Tuesday, November 25, 2008

New Jon B. Album - Helpless Romantic = Real R&B

To make a long story short.....Jon B's new cd, 'Helpless Romantic', is dope. Go get it. Jon B is one of the few artist out now that I will actually go to the store to buy a cd for. Gotta support dope independent artists.

Jon B. is one of the most underrated R&B artists of the last decade. Dude just doesn't make wack albums (cds) and this one is no different. He scares me at the beginning of the joint with a NeYo/Chris Brown sounding song (It's U), but then settles in to vintage Jon B. material. His last cd in 2004, 'Stronger Everyday', was very very slept on. This is Robin Thicke with more soul. I shouldn't say that cause really he was bangin' before Robin Thicke. So if u want a real r&b cd that can pretty much play all the way through, this is it. Glad to see Jon B. back. Peep the 80's cd cover.




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Monday, October 6, 2008

I Can No Longer Front On T-Pain's Skills

Okay, I can no longer front on T-Pain's skills. After hearing his latest single, "Chopped & Screwed", I give up on saying dude is wack. He may not be able to sing without the lil vocorder effect but dude makes good songs, PERIOD. He makes feel good songs with good melodies and he's creative. He also makes songs that ppl can relate to.

"I'm in Love With a Stripper" - We know kats that have fell in love with strippers. LOL.
"Bartender" - Just go to a club and see how many kats try to holla at the bartenders.
"Buy U a Drank" - Self explanatory.

He also makes other ppls wack songs sound half decent when he is featured and he has everybody from Lil Wayne to Kanye West copying his style with the vocorder. He is basically doing what R. Kelly used to do when he was the man in R&B. I finally relented after hearing this "Chopped & Screwed" joint. This is one of the most creative R&B songs i have ever heard. EVER! If u know what chopped & screwed is, this song is borderline genius and the melody is dope. So, i must admit that I may be buying T-Pain's new cd when it comes out. Sorry...

T-Pain - Chopped & Screwed







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Sunday, September 28, 2008

Underrated Producer Series: Jay Dee aka J. Dilla [R.I.P.]

Jay Dee aka J. Dilla is one of my favorite producers of all time. Matter of fact, he's a lot of producer's favorite producer. Dilla was a real talented and soulful kat with a musical ear like no other. He died in 2006 and was seemingly more popular after he died. When I first heard Slum Village's "Climax", I was hooked. I went on a research mission to find everything Jay Dee ever produced. If u like neo soul music or anything similar this is the man that helped usher in that sound, in my opinion. Nobody was using claps in R&B like he was except maybe Roger & Zapp. Just take a listen to early Slum Village, Pharcyde, and the music from the production team The Ummah. For example, Janet Jackson's "Got Til' It's Gone" sounded like nothing else when it dropped in 1997. That's early neo soul. Dilla did the music but was not credited for that song. Soon many artists such as Erykah Badu, Musiq and Jill Scott were following suit. He later produced songs on Erykah's "Mama's Gun" cd.

He produced the majority of Common's "Like Water For Chocolate" cd, which is still my favorite Common cd. U can't even front on "The Light" from that cd. Also, remember how Q-Tip's "Vivrant Thing" used to bang in the clubs when it dropped. That was J. Dilla. He was a very versatile producer. Most producer's that are into Jay Dee's music know how intricate many of his productions were. They may sound simple, but they weren't simple to make. He made sampling an art. Jay Dee changed alot of kats whole approach to beatmaking. It's just ashame he didn't get his just due while he was still alive. Check out Dilla's discography here and 2 of my favorite Jay Dee productions below.

Slum Village - Climax


J Dilla - Won't Do
(Released after his death - That's his brother playing him in the video)
Peep how he sampled and chopped up The Isley Brother's "Footsteps in The Dark"


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Friday, September 19, 2008

Underrated Producer Series: Organized Noize

So I was listening to Goodie Mob's first cd, Soul Food, and thinking how dope the production was on that cd. The production on the cd as well as the production on Outkast's entire first joint, Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik, was done by the Organized Noize production team. These are 2 classic albums in my opinion. Not to mention the work they did on all the other Outkast and Goodie Mob cds. With that being said, Organized Noize will be the first producers in my Underrated Producer Series.

Organized Noize are maybe the most underrated producers in hip-hop. They were definitely the most underrated of the 90's. Made up of Rico Wade, Ray Murray and Sleepy Brown, these kats put Atlanta hip-hop on the map and they did it without sounding like anyone else. They did it with hard beats and lush live instrumentation. They had that dirty south soul thing going on. I'm sure anyone that was listening to hip-hop in 1994-1995 remembers how Outkast came in and changed the game. They had their own lane and their own style. The same goes for Goodie Mob. Organized Noize also produced TLC's biggest hit, Waterfalls.

You can check out the rest of Organized Noize discography here.

Goodie Mob - Cell Therapy
produced by Organized Noize (1995)




TLC - Waterfalls
produced by Organized Noize (1995)


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Friday, September 12, 2008

Faith Evans Talks About the Fights, Affairs and 2Pac in Her New Book: Keep the Faith: A Memoir

Sorry for the delayed posting. I just got done reading Faith Evans' Memoir. The book is a good read. If you're a Faith Evans, Biggie, 90's r&b or Puffy fan..this is an interesting read. Faith seems pretty honest in the book and tells alot about her life and Biggie's life. I was shocked at some of the things she admitted to doing. She gets into her altercations with Lil Kim, her abortions and her relationships with 2Pac, Missy Elliot and Mary J. Blige. Definitely a good read for fans of Faith Evans.

I'm also including an unreleased Faith Evans track before she had a label deal with Badboy. An early 90's joint. Shout out to my man Ike Lee III for the track. He and Kiyamma Griffin produced this joint.

Faith Evans - Pleasures







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Wednesday, September 3, 2008

**Brandy's New Song and Video "Right Here (Departed)"

Brandy is back. Now Brandy is one of the better vocalist that we have today, but I don't like this song. Rodney Jerkins could've gave her something better than this watered down pop joint. What's with these artists going straight for the pop-tart charts now. I know the reason why, but dang. Just because it works for Ne-yo and Rihanna doesn't mean it will work for u. I thought Brandy was about to come back fresh. She disappointed me with this one. I'll still buy the cd cause i'm a Brandy fan, but it has to be better than this.


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Sunday, August 31, 2008

Jameisha Trice recording in my basement "The Vision Lab"

I've been going thru some old video clips that I have. I found one that we recorded a few years of ago of Chicago artist, Jameisha Trice recording a song we did together. Jameisha Trice is a very talented singer and songwriter. "I Say I" is the first song we recorded with Jameisha and it turned out to be a great song. It played on radio stations across the country and was on several mixtapes throughout the US and the UK. Check out the full version of the song as well as the video clip.

Jameisha Trice - "I Say I" produced by Zeyl10 and DJ Dread












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Monday, August 25, 2008

Who Did It Better?? - The Jacksons vs. Troop - "All I Do Is Think Of You"

From time to time I will be comparing songs that more than 1 artist has recorded. For this first one i will be comparing one of the dopest slow joints of all time (in my opinion). Alot people don't know that The Jacksons and a young teenage Michael Jackson originally recorded "All I Do Is Think Of You". It was on their 1975 Moving Violation album, their final album with Motown. Troop smashed the song too on their second album, Attitude, in 1989. Young Michael is very dope on the song. I think Troop added a little bit more to the song but sang it almost identical to the original. I really don't know who's version is better. I like both. You be the judge.

The Jacksons - All I Do Is Think Of You (1975)


Troop - All I Do Is Think Of You (1989)

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Wednesday, August 20, 2008

*Jazmine Sullivan Has Next!

A friend of mine sent me an advance from this artist named Jazmine Sullivan awhile back. I don't know if it's her new cd coming out or just some old songs that she's done. Regardless, ole girl has skills. Her songs are very soulful. She's not cookie cutter like some of these other female artists that all sound alike. Come to find out she's been in the industry for awhile and she's only 21 now. Her new single, Need U Bad, is pretty fresh. It had to grow on me though. Now, if only she could take Missy off the beginning of it...


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Thursday, August 14, 2008

**New Video - Musiq Soulchild "Radio"

Here's Musiq Soulchild's new video "Radio" from his new album, On My Radio, coming out in November. Personally I don't like this joint. When i first heard it, I thought it was a joke. On BET's Access Granted, Musiq explained that he listens to all types of music and u shouldn't put artists in a box. Do u think this song will scare Musiq's core fan base off? It's definitely not what his fans are used to. Peep the video.

Props to Concreteloop


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Wednesday, August 13, 2008

*New* Joe - "Why Just Be Friends"

Joe now going by his full name, Joe Thomas, has a new album called New Man coming next month. Joe is now an independent artist after 10 years on Jive Records. Read how Joe says R. Kelly tried to sabotage his career while on Jive.
Check out the new video for his new single, "Why Just Be Friends", below. I like this joint. Claudia Jordan is the leading lady in the video.


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The DeBarge Family - In Church!

Here's video of one of my favorite groups singing at Noel Jones' church. I know this was in 2007, but it's good to see they are doing well after all the tragedies in their family (from drug use to untimely deaths). It is especially good to see that they are in church. El DeBarge is definitely a talented kat and as a family they made great music in the 80's.

They'll be performing at the Country Club Hills Theater on Friday, August 29th with the SOS Band. Singing in the video is El DeBarge on the keyboard with James, who was married to Janet Jackson, coming on later.

Video - Debarge Family with Noel Jones

After the video check out one of my favorite DeBarge joints, Stay With Me, and the song that Biggie got the One More Chance sample from. The sample was jacked at the end of the song.

DeBarge - Stay With Me

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Friday, August 8, 2008

New Eric Benet Video "You're The Only One"

Fresh new Eric Benet joint. Shoutout to kats still doing real R&B music. Did y'all know he was from Milwaukee? This video was filmed in his old neighborhood.

source:Soulbounce


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Thursday, August 7, 2008

It's Official! 3rd Annual All White Affair, August 23rd @ Bistro 17!

Get ready for the 3rd Annual All White Affair 2008. This year's event will be at Bistro 17 on Saturday, August 23rd. That's right..Bistro 17 let us get the spot again. So come fresh, clean and fly as usual. It was off the chain last year and we got the pictures to prove it.

More details on the way....and SAVE THE DATE!
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Tuesday, August 5, 2008

BBD, Mint Condition, Troop and Ready For The World in Chicago, August 16th

This is a concert lineup we need to bring to the Genesee Theatre in Waukegan. BBD, Mint Condition, Troop and Ready for The World will be at the Chicago State Jones Convocation Center on August 16th. If u are over 28, u know that this line-up is the sh*t! Check out Digitalguestlist for more concert info.

The unofficial afterparty will be at Subterranean in Wicker Park later that night. U never know who might show up. More info on the party later this week.

Check out the video that played all day while i worked at Six Flags Great America (GA) the summer of 1991 (remember the parties under the Eagle?).
Bell, Biv, Devoe - Do Me


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Lupe video "Paris Tokyo"

One of my favorite joints off Lupe's latest cd, The Cool. It's also produced by one of my homeboys, Soundtrakk. Soundtrakk is from North Chicago and graduated from North Chicago High School. He also did Superstar and Kick, Push. He's the primary producer on both of Lupe's cds. There are some talented kats in the Waukegan and North Chicago area...
Look out for the remix with Pharrell and Q-Tip.


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Monday, August 4, 2008

Review Eykah Badu's "New Amerykah, Pt. 1: 4th World War"

On the way back from my road trip, i had a chance to listen to Erykah Badu's latest cd thoroughly. Hhhmmmm, where do i start with this one. First, don't expect anything close to her first 2-3 albums. Don't even expect anything close to the single "Honey" off this cd. She tricked me and everybody else who thought the cd would sound close to "Honey". There's a reason that this song is a hidden track.

Although I like when artists switch it up and grow, Erykah went straight left field on this one. The cd is very political and edgy. On my skim test I thought the cd was completely wack. After listening to it again.....it's almost completely wack. Except for the final 3 joints, i couldn't get into it. If it wasn't for some of the lyrics in the cd book, I would've been lost. The beats are pretty much straight underground hip-hop beats. To me her vocals aren't even up to par compared to her previous cds. There's a message in these songs, I just didn't take the time to figure out what it was. For me, the music has to grab me first. And it didn't grab me. Toward the end of the cd, the songs are more like the Erykah we are used to. By that time though, the cd is over.

Again, this is just my opinion. Some ppl may love the cd. I'll just have to sit this one out and wait for the next joint she puts out.
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Sunday, August 3, 2008

New Jack Swing Radio

One of my favorite websites on the internet now hosts a 24 hour internet radio station called New Jack Radio. The station will be playing songs between 1985-2000 with the main focus on new jack swing joints.

If u don't know what new jack swing is, think Guy, Keith Sweat, Teddy Riley, Bobby Brown, Al B. Sure, SWV. Troop, etc. All the good music of the late 80's and early 90's. Also check out the website NJS4E. You'll find some interesting information if your really into the music of that time period.

Its the world's first new jack swing formated station and it runs 24 hours a day. So when your at work or at the crib, check it out...


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Friday, August 1, 2008

New Single from Jon B. - "So Sexy"....Dope!

A new single from one of my favorite artists, Jon B. Very dope! From his upcoming album "Helpless Romantic". If u slept on his last album, "Stronger", check that out too.


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Review of Lalah Hathaway's cd "Self Portrait"

Usually when i go on a road trip i like to pick 1 or 2 cds that i haven't listened to and listen to the entire cd all the way through. One of the cds i picked this time was Lalah Hathaway's latest cd, "Self Portrait". I had already skimmed and listened to certain tracks on the cd, but since i lost my ipod (damn it!), I didn't have a chance to listen to the whole joint.

This cd is by far the best R&B cd that i've heard this year. By far!!!! And i listen to alot of music. If u like straight R&B with no gimmicks, this is that joint. I can't even say what my favorite joint on the cd is cause there are so many. Lalah's vocals on top of the smooth hypnotic tracks are a great mix. I haven't found a cd that I could play all the way through in a long time. I think i may have skipped one song. The vibe is straight (neo) soul music with a touch of jazz. She got the type of joints you'll hear in somebody's car and say "WHO IS THIS!?!?!" Think Jill Scott without the poetic undertones and format. Think Anita Baker 2008. Think female Luther Vandross before he went to the "pop" tart charts. Lalah should pick up alot of new fans with this cd.

Lalah Hathaway was already on my top 5 favorite female singers list. Her voice is flawless like her father Donny Hathaway's was. She moved up the list a couple notches after listening to this. So if your looking for some good music, check out Lalah Hathaway's "Self Portrait". U don't have to believe me.....check it out for yourself....

On the way back home i will be reviewing Erykah Badu's latest cd, "New Amerykah"


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Thursday, July 31, 2008

My First Blog!

I never created a blog because i never knew what to write about. After a lot of the thought and pressure from others, I finally decided to create one. Will anyone read it? I don't know.

This blog will basically be about MUSIC...period....other ppl's music i like and my music. I don't know how often i'll post but i'll try to do it frequently.

I just returned from Atlanta last week and took some video footage of the trip, so I will be posting that soon. I got some good stuff so be on the lookout for that.
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