FIRST!

L I V E I N C O N C E R T

First day of the month.
First song of the album.
Four songs.













D'Angelo & The Soultronics "Devil's Pie" // Voodoo Tour (2000)

After Voodoo's release, D'Angelo embarked on what would become one of the most fabled series of live soul shows in history, "The Voodoo Tour". Consisting of a live group entitled the "Soultronics", (assumedly assembled by Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson of The Roots) which engulfed arena-size stages with various dancers and instrument players, it was one of the most attended shows of the year. The tour was taken all around the world, one of the most notable performances being the Free Jazz Festival in Brazil. The live show was a thinly-disguised homage to Prince's late 80's shows, in its grandeur and conceptual stage set up/setlist. Slum Village (then in its original line-up of Jay Dee, Baatin & T3) opened for D'Angelo on several dates, and soul-tinged R&B singer Anthony Hamilton sang backup within the band.

In 2003, the album was ranked number 488 on Rolling Stone magazine's list of the 500 greatest albums of all time.

Prince "Do It All Night" // New York Dirty Mind Tour (1981)


That breakdown half way through the song where Prince tells Andre to take it?

Fantastic!
I love it!

This is why I love collecting live shows. Those little musical detours the artist takes with a song truly makes the show. It's not enough to get on stage and regurgitate the album track. I can do that at home for free without the smoke and the crowd. I come to the show for an experience! I want to hear everything you experimented with, but were too scared to release. All those extended solos and riffs that the record label frowns upon because they need the album to fit in this little box, ALL THAT! I want to hear it!

Anyway, this is one of my most favorite live Prince moments. This is what I play for people when they don't quite understand how great this man was. Prince was genius in the studio but wild on stage. Stay tuned this month because I have another concert to showcase.














The Jacksons "Opening/Can You Feel It" // The Jacksons Live (1981)


I remember I went to the mall with my Mom and my aunts one weekend while we were in South Beloit, IL visiting family. When we first got there, I ran to the record store to thumb through the albums. My Aunt Annie said she would buy me two records, but I had to promise to be good for the rest of the mall trip. Shoot, what kid is going to deny THAT deal? So on this day I chose two Michael Jackson albums. One was a Jackson 5 Greatest Hits compilation, the other was The Jacksons Live.

We walked out of the store and I was the happiest kid in the mall. I started walking towards the door thinking, "I got my stuff, let's go." I was wrong. Three hours later and my aunts were STILL SHOPPING! I must have sat on every bench in the mall two times over just waiting for them to stop feeling the fabrics of dresses and trying on shoes. What made it worse, my Aunt Annie wouldn't let me take my new records out of the bag.

"Don't take them out of the bag! Someone will think you stole it."

Don't ask.

This is a phenomenal live album. Growing up I listened to it so much, I recreated the show in my mind using the music as the soundtrack. I envisioned the choreography , the crowd, the back up band, everything...ha ha. This was also the first time I heard "Heartbreak Hotel". I bring this up because eons later when I was in college and I bought the Triumph album, I was upset at how slow the tempo was. The live version, which is much faster, really drives that bass line through the chorus. To me, it's the only version worth listening to.

If you haven't heard this live album, get it. Although it's a combination of songs from their entire tour, it's the Jacksons at their best.

Curtis Mayfield "Mighty Mighty (Spade and Whitey)" // Curtis/Live! (1971)


Superfly is my first choice.
Curtis/Live! is my second.

I love this album for some of the same reasons I love Donny Hathaway's Live joint. Both were recorded in small intimate environments, and the music benefits from it.

"I got to say it louder, I'M BLACK AND I'M PROUD!"

I love when he sings that line and the crowd at the Bitter End reacts. It's personal...it's warm. It reminds me of one of my favorite music venues in Chicago, the Hot House on Balbo. I saw a ton of shows there in the South Loop while I was attending school at Columbia, and it was a great feeling hearing a small band get up there to perform. Almost like we were in on this secret. Curtis and his small band didn't need a stadium that night. All they needed were some ears and energy.

If you ever check this album out, listen to the interludes in between the songs when Curtis is talking to the crowd. Artists don't do that anymore. Amazing.

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.