Soul Tracks

Great rappers have the ability to not only tell a story but take you, the listener, along for the ride. Jay took us on an emotional ride with 'Song Cry.' Scarface forced us to face the grim realities of death on 'Never Seen A Man Cry.' Brooklyn born MC Biggie Smalls took us on a journey 'from negative to positive' on the track 'Juicy.' Nasir Jones gave us a glimpse of life in his childhood stomping grounds, Queensbridge housing projects, also home to Marley Marl, MC Shan, and Roxanne Shanté. 'Project Windows' was recorded for Nas' 1999 release, Nastradamus, widely considered his weakest piece of work. However, our focus is on the mind-blowing track 'Project Windows.' Nas channeled the spirits of literary geniuses Langston Hughes and James Baldwin: "Black hoods, cops and projects/Sewers flooded with foul blockage/The gutter's wild and every child watches/Chains and top locks get ripped off hinges." Describing the projects as a 'mental slavehouse,' Nas touches on "the life of every kid, lookin' out project windows," from dope fiends and drugs to hustlers and hoes. Ronald Isley's heavyhearted vocals add to the brilliance of the track.

Soul Fixin'

Lady Bey Does Etta James

Last Thursday while many of us were anxiously anticipating the weekend, Beyonce was enjoying the beauty of Bermuda as a featured performer at 2008 Bermuda Musical Festival. During her set, Lady Bey sang the enduring Etta James classic 'At Last.' I am far from a fan of Bey but I was impressed with her performance. Beyonce also informed the adoring audience that filming for the movie in which she portrays Etta James, Cadillac Man, is done. The film is based on Leonard Chess, the founder of the legendary blues label Chess Records. Initially, Etta wasn't thrilled about Beyonce portraying her in the film, but after witnessing Beyonce's performance of 'Proud Mary' with Tina Turner at the Grammy Awards, Etta felt confident that Beyonce could pull it off. Be on the lookout for Cadillac Man. In the meantime, enjoy a little Lady Bey.

Soul Fixin'

Paying Homage To Black Moses

VH1 decided to not only honor Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick & Too $hort, the network also paid homage to a man who created music that directly influenced hip hop and Southern rap in particular, at the Annual Hip Hop Honors show. Chuck D, Mos Def, Cee Lo, Scarface, and Estelle all took part in the musical tribute, performing songs that sampled the everlasting music of Black Moses. Scarface took to the stage at NYC's Hammerstein Ballroom and kicked his verse from the Geto Boys 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me,' which sampled Hayes' 'Hung Up On My Baby,' Chuck D concluded the tribute with 'Black Steel In the Hour of Chaos,' which samples 'Hyperbolicsyllabicsesquedalymistic.' The show, hosted by Tracey Morgan, airs tonight at 10, following the finale of I Want To Work For Diddy. You'd be a fool to miss it.

Soul Fixin'

A. Keys + Lady O = Superwomen

Soul star Alicia Keys made an appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show last week, along with the 'Secret Life of Bees' cast, Queen Latifah, Jennifer Hudson, Dakota Fanning, & Sophie Okonedo. Each lady got a little one on one time with the Queen of Daytime TV. While chatting with Ms. Keys, Oprah asked Alicia if she was as comfortable behind the camera as she was behind the piano, Alicia responded "I never want to find myself too comfortable anywhere...because I don't think you can grow if you are too comfortable...I like to do things that I'm not quite comfortable with because it pushes me to do better." Words of wisdom indeed. At the end of the show, Alicia took center stage and performed her anthem of feminine empowerment 'Superwoman.'

Soul Fixin'

VH1 Crowns 'Fight The Power' # 1
VH1 wrapped up its' countdown of the '100 Greatest Hip Hop Songs' Friday night. Public Enemy's militant anthem 'Fight The Power' proudly claimed the number one spot. If you were able to catch all five episodes of the countdown, I'm sure you were proud to see that many of hip hop's pioneers have not fallen by the wayside and are doing quite well. Wasn't it surprising to hear that Roxanne Shante is now Dr. Roxanne Shante? Yes, Roxanne Shante is a psychologist, with her own practice in Queens, NY. I'm sure no one was shocked to see that Biz Markie is still silly as hell.  I'm sure we were all quite satisfied with the Top 10, but I'm sure we were all surprised with some of the other songs that made the list. My side eye was in full time jack mode at times. While Lil John & The Eastside Boyz club banger 'Get Low' sounded great in the club, is it really worthy of being on the list?. What the hell was VH1 thinking when they included Camron's 'Oh Boy,' L'Trimm's  'Cars With The Boom, 'and Three 6 Mafia's 'Hard Out Here For A Pimp' on the list. Are these people serious? Tupac made an appearance on the list, 'I Get Around' ranked in at #14. Am I the only person that knows that 'Brenda's Got A Baby,' 'Dear Mama,' and 'Keep Your Head', to name a few, are far greater than 'I Get Around.' Kanye's 'Gold Digger', Missy's 'Get Ur Freak On' and 50's 'In Da Club' were all in the Top 20. WTF?? Did the girls from Rock of Love have a hand in making this list? When it was all said and done, I stared at television in disbelief when I realized that Southern rap music pioneer and every rappers' favorite rapper, Scarface, was absent from the list. I give VH1 credit for including 'Mind Playing Tricks On Me' but my hip hop side eye was in full effect. VH1 owes 'Face an apology and his own reality show. Hopefully, my side eye won't rear its ugly head tonight while watching VH1's Annual Hip Hop Honors show.

Video Soul

"back when I was nothin'
you made a brother feel like he was somethin'
that's why I'm with you to this day, boo no frontin'
even when the skies were gray
you would rub me on my back and say 'baby it'll be okay'..."

Sunday Soul

Saturday Soul

Jay-Z's Blueprint 3 [GIANT]
Remembering Norman Whitfiled [VIBE]
Vote for Your Favorite MJB Cover[Soul Bounce]
Obama Talks Hip Hop [MTV]
Jay-Z Is Honored [MTV]
Blacks Are To Blame For Economic Meltdown...Say What?? [AOL BlackVoices]
What Happened to the Female MC? [Soul Bounce]

Soul Tracks

Today's Soul Tracks selection may sound a bit familiar. More than likely you've heard Mary's brilliant remake of the song on her late 90's release Mary. The original version belongs to a group of brothers from Tulsa, Oklahoma, The Gap Band. The group was originally known as the Greenwood, Archer and Pine Street Band, streets that formed the black business district of Tulsa, better known as Black Wall Street. Charlie, Ronnie and Robert recorded the alluring love song for their 1979 self titled release. The album, the group's third shot at fame, proved to be successful thanks in part to the hit singles 'Shake' and 'Open Your Mind (Wide).' Clocking in at a little over 5 minutes, the simple yet beautiful 'I'm In Love', finds the Wilson trio in a reflective mood, reminiscing over a loved one. A sweet melody indeed.

Soul Fixin'

R.Kelly's Latest Disaster

If you have nothing better to do for the next four minutes and fifty seconds take a peek at R.Kelly's latest video for his latest single 'Skin'. Granted, the man has embraced his inner grown man and ditched the gold braids and the gazillion diamond and platinum chains but the video is incredibly corny. Actually, corny is an understatement. I don't know where to begin. This video is far from a visual treat. It's more like a visual misstep. Lately, R. Kelly's career has been full of missteps. His post-Chocolate Factory releases, Tp. 3 Reloaded and Double Up, are clear examples. When the leaked track 'Heaven Chose You' hit the net, I was quite pleased, the song possesses that classic R. Kelly sound, a sound that has eluded his recent albums. However, the self proclaimed 'Pied Piper of R&B' went in a different direction with 'Skin.' The wrong direction. The auto tune direction. The direction that has made so-called singers T-Pain and The Dream famous. How is it that R. Kelly is following in the footsteps of T-Pain and The Dream? 12 Play: Fourth Quarter is due to hit stores soon. Quite frankly, I could care less. I won't be plunking $9.99 down for a Kellz CD any time soon.

Soul Fixin'

VH1 Honors Hip Hop

While many were glued to their televisions hoping to see Sarah Palin make a fool out of herself, hip hop was honored last night in its' hometown. VH1 took over the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City with the taping of its' Annual Hip Hop Honors show, a celebration of artists who helped make hip-hop a global phenomenon. New York's very own Tracy Morgan hosted the festivities, in which Cypress Hill, De La Soul, Naughty By Nature, Slick Rick, and Too $hort were honored. Kid Rock, Ghostface Killah, Biz Markie, Eve, Big Boi and others came out to pay homage. The telecast airs Monday night at 10. Be sure to watch it. Head over to the VH1 Hip Hop Honors site to peep flicks of the red carpet arrivals, the show, and the after party.

Soul Fixin'

The Many Faces of Mary

Chevrolet has unleashed it's latest commercial featuring my main squeeze Mary J. Blige. In this particular MJB/Chevy collabo, Mary is joined by a few Mary's from the past. What's The 411? Mary, My Life Mary, Share My World Mary, No More Drama Mary and The Breakthrough Mary all join the sophisticated Growing Pains Mary J. for a ride in the all-new Chevrolet Traverse with 'Real Love' playing on the radio. After a quick ride through town, the current MJB stops the car to unload some luggage, a voice over says "The space to take everything with you. The wisdom to leave the baggage behind." Who said a masterpiece couldn't be done in a mere 30 seconds?

Soul Fixin'

VIBE Endorses OBAMAVIBE magazine is not afraid to throw it's support behind Barack Obama. The monthly publication dedicated to urban culture, fashion, and music has officially endorsed Barack Obama. This marks the first time the magazine has endorsed a political candidate. The lady in charge, Editor-in-Chief Danyel Smith, had this to say "…I am clear about what must be done. The staff is behind me. This is a formal endorsement, by VIBE magazine, of Senator Barack Obama…” Mr. Obama graces the cover of the November issue and he urges readers to go out and vote for change,"We are at a defining moment in our history. I am running for president to take this country in a new direction. But I can’t do it alone. I need you. Whether it’s the first time, or the first time in a long time, I need you to register and vote on November 4.” The historic collector's issue hits newsstands nationwide on October 21.

Video Soul

"forget about yesterday
cause I want you so bad
make love to me like you never had..."

Soul Fixin'

Celebrate This Christmas With ArethaAretha Franklin, the undisputed 'Queen of Soul', has finally made good on a promise. We may never get our hands on her cookbook, Switchin' In The Kitchen with Ree, or get a taste of soul food at Aretha's Chicken & Waffles, or see her life come alive on the big screen but come October 14 we can purchase her first ever Christmas album, This Christmas. The 11 track opus will be available exclusively at Borders, Waldenbooks and Borders.com. Aretha lends her trademark vocals to Christmas classics such as 'Twas The Night Before Christmas,' 'Silent Night,' Hark! and 'The Herald Angels Sing.' 'The Lord Will Make A Way,' 'Ava Marie,' and 'One Night With The King' are also included on the album.

Soul Fixin'

Jay-Z Baracks The Vote
Sean Carter will be making his presence felt in Motown and Miami this weekend. The rapper/husband to Beyonce/entrepreneur/music exec will be performing for FREE in the name of voter registration on behalf of his homeboy Barack Obama. Saturday's concert will take place at Detroit's Cobo Arena; Sunday's show is at Miami's Bayfront Park. Jay's Operation Registration tour is hitting Detroit and Miami because Michigan and Florida are key battleground states and both states have October 6 registration deadlines. Tickets are available at the Campaign for Change offices in Detroit and Miami.

If you haven't registered to vote, visit Rock the Vote and do so now!

Soul Fixin'

Keyshia's Mary Moment
Yes, Keyshia Cole is having some sort of 'Mary moment.' The around the way girl from Oakland is doing like MJB did back in '99 and getting rid of all the drama. Keyshia intends to "lighten up and have a good time" for her third release, tentatively titled The Love Album. In a recent interview, Keyshia revealed "I’m just focusing on the subjects of love that make you happy. I just wanna switch it up a little bit. That’s all.” Has Ms. Cole found the love of her life? Has she reached a place of happiness and self love? I'm not sure, but I hope this new and improved attitude translates into good music. It's obvious this new attitude has blinded Ms. Cole from the dire realities of this country. Keyshia wants to sell a million records during the first week of release, doesn't she know this country is facing an economic meltdown? Keyshia, times are really hard and $15.99 is hard to come by nowadays. Keyshia's third album will hit the streets during the upcoming holiday season.

Video Soul

"...I'm wishin' on a star 
to follow where you are 
I'm wishin' on a dream 
to follow what it means..." 

Soul Fixin'

Erykah Badu Meets My Morning Jacket
It's hard to imagine an indie rock/country blues band covering Eryka Badu's tell-it-like-it-is anthem 'Tyrone.' One of Ms. Badu's favorite bands, My Morning Jacket, have been doing just that. The band has been performing 'Tyrone' on their latest tour. A few weeks ago, Ms. Badu took in the band's show in her hometown of Dallas. Obviously, Ms. Badu couldn't resist singing her song with the band. Yes, Erykah took the stage and in typical Badu fashion she killed it.

Video Soul

"I was so foolish to ever leave your side,
searching for what was right before my eyes
it was me who didnt realize
’till it was gone but now I know I need you in my life..."