Ananda Project

Props to my guy dj Sean Haley of Windimoto for turning me on to the Ananda Project.

Good stuff out of Atlanta, GA (I see you T2daP).

Allen Anthony "Alright"

Allen Anthony "Alright" (Just Blaze) (2004)


Allen Anthony "Alright" (Blackbeard Re-Work) (2004)


Ronnie Foster "Mystic Brew" The Two Headed Freap (1972)

Boom Clap Bachelors!

Boom Clap Bachelors "Ring Til Mig" // Kort Før Dine Læber (2008)


Owusu & Hannibal are a two producer team from Denmark.
I killed their joint "Le Fox" from their album Living With...

Boom Clap Bachelors is a new project from one of them.
I'm not sure which one at the moment, but I like it.
Hit up their MySpace page and listen to a cut called "Love".

Yes, there's still good music being made.

That Hump

As told to Durand Bernarr.
Dudes voice has traces of Rahsaan Patterson, no?

Erykah Badu "That Hump" // New Amerykah: Part One (4th World War) (2008)

Souls Of Mischief vs. John Mayer

Souls Of Mischief "93 'Til Infinity" (Instrumental) // 93 'Til Infinity (1993)


Curtis Mayfield "Move On Up" // Curtis (1970)

The Lesson: Timeless Lyrics

Boogie Down Productions // I'm Still #1 (1988)



Earlier this week, I'm riding home from the gig with a friend of mind. We're talking about whatever, and the radio is playing. But the music on the radio is just background noise. Next thing we know, either a Lil wayne song or a songe featuring lil wayne comes on. That shit just disrupted the whole conversation. I didnt say anything. But my guy Rodney, without even taking his eyes off the road, reached into the pocket of the door and pulls out a cd. It didnt matter what cd it was. Anything was better than listening to this shit. Slides in the disk. First cut.... Eric B & Rakim - I aint no joke. Heads automatically bob and we continue our conversation. Next cut comes on..... I'm still #1. All i had to hear was the horns in the intro. Our conversation switched from talking about work to reciting these lyrics. The somewhere in the middle of the song, it hit me. This shit is still relevant today. How is it that KRS wrote a song 20 years ago thats still relevant today??? All I could say was WOW. So what were talking about here is timeless lyrics.

Heres a few standouts from this song:

"I'm the original teacher of this type of style
Rockin' off-beat with a smile
or smirk or chuckle, yes some are not up to
BDP Posse so I love to
step in the jam and slam
I'm not Superman, because anybody can
or should be able to rock off turntables
Grab the mic, plug it in and begin
But here's where the problem starts, no heart
Because of that a lot of groups fell apart"

"You know what you need to learn?
Old School artists don't always burn
You're just another rapper who's had his turn
Now it's my turn, and I am concerned
about idiots posing as kings
What are we here to rule?
I thought we were supposed to sing
And if we oughta sing, then let us begin to teach
Many of you are educated, open your mouth and speak"

"KRS-One is something like a total renegade
except I don't steal, I rhyme to get paid
Airplanes flyin', overseas people dyin'
Politicians lyin', I'm tryin'
not to escape, but hit the problem head-on
by bringin' out the truth in a song"

And my favorite line in this song:

"Rap is still an art, and no-one's from the Old School
cuz Rap is still a brand-new tool
I say no-one's from the Old School cuz Rap on a whole
isn't even twenty years old
Fifty years down the line, you can start this
cuz we'll be the Old School artists
And even in that time, I'll say a rhyme
A brand-new style, ruthless and wild
Runnin' around spendin' money, havin' fun
cuz even then, I'm still number one."

I swear KRS is trying to live up to the "50 years down the line" thing. But the whole point is.... be timeless. You almost have to be a prophet when you get on the mic. Say something thats gone messe my head up when i hear it again 10 years later....... 15 years later.... 20 years later.

Pharrell Williams can sing

I was sitting at Zapatisto's, a Mexican restaraunt in Chicago, with some close friends when I mentioned that I had recently been bumping Pharrell's Out Of My Mind LP, which is a remix project of his In My Mind LP handled by the Yessirs (Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson and James Poyser). The record company heard the new album, but decided not to release it. ?uestlove leaked it anyway.

So like I was saying, I was sitting amongst friends with my beef bean burrito and extra sour cream when I said...

"Pharrell can sing."

Forks stopped shoveling.
Servers stopped refilling.
The world came to an end.

The glances that were piercing my head made me question if I said Marvin Gaye instead of the Virginia Beach native. So I said it again for the group. They were astonished. I think my better half was embarrassed for me. But I stood by my statement then, and I'll stand by it now. I think Pharrell can sing. Now he's not a strong singer, but he can sing. As a musician, he's phenomenal. Together as the Neptunes with his partner Chad Hugo, Pharrell makes very innovative and fantastic work (I wish I had better adjectives to describe it). Basically, I'm a fan.

"But Donnie, he CAN'T sing!"

No, the answer is that he can't sing falsetto. When he brings it down an octive, dude can hold his own. He's not the best, but he's good. Good enough. And dude has an ear for vocal arrangements. Rumor has it there's a version of Justin Timberlake's Justified album sung by Pharrell. And if you listen to Justin sing it, you can hear Pharrell's adlibs and style. Missy Elliot, another great vocal arranger who isn't a strong singer, does the same thing when she works with other artists ("Steelo" by 702).

His voice fits with Neptune production like Slum Village fits with Jay Dee. Below you will find just a few* examples of Pharrell at his best vocally. Some tracks he's featured, others he's just playing the background.

Pharrell "Take It Off" (f/ The Yessirs) // Out Of My Mind (2007)


N*E*R*D* "Yeah You" // Seeing Sounds (2008)


Alana Davis "New Glasses" (f/ Pharrell)


* Unfortunately I misplaced my first two N*E*R*D* albums, so there won't be any examples from In Search Of... and Fly Or Die.

Mos Def "Speed Law"

2000Black

2000Black "So Right f/ Ferraz" // A Next Set Of Rockers (2008)


After many ground breaking compilations and sideline projects (”DKD” & “Silhouette Brown”) the sound of London Boogie arrives! “A Next Set A Rockers” is a genre defying collection of studio recordings demonstrating all that has influenced 2000black. Soul, Funk and Boogie are revealed in the bands very own unique style. The labyrinth of 70’s synthesizers and drums create a lavish warm feel in contrast to the current digital age.

“A Next Set A Rockers’ has been crafted by the production skills of 4Hero’s Dego and Bugz in tha Attic’s Kaidi Tatham. Tracks like “Febulous” drop hypnotic dancehall percussion laced under the warmest brazillian sound, in addition the duo’s dynamic sound is complemented by strong songs such as “Lost It” featuring the voice of Face, “So Right” with Ferraz, “Simple Sacrifice” sung by Nadine Charles, “Take It Back” with Rasiyah, plus Philadelphia’s Lady Alma on “Move Over”.

FIRST!

SEVEN songs!
First day of the month.
Favorite track 1's.
From the year I was born.













The Bee Gee's "Staying Alive" // Saturday Night Fever (1978)


This album was the end of the beginning. This album was Disco at its peak. And it was this album that caused all the backlash, scorn and hate for the music of the late seventies. It's not fair really. The artists weren't to blame, lazy record companies were. Due to the success of this album, record labels tried to mass market the style which resulted in a very watered down sound. Hip Hop has been going through the same thing for the past two years, but instead of allowing it to die, it just sits. There's no room for people to take chances and experiment because record labels have conditioned listeners to look for a certain sound.

Sorry for the rant. Anyway, I've always had a special love for the classic guitar riff. If I'm ever invited to The Barry Gibb Talk Show, I shall further showcase my love for it.













The Jacksons "Blame It On The Boogie" // Destiny (1978)


This is the song that opened my eyes to The Jacksons (sans the 5ive). A much older Mike Jackson led his brothers away from the bubble gum pop sound of Motown to an older and more mature sound on CBS/Epic. Through songs like "Blame it..", "Things I Do For You" and the popular "Shake Your Body (Down To The Ground), you can hear the brothers really growing as artists, especially Mike. If you listen to Destiny and Off The Wall (which came out a year later), and then Mike's work on The Wiz, you'll hear him at his best. His vocal style, ad libs and song writing had reached a new level. If you need proof of Michael's greatness, look no furhter. From 1976-1982, Mike and his brothers created some great soul music.













Marvin Gaye "Here, My Dear (alternate mix)" // Here, My Dear (1978)


I didn't get it.

I had bought What's Goin' On and I Want You and immediately "got" those. Those albums hit me and hit me hard. From those two albums I felt I understood everything Marvin had to say. So when a friend recommended Here, My Dear, I didn't doubt I'd like it. I bought it as casually as someone buys candy from a gas station.

I took the CD home and started playing it.
"What is this?"

So like I said before, I didn't get it. At all. I was kinda mad considering the money I'd paid for it. It was like listening to Stevie's Journey Through The Secret Life Of Plants after bumping Songs In The Key Of Life for months. It's like..."What is this?" So I took this purchase as a loss and dropped it from the rotation. Fast forward to a few years later and I'm reading David Ritz's Marvin Gaye biography Divided Soul. After reading the story and the background of the album (which is REQUIRED reading in order to enjoy this album), I went back and tried Here, My Dear again.

Boom.
There it was.
Right then you could say I fell in love.
The voice, the power in his words, THE PAIN!

The story to this album really made this album. Knowing the "how" and "why" really opened up the songs on this album. Especially the album track "Here, My Dear". In fact, go and start the song above while you're reading this. Go 'head. We'll wait.


Divided Soul is an amazing book that really delves deep into the music and mind of Marvin, and reading it really made the music on my shelf blossom. It was like night and day. I can't recommend the book enough, but more than that, this album deserves your ears if you haven't heard it already.














Rasa "When Will The Day Come" // Everything You See Is Me (1978)


I was working third shift for the Chicago Tribune and I had just got off work on a Sunday afternoon. It had been a long LONG night going in to the morning, but my work was done. I was tired, but it was the kinda tired where you couldn't just pass out. I mean, it was 10:00 in the morning. I had just left a warehouse near 95th & Stony Island and I was heading home. Instead of taking the Dan Ryan home to the north side, I drove up King Dr (yeah, I took the long LONG way home).

There are many songs about Chicago, but very few capture the city, specifically the south side, better than "When Will The Day Come". "But Donnie, are you only saying that because Common sampled it on 'Take It EZ'?" Sure, that might be one of the motivating factors, but the other stems from this particular drive home. The song came on my playlist just as I was driving through the Chatam neighborhood. Kids were just getting out to play, the old people were unfolding their chairs on the porch and young men were detailing their cars. Everyone was out starting their day, and it was peaceful. This song was just the perfect soundtrack for that drive.













Heatwave "Put The Word Out" // Central Heating (1978)


When I was a kid I never knew what Rod Temperton did, yet his name was all over Michael Jackson's Off The Wall. The liner notes on the vinyl fold out would say Quincy Jones, Michael Jackson and Rod Temperton. Who was he? As I got older and started to read more MJ liner notes, I didn't see his name anymore. Then when internet music forums ruled my life (still rules), I asked the question, "Why hasn't Mike teamed up with Rod Temperton?" Ya know...given the great success of their collaborations. Well, when you're Mike you gotta work with the "hot" producers. Rod must have lost his pop sound.

So I later find out that Rod was part of this group called Heatwave, a group that did a few songs that I was familiar with. I copped the album at Amoeba about 6 years ago and through continuous rotations, I've found out exactly what Rod Temperton brought to the Off The Wall album. Central Heating is a classic soul disco album led by Rod Temperton.













Prince "For You" // For You (1978)


Prince released his first studio album For You three months before I was born. He was 20 years old. Ironically, I didn't cop his first album until I was about 20 years old myself. I don't need to explain why I'm a fan, just know that I am. Prince is one of the few artists who have a discography that you can listen to and physically HEAR him grow as an artist. From For You to Lovesexy (yeah, that's kinda when I stopped), it's amazing to hear the journey he's been on.

Here are a few very early demos of the song above:
For You #1
For You #2
For You #3
For You #4













Rick James "Stone City Band, Hi!" // Come Get It! (1978)


MR. FUNK ROCK! I might get struck down by the funk gods by following Prince up with Rick James...ha ha. No matter. You know this album for "You and I" and "Mary Jane", but I've always liked how this album started out. Especially with the announcer introducing Rick and the Stone City Band. And "Stone City Band, Hi" always sounded like Rick's attempt at some Funkadelic. Especially with the group chorus singing.






(happy birthday to me)