Sam Dees (December 17, 1945 in Alabama) is one of the greatest soul singer-songwriter-producers of all time. Born into a family of 13, he quickly stood out as the singer in his family and by age 9 won several singing contests and found his own group, the Bossonovians. As time went on, he recorded several singles and earned recognition as a writer and producer. Soon, Chess Records producer Lenny Sachs gave him an opportunity to do two self-produced tracks. Later, he went on to record his legendary album, The Show Must Go On, in 1975 for Atlantic. Since then he has written for several artists, such as Gladys Knight, Whitney Houston, Larry Graham and Aretha Franklin. Some of his most famous hits that he has written for other artists are "One in a Million You," "Am I Dreaming," "Save the Overtime," and "Lover for Life."
Love music that is funny or ridiculous? Maybe something that is cute to sing a long to? Or just find it so bad that you can't close your ears and instead laugh? Well, here's my segment called "Looney Tunes," where you can sing along and laugh till you cry!!
Here is another session of "Who's That..." Artists of the Day!
1) Morgan Heritage: This group of siblings (four brothers, one sister) from Brooklyn, who formed in 1990, are a legendary reggae band in addition to coming from reggae royalty; their father is Denroy Morgan. What makes them legendary is that they are not an ordinary reggae band. They mix hip-hop, reggae, dancehall, new wave, and punk, rock to create a sound all their own. Since the group has not put itself in a box, Morgan Heritage has performed with NewFound Glory, Good Charlotte and performed in punk rock tours.
Don't Haffi Dread
Down By the River
Let's make Up
She's Still Loving Me
Raid Rootz Dance
Nothing to Smile About
U've Got Me ft. Sizzla and Bounty Killa
Jah Comes First
2) Mickey Factz: Coming from the Bronx, this mixtape rapper has been gaining momentum. He left NYU to start his music career and I am so glad he did! Even better, he's not only a rapper, but a business man. Definitely doing it for himself by co-finding his own marketing, branding and styling business and label, GFC New York. Basically, his music is smart rap over smart beats. Once again, go cool nerds!!!
Rockin' and Rollin' ft. Cool Kids (the track has an accordian on it!?)
The Flood
Automatic
You Remind Me (The Caveman Song)
There's Nothing Left
3) The Cool Kids: Another set of cool nerds!!! Mickey Rocks and Chuck Inglish are bringing back that old school flavor that I love! Hailing from Chicago and Detroit, these guys have been labeled as "Hipster Rap." They have released single on their Myspace and thier label, C.A.K.E. and recently have been signed to independent label, Chocolate Industries.
'88
Black Mags
What Up Man
Delivery Man
Pump Up the Volume
4) Blu: I call his style "mellow rap" or better known as indie-rap. The Californian rapper was influenced by his stepfather, who was a pastor, Gospel, Christian rap and Common (0ne of my favorite rappers). He signed to independent label Sound in Color and released his debut record Below the Heavens. Working with the producer Exile on his records has put him higher on my list; his lyrics and Exile's beats work perfectly.
So(ul) Amazing
Dancing in the Rain
No Greater Love
Blu Collar Workers
Just Another Day
5) U-n-i: Here's another group reviving the "true essence of Hip-hop." Y-O and Thurz, from Los Angeles, got the name of their group from the Roots' (another of my favs) 1996 album, Illadelph Halflife. They have open for several other Hip-hop artists like Lupe Fiasco, Ludacris, The Roots and Redman. We need more rap groups like them in the mainstream arena.
This song is from the movie Idlewild, which starred Andre 3000 and Big Boi from Outkast and Paula Patton (married to Robin Thicke). If you all knew the real me, you would know that I love Jazz and so I love the Jazzy sound of this song. Also, Outkast is one of my favorite rap groups of all time.
Blind Willie Johnson (January 22, 1897 – September 18, 1945) was a preacher and musician whose songs straddled between spirituals and blues. Although all of his songs were religious, Johnson was revered in mainstream blues as one of the greatest slide or bottleneck guitarists. He is most remembered for his bass-thumb guitar picking and his gravel-sounding false-bass voice influenced other blues singers. Johnson made 30 commercial records for Columbia Records from 10927-1930. Unfortunately he never had commercial success; he only sang on the streets and later died from pneumonia from sleeping on a wet bed after his home burnt down. However, his songs still live on; for example, his song "John the Revelator" was used in the movie Blues Brothers 2000 (sung in the movie by Sam Moore) and many others have covered his song, such as Led Zeppelin.
John the Revelator
Nobody's Fault But Mine
Dark was the Night (accidental picture of another blues legend Blind Willie Mctell in the video at 1:20-1:43)
"We can't change the world unless we change ourselves." That is the motto echoed throughout George Tillman Jr.'s inspiring new film, Notorious, which follows the life and death of one of the greatest rappers of all time, Biggie Smalls.
As usual, skepticism seeps in when one thinks of a film that will be created based on a famous person's life, especially one as legendary as Biggie. The thought is will the film do him or her justice. Well, Notorious did in ways I did not expect.
Once again the music was the core element to hold the film together. The most memorable scenes in the movie were either the performances or the ones that that had his songs blaring in the background. From his first street freestyle battle to Biggie's Yardfest debut performance (the mock fighting scene was hilarious!), I was bobbing my head to the music the entire film.
Even more amazing was Jamal Woolard's portrayal of Biggie himself. Although Woolard was not as "fat, black and ugly" as Biggie, he definitely had his soul. Everything from his breathy (from asthma), booming voice (had to use cotton balls in his mouth) to his mannerisms and his walk was exuding from Woolard. If you closed your eyes, you would think it was Biggie in the flesh.
Not only did he look and sound like Wallace, Woolard gave a likable quality to Biggie even when he was not always likable. He has this sense of humor that one would not normally think of when looking at Smalls (e.g. scene in which he tells off his teacher). With his many contradictions and flaws, the audience by the end of the movie still felt that deep down he was a nice guy. Despite how he treated Lil' Kim , cheating on Faith, sometimes neglecting his daughter T'yana and his drug dealing, I felt he was always trying to change and make himself better than his circumstances.
The rest of the cast in general provided okay support for Woolard, even though sometimes their performances did not seem as believable or were underdeveloped. Angela Bassett (one of my favorites a musical biopic legend herself from What's Love Got to Do With It. She should have won the Oscar!), stars as Biggie's mother, Volletta Wallace and again gives a strong performance as an important figure in Biggie's life. However, I had a problem with Angela's fake Jamaican accent; it did not really work.
Derek Luke's Puff Daddy (aka Sean Combs aka Puffy aka P. Diddy aka Diddy. He's as bad as Prince!) was what I thought it would be. At first, I could not see Luke as the extremely ambitious producer, but he semi pulled it off enough to believe he could be Puffy. Still I wish I could have seen more of his personality like his supposed hot-headedness. Antonique Smith, who plays Faith Evans, was not very memorable besides the scene where she smacks some white girl that Biggie slept with all over the room (hilarious scene!).
On the other hand, the choices for the two characters, Lil' Kim and Tupac, I did not like it all. Both actors did not seem right for the role. Even though she was trying to show her vulnerability, Naturi Naughton's Lil' Kim was too soft and she was trying too hard when it should have come naturally. Plus, the sex scene between her and Jamal is awkward to say the least.
Tupac's character, played by Anthony Mackie, was not much better. Although it was important to show that Biggie and Tupac were friends and the incident that led to the end of the relationship anf the stupid East Coast/West Coast battle, Mackie just failed to portray that revolutionary, poetic thug essence of Tupac.
Only the other lesser know characters were really good in the film. Lil' Cease (Marc John Jeffries), D-Roc (Dennis "L.A." White) and little Christopher Wallace (his son Christopher Wallace Jr.) were more interesting than the other characters. Marc was the comic relief and great protege to Biggie. I liked the White's character; he was the friend who was a bad influence, but willing to take the fall for his friend to get ahead (during a drug bust). Finally, Christopher was cute and definitely is Biggie's son.
So, even though the supporting characters are lacking, Jamal Woolard holds the movie up enough for the audience to enjoy it. The story may have innacuries and does not go into depth often (Can you blame them? It is a 2 hour movie. If they did, then it would be 10 hours.), I did learn a lot about Biggie's life (e.g. his mother had breast cancer, he was actually a good student, he was jailed for drug possession, his friend took the rap for him, how Tupac and Biggie's friendship ended, etc.)
The movie does re-introduce fans to the rapper and intoduces new fans to him and inpire them to look up information on his life. Basically, Biggie was a man with a story to tell and we were willing to listen.
If you don't know what song I'm referring to in my title, it's the 1979 single "Video Killed the Radio Star" by the Buggles. It was the first video that premiered on MTV when it debuted its channel in 1981. The song describes the demise of the golden age of radio and the rise of television. Well, we have come to another passing of an era, the end of the music video and music channels. As with television, the technological change of the internet has decreased the importance of music videos on television to create stars and promote new music.
Michael Stipe, from R.E.M., even said that music videos are a thing of the past. "It is what it is, and I think anyone who refutes that is an idiot in 2008," he told the Associated Press. "We can all agree as a medium music videos really found their place in pop culture in the 1990s, [but they've been] replaced by the Internet in the 21st century."
Music channels like MTV, VH1, and BET now suck when it comes to music and music videos. Years before, someone could spend a whole day watching videos on these channels, but now you can barely see one or see the entire video. Slowly music shows are being replaced by mindless reality TV, or as I call it TV Ga-Ga (referencing Queen's song Radio Ga-Ga), that has nothing to do with the purpose that the channels had in the first place. Today, the only channels that have any significance in showing music related things are Fuse (which ranges from popular music to music in the 90s to underground music), VH1 Classic (older music videos, concerts, movies, etc.), BETJ (underground neo-soul music and classic soul, jazz, reggae, etc. specials) and BET Soul (more soul music).
Still, can you blame them for changing their programs? The previous ones are not making them any money anymore. With the introduction to the Internet, people can find out about new artists, new songs and download videos in seconds. They no longer have to wait in front of the TV to be shown a video and usually it is online before it is shown on TV. When they want to see it, it is in cyberspace waiting for them. Not only that, but also fans can take the songs they like and make their own.
Is the Internet changing how we listen to music? Queen sang in their song Radio Ga-Ga that we don't listen to the music anymore. Will the Internet make us lazy when it comes to finding out about new music and new artists because it will always be there waiting for us to eventually check them out? Or will we go back to actually listening to the music and listening for better music, not some of the throw-away stuff we have today? Also, how will artists promote their songs today without music videos? Only time will tell.
Here we are again! New day with new songs by artists we know and love!!
1) Natasha Bedingfield: We all know her from her hits "These Words," "Unwritten", "Pocketful of Sunshine," and "Angel," but now she has a new single called, "Soulmate", which is probably her best song so far. I love how Natasha's voice is not over the top like other singers and yet can give so much emotion. Also, the message in the song strikes a chord with me: Is there really a soulmate for everyone?
Soulmate
2) Fall Out Boy: Their follow-up single "America's Suitehearts" once again shows how much FOB is against the whole Hollywood and celebrity machine. That is why I love them! Not only is the song awesome (it's FOB, why wouldn't it be!), but also their video is hilarious and creative (making fun of Paris a lot). However, since I can't embed it here, you can only listen to it, but definitely check it out on youtube!
America's Suitehearts
3) Shinedown: This band, who formed in 2001, has already released three albums. If you like contemporary hard rock groups such as Daughtry, Seether and Creed, you will love Shinedown. I wish I found out about them earlier. Their new song, "Second Chance," is a powerful rock song and it's about letting go, moving on and starting over.
Welcome to another Click-It Concert. This "concert" will be in honor of Barack Obama's history-making inauguration to become President of the United States( can't beleive it, I have to keep pinching myself). I will be posting special music to go along with today. So Enjoy (but watch the inauguration first!!!)
A Change is Gonna Come- Sam Cooke
Say It Loud, I'm Black and I'm Proud- James Brown (And every race can put their own race in it, be proud of who you are!!!)
Someday We'll All Be Free- Donnie Hathaway
The America Song- Various Artists
America, the Beautiful- Ray Charles
This Land is Your Land- Woody Guthrie/Bruce Springteen, Pete Seeger and Grandson
Happy Martin Luther King Day!!!! And Inauguration Day Eve for Barack Obama!!! MLK would have been proud!!!
Time for another session of "Who's That..." Artists of the Day
1) Chester French: I like these guys' style. They sound like the 60's rock groups (e.g. Beatles) with a little Hip-hop and R&B in them. Talib Kweli, one of my favorite rappers, worked with them. Also, they are great producers. Pharell and Lupe Fiasco gave them two thumbs up!! How cool is that!!!
She Loves Everybody
Jimmy Choo's
Excuse Me Miss Remix (C.F. produced)
Talib Kweli ft. Chester French
2) Bria Valente: She is Prince's protege and her first single was produced by him. I can see why Prince chose her. Bria has a smooth voice that reminds of Sade or Chante Moore and she is beautiful.
Here Eye Come
3) Richie Spice: Another man who takes after Bob Marley. His voice is beautiful and his songs are socially conscious. He may not be "OMG" cute, but he is talented. I can not get any of his songs out of my head.
Youth Em Cold
Earth N Run Red
Brown Skin (my favorite at this moment)
World is a Cycle
4) Tanya Stephens: She is called the "Female Bob Marley," which is justifiable because her music has great messages and is reminscent of the reggae from the past that people loved. However, sometimes her voice can be annoying (she sounds better live or acoustic), so Caveat!
The music genius himself, Prince, has been involved in a court case in which the artists has been told to stop distributing "The Most Beautiful Girl in the World" in Italy. Why, you ask? Well, supposedly the song heavily samples "Takin' Me To Paradise," a song written by Bruno Bergonzi and Michele Vicino and released in 1983. Not only is Prince's song now banned, he might have to pay royalties made from the song to the two writers. But look on the bright side, Prince is releasing two albums this year, called MPLSOUND ("electro-flavored" with "trippy, experimental pop songs") and Lotus Flower (guitar-focused). Hopefully, Prince being the great musician he is will not take credit for anyone elses' songs on these albums.
In other news....
Guess which Hip-hop and R&B artists are having a baby:
1) Nas and Kelis. Despite rumors of a rocky marriage, it has been confirmed that the two are having a baby. I'm happy for them since there will be a Nas Jr. or Nasiera, but I would be afraid having Kelis as a mother (Remember the song "I Hate You So Much Right Now!")
2) Jill Scott is also having a baby. After her divorce, Jill was able to find love again with drummer Lil John Roberts. They are planning to marry next weekend and have the baby in April. I'm happy that she's happy!!! Go, Jill!!!
And last but not least... The Notorious movie behind the scenes drama continues with new blood in the ring:
1) Voletta Wallace, Biggie' mother, wants to talk to Lil' Kim. Ms. Wallace says she discovered a lot about her son during the making of the film. She said, “I saw a side of my son that I heard of but I haven’t accepted. I’m angered by certain things, disappointed and shocked. So this film taught me tolerance and to be less critical.” Voletta was happy with the way her son was portrayed and was a main supporter in getting Jamal Woolard to play her son. Now, as I reported before, Lil' Kim was not happy about the movie and threatened to expose things about Voletta and Faith, Voletta still wants to have a one on one talk with the furious rapper about Biggie and her relationship (cause we all know how he smacked Lil' Kim around).
2) Faith simply responded that she had very little to do with the movie and the script. She simply said “I try my best not to think about it – it's kinda sad. This is not my movie. I didn't write the script. Any characters in the film had to agree for their life rights to be in the movie. I don't think I would have signed anything had I felt I was not portrayed properly. I think she had the opportunity to do that. I could be mistaken. I wasn't there."
3) The scriptwriter, Reggie Rock Bythewood, even went out to say that Lil' Kim did get a copy of the script but not the final copy and that he did try to speak with her on the phone about her character and the final version. Still she was angry about the first version that was leaked and broke all ties to the movie and later after the comments still went on to say "The film studio and producers involved were more concerned about painting me as a 'character' to create a more interesting story line instead of a person with talent, self-respect and who was able to achieve her own career success through hard work. " Even though my relationship with Big was at times very difficult and complicated (as with most relationships we have all experienced at one time or another), it was also genuine and built on great admiration and love for each other. Regardless of the many lies in the movie and false portrayal of me to help carry a story line through, I will still continue to carry his legacy through my hard work and music," Kim added.
4) Now even Charli Baltimore, a rapper who had a relationship with Biggie during his separation from Faith, has joined in. In an interview in Yo Raps, she states that Biggie never had a relationship with Lil' Kim and that she only used Biggie to help her career. I see a cat fight coming on or a gun fight. New rap beef between Charli and Kim.
Guess the movie Notorious brought up a lot more dram than anyone wanted or expected. Maybe Lil' Kim is overreacting, maybe not, but you have to admit she cared a lot about Biggie. Even more, this seems to be a general problem with biopics, the writers tend to exaggerate or change the real story to get a more interesting story that audiences want to see (Just go see my review on Cadillac records). So, maybe Lil' Kim has a point there.
BTW, I will have a review of what I think of the movie soon!!!
This feature has to do with people from the past who had a major influence in music, but few people today know about them.
My first artist is Elmore James (January 27, 1918- May 24, 1963). James was an American blues singer, guitarist, songwriter and band leader. He was known as the "King of the Slide Guitar" and known for his unique guitar style (loud amplification) and moving voice. His guitar style has influence many guitar players, like Jimi Hendrix, Brian Jones (Rolling Stones), and Jeremy Spencer (Fleetwood Mac), and his voice influenced many blues and soul singers. James was even mentioned in a Beatles' song "For You Blue," on which John Lennon plays slide guitar.
Time for "Who's That..." Artists of the Day again! :
1) B.O.B: New and upcoming rapper from Atlanta. I saw him on a short MTV News clip and decided to check him out. He was the best out of all the rappers presented on it. His songs have hot beats and are catchy!!! Plus, he is one of the few new rappers who actually have something to say when they rap!!!
I'll Be In the Sky
Grip Your Body feat. Amy Winehouse
Mellow Fellow
2) Atmosphere: Independent rap group from Minnesota that have been around since the early nineties. The two members are Slug (Rapper) and Ant (DJ/Producer). Their style is very different from mainstream hip-hop today. It is more laidback and introspective. They sound almost like Everlast later in his career.
Guarentees
Sunshine
Yesterday
You
You (acoustic)
3) Brandi Carlile: A folk (with a hint of country) rock singer with an amazing voice (Pasty Cline mixed with Mellisa Etheridge)! I can't get her songs out of my head! Her lyrics are thought-provoking, and her songs sometimes makes me want to cry. She's definitely worth listening to! (BTW: Her videos are beautiful too, but I couldn't embed them, so check it out on youtube!)
The Story
Turpentine
Closer to You
4) Les Nubians: Two sisters from France and Chad (Africa) who have a Sade meets Floetry vibe. I love their songs!
Makeda
Sweetest Taboo ft. the Roots
Temperature Rising
5) Joanna Cotten: She's a soulful, bluesy country girl and I like her sassiness when she sings!
Funkabilly
High Maintenance
6) The Knux: Brothers from New Orleans with an old school hip-hop flava. I basically call them a cooler version of Kid N Play and if you don't know who they are look them up!!! Cool Nerds, yeah!!!
Are you the type of person who hates going to concerts because you hate live performances (sounds terrible or can't see the artists), hate some of the songs played during the concert or just to lazy to go (maybe you can't go at all because the artists are dead, LOL, or no longer performing)? Maybe it is not possible for you to get to a concert? Or maybe you are the type of person who get tired of having to search around for songs of your favorite artists on youtube? Well, your in luck!!!
"Click-It Concert" is my version of a mini-concert online in which there will be several songs and videos from an artist in one spot. And you get to pick which songs you want to listen to. All you have to do is click.
The first " Click-It Concert" will be from one of my favorite funk groups of all time:
Time again for some new artists.... Jah Cure and James Morrison
1) Jah Cure: He is a Jamaican reggae singer who's songs have inspiring lyrics (some influenced by his jail sentence of 15 years for rape, robbery and gun possession, but released eight years later on parole and he still claims his innocence) and beautiful melodies (as a lot of reggae songs do). He might be this generation's Bob Marley. Cure has worked with other reggae artists, like Beres Hammond (one of my favorite reggae singers).
Longing For
As Long As I Live
Woman I Love You
Freedom
2) James Morrison: He is a successful UK artist, who I wish I had found about earlier. James has a beautiful voice and the song with Nelly Furtado should be a hit here! Mr. Jason Mraz even worked with him. Make him a success over here!!!
This song has some of the silliest lyrics ever, but the lead singer, Caleb Followill's voice and the melody makes you forget how corny the lyrics are. On the other hand the video...what's with the chicken and the guy eating food? I guess food=sex?
In today's music world, particularly in the U.S., it's all about making the big money. Music is treated like a fad and fans have a habit of being very fickle. Once you get tired of a singer, rapper or group, you move on to the next new thing and forget about them, letting them fade away slowly. This has always been happening, but now it seems to be happening faster and faster.
The mass production or assembly line style of creating music today leaves little room for creativity. Songs today have very little chance of becoming classics as the songs that came decades before us. Moreover, artists are expected to fit into some kind of box instead of being themselves. Has anyone noticed how many singers or rappers sound similar?
This makes it hard for underground artists who are different from the norm to become mainstream or for artists to change their style (unless you're Madonna, Janet Jackson or Prince, then you fit into the box of being unpredictable and constantly having to change your style). Besides that, some popular artists can't even release certain songs that they want because the industry thinks it won't sell (e.g. Rappers are often forced to release club banger singles but not intellectual based singles or conscious rappers, like Common, Mos Def, Talib Kweli and others are told to sound more like more popular rappers, such as Soulja Boy).
People are unwilling to give these artists a chance because they are stuck in the never ending loop of being too close-minded or too LAZY to listen to something new since it might require them to think. For example, recently I posted about Heavy D, a popular rapper in the 90s, becoming a reggae singer now. I was open to the idea, but automatically people did not like it because it did not fit the mold of what he usually was, a rapper.
Unlike the U.S., other countries have a greater appreciation for music as an art not just to make money. When I listen to British singers, for instance, they are more artistic or more willing to take risks in music and I can hear the strong influence of previous artists in them. Also, other countries tend not to forget artists that came before and continue to listen to them even after we in America basically put a middle finger up to them. That is why man artists go to and still remain popular in Europe when they are basically non-existent here, such as in the career of Muddy Waters and other blues artists.
However, the state of the music industry is the fans' fault. Like any other business, it bases its actions on demand. It gives us what it thinks we want based on what we buy. So the only way the industry can change is if we change ourselves. I'm still hopeful for the future.
I can't stop singing it, especially the chorus ( which is making me crack up!). Even more, I can't stop looking at the video. I'm feeling a Salvador Dali moment. It's as screwed up as the song, but so cool at the same time!
This is a song from Sara Bareilles and Ingrid Michaelson called "Winter Song." You may remember Sara's song "Love Song" and Ingrid's song "The Way I Am." I love that they decided to do a collaboration because both girls are great singers and their songs are some of my favorites! Also, the video is so cute with the little animated versions of Sara and Ingrid! Enjoy:
You may also remember a rapper by the name of Heavy D. Well, now he's a reggae singer (his family is Jamaican). He has a hot new track name "Long Distance Girlfriend" and actress Nia Long is in it. It sounds cool!!
Welcome again to Reese's Ear Candy! This is another feature of my blog called "Who's That..." in which I post videos and songs of artists you may have not heard of from the present and the past:
1) The Answer: I recently heard this group and thought they were awesome! They are from Ireland and they remind me of the 60s and 70s heavy metal rock bands that I love...
2) The Noisettes: This is a band from England that I found out about recently. The Brits are taking over again! I like their songs, they are different than other bands and the lead singer has a jazzy rock sound to her voice. Listen to "Count of Monte Christo" on youtube. I couldn't get it on here, but here are songs I liked. Maybe I'll be in a band like that one day. Just hoping...
3) Sia: She's quirky, adorable and her songs are beautiful.
4) Al Bowlly: He is a British Jazz singer from the 1930's. I was reading an interview of Adrien Brody and came across that he likes him. I checked him out and he sounds nice.
Enjoy and check other songs by these artists on youtube!!
