Must Be the Music - The Death of the Radio DJ

Back in the 80's there was a song that I loved called- Must Be the Music by Secret Weapon. It had a super long intro, a funky beat and ventured into the world of deejays and rap. Man! That song would immediately get my pre-teen legs to grooving and my fingers snapping from beginning to end. If I was lucky enough to press record when it came on the radio- I replayed and danced all over again! I became an expert at predicting which songs a deejay would play next so that I could record the hot songs and ignore those I didn't like as much.  The death of the true radio DJ has long been a point of discontent. There was a time when it was the job of a DJ to know what was hot and what wasn't. They introduced us to new artists and had a long repertoire from which to pull. On any given day, you might here KC and the Sunshine Band, Taste of Honey, Brothers Johnson, Natalie Cole, Earth, Wind & Fire, Hall & Oates, Toto, Foreigner, Barry White, Lou Rawls, Luther Vandross, Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye, Pointer Sisters, Aretha Franklin or Patti LaBelle. The list goes on and on and it changed based on the era in which you grew up. You got to know the deejays then. You could trust them to share if they actually liked a song and to ask the listeners for their opinions. One of my favorites was Dr. Perri Johnson out of Philadelphia. I missed his flavor sorely when I moved from the east coast to Ohio. His air time came with an announcement: "You’re listening to the good Dr. Perri Johnson, Music Therapist". You just knew that some good music (old and new) was to follow! Interestingly enough, there was so much good music available that you were more than excited when they finally played YOUR song! Now, it's back on in 20 minutes (deep sigh).

Today, it is rare to hear anyone beyond Beyonce, Nikki Minaj, Rihanna, Katie Perry, Justin Beiber, Little Wayne, Drake, Jay-Z, Kanye, Usher and the like. Even worse, you must listen to their songs repeat so much that if you go out for lunch at noon, when you get back in your car at 1-1:30 the same song by the same artist is likely playing. Current radio DJs have become robots, a slave to the machines that crank out their pre-paid playlists. The most you know about them is if they hit the clubs, if they think the song will be hot at the club and about their apparent passion and enthusiasm for celebrity gossip. But--what about the MUSIC?? In essence- many of them are wack; likeable, but wack. Unlike hip hop, the art of being a DJ on the radio HAS suffered a largely unexamined death. It is evidenced by the fact that nearly every time my local station announces a new song- you can count on it being an artist hyped by none other than- a label. To ice the cake- it is more than likely one of the artists listed in the first sentence of this paragraph! Just the other day I heard them promoting an opportunity to download or delete it by none other than Drake. It’s like… C’mon son!

So, what's wrong with that? I mean, I actually like most of them and will dance (skate and workout) to their music too. But that's not all there is. The saddest part about the death of the radio DJs is all the music WE miss out on unless we're savvy enough to avoid being force-fed the pay-for-play artists. Savvy listeners access internet radio stations or utilize apps like Pandora. I personally love so many genres of music (hip hop, soul, jazz, country, pop) that I seek tunes out in other ways. I often entertained the idea of becoming a DJ and thought I had a voice for radio. I still think of doing it now. I'm not afraid to say a song is terrible. I'm not afraid to close my mouth (and ears) to the spoon trying to force songs down my throat. You shouldn't be either. Some like OutKast have managed to break thru the mold. Some like Pink have managed to make the music they actually WANT to make versus what the labels force upon them... But, you need to discover the good stuff for yourself. Check out talents like The Roots (I mean go back and listen to some of their old stuff- I'm still discovering!), Mint Condition, Viktor Duplaix, Amel Larrieux, Lianne La Havas, Hill St. Soul, Emile Sande, Kimbra, Luke James and heck, Foreign Exchange. Your local radio DJs may not know much about these artists but I sure do! Google them and stay tuned as I share what I've heard! And while you're at it, say RIP and pour out a little likka for DJs!

The Mic Sounds Nice: Mark Ronson Track

So, for my music lovers, especially those who love fusions of jazz and hip hop- you absolutely must check out this song from Mark Ronson. He is working on a documentary called Re:Generation about jazz experimentation. This song is one track to give you a hint of whats to come. Got my foot tapping- what say you?

A La Modeliste 4/Erykah Badu, Mos Def, Trombone Shorty and Dap-Kings

I Am Who I Am

I was prompted today to write a poetry or prose piece and the theme was: I am who I am... Issues with my birthmother have been front and center lately... I think since my visit to San Francisco. I am working on a follow up to our visit but thought I'd share this piece instead. I hope to hit the mic with it some day. Without crying.

I am who I am

And it’s because of you

A one night stand

Is a part of my truth

Matters not that you loved him

But what happened after

In a house of shame

Far from derision

and laughter

you got acceptance

with your food and your bed

while I swam for my life

nourished by what you fed

a meal missing love

it’s no wonder I’m tired

while you watched Butch Cassidy

my womb-lease expired

discharged in a river

of blood, sweat and pain

you pushed me out

then gave me a name

Gloria. Marie.

Was tossed out into space

Then lost in the shuffle

Of papers, red tape

Before I could exist

or my race would start

I fought for my life and

a place in your heart

But I didn’t win

And neither did you

There’s no draw in battles

Where both parties lose

Still I persevered

In an attempt to be better

My womb, the answer

To your… Dear-John letter

See- I’ve loved my own

And those not mine too

Those cast aside

the neglected, abused

Trying to add color

For those feeling blue

I don’t love ‘cause I must

But because I choose

I give what I missed

So they don’t miss too

I am who I am

And it’s because of you.

Amy Winehouse - Parental Advisory Needed

I became aware of Amy Winehouse in 2007/2008 thanks to… Pandora and ProjectVibe.net. That’s one reason I love Pandora and other internet/cable radio stations. They introduce you to talented, artists you’ve never heard of, from all over the world. From stations like Pandora and Projectvibe.net, you get more than the stifling, top 10 singers/rappers/genres that you get on local radio stations. People keep saying hip hop is dead but what's really dead is - RADIO.  Radio personnel are no longer the go-to folks for good music. Period. There’s a boatload of music out there to discover by artists who don’t have the payola or fame but they definitely have the chops and something to say beyond the usual sex, drugs, cars heard on radio --daily. Internet radio understands there is life and music beyond Rihanna, Beyonce, Jay-Z and Wiz Khalifa. Personally, I prefer chops and those stations deliver. How else would I have ever learned about Hill St. Soul, Zap Mama, Stephen Simmonds, Amy Winehouse?

I digress. In 2007-08, Amy had little to no presence in the U.S. If she had any, it was thanks to deejays who actually knew a little something about music with access and interest to that only found abroad (think Mark Ronson). Pandora and ProjectVibe played songs from Amy's Frank cd which was released in the UK only initially (2003). My favorites, all played regularly by internet radio were:

• Valerie (a collaboration with Mark Ronson)
• B’Boy Baby (with former Sugarbabe Mutya Buena)
• F-Me Pumps
• Stronger Than Me
• Amy, Amy, Amy

I found her music raw and gutsy. From the first lines of F-Me Pumps, I realized that this was a girl who required a parental, advisory sticker. And I loved it. She sang about whatever she wanted and it was in such a way that held my attention. She was like a white, Mary J Blige/Millie Jackson. This was the stuff my parents would kick the kids out the house so they could listen in private (even when there was snow on the ground!). Not long after, I heard and saw the video for Rehab (her latest release) on a music website. They made her look really pretty and sassy in that video. Then, I had no idea that song was a serious testimony about her life. I just dug it. So, I promptly ordered her cd from Amazon as an import (the only option at the time). I paid about $28 plus shipping from the UK. Yikes! It was costly but worth every penny. I LOVED it- cussing, warts and all. The girl sounded like she’d been through a few things and I related. I considered her cd my personally discovered, secret gem of music!

I love liner notes and learned that Amy wrote or co-wrote much of her own lyrics! Thumbs up for that alone! By the time Back to Black was released stateside, I was looking forward to her next release. About 6 months later and much to my chagrin, Back to Black was released in the U.S. Amy's music caught on wildly in the U.S. It’s not often a singer can hit the US ground running. She didn’t seem to work hard for fame here as she won a Grammy her first year out the gate.

The toll of fame however, appeared far too high a price to pay for Amy. Her public appearances from the very beginning were sketchy and suspect… The whole ordeal had a very… Video Killed the Radio Star feel. She was incredibly skinny, teeth in bad shape, bad hair and just in seemingly bad, physical shape. And as that Amy emerged and grew in popularity, the chances of a new release began to fade with every public appearance. Those chances were replaced by reasons she should go forth immediately to rehab. Eerily reminiscent of her Rehab song, her father pleaded that she get help. But she said- no. And then yes. And then no again. It became a horrible cycle. Her health and the bit of star power she had gained began to fade. From the start, Amy's music represented and made the listener feel the pain she endured. I always thought it was the cry of a jilted lover. Remnants of pain suffered at the hands of some wayward man, or love lost. Perhaps, that was the catalyst. However, in the end her demise came from the hands at the end of her own wrists; a desire for substances her body loved and hated at once. While we can't put a parental advisory sticker on illegal drugs, we do need to put one on life, big enough that our kids can always see them as they navigate and pursue their dreams. 27 is awfully young to die. Amy fell victim to the same issue as so many other could-have-been-legends... Fame and drugs. She is not the first or last and therefore no more special. Yet somewhere, sadly... there is another. And, since Amy never found peace in rehab with the living, I pray she has found it now in the ultimate... fade to black.

Jill Scott: The Light of the Sun review

On Tuesday, Jill Scott released her latest project: The Light Of The Sun. I listened in advance a few times thanks to a couple of sites that streamed it for several days. One of them was NPR. I thought if NPR is streaming- it must be pretty good with some substance and mass appeal (and someone has some pull!). Not that Jill doesn’t normally deliver but I must admit that I haven’t been totally blown away since- Who is Jill Scott? I can remember only a few songs from the projects in between this one and that.  After only the first listen, I LOVED it! I mean… wow. I don’t know about you but I’ve been thru a few thangs... I’ve experienced heartbreaks from my own bad choices in love and life. Apparently, so has Jill as evidenced by the song Quick where she sings ‘Ov’a! Can’t believe it’s ov’a! So quick!’ Boy do I know that one… Thought I was on to something and then… But I digress…

At a time when ladies young and old seem quick to bed and man hop as regularly as our risky brethren it’s quite refreshing to hear something different from the music industry than the usual mattress antics of Nikki Minaj, Rihanna, et al. This throwback to having some discernment about who you lay with is a refreshing treat from Jill. Now that’s not to say she can’t or doesn’t get as freaky and serve her man as well as the next grown woman (Exhibited A: Until Then) but that isn’t the basis of her sound or message. I can appreciate that.  But what I appreciate most is her checking those who want to check in to her life. The expressed ideology that she is worthy of more than a quickie and they should align themselves accordingly. Say it again Jill!  Making You Wait (which sounds like Raheem Devaughn’s “YOU”), Rolling Hills and the poem Womanifesto make it plain that you better get with the program!  Other stand outs for me are So Gone (been there, done that), Le Boom Vent Suite and the catchy, makes-me-wanna-get-up-and-dance Shame (sampling Special Ed’s classic The Magnificent). Jill is back, fresh, cool and MAGNIFICENT! Take note and respect her conglomerate!

Her mic sounds nice check one! Her mic sounds nice check two!

Have you checked it out? If yes- what thinketh you?

Slakah the Beatchild

This kid is dope y'all. If you like Neo soul type music and songs that actually make a woman smile versus drop her drawers (slim pickins these days!), you might like this one. Check it out and let me know what you think!  
http://www.sendspace.com/file/95p61p


And if you dig it- download for FREE

Goapele visits Vonn Jazz Lounge

I'm getting higher and higher... Closer to my dreams! The name and music of neo-soul singer Goapele (pronounced Gwa-puh-lay) may be foreign to some but many have at least heard her song Closer. Nearly 10 years old (pointed out by the singer herself), this song is a timeless, classic. When I heard she was hitting up our city, I couldn't wait to buy tickets and hear her sing it. The show was slated for 9:30 pm but my homie KJ and I found ourselves waiting patiently for almost two hours before Goapele was finally ushered into the venue. Once there I think she indulged in some grub so we waited a short while longer. Thank God for good opening acts and a shared bottle of Moscato! We had great seats, so we got a view of Goapele as she scrambled to a separate lounge area at the front of the club. I immediately remarked on how beautiful and petite she was. She wore spandex-like pants, a jacket of similar material with faux fur around the collar and some super-high, sparkly, strapless, stilettos. She would have made my designer-friend Arthlene very proud but I was wondering- how long is she going to be able to stand AND sing in those?  I like fashion but I prefer comfort and should I ever fulfill my dream of being a jazz/lounge singer, I may be wearing hush puppies, but NOT crocs (insider). LOL! Oh! And did I mention her hair? Goapele had dreads when I first discovered her in 2004. But on this night she wore a glamorous, braided updo. Truly, she looked stellar!

But I digress- let's get back to the business of Goapele’s performance! When Goapele took the mic, the crowd was very hushed. I- however was pumped and couldn't wait! She opened her set with First Love from her second release, Change It All. Released in 2005, Change It All was a laid back cd. Awesome and mellow, I often heard it from start to finish in local poetry houses. I remembered instant remembered First Love and sang along like it was yesterday. She smiled at me and I sang back to her. Later, she remarked that she enjoyed people singing along with her and I was encouraged to oblige! I think KJ and I were among the few who actually KNEW any of her music. We both own her two cds. But besides us, very few sang along. That seemed a shame really… I’ll come back to this. Amongst other songs, Goapele also sang Love Me Right from the same cd. It was very upbeat and funky with an old Motown vibe and people began dancing in their seats. Her energy and smile were magnetic. She appreciated the local musicians who supported her set. At times she crouched and just watched them jam her music. I found myself wishing the lot of them would catch a break and end up on the road with her. Fingers crossed for you guys! As the show progressed Goapele sang three or four songs from her new cd, including recent release Milk and Honey. It was well received and I can't wait to go cop it.

Goapele is smart. During the show she realized two things. First, the crowd didn't really know her work AND second, she needed to keep them engaged. To manage this, she sang familiar songs by other artists to get the crowd involved. One of them- Nothing Compares to You (Prince, Sinead O’Connor for some of you). I often think- smooth and/or mellow when I listen to Goapele. But the girl can SANG. Not studio sing. But sing, for real, without help from runs or fancy acrobatics. Her voice was pure, strong, soulful and just all around - DOPE! I looked around and the crowd was finally on board! By the time Goapele got to Closer, the crowd was ready. She asked everyone to get up and dance and they did. More sang along. As the night progressed, she shared other new material. I don’t recall the titles but I liked each song. Time passed quickly and before I knew it, she was saying good night. I looked at my watch. It was barely midnight. I wanted more, but alas there was none. Overall, she gave a short (50 minutes) but great performance and set. She posed for photos afterward with those interested (including yours truly but not KJ) and that my friends’ was the end.

At some point Goapele remarked that she wasn't used to the quiet. Quiet equals NO ENERGY. I recognize that artists need that and that’s something we can work on in Columbus. I just hope that going forward, crowds are at least familiar with other artists so that in the future they won't be sitting there with a blank stare when they come to our city. I sometimes felt like I was surrounded by the Mii’s in my Wii system. Blink. LOL! Seriously though- we need to offer more than a polite clap after they wrap a heart-felt song! Truly, we want them to come but we simply must give them reason to return!

Supporting venues like Vonn Jazz is important on so many levels. We usually have to go to Cleveland or Cincinnati to hear talent like Goapele. This is very sad when you consider Columbus is the capital! Locally, we must support with our dollars, with our enthusiasm and by getting to know the artists material. Still, if I’m honest, the fact that Goapele started at almost 11pm was partially to blame for the lack of audience participation. When you sit for a long time, you begin to lose some of the zeal you had when you arrived. I'm not sure who was to blame for that bit of business (bad business) but if people to see a 9:30 show- that's when the show should start. I’ll even give you ½ hour.

On a happier note, I'm looking forward to more acts in the soul music line-up at Vons’s. Next up for me is independent artist, Amel Larrieux formerly of Groove Theory and currently an artist with Bliss Life Records. I’m a long time fan and she is amongst my top 3 singers. We are going with a much bigger group to celebrate my girl KJs birthday. When Amel comes, my friends and I will be some sang’in fools! We’ve already composed our wish lists for songs we hope she performs!

Finally I want to give a shout out to the local musicians who opened for Goapele, namely Adria Archie, C-Sharp and those who accompanied her- Next Level. They were all dope. Get out there and support your local artists’ people! They’re definitely ear-worthy!

Check out the pics! The first is grainy because she was getting flashed so much, I turned mine off. I just noticed in the second pic that not only are we both natural, but we both have dimples! Word.

This is Lboogie com'in at cha! ~Peace!