SOUNDNEXX HIPHOP AMBER ALERT MIXX
Have you ever been listening to an old hip-hop cassette or CD that you may have made or purchased back in the day, and heard some forgotten dope rapper that has been missing in action for a minute? Personally, I do that shyt all of the time! I was going through my crates of CDs the other day, and I came across a cassette that I made back in the golden era of the mid-nineties just full of hot, but forgotten hip-hop tracks. Artists like Paula Perry, Nine, King Just, Ill Al Scratch, Royal Flush, Sunz of Man, Brotherhood Creed, Souls of Mischief and many others began blaring through my speakers. Sometimes, I wonder where some of these katz are today, and why the hell they only released limited albums or just a couple of singles to hype us up, only to never be heard from again? How come the dope rappers seem to fade away, but the lame rappers keep making music forever and ever?

Outside of Canibus, one of my favorite up and coming rappers from the Golden Era that never saw their full potential was Sauce Money! In the 90s there were plenty of dope fat rappers to choose from like Heavy D, Biggie, 8-Ball, Chubb Rock and Fat Joe, but Sauce was actually one of my favorites. Sauce had plenty of serious mixtape freestyle moments that got his street buzz going, but it just never formed into a worthy music career. Some critics and fans alike feel that he closed the door on his future when he declined to sign with Roc-A-Fella Record Label in its infant stages like his longtime friend Jay-Z? No feeling comfortable working under Dame Dash, Sauce Money decided to remain independent. When he finally released his debut album "Middle Finger U" in 1997, his mixtape buzz had died. The few of us left that even cared enough to buy his album were greatly disappointed with the unfocused vibe and overall poor production. I didn't hate the album, but I definitely didn't love it either! Damn, I hate when that happens! Other than a few featured guest spots here and there over the years, Sauce Money has pretty much vanished from the rap game. Hopefully, one day Mr. Money will try to make a comeback, and finally deliver the album that his fans truly deserve??? Don't cross your toes on that really happening though!

Aight folks...to pay homage to some of my favorite rappers and tracks that have definitely been missing in action for awhile. Where are these katz and why haven't we heard from them in a years? Are they dead, hospitalized or being held hotsausaged...I don't know, so I have put together a Hip-Hop Amber Alert Mixx to get folks asking questions about and checking around for these katz once again. Remember some of these artists??

Hip-Hop Amber Alert Tracklisting:

01-Da Bush Babees - We Run Things [It's Like Dat]

02-Cella Dwellas - Main Aim

03-King Just - No Flows On The Rodeo

04-Bad Seed - Uhhnnh

05-Magnum Opus - Magnum Opus

06-Rampage feat. Busta - Wild For Da Night

07-Grand Puba - 360 [What Goest Around]

08-Sauce Money - Against The Grain

09-Group Home - Supastar

10-Chino XL feat. Saafir - How It Goes Down

11-La The Darkman - City Lights

12-Artifacts - Who I Am

13-Truth Enola feat. De La Soul - Voicestress

14-Saukrates - Comin Up

15-Phife Dawg - Flawless

16-Young Zee feat. Busta Rhymes & KRS-1 - Milk [People Call Me]

17-Ali Vegas - The Specialist

18-Jeru feat. Afu-ra - East N.Y. Stamp

GET AMBER ALERTED HERE

CANADIAN RAPPER MOKA ONLY!

Growing up in Detroit has afforded me and many others the opportunity to literally hang out in Canada like it's just another city because of how close it is to us. Just a ten minute drive through the U.S./Canadian International Tunnel gets you into Ontario, Canada in no time at all. Over all Canada is a pretty fun country, but there are some places that are little more entertaining than others. I would have to say that the Canadian hotspot would have to be Toronto, Canada! From the shopping, to the festivals and just the people alone, it's normally a party type vibe out there. There music scene is pretty good too, depending on what kind of stuff you are into? Don't sleep! Over the years Canada has birthed some very good rapper artists like Choclair, Saukrates, Michie Mee, Kardinal Offishall and my main man Moka Only! If you haven't heard about any of these emcees, you may want to do a little bit of research on them and see what goodies you find.

I've been following Moka's career since he was a member of the underground hip-hop group Swollen Members back in the early 1990s. He actually started his solo endeavor in 1994, but the first time I heard him solo was on an LP called "Dusty Humps" in 1996! That's back in the day when I would buy just about anything that came out with a decent cover on it? Moka does have the gymnastical lyrics of a Canibus, nor does he have the brilliant creativity of Ghostface, but he does have his own original style. He's pretty laid back with his flow, easy to understand and his production is usually on point? Over years some critics and fans alike felt that Moka destroyed the chemistry of the Swollen Member group? That's a personal opinion, but I do believe it was part of the reason Moka left the Swollen Members group. No matter what people say about him, they never call the man lazy. The dude already has approximately 15 solo albums under his belt, and the total goes up to 26 if you include his demos and underground efforts. I will admit that Moka seemed like he had lost his way musically over the last few years though. Changing up his original style for more experimental type records, which didn't really workout for him in my personal opinion. Obviously, he figured out that his new sound wasn't a good look for him as well, so for his new album that dropped earlier this year "Vermilion" Moka took back to his original vibe.

Vermilion is one of his best efforts to date, and if you like your hip-hop with addictive beats and rhymes with that boom-bap feel of the golden era, I think this album may be for you? This is the first album in a minute where I didn't find myself skipping through most of the tracks, and I actually hit the rewind button a few times. Now, let me remind the readers of this post that Moka Only is NOT a gifted emcee lyrically, but I personally like his steelo even when he seems to be mumbling his rhymes sometimes. So, checkout these two tracks from his new album and hear what you think. If you think they suck or not, feel free to leave me a comment telling me so...

Moka Only - I Could Give A..

Moka Only - Search

Checkout his myspace page here:

www.myspace.com/mokaonly

IT'S OLIVIA (NO NEWTON-JOHN)!
Personally, I am not a big Gorilla Unit fan, so when I heard that singer Olivia had been dropped from the crew, I wasn't too concerned. Supposedly, she wasn't pulling her own weight when it came to finishing her new album, and there were some creative differences between her and 50 Cent? The reality is that G-Unit's future in rap music looks pretty grim, especially when the head zoo keeper 50 Cent a.k.a Greasy Pocket Change seems to have put his crew on the back burner to concentrate more on his own endeavors. How dare he, ole' selfish bastid! According to a couple of interviews I've read recently involving 50 Cent, he has clearly stated that each member of the G-Unit camp needs to step up to the plate when it comes to their individual futures. He will no longer be carrying the crew on his back, so they'll need to play a bigger role in their own promotion and overall success? I can't really blame him for that, because folks do need to get on their own grind and stop waiting for the next man to pave their way. Dayum, now who's going to help Yayo write his rhymes now??

While some may feel that G-Unit dropping Olivia is a pimp slap in the face, and possibly the end of her stagnated music career, I think it will actually help her become a better singer? I mean compared to the young group of female singers making hits today, Olivia can definitely hang with the best of them vocally with the right material of course. She was pretty decent in her pre-Gorilla Unit days, for those that can remember that far back? I know some dudes have called her the sexiest dude in the G-Unit camp, but I think she's actually pretty hot and tempting! No, she definitely won't win the Miss Universe contest, but she does have certain sex appeal. Musically though, things are not so good. Sadly, I have put ears on a leaked version of Olivia's infamous G-Unit album release a minute ago, and it was just mediocre at best. It had a couple hot joints on it, but most of it sounded like rehashed filler material! The music industry will be just fine if that album never sees the light of day....

All is not lost though because Olivia is back in 2007 with a new joint produced by Timbo & Missy Elliott called "Cherry Pop" that's trying to make some noise? Put your ears on this one and hear what you think? Does is suck or not?


Olivia - Cherry Pop (Prod by Missy & Timbaland)


Oh yeah, did ya'll see how 50 Cent played the 2007 BET Music Awards soft during his live performance of the wackalicious "Amusement Park" track last night! He was obviously a little pissed off that some katz booed him, and nobody was into his performance or even his presence on the stage! Ouch!! This led to 50 showing us his cocky side once again by not starting his vocals on cue, and ending his performance prematurally? Of course he had a million and one excuses about why those thing happened, but I'm not buying it. Actually, I think he did the viewers a huge favor! Thanks Fiddy!! When somebody comes through with the video footage, I'll be sure to post it! On second thought, maybe not!!

SOUNDNEXX HOTT SUMMA MIXX!
With Global Warming reigning havoc on the world in the new millennium, it's pretty hard to tell exactly what season it's supposed to be just judging by the weather alone? According to the calendar it's Summertime folks! That means school is out (for the smart kids anyway) and there should be somebody BBQ'n every weekend somewhere in your neighborhood for the next two months? Personally, I'm not a barbequer, I just eat a lot! With all of the cooking that's usually going on during the Summer season, somebody has to help out with the eating part to prevent any grub from going to waste. If you didn't know, throwing away good food is a definite sin? Outside of the backyard BBQs, urban festivals at Hart Plaza and riding several rollercoasters at Cedar Point, my favorite part of Summer is checking out the skimpy gear that the women will be wearing! It's just something about the Summer that makes some women feel like they can wear anything outside, no matter how jacked up their bodies are? That's why I love black women especially, because a lot of them just don't give an enthusiastic phuck about what you think! The level of sheer confidence that some of them have in their revealing dress and appearance is breathtaking sometimes!

I must admit that some women know how to totally emabarrass themselves and everyone around them when they come outside looking like scorching mess during the Summer months! First of all, ladies please step your hygiene game way up dammit! That means stop taking "Ho Baths" at the sink, and jump in the shower daily to make sure that all body crevices are given their proper attention. It's too damn hot to be cuttin' corners ladies. Also, remove ALL hair that is not located on the top of your head! You may have gotten away with not waxing during the winter months, but in the Summer it's very necessary. A summer dress with hairy underarms is not a good look! An excuse me for being naive, but I thought when your gut was bigger than your breast you would try to keep it covered up? Ummm...NO! Here's a tip...if the only CRUNCH you know about is Nestle's, I'd suggest that you stay away from two piece bikinis and half shirts? That would be the right thing to do I guess, but if the ladies did that I wouldn't be able to laugh as hard as I do! People watching is definitely a favorite summertime hobby of mines. Wifey and I love to kopp-a-sqwat in a public place and get our laugh on for real. Pure comedy ladies and gentlemen, plus it's FREE! So to all of you big gut exposin', dusty weave wearin', no mustache shavin', camel toe havin', crunchy feet walkin' ladies from around the way, I want to thank you personally for the laughs you've provided me over the years. With laughter being considered the oldest fountain of youth known to man, I'll be around a long time all because you wonderful folks. The world is a better place because you are here. Keep doing your thang ladies, and I'll keep doing mines! That's all I have to say about that...

What's Summer without some good music? Hell, what's any season without good music actually?? Today, I bring you the "SoundNexx Hott Summa Mixx" full of some of my favorite Summer tunes that I think capture the perfect vibe. I must state that some of these tracks were added to this mix by personal requests, so since I am a kind and giving kneegrow I decided to include them as well. I may not love all of these tracks personally, but hopefully you will? The catch to this mixx is that every song had to have the words "SUN" or "SUMMER" in the title somewhere to be included! Since, there were plenty of perfect summer tracks that were missed this time around, I will probably do a part two of this mixx to share those with you as well. Until then, put your ears on this one.

HOTT SUMMA MIXX TRACKLISTING:

01+Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince - Summertime (Yam Who Remix)
02+R. Kelly feat. Aaliyah - Summer Bunnies (Remix)
03+M. Doc feat. Chantay Savage - It's A Summer Thang (Gangsta Remix)
04+Exile feat. Jontel - Summer In L.A.
05+Leo's Sunshine - Give Me The Sunshine
06+Roy Ayers feat. Erykah Badu - Everyone Loves The Sunshine
07+Kool & The Gang - Summer Madness
08+Smokey Robinson - Cruisin' (Sunny Drive Mix)
09+213 feat. Latoiya Williams - Another Summer
10+Adriana Evans - In The Sun
11+Mos Def - Summertime
12+Sunshine Anderson - A Little Sunshine
13+Yvette Michele - Summer Love
14+Lil' Flip feat. Lea - Sunshine (Kingpin Remix)
15+Quincy Jones - Summer In The City
16+Isley Brothers feat. D-NAT, Onda & Esthero - Summer Breeze (Re-Edit)
17+Bonus Track

GET YOUR HOTT SUMMA HERE!

Also, I had a request to re-up my electronic-soul "Breezin' Summer Mixx" that I posted about a year ago, so that one is available here:

BREEZIN' SUMMER MIXX HERE!

ARE R&B GROUPS A THING OF THE PAST?
After hearing about the tragic death of former Hi-Five lead singer Tony Thompson (R.I.P) due to a drug overdose got me thinking a little bit. The first thing I thought about was how I haven't actually heard that dudes name since the mid 1990s. I quickly flashed back to the days of when groups like Hi-Five were poppin' pretty heavy on the music scene during that timeframe. Just at that moment the reality set in that there are really no male or female R&B groups that are making any kind of musical impact in 2007! Have the record labels assumed that the average fan doesn't really appreciate R&B groups anymore, or have music fans somehow enforced that view by not supporting such acts? Personally, I felt back in the 1990s there were entirely too many R&B groups popping up out of nowhere with weak gimmicks and singing abilities. There were several solid groups that made people pay attention back in the 1990s like New Edition, Boys II Men, Tony! Toni!Tone!, Jodeci, En Vogue, Jagged Edge and 112, but in 2007 nobody really gives a damn about any of them. Why? Because they're not the hot commodities that they used to be, so we push them to the side looking for the next musical fad! So, what happens to them? Usually, their career goes right down the drain in the toilet, which in most cases means they will never be heard from again??

The fall from glory has been very hard on many of the group members of the past, which has resulted in them participating in heavy drinking, drug abuse and crime in a lot cases. This sort of behavior eats up whatever little money they they've made over their careers, which eventually leads some jail or even to a premature death? Some forgotten artists try to continue on by doing live shows for pennies as only a shell of their former selves with dim hopes of resurrecting their careers? As you can see in this most recent photo shown above of K-Ci from the group Jodeci, some katz just don't know when to call it quits! When your voice is totally gone, and you start looking like Ren (Stimpy's boy) with too many tattoos, just put the microphone down and end the embarrassment already. It's the end of the road playboy (no Boys II Men)! Where are his honest friends and family at when he needs them the most??

Honestly, I understand that it's a personal choice for anyone that willingly involves themselves in excessive drinking and drug abuse, but I think as fans we should take a small percentage of the blame as well. We (fans) help build up these artists in the beginning only to eventually tear them down in the end when they need us the most. Music fans can be some of the most hypocrytical people on the planet with that "today we love you, but tomorrow we hate you" type mindstate that seems to be dominant? Shame on you ungrateful fans that left B. Brown all on his own! Yes, it was Bobby Brown's prerogative to put a crackpipe up to his lips, but the fans that turned their back on him after he dropped a few crappy records may have contributed to him picking up the lighter to ignite it? Marinate on that one for a taste...

To have a little fun, I typed out a little breakdown the Jodeci's whole career using several R&B group names from back in the day! I admit that some the lines in the verbage probably don't make that much sense, but keep reading it anyway dammit!

Here's my synopsis of Jodeci's career overall:

I remember when this somewhat Shai, Immature Troop of male singers that called themselves Jodeci first came on the music scene back in the day singing behind Father MC? When I heard them sing, I knew they were Another Bad Creation that seemed to be the Next big thing coming from the Uptown camp. As a New Edition in the music game, initially everything seemed to be going smooth as Silk. After just a short time in the business it was obvious that these guys not only changed from Boys II Men, but they also became Men of Vision! Due to their All For One type attitude, they're live performances were off the hook! Everyone would get pretty wild at their concerts. While the brothas in the audience were exchanging Hi-Fives of glee, the Good Girls would be getting aroused while admiring the Portrait of the group's half naked physiques that seemed to be in Mint Condition (NHJIC)? Everything changed when Bel Biv Devoe came out though! BBD's sound changed the R&B game like Tony! Toni! Tone! did when they first came out back in the day. Due to the fickle fans Changing Faces, Jodeci's career would soon die a slow death like a person left in an alley with their juggler vein Kut Klose with a Jagged Edge! To forget the pains of a broken career, smoking crack at 1:12 in the morning may have seemed like the best option at the time? Drugs, drinking and feuding group members put the Jodeci brand on it's final Dru Hill slide into the toilet for good. It was nice while it lasted..I guess? Even though I don't place Total blame them for the demise of their group, if they ever decide to release another album I hope they won't Color Me Badd if I choose not to buy it? So, with that...let's remember the good times!!

Jodeci - Cry For You

MTV'S HOOD DANCE LESSONS!
As I was in the process of station surfin' the boobtub the other day, I came across what I thought was a comedy spoof on a cheezy hip-hop exercise video or a lame dance show? Initially, I thought I was watching an old episode of Mad Tv, because the host of the show looked like Lil' Romeo with a bad wig on? I patiently watched several minutes of the urban like dance show waiting for the laugh track to kick in, but it never did. Since, I only have basic cable at the cribo, it took me a minute to realized that I was actually watching MTV, and this show I thought was comedy spoof was actually real?? I immediately became embarrassed for some reason? The show is called "Dances From The Hood" and it's hosted by a hard New York bred around that way girl/hip-hop dancer that goes by the name of Tweetie! The concept of the show is the breakdown and illustrate the most popular dances from the urban music scene for viewers at home. While Tweetie breaks each dance down step by step, there are a bunch of extras in the background trying to bring these moves to life for the viewers? In between the dance breakdowns, the extras are encouraged to get busy dancing on the fake MTV dance club set, which is really where the true comedy begins. If you haven't seen the actual show yet, think "American Band Stand" meets "Dance 360!"

What is "Dance 360" you ask? I'm glad you asked dammit, because that is one of the wackest dance shows of the 21st century, but honestly it's some of the funniest shyt I've ever watched on television! The hosts of the show were Fredro Starr (Onyx fame) and Kel Mitchell (Good Burger) who were literally the Abbott & Costello of the television dance world for about a year kept me in stitches every episode! Words cannot do Dance 360 any true justice, so by way of Youtube...I present to you a classic moment of DANCE 360 for your viewing pleasure! Beware: Watching these clips may bring on an uncontrollable urge for you to jump up and do the "Cabatch Patch" or "The Running Man" in front of your computer monitor, so make sure you have plenty of room before pressing PLAY on these three clips!

After seeing those clips, aren't you devistated that this show was ultimately canceled in 2005? Now, that you have been thoroughly entertained, lets get back to hood dancin' from MTV. Just like so many other shows in the past, MTV has provided yet another television program to help non-blacks understand and relate to portions of the urban culture a little better. A couple of years ago MTV had a show that broke down the lyrics of rap songs that were hard to comprehend, and now the same is being done for the urban dance scene. I totally understand that dance shows like these are personality driven, because without a strong presence it would be a total bore. I enjoy strong personalities, but this host Tweetie seems a little crazy? Either she's touched or she's on some kind of unprescribed substance? I can't put my finger on it, but I think you'll fully understand what I mean when you see a couple of the episodes. I don't see this show lasting too long because the dances that are being taught seem a little too simple? I mean how hard is it to teach somebody how to do the "Chicken Noodle Soup" or the "Snap Dance!" The show's concept is good, but overall it's seems a little wackaliscious in my personal opinion, but check out a couple of episodes for yourself by clicking-->DANCE HOOD...and see what you think??

Why can't BET be more like MTV?

SOUNDNEXX HOTCOMB SOUL MIXX!
For the last few weeks, I have made it my bidness to catch the classic re-runs of the Soul Train dance show that comes on here every Saturday afternoon! I am definitely a vintage Soul Train addict now! Other than watching some of my favorite 70s and 80s soul artists perform my favorite jamz in their prime, it's pure comedy watching the people dance. The outfits alone can keep me laughing for the whole episode, but the dances are definitely the most entertaining part in my opinion! Watching some dude dressed in a plaid one piece jumper with no shirt on and a poka-dot bowtie is one thing, but seeing him do the splits better than is girl is another? Dudes jumping around in their blouse like shirts with knots neatly tied in the front seem a little suspect? I definitely understand these vintage shows are from the 70s and 80s, but I think even back then most dudes weren't dressing like out here anyway. Soul Train was recorded in California, so fashion was probably a little more liberal out that way? Another thing I like about he vintage Soul Train shows is that it was couple driven. Momma and daddy would be at the pad practicing some new dance moves, buy a new matching outfit and finally get they're boogie on in front of the tv cameras for all the world to see. Unlike the newer version of the show, folks on the classic joints really seemed like they were having fun! That's what the vibe was all about back in the day, and you can definitely feel it in some of the music from that timeframe.

To pay homage to Don Cornelius (Soul Train host) and all of the folks that love the music from the 70s and 80s, I have put together a little compilation/mixx of soul tracks from that time. Watching those vintage shows made me remember some of the great tracks I had forgotten about over years. So, old heads reminisce while listening to these tracks and all the youngsters get familiar. Also, some of these tracks are original samples of some of your favorite R&B/hip-hop tracks, so listen closely and hear if you can figure out what songs they are from. So, on that note...SoundNexx bids you LOVE, PEACE AND SOUL!!

Checkout some of these vintage Soul Train clips before you depart:













HOT COMB MIXX TRACKLISTING:

01~90% of Me Is U - Gwen McCrae
02~Oceans of Thoughts and Dreams - The Dramatics
03~Nights of Pleasure - Loose Ends
04~Moon Child - Rick James
05~Let's Do It Again - Staple Singers
06~Curious - Midnight Star
07~When Love Calls - Alantic Starr
08~Give Me The Night - George Benson
09~Risin' To The Top - Keni Burke
10~Golden Lady - Stevie Wonder
11~Hangin' On A String (Contemplating) - Loose Ends
12~Open Your Eyes - Bobby Caldwell
13~Back Together Again - Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway
14~Love Will Find A Way - Lionel Richie
15~Valentine Love (Slow Remix) - Norman Conners & Michael Henderson
16~Come Live With Me Angel - Marvin Gaye

HOTCOMBS ARE AVAILABLE HERE!

SOUNDSPOT: MARIE "TWEEK"

There is no denying the fact that soul music's sound has changed tremendously compared to the sounds of the 70s & 80s timeframe. While most new schoolers could careless about it, plenty of old schoolers feel that during this transition the artistic value and originality has been lost. What's left is a hollow form of rehashed sounds that has stagnated the music as a whole, which will ultimately be its demise if nothing changes? Not only has sampling removed the idealism of original instrumentation for most producers, but these days the vocalists that have taken center stage are subpar at best in several cases. No need to name them because they are not difficult to spot. Some even feel that the United States as a whole has forgotten what the true essence of soul music really is, while the artists of locations like the United Kingdom have remained loyal to the genre's blueprint? Personally, I have been a big fan of the soulful U.K. sound for years! Actually, one of my favorite soul groups is Loose Ends. Talk about classic material! The track "Hanging On A String" is still my shyt, but anyway lets move on to another great voice Marie a.k.a Tweek from the soulful house group The Rurals. BTW, The Rurals are the real deal when it comes to quality house music, and that's all I have to say about that.

Tweek has been the voice for The Rurals sound for approximately 9 albums, but she's finally making her move as a solo artist in 2007. Tweek has taken the independent approach to releasing her debut album "Like This" to the masses. As a solo act she's definitely slowing things way down with a mellow vibe that definitely reveals her talent a soulful balladeer. Tweek hasn't totally abandoned the Rurals house vibe totally on this project though, so your head will be bobbin' as well! Good stuff no matter how you slice it, but one of my favorite tracks is definitely "We Can Help" just on the funky vibe of soulful chill feel that it has as Tweek croons oh so gently! Overall this is solid release, but due to initial limited independent distribution through their web site, it will probably go unheard by the masses? On July 7th the new project will have wider distribution, so keep your ears open.

Checkout these links for more info and snippets from her album:

www.myspace.com/marietweek

Tweek album info here

CHRISETTE MICHELE "I AM"...
Over the last few months the newcomer Chrisette Michele Payne has been creating a strong buzz for herself. If you don't know who she is by now, you must not have heard the most recent Jay-Z and Nas albums? Def Jam new that they stumbled up on a upcoming superstar with Ms. Michele, so she was given the star treatment on her first time out by working with those two legendary emcees. I would say that's a great start to an upcoming music career. Outside of the music career taking off, Chrisette's physical look has changed a lot too. When I first did a post about her a few months ago, she was rocking the bleached blonde mini-afro look while she sported the around-the-way urban gear. You know the jeans and t-shirt vibe. Now, she has gotten her a Beyonce wig, plenty of Mac make-up and some more feminine type clothing to bring her polished look together. I will admit that she is looking pretty hot and tempting these days! Good work Def Jam. In the music business these days, there are all kinds of fine women holding a microphone, but only a few of them can actually sing. Chrisette Michele is one of them! Not only can she sang, but her unique sound has that old school jazz singer feel to it as well, which is definitely missing in 2007. She's reminds me of a young Nancy Wilson or Ella Fitzgerald, which is high praise by any standards!

Now, that all of the Chrisette Michele hype is behind her, it's definitely time for her to show and prove with her upcoming debut album "I Am" that will hopefully see the light of day on June 19th? I actually applaud Def Jam for putting out her album so fast. She could have easily been shelved like so many other great artists in the past. I have put ears on few of the "I Am" tracks and they sound pretty good overall! The tracks I've heard from the album had a mature sound to them, which I was very pleased to hear. None of that bubblegum/babydaddy drama stuff that seems to be dominating the airwaves these days. It's refreshing actually. Don't just take my word for it though. Checkout a few cuts for yourself, and if you are diggin' them show some support by purchasing her album when it drops.

Listen to Chrisette Michele Songs Here

Chrisette Michele's Myspace Page

Chrisette Michele's Official Web Site

Check some Chrisette Michele live action too:

LIFE IMITATING ART?
Is it just me or has anyone else noticed how fearlessly stupid the youth has become over the last 10 years? How come everytime some youngster sees a clip of someone in a movie, television show or a music video performing a stunt they immediately want to duplicate it? Obviously, not realizing that the majority of those tricks are done by professionals, and the rest are done with computer generated imagery (CGI). Common sense seems to be a thing of the past, which may be a result of the crack epidemic of the 1980s? Risking life and excessive property damage performing senseless acts makes not sense to me personally. I thought I'd seen it all when folks were pretending to be Hulk Hogan, while jumping off the top of a house with intentions of body slamming their buddy onto a mattress located on the ground below. One even better is when this dumb guy tried to duplicate a stunt from the MTV show Jackass, which envolved igniting a fart with a Bic lighter. Let's just say the stunt ended with the young retard setting his testicles on fire! Okay, let's shift gears over to the hip-hop crowd for a minute. I know by now that most of you have probably heard E-40's hyphy rap track "Tell Me Where To Go," which was a big hit for the Bay Area back in early 2006. In the video for that song E-40 visually shares a little bit of what the "Hyphy" movement is all about with unique dancing and car tricks! Recognize that it's not E-40 doing these things, but other folks who are probably professionals or atleast skilled individuals in these areas. If you haven't already, you need to watch this music video below before you go any further:

E-40 - Tell Me Where To Go

Now, that you've seen the music video lets analyze it a little bit! I'm quite sure you noticed the crazy dancing and stunts in the video, and I think this video is really what sold the song for me. The car tricks in the video were dope, especially the stunt called "Ghost Riding The Whip!" Ghost Riding involves a crazy person getting out of the driver's seat of a moving vehicle to walk along side, behind or even sit on top of it to give the illusion that a ghost is actually driving. That sounds really stupid, huh? It's definitely a cool trick visually when it's done right, but it's very dangerous and even deadly if it's done incorrectly! So, you when add impressionable thrill seekers that have no actual skill with a moving automobile, what do you get? This is what you get dammit:

And This...


And This Too...

Some may view these clips as unfortunate incidents? I on the other hand think these are just clips of stupid people doing stupid things, which can actually be quite entertaining! I like to call it "stupitainment" myself. Did you realize that most of the knuckleheads from these clips probably didn't even have a driver's license, let alone their own car! So, that means these vehicles probably belonged to someone else who had no clue that these fools were doing such things with their cars? Last time I checked damaging somebody's car due to reckless endangerment was the quickest way to getcho azz beat. All you folks out there that think standing on top of a vehicle with no driver while it's moving need to wisen up before you get seriously injured or killed. Also, stop believing all of this fake stuff that you see on the television. It's mostly smoking mirrors and camera tricks youngen. For the parents that catch their kids doing stupid stunts like these with the family automobile, make sure you whip their azzes good! Get a lick in for me too dammit! I was told that a good azz whipping has never hurt anybody, except the person receiving it. Hopefully, this post will change the world by saving a precious life, but since it probably won't I'll just keep laughing at these fools that constantly post these stupid video clips on Youtube.

INFATUATION WITH GANGSTERS!
This post came to mind as I was sitting dead center inside of the MJR movie theater (stadium seating of course) preparing to watch Ocean's Thirteen yesterday afternoon. During the 20 minutes of annoying advertisements that have sadly become the norm at the movies in the new millennium, I normally close my eyes and wait patiently for the feature presentation to begin. Since, I frequent the cinema often, I have seen most of the movie previews that are shown as well, so my eyes normally remain closed during that part of the movie experience as well. Suddenly, I heard a familiar voice that sounded like Denzel Washington putting down some slick talk like he did in Training Day! I quickly opened my eyes and realized that it wasn't the preview for Training Day 2 (Alonzo's Revenge), but it was the preview for the flick "American Gangster" that looks pretty damn good I might add! The movie is based on the life of the heroin drug-kingpin-turned-informant, Frank Lucas. I've personally never heard of this dude, but I'm quite sure we will all become very familiar with him in the very near future? As I watched this movie preview, I noticed that the rappers Common and Tip Harris (T.I.) seemed to have significant rolls in this movie as well. Actually, I think T.I. is playing Denzel's son in the movie? At that point I started thinking to myself that this movie is going to do well in the black community. Denzel + Violence + Rappers + Gangsters = Urban communities hitting up the movie theaters by the thousands in November 07. I'll be there too dammit!!

I will be the first to admit that I really enjoy a good gangster flick starting from the original Godfather movie and everything that came after! I enjoy watching tough characters in movies that take no mess, who instead take the checks that thou azz couldn't cash! I think my love for gangster movie action and violence in general started when I used to watch the Kung-fu Theater movies that used to come on every saturday back in the day. Even though the stunts were cheezy and the plots sucked, the essence of male bravado was definitely mesmerizing. In those old kung-fu flicks there was always some unbeaten kung-fu master that was kicking much azz and taking names around the village using some kung-fu style that nobody else had mastered yet. Amazingly, they always had long white beards too? If you didn't know, white beards stood for wisdom and they also made the masters look tough! Instead of using their fists as a weapon, gangsters use guns and hired goons to do their dirty work. The ultimate goal for most gangsters is to gain unlimited wealth and power by any means necessary. Most of them started from nothing and used crime to give themselves new opportunities for success. In my opinion, this is the true link between gangsters and black folks. We can totally relate to that "ME AGAINST THE WORLD" and "TURNING NOTHING INTO SOMETHING" type attitudes that are prevalent in those types of movies. Watching brown or black people take a slice of the American pie when the odds are against them is very intriguing to the masses. That is why I think many rappers sensationalize these criminal figures in most cases. To sell the image of toughness, many rappers glorify the gangster lifestyle by taking the infamous gangster monikers, and some even rap about their lives to make it complete. As it was stated to me back in the day, real gangsters don't rap! That makes good sense when you really think about it. The most troubling part about it is that most of the youngsters can't distinguish between the truth and the lies of these so called rappers playing gangster. Even though all gangster tales end the same way with death or extended jail sentences, most folks rarely pay attention to that portion of the storyline? In reality that is the most important part!

It wouldn't be right if I ended this post without showing you the American Gangster movie trailer, so check it out below. Now, that's GANGSTA!!

AMERICAN GANGSTER TRAILER

THE BEAT OF THE EARDRUM!
Where were you when you first heard the emcee Talib Kweli? Notice how I used the word "emcee" and not "rapper" in the question above, because there is a big difference between the two in my opinion. Not bad or good, just different. As I remember it, the first time I heard Talib spit was on that "Soundbombing" mixtape mixed by DJ Evil Dee in 1997! That whole mixtape was hot to def, plus there were plenty of dope freestyles and hard to find classic rap joints on there for sure. Talib Kweli and Mos Def both ripped a few freestyles on there, but it wasn't until I heard the Black Star (Mos Def & Talib) album in 1998 that I realized how dope he really was. Speaking of that, can we get another Black Star album please? Black Star reuniting is long overdoo-doo dammit! A couple of years after Black Star dropped, Talib came back hard with the Reflection Eternal's (Talib & Hi-Tek) debut album "Train of Thought" that definitely solidified his position as a hip-hop icon in my opinion. That track "The Blast" is still one of my favorite hip-hop tracks to this day! The most impressive part of Talib's wordplay is the fact that it can be street conscious and uplifting all in the same verse. Add that to Hi-Tek's solid production, and you definitely have a classic on your hands. Unfortunately, Talib and Tek ended their working relationship soon after the Eternal Reflection project dropped due to internal problems? In an interview I read some years later, Hi-Tek stated that Talib basically told him that he wanted to branch out and work with other producers. He never really gave Hi-Tek a clear answer about why though? So, in 2002 Talib dropped his first official solo album "Quality" without any production help from Hi-Tek. Talib's verbal skills were on point, but the production on the album lacked the potency of his previous works. It actually had me craving for some more Hi-Tek beats. He released his second solo joint "The Beautiful Struggle" in 2004 that had about three different versions floating around due to excessive bootlegging and sample clearing issues. Because of that the final retail album seemed a little unorganized and watered down? I didn't hate it, but I didn't love it either!

Now, it's 2007 and after changing record labels and getting refocused, Talib is back with his latest release entitled "Eardrum" to hopefully reclaim his spot in the hip-hop game. I will admit that my anticipation for this album has been pretty high, and after hearing the advanced copy of it I'm pretty pleased overall. Talib is always on point lyrically, so my main concern were the producers handling the beats? This time around Talib has some of the best producers in the game like Pete Rock, Madlib, Just Blaze, Will.I.Am, Kanye and Hi-Tek putting it down lovely! Featured guest on the album include Jean Grae, KRS-One, UGK and Musiq Soulchild. I definitely feel that this is Talib's best solo album to date. The official release date for the new album is July 24th, so keep your ears open and don't miss out!

If you haven't guessed by now, my music vibe is based my current mood and I will be the first to admit that I haven't posted many hip-hop mixes recently, but today I'm back on my HIP-HOP shyt!! I'm calling this slice of underground bliss the "SoundNexx Undaground Haven Mixx!" This one is dedicated to all of my hip-hop headz, bloggerz and my partna TB doing his overseas thang for the Army right now! This joint is filled with plenty of goodies for everyone, so fire up those mp3 players and CD burners up for real. After listening to this mixx (if you feel like it) let me know what tracks you liked or disliked. There is a reason why I am asking you to do this, but if you just want to kopp it and bounce without doing so, I won't be mad at you! You already know my stance on commenting. Also, I realize that some of you challenged suckaz probably can't even write a complete sentence anyway, let alone type one, so I am empathetic for you folks with those deficiencies. SoundNexx is an equal opportunity blog, so all misfits are welcomed with open arms even if one arm is shorter than the other. Have you hugged a misfit today???

Okay, lets continue the journey...MUSIC PLEASE!!

SOUNDNEXX UNDAGROUND HAVEN MIXX TRACKLIST:

01-CESAR COMANCHE - Underground Heaven
02-STRANGE FRUIT PROJECT feat. TONE TREZURE - Crush On You
03-TALIB KWELI feat. KANYE WEST - In The Mood
04-JOHN ROBINSON feat. TIFFANY PAIGE - Behind Me
05-J. RAWLS & HOLMSKILLIT - Gentle Rain
06-RAASHID - Duck Duck Duck
07-TALIB KWELI feat. PETE ROCK - Electrify
08-CHAPTER 13 - Keep It Moving
09-POLYRHYTHM ADDICTS feat. PHONTE - It's My Life
10-KAY - TGIF
11-MOKA ONLY feat. JAY DEE - I Could Give A __
12-J DILLA - The $ (Lootpack Remix)
13-JAYLIB - The Mission (Stringed Out Remix)
14-MARCO POLO feat. MASTA ACE - Nostaligia
15-VON PEA - Need 2 Know
16-CRITICAL ACCLAIM - Wallflower
17-PHAT KAT - True Story Part 2
18-TANYA MORGAN - Walk This Way
19-SEAN PRICE - One
20-JAZZY JEFF feat. J-LIVE - Practice
21-PHAROAHE MONCH - So Good

THE SAFE HAVEN IS HERE!

Rashad - Sweet Misery

SOUNDNEXX SOULFULL AFAIR MIXX!
There are plenty forgotten soldiers in the neo-soul music genre, but one of my personal favorites is Rahsaan Patterson. He's become a favorite just recently though. I was just like most other skeptical music fans back in 1997 when he dropped his self-titled debut album. I totally ignored it and him as well. I honestly thought he was just another "fly by night" pretender earthy type soul artist trying to capitalize on the neo-soul fad? Back then it was harder to judge quality over crap, and I wasn't into spending my hard earned greenbacks on just anything. I also ignored his second release "Love In Stereo" as well because my assumptions had not changed by that time. It wasn't until late 2000 when I finally heard the song "It's Alright Now" from that album that my eyes were opened. One of my homegirls was playing it in her car, and it was at that moment that I realized my assumptions about Mr. Patterson were incorrect. I felt like I was behind the power curve, so I went out and purchased (remember that) both of his albums. I was an immediate fan after that. Then he finally dropped his third album "After Hours" in 2004, which is definitely a solid album from beginning to end. The dude is a real talent! I recently got wind of new Rahsaan music that is about to drop real soon, so keep your ears open. If you really like soul music, it's kind of hard not to like Rahsaan Patterson, so do yourself a favor and check him out if you haven't already! I put one of his songs on this "Soulfull Afair Mixx" just in case your ears have never experience the Rahsaan Patterson movement before...

It's mixx time again soul music lovers, so add this one to my score for the iPOD King Award. The champ is here! I named this mixx a "Soulfull Afair" because I expect after you hear it you will probably end up cheating on your other music by continuously playing this one for weeks to come? I will admit that I have been fooling around with this mixx for a minute now, and my other songs are getting suspiciously jealous, but I can't help myself. I think I'm in love! Nah, let me just stop being serious dammit....

SOUNDNEXX SOULFULL AFAIR TRACKLIST:

01^Musiq Soulchild - Rewind
02^Erro - Right or Wrong
03^Rashad - The Seed
04^Andreus - Mary Ann
05^Jay Electronica - Hard To Get
06^Stephan Segolsson - It's Over
07^Monica Blaire - One and Only
08^W. Ellington Felton feat. Kronkite & Sy Smith - Three Sides
09^Carl Thomas feat. E-40 - Late Night Rendevous
10^Zo - Time Table
11^Koffee Brown - Qualified
12^Avila Brothers - I Want You
13^Rahsaan Patterson - Sometimes (You Gotta Let Go)/Reprise
14^V - Sister Brother
15^Dwele - Affinity (Snappy Remix)
16^Beyonce - My First Time

HAVE A SOULFULL AFAIR HERE!

Catch Rahsaan on Myspace:

www.myspace.com/rahsaanpatterson

www.myspace.com/rahspace

Rahsaan's Official Site:

www.rahsaan.com

JUST A FEW TRAXX!
Outside of music, sex, eating, sleeping, watching Soul Train re-runs and drinking Vernor's Boston Coolers on the regular, I also like electronic gadgets. After living several years in Tokyo, Japan I quickly came to the realization that nothing is impossible when it comes to ideas for electronic gadgets. It's limitless! Personally, I think that these watch/mp3 players (shown on the left) are coolidge! Having a watch/mp3 player would be perfect for someone like me, but I won't be touching this technology until it drops down to $19.99! I'm on my Informercial/As Seen On TV type ish! Anything more would be uncivilized. If anyone finds a great deal on these chumpies, be sure to let your boy know dammit! Me and my main man Discount are best friends, and if you see his girl Sale Price tell him I said, "What up!" Okay, since this is not the QVC station or The Discovery Channel, lets get into some music..."It's SoundNexx babie...!"

Since, I was in the process of uploading a couple of these joints for a couple of my peoplez, I decided to share them with you kind folks as well. Check these jointz out...

Jennifer Hudson feat. Papoose - Special: Ever since Jen-Jen made her mark in the Dream Girls flick, things have been looking up for her career. I'm not a huge fan, but I definitely like this track.

Kay feat. Sy Smith - My Story: This is some 2006 butta my dude Kay and Nicolay! This is definitely one of my favs from 2006 showcasing my gurl Sy Smith on the vocals. Good stuff!

Tiffany Paige - Sumthin: Newcomer Tiff Paige is definitely making some moves in the oh-seven! This track is a remake of the Platinum Pied Pipers classic joint "Sumthin" that is just as impressive. She just dropped a nice mixtape "Breakin Boundaries" too, so put ears on that as well.

Joe feat. Nas - Get To Know Me: Using the beat from Nasir's "You're The Man" track Joe brings a mixture hip-hop and soul to the forefront. You got to love this one just because the beat is dope! Checkout Joe's new album "Ain't Nothin Like Me" to get more flavor to savor.

SOUNDSPOT: PEVEN EVERETT
Honestly, there are plenty of artists in all genres of music that fall under the radar and today I want to shed a little light on one of them. If you are a fan of deep house music you actually may have heard of Peven Everett? I wouldn't be totally shocked if you haven't though! Peven incorporates a number of genres like house, jazz, hip-hop and soul together to develop his progressive sound. He was born in the suburbs of Illinois, and as a prominent instrumentalist he started out his career performing live with artists like Branford Marsalis and Winston Marsalis. That was definitely a great start, but it wasn't until he met Chicago native Roy Davis Jr. that Peven found his musical calling. Roy Davis Jr. is a Chicago house music legend around those parts, so if you didn't know you better ask somebody that knows. Talking bad about Roy in Chicago is like saying bad things about somebody's church pastor! Talking greasy about such things could getcha cut!! Peven collaborated with Roy on two of my favorite house tracks "Gabrielle" and "Watch Them Come" that definitely showcase that Chi-Town vibe. Just like most house/soul artists Peven has released several rare 12 inch records and vinyl EPs from the early days of his career. Personally, I didn't begin appreciating Peven's talent until I heard his debut album "Studio Confessions" back in 2002. Tracks like "Everyday Girl" and "Testing Me" had me wanting more. It's 2007 and Peven has five albums to date, and each one shows a side of the house singer. One thing I will say about this kat is that he remains busy making music. His latest album "Power Soul" is one of my favorites from the Peven discography. I think this album shows all of the different musical parts that makes up this artists. Maybe, this is the album that will take Peven's career to that other level??

It's mixx time SoundNexxterz! Since, I am in a house/soul state of mind I decided to post my SoundNexx Progressive Mixx for your listening pleasure. This mixx is for my deep soul, house, and club headz, so your head will definitly bobbin' the whole time? I know sometimes you feel neglected, but I got your back. With tracks from Amp Fiddler, DJ Spinna, Shaun Escoffery, Waajeed, Marvin Gaye and Rahsaan Patterson everything will be alright for sure.

I want to give a special typeout to my homegirl DJ Cent reppin' that Detroit house music hard in 2007! I see you Cent!!

Checkout DJ Cent on her myspace page: www.myspace.com/djcent

THE PRO-GRESSIVE TRACKLIST:

01) The D.A.T. Project - C'mon Sweat (SoundNexx Remix)
02) Shaun Escoffery - Space Rider
03) The Rurals - Addict (B Suite Remix)
04) Jimmy Sommers feat. Rahsaan Patterson - What Am I Gonna Do (Remix)
05) Bucketheads - Time and Space
06) Moodyman feat. Amp Fiddler - I'm Doing Fine
07) Shaun Escoffery - Days Like This (DJ Spinna Remix)
08) 4 Hero feat. Bembe Segue & Kaidi Tatham - Something In The Way
09) Peven Everett - Sexy Make Up
10) Moodyman - Shades of Jae
11) Dee-Lite - Runaway Lover (Masters At Work Remix)
12) Dee-Lite - Power of Lover (Zanibar Remix)
13) Roy Ayers - Third Time (Viktor Duplaix Rework)

Also, peep Peven Everett at his myspace page:

www.myspace.com/studioconfession

Oh yeah, before I forget...

GET PROGRESSIVE RIGHT HERE!

Also, peep a little live Peven action too...

PHAROAHE MONCH STILL HAS DESIRE!
Looking at this album cover the first thing I thought was, "I didn't know Mumra from the Thundercats was dropping a new rap album in 2007?" After a second glance though I quickly realized that it was not actually the great Mumra, but the rapper Pharoahe Monch wrapped in some dusty rags. Whether P. Monch is dressed like a dirty ninja or not, as a true hip-hop head you have to appreciate his contributions to the game over the years. Even back in 1991 when he was part of the Organized Konfusion duo with partner Princ Po asking the question "Who Stole The Last Piece of Chicken?"...he was still dropping knowledge dammit! I have always felt that Pharoahe was ahead of his time with his unique rhyme flow and subject matter. Even though Organized Konfusion released several solid albums over the years, it wasn't until Pharoahe released his classic solo album "Internal Affairs" in 1999 that most folks started really paying attention. I realize that the word "classic" is thrown around pretty loosely these days when people talk about their favorite albums, so I will try to clarify why "Internal Affairs" honestly deserves that recognition.

One of the main attributes that a classic album must have in my opinion is BALANCE. The balance between street feel and a mainstream appeal. There were tracks on this album that were definitely targeted for the underground heads, but there were also several that were radio friendly without losing the integrity of the overall project. That's a difficult task in itself for most rap albums, but Pharoahe pulled it off lovely. Outside of balance he had some of the dopest rappers in the game during that time like Common, M.O.P, Talib Kweli, Busta Rhymes, Redman, Method and Canibus who contributed several dope verses on the album without overshadowing Monch. Personally, I hate when the featured artists come off better than the main artists. A lot of wackadoscious artists run that game all of the time to trick the fans! *Cough "Puffy Combs" Cough*..Dayum, I think I'm getting sick? Yeah, sick of all the BS artists in the game today!! Last, but definitely not least is the ill production on that album. I must admit that Diamond D, The Alchemist, DJ Scratch and Pharoahe himself laid down some incredible and creative beats for that project! I enjoyed the fact that they were willing to push the envelope with the production. Take the track "Rape" for instance where an eerie loop of a woman agonizingly screaming in fear was used to smartly compliment the storyline, or the infamous cadence sampled from the old Godzilla flicks on the "Simon Says" joint. Classic material! That's all I have to say about that, but if for some silly azz reason you haven't heard "Internal Affairs" and you swear that you love hip-hop, slap yourself really hard and then go buy yourself a copy ratt nah!

Fast-forward to 2000 and 7, and P. Monch has been missing in action for approximately 8 years dammit! Back in 2003 I read an interview on some obscure rap web site where P. Monch stated the he was contemplating leaving the rap game for good? He had been royally chopped & screwed over by his record label and was tired of having his career put on hold. Lucky for us Monch finally found a new record label and he's preparing to release his highly-anticipated second album "Desire" on June 26, 2007. It's about dayum time! Since, I am the man sitting next to the man, sitting next to the main man...I have already put ears on the new joint. Personally, I really like the album, and feel comfortable in knowing that he hasn't lost a step over his years of being absent. Outside of the dope lyrics and interesting concepts, the bulk of the production is being handled by Mr. Porter (D12), Black Milk, The Alchemist, and Pharoahe himself! Plenty of dopeness for everyone, but the one track that had me buzzing immediately was the 9 minute trilogy joint featuring Dwele! That is Pharoahe Monch at his best...

Checkout the this video off of the new album:

Pharoahe Monch - Gun Draws

Myspace P. Monch too before you bounce:

www.myspace.com/pharoahemonch

Check his site too:

www.pharoahe-monch.com