just 'wright' for tonight. Twilite Tone gathered a bundle of love songs and prepared this mix for the upcoming release of Just Wright, a love story featuring fellow rapper/actors Queen Latifah & Common.
Tracks Settle For My Love/Patrice Rushen There’s Nothing Like This/Omar You’re Always On My Mind/SWV Guilty(Featuring Barry Gibb/Barbra Streisand Promise Me/Luther Vandross Someday/George Duke Making Love In The Rain/Herb Albert That Day/MuhsinahDaylight/Ramp I Still Love You/702 Inspiration Information/Shuggie Otis Uno Esta/Bobbi Humphries One On One/Hall & Oates When Will The Day Come/RasaThe Makings Of You (Live)/Curtis Mayfield Nothing Even Matters(featuring D’Angelo)/Lauryn Hill Light My Fire/Jose Feliciano Paperchase/Clara Hill Meets Vivkter DuplaixTomorrow/Quincy Jones & Tevin Campbell
Common Unveils Website & Blog Common has ventured into new territory, the Chi-Town MC has launched his own website and blog at ThinkCommon.com. A big step for a man who has never been a big fan of the internet. Common joins a laundry list of rappers and soulsters with a blog. Partner in rhyme and fellow blogger and Chi-Town native Kayne West may have been the motivating force. The appealing site has great potential, it includes a blog, tour information, press archives, music videos, and movie trailers. Check it out.
Yes, today's Soul Tracks selection comes from a rapper. Can rap music be considered soul music? It sure can. Some define soul music as the output of music from the 60's and 70's. Soul music is not only Aretha and Donny or Stax and Motown. Soul music is Jay-Z, The Clark Sisters, Cassandra Wilson, Talib Kweli, John Mayer, Teena Marie, Shirley Caesar, and Kanye West. Soul music is jazz, blues, gospel, hip-hop, and rock. Soul music is 'forever music.' Common breaks it down for us "music can be forever if you make it from the heart, if you make it from the soul and it’s good. And I look at the music of like Bob Marley or Marvin Gaye or Stevie Wonder or A Tribe Called Quest, that's forever music. And I’m continuing on the quest to make forever music." Common's 'So Far To Go' is definitely forever music. The track is significant for two reasons, one, it was produced by J Dilla, who passed away in 2006, and two, it features missing in action soul brother D'Angelo, who, let's keep our fingers crossed, is working on a new album. The track borrows the love making theme from the composition it samples, The Isley Brothers' 'Don't Say Goodnight (It's Time For Love).' Common isn't your average rapper. Common is a grown ass man who has lived a lifetime of experiences. It is the 'grown ass man' within Common that allows him to rhyme about sexual intercourse without being brash, raunchy, or explicit. The mind stimulating lyrics in 'So Far To Go' are thought provoking, intelligent, and sensual. It takes a few listens before you realize Common is actually rhyming about sex. Common is deep like that. Peep the poetry in motion "let me live inside you...what your mouth don’t say...baby your thighs do...I want us to arrive together...I love it when the weather...is wet and sticky."
Album Push Backs: Jay & Common Common and Jay-Z now have something in common, each of their upcoming projects have been pushed back. Hip hop fans were expecting Common's eight studio album to drop during the summer, but it got pushed back for a November release. Now, the album, Universal Mind Control, is due to hit stores December 9, the same day 50 drops his album. Can we expect a battle between 50 and Common? If Common comes out victorious, does that mean people have finally come to their senses? Word on the street is that Jay-Z's last album for Def Jam, The Blueprint 3, won't be released until early '09. The album was scheduled to drop December 2, 2 days before Hov's 39th birthday. The rapper/husband/entrepreneur/music exec is obviously a very busy man, Jay has yet to release a video for his first single, “ Jockin Jay-Z (Dope Boy Fresh).” Whatever the case my be, I'm looking forward to getting my hands on the album and don't mind waiting a little longer for a classic Jay album.
Common Teams Up With Microsoft Common is following in the footsteps of fellow rappers Jay-Z and 50 Cent by partnering with a major corporation. In what seems like a cool partnership, Common has joined forces with Mircosoft. The duo hasn't wasted any time builiding a beneficial branding partnership, Microsoft is sponsoring Common's current tour with N.E.R.D and backstage footage from a gig in Seattle is being used for a new artist video-podcast series called 'The Green Room' available exclusively on Zune's newly revamped desktop software. The team of Common and Microsoft are also venturing into fashion, a T-shirt line is in the works, the Common designed tees will hit stores next month. Microsoft's Zune made a brief cameo in Common's latest music video. Common revealed his motivation for joining forces with Microsoft in an Q&A with Ad Age, "I know that Microsoft has been around for 20 years, they established themselves in the mid-80s and since then they've progressed. Microsoft is classy, it's a timeless brand, and it means something to the world, internationally, and I felt like that's the direction of what I want Common to be, to be honest."
Common's upcoming album, Universal Mind Control, will hit stores November 11. Check out his latest video, 'Universal Mind Control', featuring Pharrell.
Fall Back Common'sInvincible Summer won't see the light of day this summer. The album, described as having a feel good summer time vibe, was scheduled to drop in July. The release date has been pushed back, the album will be available the first day of fall, September 23rd to be exact. I wonder if Common plans on changing the album title?
Speaking of Invincible Summer, Common said “you can expect some fresh music that you’ve never heard from Common before…definitely a new sound. The inspiration came from me being out at them clubs. I said I want people to feel my music in that way… Not only do they know Common as this conscious artist who brings thoughtful lyrics."
June Is Black Music Month Our beloved President, George W. Bush, has proclaimed June 2008 as Black Music Month. Who said George Bush doesn't like black people? In an official proclamation, President Bush said "throughout the course of American history, black musicians have used their great talents to share the richness of the African-American experience and to develop a uniquely American style of music enjoyed throughout the world. This month, we honor the pioneers of African-American music and today's contemporary artists who have enriched the lives of people everywhere."
In honor of Black Music Month, Public Soul Announcement takes a look back at some memorable album covers.
