funny who really cares? I was nervous about this movie having so many comedians in it with Cedric, Mo'Nique, Mike Epps and of course Martin Lawrence all having large roles. Sometimes, too many jokesters can mess a good plot up! I will admit that things worked out better than I expected. I laughed a lot more than I thought I would, which is rare for comedies of this nature when I'm concerned. Normally, the over-the-top slap stick type jokes make me frown rather than laugh, but this cast was able to pull some of them off successfully. Now, this flick is no movie classic, but it's definitely an urban comedy cult that most ethnic folks will probably enjoy. If you just want to sit back and have some good laughs check this one even if you catch it on DVD.
BTW, Mike Epps stole the show with many of his lines throughout the flick!
The music in the movie worked pretty well overall too. A mix of classics with some newer soul tracks seemed to the the trick. I mean really, who doesn't like Rick James, Maze and Kindred? No matter how many times you hear them they always sound good. If you haven't already, check out Joe's new joint/video from the movie soundtrack. Joe - Where You At (Video)
Tuesday, February 05, 2008
FRESH UNDERGROUND TALENT!
The underground hip-hop scene is at it again. Here are a few videos from some of that fresh and new talent on the come up! If your ears and eyes haven't been ruined by the overdosage of rap boo-boo that fills the radio and video stations these days, check these joints out.
Kaimbr - Low Budget
Atlas - Hood Famous
Roddy Rod - Whip It
Legacy
Sunday, February 03, 2008
MEMORABLE MUSIC MIXX! Yes, the self-proclaimed iPod Kang is back with another mixx for your listening pleasure. I made a bet with myself that if the underdog New York Giants won the Superbowl this evening I would post this mixx. Guess we know who won, right? I knew I should have bet some money on teh damn game. Since, the Giants just finished ruining the Patroit's perfect record, instead of calling a bunch of my buddies and rubbing it in their faces I'll just share some music instead. I titled this mixx "Memorable Music" for some reason. Maybe some of these tracks will be remembered by you when you finish listening to this mixx?
This joint features artists: Little Brother, Bilal Salaam, Pete Rock, Outkast, De La Soul, Erykah Badu, Jean Grae, Elzhi, Jay Electronica, Wayna, Kaimbr, Dion, Spacek, The Roots, etc... MEMORABLE MUSIC IS HERE! AND HERE 2?
If you want the track listing for this mixx, just leave me your info in the comments area and I'll hit you up with it.
SOUND SPOT: PURPLE ST. JAMES
I have had the pleasure of meeting and greeting many of my favorite soul artists over the years, but by far one of my favorites is definitely Ms. Purple St. James a.k.a Yahzarah! That’s because she has a wonderful soul and a genuine personality. She loves her fans as much as she loves her music, and it definitely shows. I have exchanged some verbage with Yahzarah about 5 times in person over the years at different events, but there was one particular time that stands out amongst the rest. It was back in 2006 when I was working with my dudes from the Flowink.com movement while they were here in Detroit promoting a concert of great music showcasing DarienBrockington, Dwele and Yahzarah. During this event I was helping out my folks where I could to keep the show moving along smoothly. As I entered the club’s VIP area to retrieve a battery pack for the video camera recording the event, I noticed Yahzarah staring at herself in a mirror hanging on the back wall of the room. No one was in the room but her and the lights were very dim. At first I didn’t even know it was her, but when I realized it I tried to be respectful to her personal time before her set, so I just grabbed the battery pack and kept it moving. As I was exiting the VIP area, she turned around and spoke to me. I responded to her greeting from afar, and then I mentioned that I was big fan of her music and that I was hyped about seeing her performance. That’s when our somewhat simple conversation got deep real fast!
My kind words seemed to spark something in Yahzarah. Before I realized it she was standing directly in front of me and suddenly took both of my hands into hers. Her grip was firm and deliberate. While looking deeply into my eyes, she stated that those words I had said meant the world to her. She went on to say that she definitely needed to hear that. She admitted while she was looking into that mirror on the back wall, a lot of negative thoughts were going through her mind. She was nervous about what we (the audience) were going to think about her performance, so she was second-guessing herself. The most powerful statement she made to me was when she said that I was an angel sent from God to pass this message of encouragement to her on that night. While standing at that mirror she asked God to send her a message, and then I came walking into the room. At this point she had tears in her eyes, so I was taken back for real. She then released my hands and proceeded to give me the warmest hug that I had felt from a stranger in a minute. After that heartfelt hug, I departed the room feeling bewildered while replaying her words over and over again in my mind. From that time on I have continued to look at Purple St. James as more that just a great singer, but a spiritual and connected person. Real folk, which is definitely my kind of folk!
When I was talking to her last December at the Soul Track Music Awards, she told me that she had some new music dropping in 2008! She has a new track called “Orbit” that is making some noise on the soul music scene, which is the first single off of her “Purple St. James” album that should be dropping later this year. If you are unfamiliar with Yahzarah at this point, I suggest you start with her first official release entitled “Blackstar” to step your soul music game up a little. Her music is great, but seeing her perform live is where it’s at, so check out this video footage I have provided you below. You can thank me later...
