Soul Fixin'

maxwell + winter = new album.

While Maxwell promised to drop the second installment of BLACKsummers'night this summer, you'll have to wait a handful of months before it hits a record store near you. Disappointed? Don't fret, I find it much easier to believe Maxwell than D'Angelo. A few days ago Maxwell hit up Twitter while mixing songs in the studio and informed his followers that a new album is set to drop this winter. Maxwell described the album's aura as only he could, "tried to bottle the summer and save it for winter... pray she feels like late june when its cold this december..." Sounds like its' well worth the wait.

Soul Fixin'

welcome to monica's atlanta.
Watch Atlanta native and Public Soul Announcement fave Monica as she gives us a guided tour through Atlanta for VEVO’s “Area Codes” series. The tour kicks off at Dallas Austin's DARP studio, the place where Monica got her start alongside the likes of Atlanta transplants TLC and Usher. Next stop up, Atlanta's Centennial Olympic Park, a fave spot for Monica's boys. A trip to Atlanta is complete without a stop to one of Atlanta's many soul food spots. Monica's soul food joint of choice is no other than the Busy Bee Cafe. Monica sums up Atlanta's mass appeal, "real Southern hospitality, some good food, some nice people, and a lot of talent. We got it all here in Atlanta.”

Soul Tracks

Aretha's 1976 collaboration with Curtis Mayfield, Sparkle, marked somewhat of a triumphant return to the music charts for the preacher's daughter from Detroit. Prior releases, With Everything I Feel In Me and You, marked the start of declining record sales for Aretha. The combination of Aretha, a chick from Detroit, and Curtis, a cat from Chicago, proved to be magic. The 8 track album is sexy, groovy, passionate, sensual and eye-opening, one of ReRe's finest and sexiest releases. Aretha wrapped her voice around the lyrics of Curtis Mayfield and her seasoned instrument rose to familiar heights, bone chilling wails, spectacular leaps and down-right painful cries. Aretha was back! Surprisingly, adult contemporary radio has yet to embrace Sparkle, 'Something You Can Feel' hits the airwaves once in a while. The title track is rarely heard on radio stations, so here it is for your listening pleasure. Peep Aretha serenade Canada back in '78 with 'Sparkle.'

Soul Fixin'

prince's new album cover.
The artwork for Prince's upcoming release, 20Ten, has surfaced. No, your eyes aren't fooling you. The album cover looks familiar because it was depicted on the blouse Prince donned at the 20Ten BET Awards. Brazen self promotion? No, just Prince being Prince. Peep the tracklisting below.

1. Compassion
2. Endlessly Beginning
3. Future Soul Song
4. Sticky Like Glue
5. Lavaux
6. Act Of God
7. Walk In Sand
8. Sea Of Everything
9. Everybody Loves Me
10. Untitled Bonus Track

Sounds interesting. Let's keep our fingers crossed in hopes the album is released stateside.

Soul Fixin'

he speaks, finally!
It's been 10 years since D'Angelo released an album of new material. It's been 9 years since he granted the press an interview. Nine years later, the reclusive artist who has been making headlines for criminal activity and so-called comebacks decided to speak with The Urban Daily. I wouldn't file this particular interview under 'the one interview we've all been waiting for' but it is worthy of a read. D'Angelo touches on a few things including his discovery of the 70's black rock band Black Merda, his affinity for Rick James & The Bar-Keys, and the musical and cultural movement known as Afro-Punk. D'Angelo ends the interview by stating, " I just want them to know that I’m coming. That’s all. I’m in the kitchen and I’m cooking up something real nice." My side-eye is in full effect. My faith in D'Angelo has come to a painful demise, I'll believe his colorful tales of "cooking up" new music when it comes in the form of a compact disc on store shelves with a $9.99 price tag affixed to it. Click here for the complete interview.

Soul Events

hello brooklyn.

It's that time of the year, the Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival is days away. Kicking off on July 5, the five day festival is a celebration of hip hop, culture, education, family and of course, Brooklyn. Check out the official Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival website for all the fun details.

A Conscious Mind

georgia on my mind.
This tends to happen seldom, I come across an article that touches my spirit, forcefully pulling at my soul as I read each and every word. A very recent New York Times article, Displaced Black Landowners Fight to Reclaim Georgia Home, is one such article as it chronicles the story of Harris Neck, Georgia. In the United States and throughout the world, the words 'black' and 'displaced' have become synonymous. The bitter story of Harris Neck, Georgia and it's natives are a clear example. Harris Neck, situated 50 miles south of Savannah and seated in McIntosh County, is one of nature's jewels, a bastion of pristine and untouched salt marshes and tidal waterways. Now, a federal wildlife refuge managed by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Harris Neck was once home to a vibrant self-sufficient African-American community of 75 families.Some local whites were in a rage over the relatively successful independence that grew in Harris Neck. As a result, white county politicians led federal officials in search of Air Force base site to Harris Neck, bypassing countless acres of uninhabited land. In 1942, the U.S government took possession of Harris Neck and ordered the families to leave. The U.S government provided no provisions regarding new land or future living arrangements. 63 years later, descendants of Harris Neck started a new movement to regain Harris Neck. The movement is ongoing. They need our support, go to the official website of The Harris Neck Land Trust and make a donation.