Soul Fixin'

from new ark to israel.
NPR radio has undertaken the painstaking task of selecting fifty voices to include in their 50 Great Voices series of awe-inspiring stories chronicling voices from around the globe and across time. Reclusive musical genius Lauryn Hill is one of the chosen few. NPR journalist Zoe Chace had the rare opportunity to interview L. Boogie after a even more rare performance at the Harmony Festival in Santa Rosa, California. (Peep the video below.) Listen to the commentary and interview below. Click here to hear more from the interview including Lauryn on her creative experience & being both a rapper and singer.

Soul Fixin'

Martha Stewart Brings L Boogie Out
We, the fans, may never be able to bring Lauryn Hill out of hiding but it seems that Martha Stewart, of all people, was able to do the impossible. L Boogie and four of her five children were spotted at a Williams Sonoma store in New Jersey. Martha Stewart was in the store signing copies of her latest book, it isn't known if the Hill-Marley clan was in the store to see Martha or just happened to be picking up a few things for the kitchen. Either way, Lauryn doesn't look too happy, she didn't even bother to crack a fake smile. On the other hand, her children seem to be very happy. In August, Rohan Marley, the father of her children, told People Magazine that L Boogie was still under contract with Columbia Records and "is always composing songs. She writes music in the bathroom, on toilet paper, on walls. She writes it in the mirror if the mirror smokes up. She writes constantly." I'm not sure if Rohan was trying to tell us Lauryn is working on a new album but the thought of a new Lauryn Hill album seems far fetched. What are your thoughts? Can Lauryn make a comeback?

Video Soul

"is this just a silly game
that forces you to act this way
forces you to scream my name
then pretend that you can't stay..."

Saturday Soul

A First Hand Account of Maxwell's Return To NYC [VIBE]
Alaskan Blacks Speak Out On Palin [Chicago Defender]
The Fight Continues...Aretha Responds To Tina Turner [USA Today]
Introducing Leigh Jones & Taiwah [Songs In The Key of Life]
Young, Black, and Republican...Say What? [Hip Hop Republican]
John Legend & Brandy Create New Music Together [SoulBounce]
50 Cent's Directorial Debut...Oh Lawd!!! [Rolling Stone]
Rolling Stone Delivers The Truth About Sarah Palin [Rolling Stone]
Al Green Performing 'Good Times on Soul Train...Classic Sh*t [YouTube]
Maxwell Returns to NYC [YouTube]

Soul Fixin'

Lost Ones
August 28 marks the ten year anniversary of the release of Lauryn Hill's masterpiece debut solo album. It's hard to fathom that ten years have passed since the release of The Miseducation Of Lauryn Hill, a rare fusion of soul, hip hop, and reggae that chronicled Lauryn's life and the lessons learned. In the aftermath of its' release Lauryn Hill has become a musical icon. In 2002, Lauryn took us on a spiritual journey via the oft-forgotten acoustic set MTV Unplugged No. 2.0: Lauryn Hill. In the years that have followed, Lauryn's life has been marked by strange behavior and bizarre public appearances. She has left us wondering the hell is going on with Lauryn Hill? Has she lost her mind? While many have given up on the hopes of hearing another Lauryn Hill studio album, I'm still hopeful. In an upcoming issue of People magazine, those associated with Lauryn, including the father of her five children, Rohan Marley, speak out about the reclusive musical genius.

Lauryn and her five children are living with Lauryn's mother in New Jersey. Rohan Marley, Bob Marley's son, insists there is nothing wrong with Lauryn and says "she is loving the suburban life and being with her children, seeing them grow and instilling our teachings of righteousness to them. She does what regular people do, she cooks, shops, goes to restaurants, regular things....she became more in tune with the earth." Marley, who doesn't reside with Hill, claims the two are "spiritually together." Marley and Hill are parents to five children, sons Zion, 11; Joshua, 6; and John, 5; and daughters Selah, 9; and a still unnamed seven-month-old. According to Rohan Marley "we want a name that means Glory of the Ark; for now we call her baby Marley.” Former Fugees members Pras still doesn't understand why Lauryn insisted people address her as Miss. Hill', “when she said, ‘it’s Ms. Hill,’ I said Excuse me? She also told me she was gonna have people call her “Empress.” Wyclef alluded to the fact that something is wrong with Lauryn, "when you're so successful, if you don't have one person around you that can talk some sense into you, it's over." Music engineer Gordon Williams described Lauryn as highly intelligent and funny but believes Lauryn's success took a toll on her, "she didn’t have a minute in the day when there wasn’t something going on. She wanted to be a regular person. She tried to accommodate everybody all the time.” An unnamed source says that an association she began in the late 1990’s with a spiritual advisor “made everything go crazy. She said his preaching made her feel like everything she did in her career was bad.”

Lauryn Hill is still under contract with Columbia Records, Marley says "she is always composing songs. She writes music in the bathroom, on toilet paper, on walls. She writes it in the mirror if the mirror smokes up. She writes constantly. This woman does not sleep.” The article ends with Pras saying “Lauryn’s real love and joy besides her kids, is her music. It’s the best healing process for her. If she can come out of whatever she’s in and say ‘I’m back’, she’d be better than the rest of them right now. That girl has something that can move mountains.”

Soul Fixin'

'Leena Covers L.Boogie
An artist should wait at least 12 years before remaking a hit song, remaking classic songs that are still crisp in the listeners' mind isn't the best idea. Case in point, Luther Vandross recorded 'A House Is Not A Home' well over a decade after Dionne Warwick's voice soared on the Bacharach gem, En Vogue did the same thing with Aretha's 'Giving Him Something He Can Feel.' K- Ci Hailey cut a masterful version of the Bobby Womack classic 'If You Think You're Lonely Now' 13 years after the original. There have been a few exceptions, Aretha made 'Respect' her own a year after Otis Redding recorded the song, as did Al Green with The Temptations 'I Can't Get Next To You'. However, Aretha and Al brought new dynamics to the aforementioned songs and made you forget about the original. For her upcoming release, Chapter 4: Labor Pains, Syleena Johnson wraps her vocals around Lauryn Hill's 'Ex-Factor'.( It's hard to believe Lauryn blessed us with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill 10 years ago.) Even though Syleena has the vocal chops to match, she falls short on remaking this classic song. Syleena does very little to transform the song and make it her own, she simply follows in the footsteps Lauryn laid in the ground 10 years ago. If anything, Syleena forces you to go find L.Boogie's brilliant debut album and listen to 'Ex-Factor' on repeat and reminiscence over poisonous relationships of the past. For those who don't know, Syleena Johnson's fourth album Chapter 4: Labor Pains hits store September 2 via her own Aneelys Records.

Video Soul

"...cause a rose is still a rose
baby girl, you're still a flower
he can't lead you and then take you
make you and then break you
darlin', you hold the power..."

Saturday Soul

Betty Wright's Explosion[Okayplayer]
Perfect Combinations -- The Soul Duets[VIBE]
Smooth Soul Survivors [SoulTracks]
Q-Tip in Super Group with D'Angelo & Raphael Saadiq?? [The BoomBox]
Old School Friday: Hip Hop [Songs In The Key Of Life]
Snoop Dogg Goes Country [Billboard]

Soul Fixin'

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.

Classic Album Revisted

D' Angelo's 1995 debut album Brown Sugar dispelled the myth that good soul music was a thing of the past. It is quite obvious that singer/songwriter D'Angelo was influenced by the likes of Marvin Gaye, Prince and Curtis Mayfield, however he has a style that is his own. "Brown Sugar" and "Lady" are the hit songs we all vividly remember but the album is full of sultry seductive grooves. "Brown Sugar" sets the mood for the album, D'Angelo's smooth falsetto cruises alongside the soulful rhythms. "Jonz In My Bonz" and "Alright" are the only songs that seem to have missed the mark. "Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine", "Sh*t, Damn, Motherf*ker" and "Crusin", a remake of the Smokey Robinson classic, showcase D'Angelo at his soulful best. D'Angelo's sophomore album Voodoo was released in 2000. He was recently featured on Common's latest release,Finding Forever, on the track "So Far To Go." Like his female counterpart Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo has practically disappeared from the music scene.