Raphael Saadiq: Soul Supreme

On Friday, December 4th I had the honor of seeing Raphael Saadiq at Terminal 5 in New York.

Opening for him was Anjulie; reminiscent of M.I.A.'s unique features mixed with Lykke Li's ethereal voice, she was definitely a good surprise. If you haven't heard of her head over to Anjulie's page and check her out! My favorite song was her closer "Boom" - with some sexy drums and singing. She maintains a fresh sound in a field of blandness and was just SO damn adorable!



Raphael began his set with an ode to the late, great Marvin - using his performance of the National Anthem at the 1983 NBA All-Star game. This led into a set of a couple tracks off his newest album "The Way I See It" which turned into a mini Lucy Pearl set and a couple tracks off his first album "Instant Vintage." I must add that his backup singer, Erika Jerry, was phenomenal. I found myself in awe of her stage presence, voice and charisma.



I always gauge an artist's authenticity by their live performance; (as it is always easy to sound good when the album has been mixed and enhanced) and judging by this alone, Saadiq was on point and has never sounded better! He closed the show with a Tony! Toni! Toné! set singing "Pillow" and "Anniversary" and let's just say most girls needed a change of panties afterwards.

As Raphael intended and mentioned on his Twitter page, we were in store for a surprise that night. What a surprise, indeed! Q-Tip and Ali Shaheed (of A Tribe Called Quest) came out to perform "Get Involved," one of my favorite, rare Saadiq tracks.



All in all, it was a blissful experience. It was my first concert in New York and I couldn't have been more satisfied with the hour and a half-long set and the set list! I can't wait to hear his next album and look forward to catching him on tour again in the future.

To view the complete set of pictures from the concert click HERE.

To view the complete set of video footage from the concert click HERE.

P.S. Hi, I'm back.

More Maxwell, please!

Today Maxwell released his 5th album, BLACKsummers'night, the first installment of the trilogy by the same name. I haven't had a chance to listen to it in full, but I am eager to do so. I stumbled upon the video from his performance at the BET awards and needless to say, it got me a little more than excited (among other things) to see him in concert on July 31st. I was surprised to discover he performed at the award show and it seems as though he closed the show at that. (I could be mistaken) I would have thought that BET would only bestow that honor upon gifted rappers such as Soulja Boy or the sort.

All I know is, he is one hell of a singer and not to mention one of the ultimate fine in the faces. Maxwell is BACK and I couldn't be happier; this is the substance the music industry is lacking, undeniable talent and quintessential soul!

Pretty Wings 09 BETA Live

The Roots X E. Badu on Fallon

On Friday night, The Roots and E. Badu paid tribute to Michael Jackson on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon. Unfortunately, there has been no video footage thus far but I was able to get my hands on an audio file. I tuned in to Late Night hoping to catch it on air, but they seemed to be performing during the commercial breaks. Anywho, here's the audio!

The Roots & Erykah Badu - I Wanna Be Where You Are (Jackson 5 cover)


Billie Jean (with Questo on vocals, LOL)

In Current Rotation (late June)

Chin Chin "Go There With You"
Brooklyn band on Def Jux, check 'em out! Can't. Stop. Listening.


Gang Starr "Code Of The Streets"
The beat is fucking contagious.


Monica "Don't Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem Days)"
Seemingly, my anthem at the moment.


The Fugees "Take It Easy"
The only released track of The Fugees' alleged "comeback." (Team Teikirisi, represent!)


Madonna "Human Nature"
Not sure if it was the cornrows or all the vinyl get-ups, but this video was one of my favorite as a little girl. (Hmm, that explains a lot.)


Binary Star "Honest Expression"
"Everything that glitters ain't gold, and every gold record don't glitter, that's for damn sure!"


Nas feat. Marsha Ambrosius "If I Ruled The World '09"
This track was released last year sponsored by Smirnoff (yes, the vodka) as part of their newly interpreted music series. This is one of those infectious songs that you don't particularly care for upon first listen, but grows on you.


Thievery Corporation feat. Sarah McLachlan "Dirty Little Secret"
One of my favorite tracks on Thievery's remix album, Versions. I've always loved Sarah McLachlan; there is something so ethereal about her voice which really stands out on this sad yet beautiful song.


Michael Jackson "Baby Be Mine"
Save the best for last. My personal favorite jam by the late, great Michael Jackson. Music, as an entity, has taken a tremendous blow with this one. R.I.P., buddy.



Feel free to leave love! Questions & comments are always appreciated.

"How I Got Over" Premiere

Last night on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon, The Roots performed their newest single from their upcoming album with the same title, "How I Got Over." I sincerely hope this is an indication of what their new album (releasing 10/20) will sound like. The Roots crew have always been known to put on a hell of a show and this performance doesn't disappoint in the least. After all, they aren't called "The Legendary" for nothing! One thing's for sure, I ain't mad at Black Thought singing more, in fact I think he should sing more often; homeboy's got a good voice. I believe the single will be available next week, in the mean time, check out last night's performance and then an extra goody I threw in for good measure:


The Roots "Please Don't Go" - a rare track that showcases Riq's sangin' (he's not singing, he's sangin'!)

Radiohead X AmpLive

Back in February, Bay Area's AmpLive (and half of the Zion I duo) took Radiohead's seventh studio album, In Rainbows, and created his interpretation of the album entitled, Rainydayz Remixes. What we are left with is, what seems like, a sincere effort to expose Radiohead to a broader audience. Featuring artists such as Zion I, Too $hort and Del the Funky Homosapien (and even a remix of the remix featuring Def Jux's Yak Ballz), AmpLive's 8 track, remix album is definitely an original piece, eclectic at that. While I find it a bit difficult to digest some of the glitch-heavy segments (and his strange proclivity for adding z's to the end of words), there are some tracks that I believe blend nicely with AmpLive's hip-hop roots. Here are the stand-out tracks, in my opinion:

Weird Fishez
AmpLive shines on this track fusing Radiohead's original material with booty bass and drum claps.


Video Tapez (feat. Del the Funky Homosapien)
Del's cadence strangely compliments the song well and this is one of the few tracks that isn't completely sliced and diced, keeping the pure melody of the prototype.


15 Stepz (feat. Codany Holiday)
Holiday's soulful voice sounds dope over a smooth adaptation of In Rainbow's opening anthem.


Wanna hear more? You can download the full album here.

Dwele - June 20, 2009

On Saturday, I had the honor of seeing Dwele perform at Karu & Y. Thanks to Anthony from the New Times, Annette & I were able to meet him! It was wonderful meeting him and hilarious that he knew us from Twitter. The scent of his leather jacket will remain in my memory forever. LOL, jk.


After some confusion as to where he was performing, we figured out he was performing in the "Buddha Room" not to be confused with the "Buddha Bar"/Ref Central. Five Mc Café and three Mc Griddle coupons later, we make our way to the back room to watch him sing. Thanks to Annette's smoothness, we walk into the VIP area with Dwele and wait for him to take the stage. It was kind of lame that he only performed 4 songs (one including the Mc Donald's jingle) but what do you expect when it was a promotional event thrown at some obscure downtown club. It seemed as if we were the only true fans in a sea of clubbers annoyed that the party came to a halt as Dwele performed. He started off with "A Few Reasons (Truth Pt. 2)" off his new album, Sketches of a Man. He proceeded into, one of my personal favorites, "Find A Way," then the Mc Donald's plug-in, and finished off with "I'm Cheatin'" also from his newest record. All in all, it was a memorable night, one that will go down in the history books! Here are some of the pictures:



Most people like Fridays, but for me Tuesdays are my favorite day. Why? Album release day! These are some albums that are dropping tomorrow, June 23rd, that I am curious to hear:

• The Mars Volta - Octahedron
• Sa-Ra Creative Partners - Nuclear Evolution: The Age of Love
• Charles Hamilton - This Perfect Life (let's see what the hype's about)
• U-God - Dopium
• Regina Spektor - Far (some sources say June 23rd, some say the 30th)

Happy listening!

"Wowzers!"

"I just made a mess in my trousers."

This year got off to a slow start, but things are rapidly picking up in the music (read: hip-hop) world. We have a legion of releases on the bound which should keep us fanatics high throughout the summer.

As I previously mentioned, the Wu is dropping an album in a couple weeks. Thanks to our buddies over at Nah Right, we have a clip of RZA sharing a bit about the making of Chamber Music. Also, I have included the tracklisting for the album (supposedly) dropping on the 30th.


Track Listing
1. Redemption
2. Kill Too Hard [feat. Inspectah Deck, U-God and Masta Ace
3. The Abbot [feat. RZA]
4. Harbor Masters [feat. Ghostface Killah, AZ & Inspectah Deck]
5. Sheep State [feat. RZA]
6. Radiant Jewels [Raekwon, Cormega and Sean Price]
7. Supreme Architecture [feat. RZA]
8. Evil Deeds [feat. Ghostface Killah, RZA and Havoc]
9. Wise Men [feat. RZA]
10. I Wish You Were Here [feat. Ghostface Killah and Tre Williams]
11. Fatal Hesitation
12. Ill Figures [feat. Raekwon, M.O.P. and Kool G. Rap]
13. Free Like ODB [feat. RZA]
14. Sound The Horns [feat. Inspectah Deck, Sadat X and U-God]
15. Enlightened Statues [feat. RZA]
16. NYC Crack [feat. RZA]
17. One Last Question…

Next up, we have another album I'm personally looking forward to, The Alchemist's Chemical Warfare. I'm still bumpin' the track with Juve & Three 6, but this one is a banger as well. Here is the video for "Smile" featuring Twista & Maxwell, and don't forget to cop his album dropping July 7th! (Along with Maxwell's BLACKsummer's Night also dropping that same day.)


Speaking of July releases, Cage will be dropping Depart From Me also on the 7th. (Quite the trifecta, I'd say.) In the same vein, El-P and the Def Jukies are planning to release their fourth compilation album. Here is the first leaked song off Definitive Jux Presents IV called "Reports of a Possible Kidnapping" by the Weathermen featuring El-P, Cage & Aesop Rock. (Produced by El-P and Aes Rock with a brief cameo from the late Camu Tao, R.I.P.)



Saving the best for last, I have news on my main man, John Legend! This is like a dream collaboration, but he is paring up with ?uestlove for a cover album. Apparently, the project was slated to be released last year around election time but has been postponed until sometime later this year (or possibly next year) due to scheduling conflicts. In an interview with Bossip, John describes the album as, "... an album of protest songs, political inspiration and social uplift." (Side note: I gotta say, I'm a little disappointed with JL's responses in the Bossip interview. Yes, he is fine and we all love him as an artist, but there is a thin line between confident and arrogant. He's teetering between the two in that interview. Maybe it's just me.. I find modesty, sexy.) The album will be centralized around 60's and 70's songs from the civil rights and black power movement. I, for one, am definitely looking forward to seeing what will come of this collabo.

"Believe in me, as I believe in you.."

When I was about 10 years old, I remember having a fascination with all-things celestial. I loved anything and everything adorned with stars, moons and suns (or a combination of the aforementioned.) As with all facets of my life, I am unable to simply 'like' things, I 'love' them. I clearly remember how gratifying it was to actually paint my room with a celestial theme. (Oh yeah, I was REAL serious. I hope I find a picture to share.) It could have been my passion for Shakespeare and the renaissance period, or my obsession with Sailor Moon, but I like to think it actually spawned from my love for one music video in particular.

To this day, "Tonight, Tonight" remains as one of my all-time favorite music videos; every time I see it, I wish I was on a cloud floating and singing with Billy Corgan. Although the video was based on the Georges Méliés' silent film, A Trip To the Moon, it is one of the most original and memorable in my opinion. The cut-and-paste backdrops and the primitive special effects add to the beautiful silent film aesthetic. I love the subtle salute at the end of the video, where 'S.S. Méliés' is painted on the side of the ship as it is sailing away; as it is not something a lot of people would discern.

Aside from the video, the song is a classic; it captures the Smashing Pumpkins at their height. The strings give the song such an epic sound and that build-up just feels so damn good. This is one of those songs/videos that received a slew of awards and was highly praised... with good reason. There is no denying that feeling you get when you hear/watch it.

I hope you enjoy the video as much as I do.

"Is it cuz they like my handome face?"

"..is it cuz they like my gangsta ways?"

Things I Realized This Weekend

1. Nate Dogg makes any song that much better. (see: "Area Codes," "Regulate," "Xxplosive [Part 1 & 2]," "21 Questions," "Next Episode") We could be here all night, ladies and gents. My question is: does he really have like, 4 or 5 albums? If so, why haven't I heard them yet? Maybe I'll just like him as a featured guest, who knows? What I do know is that there's something in his voice that gets me everytime.

2. Jay-Z's "I Just Wanna Love U (Give It 2 Me)" featuring Pharrell is a sure-shot. I'm not even a big Jay-Z fan, but it's guaranteed to get the party started. Seriously, give it a try. Never fails.

3. It's probably not in your best interest to mix Luniz "I Got 5 On It" with Lynyrd Skynyrd "Sweet Home Alabama." It's just really not a good look, guy.

Am I the only one?

Am I the only one who thinks Mary J. Blige gets better with age? I mean, hot damn woman! I saw her in concert on her Breakthrough tour and she's still got it goin' aounhn (on). She is in total control of that tremendous voice of hers and struts the stage like it's nobody's business. In all seriousness, I hope when I'm approaching 40, I look as good as homegirl does. Get 'em, MJB! Whenever this song comes on shuffle, I can't help but sing to it at the top of my lungs. It's a lesser-known track that was only released on her anthology album Reflections: A Retrospective, entitled "We Ride (I See the Future)." Get religion with this one!



Am I the only one who thinks we need to have a wave of females back in the game? And I'm not talking about the OG's (MC Lyte, Queen Latifah, Roxanne Shante, etc.) I'm talking about the Foxy's, the Kim's, the Rah Digga's, the Chuck B-More's. I really miss that rare breed of bad chicks that were down with the dudes and did their thing, respectively. Sure, there's Jean Grae, Invincible and Shawnna, but why aren't they bigger than they are? Is it because the hip-hop game just doesn't have a place for women? Why is this? I just wanted to touch on this topic, but please believe I will delve deeper when I don't have such a bad case of A.D.D. Here's another shuffler I can't seem to get enough of: Rah Digga's "Lesson of Today"



(I know I'm going to ruffle some feathers with this one but...)
Am I the only one who doesn't think Drake is the next best thing since sliced bread? Unless you've been living under a rock for the past couple of months, you've probably heard of Drake, or at least his current single, "Best I Ever Had."

Don't get me wrong, I think dude is aight; he definitely doesn't suck. I get it, he can sing (sans autotune - which is a feat on its own these days), he can rap, he's for the ladies (not too hard on the eyes, either). But is he the second coming of Christ as some make him out to be? Definitely not. He sounds like every other commercial rapper/singer out at the moment and to put it nicely, he's average.

Granted his album is not released yet, nor is he even signed to a label. I gave his current mixtape, So Far Gone, a couple listens and honestly, I'm not blown away. It's not all negativity though, I dug the samples of artists such as Lykke Li, Santogold, Peter, Bjorn & John and even the Isley Brothers' "Between the Sheets." (It's a nice way of showing diversity. [Read: diversity does not mean originality.]) However, his flow over them eerily resembles a mixture of Kanye & Lil' Wayne, the latter of which... well, if you listen to him for pleasure you should probably consider having your hearing checked.

On the track, "Uptown" it's actually hard for me to differentiate between Lil' Wayne & Drake. (That is, until I heard that infamous squeal of a voice that is Weezy.) Luckily for us, Bun B comes along and saves the day/song. I really enjoyed the integration of Lykke Li's "Little Bit" and PB&J's "Let's Call It Off" but mostly because they are a variation of the originals. I find it rather ironic on the track, "Brand New" he repeatedly asks, "Is anything I'm doing brand new?" over a dragging, snap beat. I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but sorry Drake, the answer is no. I would have to say his most polished track is (not surprisingly) his lead single, "Best I Ever Had."

There have been rumors of Drake being signed to Weezy's label, Young Money Entertainment. However, in a recent Vibe interview, he seemed to be wooed by Interscope. I've also heard Atlantic & Motown can be thrown into the mix of labels scrapping over dude. Why? I can see he definitely has potential and, as a good friend and I were discussing today, his star quality is there. Maybe if he was rhyming over some Neptunes or Yeezy beats, it would be a different ball game all together. I just feel he lacks the originality, flow-wise and production-wise, that the industry so desperately needs. His debut should be dropping sometime this year entitled, Thank Me Later. I'll definitely give him a second chance once an official album drops, in hopes that it will be a little more cohesive, but until then, I'm reluctant to jump on the Drake bandwagon.

New Wu & Random Axe

While making my online rounds today, I came across these 2 tracks on my favorite site: Okayplayer.

Introducing: Random Axe. A hip-hop super-group consisting of Black Milk, Guilty Simpson & Sean Price. I first heard Guilty Simpson on Dilla's The Shining and I remember thinking he had such a distinct tone of voice; definitely keep an eye/ear out for him. Black Milk is definitely on par with the Dilla scheme of things and this beat is rowdy! Detroit is no doubt, doin' their thing. I'm loving the :30 beat-ride-out at the end. This is their first single entitled "Monster Babies."



Next up, we have NEW Wu-Tang! (Well, sorta.) It seems like everyone's favorite Clan has pulled a fast one on us. With very little promotion, (seriously, who knew about this?!) Koch Records will be releasing a new Wu-Tang album entitled Wu-Tang: Chamber Music on June 30th. To me, it all seems a little sketchy although I won't complain if it does in fact, drop. I actually read somewhere that the album includes "all-new material, no bootleg material, no B-sides, no left-overs." Apparently, the album is backed by The Revelations, a soul band straight from the BK, entirely produced by RZA and pairs Wu members with other 90's vets. This track in particular features Ghostface, Inspectah Deck & AZ and is titled "Harbor Masters."



In other news, The Ecstatic drops tomorrow!


I'm really excited to hear this album (part of the reason I don't like hearing leaks, I actually get excited for release dates.) I can only hope it's better than that sad excuse of an album, True Magic[al Bullshit.]

In Current Rotation (early June)

Just a hodge-podge (love that word) of random songs I've been diggin' lately. A mixture of oldies-but-goodies and new gems.

OutKast - "Prototype"

Dr. Dre (feat. Royce da 5'9) "The Way I Be Pimpin' (Xxplosive, Pt. 2)"
>>Handsome and some ;)


Method Man & Redman (feat. Erick Sermon) - "Mrs. International"


The Killers - "Bones"
>>"Don't you wanna feel my bones? On your bones? It's only natural."

Janet Jackson - "Together Again" (DJ Premier Remix)


Three 6 Mafia (feat. Project Pat & Ludacris) - "Dis Bitch, Dat Hoe"
>>"Luda, I'm so true to smokin' that stanky buddha... I wet these hoes in they sleep so just call me Freddy Krueger/ The Boogie Man, oogie, woogie, gimme that ooga booga!"

Tank - "Maybe I Deserve"
>>REAL serious.

Alchemist (feat. Three 6 Mafia & Juvenile) - That'll Work


Maxwell - "Pretty Wings"
>>"Time will bring the real end of our trial/ One day there'll be no remnants, no trace, no residual feelings within ya/ One day you won't remember me.. Your face will be the reason I smile/ But I cannot see what I cannot have forever/ I'll always love ya/ I hope you feel the same"


Eminem (feat. Dr. Dre) - "Old Times Sake"
>>"Cuz if at first you don't succeed, won't hurt to smoke some weed"

SWV (feat. Wu-Tang) - "Anything" (Old Skool Remix)

Here it comes a better version of me.

Artist: Fiona Apple
Song: "Better Version of Me"
Album: Extraordinary Machine

The one thing I admire most about this woman is her lexicon and ability to skillfully place circumstance into verse. Her songs are incomparable when it comes to lyrical content and structure; each, a masterpiece in their own right. Fiona STAYS lacing us with clever phrases and metaphors that reveal exactly how she felt when she wrote the song. (Good thing for us, it's totally relatable and she kills it with that rich voice of hers.)

At one point for another, each of her tracks has been relevant to my life. In current times, "Better Version of Me" has hit the spot, per sé. The rhyming scheme she utilizes is simple yet concise, whereas her use of words like 'rubicon' and 'folderol' even made yours truly break out the dictionary. (What can I say? I like my broads with brains & a bad attitude.) I appreciate and can relate to her candidness when she confesses:

"I'm a frightened, fickle person
Fightin', cryin', kickin', cursin'
What should I do?"

Which then continues into the subsequent three verses. She leaves us with a stanza which is as hopeful as it is empowering:

"I am likely to miss the main event
If I stop to cry and complain again
So I will keep a deliberate pace
Let the damn breeze dry my face"

Don't get it twisted, Fiona is that female!

Listen here:

"Hey, hey, hey like Faaat Albert..

..it's Samy Lei ain't no if ands about it."

Hello luvas!

Welcome to my quirky world of allusions and analyses. (Typical Virgo.) I figure a little introduction is always necessary so let's do the damn thang! As long as I can remember, I've always had a tendency to breakdown songs (the lyrics, song structure, etc.) Additionally, I seem to get a sense of personal gratification when I am able to correlate a specific track with a particular person in my life or situation. (I mean, isn't that what music is all about in the first place?)

By sharing my insight, criticism and relationship with the music I surround myself with, I hope to strike a chord within you, make you fall in love with the songs I love, and maybe learn a thing or two about myself in the process. I am no better than you, nor do I believe I own superior knowledge on all genres of music. I am simply a girl who is indulging in a nerdy/snobby pleasure and decided to share it with the world.

I hope you like it! :D