Today's hip hop

There are very few instances these days that I am impressed by the lyrics in today's popular music. There are very few poets, especially in hip hop music, and very few fully crafted thoughts and images that get portrayed lyrically with any type of skill.

So eventhough, he doesn't make the "h" silent when he says it, I would like to pay homage to T.I.'s lyrics in the song, Live Your Life. Now, he is not talking about curing world hunger or anything, but I applaud his word play!

Here is one of my favorite parts....

" I got love for the game but ay I’m not in love with all of it.
Could do without the fame and the rappers nowadays are comedy.
The hootin’ and the hollerin’, back and forth with the arguing.
Where you from, who you know, what you make and what kind of car you in.
Seems as though you lost sight of whats important when depositin
them checks into your bank account, and you’re up out poverty.
Your values is a disarray, prioritizing horribly.
Unhappy with the riches cause you piss-poor morally.
Ignoring all prior advice and fore warning.
And we mighty full of ourselves all of a sudden aren’t we?"

A new day has come!

So..... When I was riding into work today, already ecstatic from last night's events, the radio station played the song that Will.I.Am put together after Obama's inspiring speech in New Hampshire, and like it did, when I first heard/saw it, it made me cry. I posted the video up here back in February when I first saw it and I credit that video with turning the tide for me on my choice for which Democratic candidate I wanted to back for president.

So I was looking online for the video or song "Yes We Can" this morning (I mentioned it in a previous post as something that helped influence my decision to support Barack Obama in the primary) and I found this article on Huffington Post written by Will.I.Am about why he was inspired to create something that inspired so many others....


Will.i.am
Posted February 3, 2008 | 12:11 PM (EST)

Why I Recorded Yes We Can

I was sitting in my recording studio watching the debates...
Torn between the candidates

I was never really big on politics...
and actually I'm still not big on politics...

The outcome of the last 2 elections has saddened me...
on how unfair, backwards, upside down, unbalanced, untruthful,
corrupt, and just simply, how wrong the world and "politics" are...

So this year i wanted to get involved and do all i could early...

And i found myself torn...
because this time it's not that simple...
our choices aren't as clear as the last elections ...
last time it was so obvious...
Bush and war
vs
no Bush and no war...

But this time it's not that simple...
and there are a lot of people that are torn just like i am...

So for awhile I put it off and i was going to wait until it was decided for me...

And then came New Hampshire...

And i was captivated...

Inspired...

I reflected on my life...
and the blessings I have...
and the people who fought for me to have these rights and blessings...

and I'm not talking about a "black thing"
I'm talking about a "human thing" me as a "person"
an American...

That speech made me think of Martin Luther King...
Kennedy...
and Lincoln...
and all the others that have fought for what we have today...

what America is "supposed" to be...

freedom...
equality...
and truth...

and thats not what we have today...
we think we are free...
but in reality terror and fear controls our decisions...

this is not the America that our pioneers and leaders fought and
died for...

and then there was New Hampshire

it was that speech...
like many great speeches...
that one moved me...
because words and ideas are powerful...

It made me think...
and realize that today we have "very few" leaders...
maybe none...

but that speech...

it inspired me...
it inspired me to look inside myself and outwards towards the world...
it inspired me to want to change myself to better the world...
and take a "leap" towards change...
and hope that others become inspired to do the same...
change themselves..
change their greed...
change their fears...
and if we "change that"
"then hey"..
we got something right...???...

1 week later after the speech settled in me...
I began making this song...
I came up with the idea to turn his speech into a song...
because that speech affected and touched my inner core like nothing in a very long time...

it spoke to me...

because words and ideas are powerful...

I just wanted to add a melody to those words...
I wanted the inspiration that was bubbling inside me to take over...

so i let it..

I wasn't afraid to stand for something...
to stand for "change"...
I wasn't afraid of "fear"...
it was pure inspiration...

so I called my friends...
and they called their friends...
in a matter of 2 days...
We made the song and video...

Usually this process would take months...
a bunch of record company people figuring out strategies and release dates...
interviews...
all that stuff...
but this time i took it in my own hands...
so i called my friends Sarah Pantera, Mike Jurkovac, Fred Goldring, and Jesse Dylan to help make it happen...
and they called their friends..
and we did it together in 48 hours...
and instead of putting it in the hands of profit we put it in the hands of inspiration...

then we put it on the net for the world to feel...

When you are truly inspired..
magic happens...
incredible things happen...
love happens..
(and with that combination)

"love, and inspiration"

change happens...

"change for the better"
Inspiration breeds change...

"Positive change"...

no one on this planet is truly experienced to handle the obstacles we face today...
Terror, fear, lies, agendas, politics, money, all the above...
It's all scary...

Martin Luther King didn't have experience to lead...
Kennedy didn't have experience to lead...
Susan B. Anthony...
Nelson Mandela...
Rosa Parks...
Gandhi...
Anne Frank...
and everyone else who has had a hand in molding the freedoms we have and take for granted today...

no one truly has experience to deal with the world today...

they just need "desire, strength, courage ability, and passion" to change...
and to stand for something even when people say it's not possible...

America would not be here "today" if we didn't stand and fight for
change "yesterday"...
Everything we have as a "people" is because of the "people" who fought for
change...
and whoever is the President has to realize we have a lot of changing to do

I'm not trying to convince people to see things how i do...
I produced this song to share my new found inspiration and how I've been moved...
I hope this song will make you feel...
love...
and think...
and be inspired just like the speech inspired me...

that's all...

Let's all come together like America is supposed to...
Like Japan did after Hiroshima...

that was less than 65 years ago...
and look at Japan now...

they did it together...
they did it...

"We can't?...

Are you serious..?..

WE CAN!!!

Yes we can...
A United "America"
Democrats, Republicans and Independents together...
Building a new America

We can do it...
"TOGETHER"

Thank you for reading and listening...
will.i.am

Unpresidented!

So one thing that I have been really surprised and pleased by is the unpresidented involvement of the black music artists in the Presidential race this year.... regular comments on concert tours, making calls for candidates, creating politically aware content to support the candidates.....

But, today I was watching BETJ Soul Sessions and I saw the video for a song by Big Boi and Mary J Blige called "Something's Gotta Give." I had actually heard it on the radio before and thought it was a politically aware song but I didn't truly realize how direct the political message was until I saw the video today.

Take a look! (Sorry, embedding is disabled for this clip...)

Good for them!

You have to hand it to him....

As strange as he has become in recent years, you really have to credit Michael Jackson with revolutionizing what it means to entertain in the modern music world. I was reminded of this recently with all the talk of the exciting music performances on the BET Awards last week. I didn't watch them but have been trying to catch clips on You Tube. And it got me thinking....

If you look at those artists that have been praised as great entertainers in recent years, they all seem to follow the Michael Jackson formula in some way shape or form..... You can tell that when they were kids, they say around learning every move in Thriller, Beat It and Billie Jean. But it was those theatrics, big bold crisp synchronized dance numbers and signature style, without sacrificing vocal performance, that have become the blueprint for what an entertainer is in the modern world.

You can see the influence everywhere, across music genres, but I am most reminded of it when I think of a number of 3 current R&B artists, Usher, Ne-Yo and Chris Brown. The cool thing is that these guys have managed to let us know of the influence the gloved on has had but have each re-interpreted it with their own style.

Usher is an all around entertainer who now even has Broadway under his belt. While his street cred has suffered over the past year and talk of his opening performance at the BET awards was lukewarm at best, let me remind you of some of his earlier performances. Check out his video for "U Remind Me" --- especially the breakdown which starts at about 2:20. (You will have to follow the link -- embedding is not supported for this clip)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=arE0UOtZfIw


Ne-Yo --- I have just recently "fallen in love" with Ne-Yo. It took me a while. I thought his name was stupid. His performance in Stomp the Yard didn't really make me take notice. And the fact that they played his songs like crazy on the radio had minimal impact since I was boycotting the stuff they played on the radio more and more. But there was a song or two that I liked, so I felt compelled to get his last two albums. Then, one of the unintended consequences of my new job was that I began to have a growing appreciation for Ne-Yo as a song writer. Since I have to test music for my job (and that is all that I will say about that) I have a subset of albums that I use for this purpose. One of them just happened to be Ne-Yo's "Because of You" album. And result of listening to it over and over was that, I really started to like the body of work. The combination of songs touch on a range of emotions, convey a range of tones -- so different from what we are seeing in popular music these days. So, I started paying attention. And I have to say, I love his new single "Closer" Folks who watched the BET awards were all a buzz about Ne-Yo's performance there. It is pretty evident that with this new album, Ne-Yo is evolving his image, with finely tailored crisp suits, hats, a real homage to 40's and 50's fashion with a modern twist. His new image speaks to culture and refinement with a Cary Grant flair and a Micheal Jackson "Hee, hee!" I am really excited to hear his entire album. I can't say that I have been really excited about any new music in a while now.

Take a look at Ne'Yo's Closer Video and then his performance at the BET Awards. I think you will see that little Michael Jackson flair (without weird, scary plastic surgery) in there.




I wish this was better quality but I think you get the picture.....



Now, Chris Brown.... You all already know about the secret crush I have on the little boy... But he just gives some of the best award show performances (not sure I would include this years BET awards as one of them but check out this one from the MTV Awards last year....

big?

So, last night my parents and I had to opportunity to so see "big." No, not the movie, it is a collaboration between Andre "Big Boi" Patton of Outkast and the Atlanta Ballet. Click here to hear some of the tracks used in the performances.

I definitely felt like I was seeing something historic, something never done before.... It was basically a modern ballet performance, a hip hop concert, and a visual media display all in one. Very interesting concept. Reality, however..... I felt like I had ADD watching this thing! There would be dancing on this part of the stage and then Like Big Boi and Sleepy Brown performing on the other part of the stage and then some visaul art thing going on in the back....

Also, the performances were a bunch of vignettes that didn't seem to have much continuity between them. And while I knew the songs, my parents nor likely most of the regular Atlanta Ballet season ticket holders had no idea what the songs were saying. But, with that being said, none of us really had any idea what was going on in this thing. And a few of the vignettes just mysteriously disappeared from the program, maybe because of time, maybe because the performers were not there, ut it didn't seem to be a planned thing since they normally announce program changes and substitutions before the performance starts.

With all that being said, i guarantee this was the first time that the Ballet company performed to songs with the words "hamhocks" and "probation" in them. It also this performance definitely opened up the audience to a whole new demographic --again probably the first time that folks rolled up to the front of the theater for a ballet performance in a stretch Hummer limo or folks in the audience were wearing their best embroidered jeans and hoodies or dress from Wet Seal.

It definitely was a cool idea though. Even if the execution was a little rough. I am impressed that Big Boi himself was open and dedicated to the idea of exploring expression of his music in another medium.

The History

This clip gives you a little bit of the history behind how the idea to do the ballet even happened.



The Explanation

Here is an explantion of the concept of the ballet



Rehearsals

Check out some of the rehearsals (I actually like looking at some of these better just because you have the opportunity to see how the dancing works with the music, which is something that got lost in the real performance)






Janelle Monae performance....

Here is a clip to give you an idea of one of the better vignettes from the actual performance. It is interspersed with rehearsals and shots from backstage but you get the idea.....

Everyone is getting involved in the presidential race..

Jay-Z and Mary J Blige are in the middle of the Heart of the City tour, which is apparently wildly successful and making money hand over fist. (no wonder Jay-Z can't stay retired!) I had the opportunity to see Jay-Z on his first final tour and Mary as well as Puffy, Memphis Bleek and others joined him on stage at various times. He gives great concert!

At any rate, I was listening to an account of the concert and they were mentioning that in the middle of the show, Jay-Z put up a picture of George W. Bush and the crowd started to "Boo!"

Then he says, "It's time for a change!" and the picture is replaced with a picture of Barack Obama.

I have to say, I can not ever remember a time when so many popular entertainment and media figures, let alone black ones, were so outspoken and involved in the political process! It is rather inspiring....

Addendum:

And apparently, Jay-Z has been making calls for Obama. Listen here for the call that some voters in Ohio got the night before the presidential primary there.....

What a scam!

I just bought some tickets for a concert that I really want to see from Ticketmaster. Now, I don't go to concerts very often, maybe once at year at the most. I only go see the people that I really, really want to see. The people who, to me, are worth the money to pay for a great seat. So I had already resigned myself to the idea of spending some money on these tickets.

What I was not prepared for was the exorbitant "convenience fee" that Ticketmaster tacked on to the ticket price. I mean $35 a ticket!!! Who is that convenient for?!?!? And what is this fee for anyway? It is not like there is any overhead cost associated with selling tickets. The paper and ink don't cost a whole lot. I have the same feeling that I get when I see how much popcorn and soda cost at the movies. They know that they've got you, you have no choice, so they take fun advantage of their monopolistic position! And....... they don't tell you about the fee when they advertise the ticket price. They wait until you are emotionally invested, you have found the seats that you want and then they spring it on you! And to top it all off, they put pressure on you by giving you a limited amount of time to enter your payment information or the tickets go back up for grabs, where they could be scooped up by another purchaser who is just sitting in wait for your tickets! (or at least that is how they make you feel!)

So, of course I bought the tickets, and I am sure that I will love the show --- I will be 10 rows from the stage! --- but these fees have really left a bad taste in my mouth. I just wish there was another choice because I would surely take it!

I love Lupe!

Okay, it has taken me a while to write about this because my appreciation for his latest album has grown as I have taken the time to really listen to it all. But I think Lupe Fiasco's album is just great! It is not the kind of album that you just turn on in the background and listen to. I mean, you can do that but then you miss out on all of the poetic genius and social commentary that is interwoven into this album. Now, I liked Food and Liquor a lot but I think The Cool just takes it to the next level. With commentary about the disintegration of the black community, the misguided views of current mainstream rappers, the story of young African boys who have been stolen from their families and used as soldiers in rebel armies... every song has something profound to say and that is so exciting to me, an excitement that I don't feel about music often these days. Plus, like many of the Chicago rappers, Lupe is looking to creative musical sources and inspirations to build great musical productions.

A male friend of mine told me the other day that he had a "man crush" on Lupe, that he just wanted to meet him and hang out with him. I chuckled when he said it but I really am feeling that statement now. A man with artistic integrity who is making it on his own terms and with enlightened and empowering things to say -- I have a little crush myself!

So with that, I am going to gift you with a clip from this great live performance of the song "Superstar" from the House of Blues in Chicago last year with Michael Santos. I think I am going to start scouring his concert dates to see when he comes here! And I recommend you get a little Lupe for yourself!

Go buy this album!

If you haven't heard, didn't know, or haven't gotten around to it, go out and buy Ledisi's latest album, Lost And Found. And while you are at it, get her other albums too. With her clear, strong vocals, it is easy to make comparisons to Jill Scott and Angie Stone but the then that struck me about this latest album was how it just made me really just want to see her live. The musicality, vocals and tight harmonies just make you want to sway and smile.


A regular on the Oakland music scene, Ledisi independently released her debut album with her group, Anibade, in 1999 but is just now getting critical acclaim as a solo artist. Voted one of BillBoard's Top 10 Faces to Watch in 2007, Ledisi is a testament to the great music and great musicians are still out there! Go get it!

A little slice of hip hop heaven...

Last night, I went to go see Q-Tip and Common in concert. Hey, there has to be some benefit to being out of work! I can easily go to concerts on a Monday night now!

It was great! Although the clarity of the acoustics could have been a little better, they both put on a great show! I wish Q-Tip's set was a little longer but Common assembled a great collection of old hits and all the good songs from his current album.

The venue was general admission and the floor is standing only but we found a great little spot at the end of the side bar that stayed unobstructed because it was by the stage door and the VIP seating. No worries about someone really tall standing in front of you or being knocked into by people. And, we could order drinks whenever we wanted and had the bar to lean on. It was a GREAT concert!