http://blogcritics.org/ A sinister cabal of superior bloggers on music, books, film, popular culture, politics, and technology - updated continuously. en Copyright 2005-2007 by the authors Fri, 11 Nov 2005 21:50:19 EST http://backend.userland.com/rss Blogcritics.org custom software http://blogcritics.org/ Phillip WinnSunday, August 26, 2007, marks the switch of all Blogcritics.org article feeds from full-content to short-content. This is the result of several converging factors, and is unfortunately a permanent decision (as permanent as any decision can be on the web, that is). We are aware of all of the reasons that this is a Bad Idea, and we are aware that some of you will be quite upset about having to click on something to read the free content, and we're sorry. Unfortunately, despite great effort, full-content feeds are not currently economically viable. Two other factors are involved: full-content feeds have resulted in an unprecedented level of content theft, with BC content appearing on many websites, usually spam sites, without attribution or permission. This duplicate content causes a cascading set of problems, not the least of which is that search engines generally aren't favorable to duplicate content, and don't always guess correctly. Finally, our RSS advertising partner is strongly in favor of short-content feeds. We hope that you'll continue to subscribe to BC via RSS, and when an article grabs your eye, it's only a click away, still free on the BC website. Thank you for your understanding. Administration0@blogcritics.org Sun, 26 Aug 2007 12:00:00 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/11/11/215019.php Viqi FrenchOn Wedneday morning, I read a movie review of Get Rich or Die Tryin' by a disgruntled critic. Yet I skipped work that afternoon to see it for myself. Obviously splitting early to shell out my hard-earned cash to Mr. Magic Shop -- or is it Candy Stick -- wouldn't help me "get rich." I sure hoped I wouldn't agree with the critic, wishing I had back my eight bucks. I slid into my comfy theater seat with fairly low expectations... Hours later, I emerged with a wide smile. I was excited: I liked Get Rich or Die Tryin'. A lot. There are already mainstream critics who bash this movie because Fiddy is no Denzel Washington. There are already African Americans denouncing it because it's centered in the drug trade and violence. But somewhere beyond all of that is a rich, ambitious film that was worth the wait and 50's incessant hype.I'm not about to divulge lots of specific details about the movie. But really, you should stop reading now if you want to see it through "virgin eyes"... If you're still reading, I hope to give you a more balanced but fun, layman's sense of the film, juxtaposed the histrionics of some in the mainstream press and black activists. So in the spirit of one of 50 Cent's popular songs, if you asked me 21 Questions about why you should check out Get Rich, I'd give you these 21 answers...1. The film is terribly engrossing, with never a dull moment. High quality production with high caliber touches everywhere. Interestingly, you are not hit over the head with the rap aspect of this film, numerous concert performances, etc. The music's there, to be sure, but Fiddy's movement in the drug game and the circumstances that led him there are the real grist. 2. Fiddy's acting is better than I expected. No, he's no Denzel, so don't go expecting a Denzel performance. Moderate that expectation and you may enjoy what you see.3. Co-star Terrence Howard is a bit of a Denzel! His character is as compelling as Denzel's in Training Day.4. The entire ensemble cast is on point. Everyone pulls through with dynamic performances that give the overall film quite a lusterous lift.5. The cinematography is top-notch. If you pay attention to scene composition, camera angles, mood lighting, etc., then director Jim Sheridan & Co. have made a nice piece of eye candy you'll appreciate.6. There's one jaw-dropping scene that reminded me of HBO's acclaimed prison series Oz. It will be one of the most talked about moments of this film.7. This movie showcases a work ethic that "Many Men" (another song by Fiddy) would do well to emulate. Not at all condoning Fiddy's prior profession, but can't help but tip my hat to the discipline that he learned in the drug game and how he applied that focus to move up, out and away.8. There is believable chemistry between Fiddy and Joy Bryant. A sweet, strong love between a thug and his goodie two-shoed squeeze.9. I thought Fiddy's mumbling would be annoying. But for the most part, I understood him just fine.10. The opening scene is a monster. And that's all I'll say about that.11. Bill Duke is a monster. Ditto.12. The actor who actually performed in HBO's Oz -- Adewale Akinnuoye-Agbaje -- renders a complex and edgy character.13. Quincy Jones & Co., of course, made a sophisticated musical score for this.14. When thugs cry, sometimes they're just faking. Well, that's what Fiddy's tears looked like to me: liquid plastic. If you like special effects, then you'll like that somebody seemed to have gotten paid top dollar to create this man's stiff as hell tear streaks. I could be wrong, but those tears looked store-bought!15. The boy who plays Fiddy as a nine-year-old looks just like him. Excellent casting, through and through.16. Fiddy's skin looks pretty good. I don't think it was just the make-up, either. Maybe he, too, has been using that miracle acne product that Alicia Keys, Jessica Simpson and Diddy are endorsing.17. If you want to better understand street drug organizations, here's another good peek inside. 18. There were plenty of belly laughs... Sure wish I could tell you more, but somebody might behead me for giving away too much. I'll just say there are hilarious laugh lines here that will be embraced by urban culture for all time.19. I loved seeing the relationship between Fiddy and his mom. She seemed like a sweetie and you really feel his loss and trauma in the film.20. It was cool seeing Fiddy's very white, toothy smile. Ain't nothing as sexy as a rich chocolate gangsta with gleaming teeth and no fronts!21. And good lord, when Fiddy and his girl are making love, one of his smooth moves sends an audible shockwave through all the ladies in the theater. I think Fiddy kinda hits a worldwide GGGG-spot!I subtitled this review "Get Vic'd and Leave Cryin'" -- using a slang term that means to be victimized or duped. But now having seen Get Rich and appreciating the art and adventure of it, I'll say the only possible "vics" here would be those who let this film pass them by on the assumption that a little-trained rapper couldn't successfully star in a quality film.There was one point in Get Rich when I realized I was watching a film just about as enthralling as Goodfellas. This, coming from a person who has never purchased an album by 50 Cent, ought to tell you there's something here that actually backs up all the hype. So do not "wait" to see this movie. Get dressed and try enjoying!For more on Get Rich or Die Tryin' and other hot topics, visit the daily music blog Viqi French Fever. Ed: JH Video39416@blogcritics.org Fri, 11 Nov 2005 21:50:19 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/11/03/074509.php Viqi FrenchContinuing a saga that began earlier this year, Samuel L. Jackson and rapper 50 Cent are at each other's throat again - via the press only, thank goodness - essentially about hip-hoppers breaking big and untested into film. Jackson previously was quoted wondering what would make a big-time director like Jim Sheridan (In America, My Left Foot) choose to work with virgin actor Fiddy for his biopic, Get Rich or Die Tryin', which hits theaters nationwide on November 9. Duh... money? Ummm... fascinating story? Well, Sheridan explained his interest in working with Mr. Magic Stick this way: "The Irish experience is very close to the black experience, down to the toxic nature of the way we speak. I grew up in an area of Dublin that was very poor, and there was lots of heroin. I had fights with kids, addicts, and I had to defend myself." And defend himself Mr. Sheridan continues to do - against critics like Samuel L. Jackson. But Fiddy seems to have his own back against Samuel L., whose most memorable role in some of our minds remains that of doped-up, ever-dancing "Gator" in Spike Lee's Jungle Fever. For instance, the rap superstar recently said this in an interview, responding to the question of big Sam having snubbed an invitation to co-star in his biopic: "I don't even see where Samuel fits into my life story anyway, unless he plays one of the crackheads. He was a crackhead originally, right? So I come from being a rapper, and he comes from being a crackhead." Well! 50 Cent doesn't appear to need me or anyone else to defend him; he's handling things just fine, thank you very much. But still, I get a little irritated when I hear Samuel Jackson singing this same song about rappers winning major roles in movies. My high-road argument is that it's not at all a new phenomenon. From Elvis and Frank Sinatra to Diana Ross and Sammy Davis Jr., musically inclined artists have always leveraged their popularity to make it on to the silver screen. And everyone that I'm aware of cheered on each and every one of them.But my low-road leads here: Why is there always a devaluation of young black men today who attempt this age-old cross-over act? Why do people seem unwilling to entertain the possibility that artistic talent in one arena often extrapolates to another? And why oh why would anyone discourage a guy whose fame largely rests on his ex-dope dealing laurels from taking every avenue possible to make an honest living?I mean, I understand Samuel Jackson's point. There are too many talented black actors who can't get a break and aren't eating well. Some of them have paid top dollars, blood, sweat and tears for serious thespian training, too. Some of them probably are just about as broke as Curtis Jackson once was.But isn't part of America's magic its rags-to-riches way? We applaud so many less educated people who've become multi-millionaire CEOs, journalists and the like. When will some of us give up the ghost and applaud underdogs like Curtis Jackson, too, for some of that boot-strap action? Heck, I've even heard rumors there have been gin-and-juicer types in the White House... Some even wonder how on Earth these same sippers acquired an Ivy League education. So what makes a DMX or 50 Cent less worthy of every chance to straighten up and fly right? If you think there's a real difference, I'd argue that -- at best -- you're high on something. But whatever you're smoking, you certainly didn't buy it from the very enterprising Curtis Jackson.So I say to America's next big(ger) thing about his "crack-ish" quote, "Right on, Fiddy!" But ummm, you didn't start your "career" as a rapper, did you? Perhaps a more exact reference to your pre-rap career might better illustrate the point to Spike Lee's diggity-dancing "Gator." Save your energy, Mr. Magic Stick, for critics of those lethal weaponed billboards. ed/pub:NB CORRECTIONS:LM Video38960@blogcritics.org Thu, 3 Nov 2005 07:45:09 EST http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/25/121746.php Viqi FrenchDecember 1st, 1955. That was the day that would years later become my birthday. But more important, that was the day that Rosa Parks grew sick and tired of being sick and tired. And the down-trodden everywhere thank her for it.On that day 50 years ago, Miss Rosa would not be moved, refused to give up her bus seat -- in the back, in the infamous Colored Section -- to a white man. She probably figured she was already sitting atop the motor. What did they want? Her outside hanging onto the bumper, knees scraping the rough Alabama roads for a ride?Miss Rosa she said she wasn't physically tired. More than that, Rosa Parks said she was fed up with having to accommodate racism. She was a "Kanye West" long before he was born, too. Hers was a magical moment of mass connectivity, much like West's when he said on national television, "George Bush doesn't like Black people." Both did something akin to firing bulletless shots heard round the world. Except the slug fired by the immovable Rosa Parks actually led people to act. Then 42, Miss Rosa's refusal to unseat sparked a year-long bus boycott that triggered a seismic change in the American experience for people of African descent. Her revolution was not televised; she didn't even have a mic. She just reached her tipping point, and her tipping point became one that jolted the earth. Making her the Earth Mother of the Civil Rights movement.Now at 92, Rosa Parks has died. Finally, she got off the bus -- that bumpy ride called life, God rest her soul. For the rest of us, the bus ride -- the struggle for equality -- continues.One of the best ways to honor the memory of Rosa Parks is to teach children about her, show them her as a great example of integrity. Tell them as Miss Rosa might have from that old bus seat back in Montgomery: If you don't stand for something, you'll fall for anything. Culture38475@blogcritics.org Tue, 25 Oct 2005 12:17:46 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/19/100130.php Viqi FrenchPlanning a funky, hallowed party for Halloween? Well, there are ten key ingredients no worthy mixer can do without, ranging from CDs by Parliament and Michael Jackson to special Halloween candy and cult DVD treats. Here, taste this soulful elixer for a Spooky JamFest. Your friends will talk about it for decades -- if they can even remember what happened the next day: 1. Thriller by Michael Jackson, featuring Vincent Price. There is no Halloween Party without this fright night classic CD playing in y'alls neighborhood.2. Halloween Hootenanny. Ambience is important, and if you don't have Monster Mash and other sixties classics by the crew from Frankenstein's lab, again, your authenticity is questionable.3. 101 Spooktacular Party Ideas. Here's a book replete with decor and interactive ideas for all budgets. It'll help you create just the right ambience, with ghoulish style.4. Saturday Night Live - Halloween DVD. Introduced by Wayne and Garth on the set of Wayne's World, this hour-long compilation features frighteningly funny turns by John Travolta, Bill Murray, Adam Sandler, James Wood and others.5. The Clones of Dr. Funkenstein by Parliament. George Clinton's 1990 classic funk-blaster sends booties shaking on the dance floor. Includes such hits as Dr. Funkenstein, Gaming On You and Do That Stuff.6. A tub of dat achingly sweet Laffy Taffy. True, the hip-hop song, Dat Laffy Taffy (Candy Gurl) is all the rage, and of course you'll have that. But take it a step further: blow your guests' minds by serving the actual Laffy Taffy candy by Willy Wonka as a treat. Umm, sweet sticky-wicked fun. 7. Vampire In Brooklyn. Eddie Murphy and Angela Bassett make blood-sucking sexy in this smoldering cult classic film. Run this steamy DVD in your chill-out room. It could lead some costumed Bride of Frankenstein down the aisle, fried hair in hand of her barbaric Mr. Right.8. But not for long... Give any track from The Very Best of Chic a spin and your lovely Mrs. Frankenstein and her green-faced groom will report immediately to the dance floor for more rug-cutting.9. The Haunted History of Halloween from The History Channel. Noted scholars and authors are interviewed about the roots of Halloween over the centuries. Clips from many horror films are included. If this piece doesn't warm the crowd up for the big scare, nothing will.10. Last but not least is Halloween 4: The Return of Michael Myers, of course. "You can't kill the bogeyman," the children insist, but a hissing and shaking Jamie Lee Curtis hoped like hell that ain't so. If there's no demented killer with superhuman powers at your soiree, just pop in this DVD and watch the real fun begin.So if you really want to make them shake dem bones this Halloween, dust off these funky party favors. Your friends' dancing knees and chattering teeth will really go to-clacking over the best party ever: yours!For more soulful Halloween tricks and treats, visit Viqi French Fever, the daily music blog. Music38163@blogcritics.org Wed, 19 Oct 2005 10:01:30 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/06/065915.php Viqi FrenchYup, I said it: Dwele's new CD, Some Kinda, is a one-hundred percent baby-maker. It's that intimate, that seductive. Music to make deep, passionate love to. Honestly, this is a first-to-last track aphrodisiac in a manner I've not heard since Marvin Gaye's hypnotic I Want You , a soul music classic. I kid you not: Some Kinda is a purring, creep-up-on-you Neo Soul mindf***. Amidst today's yelling and screaming hip-hop world -- which I enjoy -- this is a subtle but powerful charmer. The strong silent type.Ladies, Dwele is quite the sensuous crooner. The man coos everything you wish your guy would open up and say. In other words, Dwele's got major game. The kind you'd kick Boris Kodjoe, Shemar Moore, and Brad Pitt to the curb for, if Dwele approached you in a club whispering words this way.Fellas, if you're planning the night when you'll make your big move on a new lady in your life, get this CD. Don't mean to be crass, but by the time the second or third track ends, you ought to hear Victoria's Secret being whispered in your ear. You'll be smoking those proverbial cigarettes well before Dwele reaches track fifteen.Now for specifics. Some Kinda is non-stop, deep thought by Dwele (Gardner), 26, who gained national attention years ago as an emcee-vocalist in the Detroit-based rap group Slum Village. Slum Village is a household name among sophisticated beat eaters, for those with a taste for acts such as De la Soul, A Tribe Called Quest, Common and Mos Def. Jazz-informed message hip-hop on a higher level. So with a step away from his progressive rap group, who is Dwele today? A young man with jazzy Neo Soul-ish vocals, practically channeling the warmth of Marvin Gaye. He did, after all, grow up breathing Motown's funky-fresh air.But his was an atmosphere in which tragedy struck at an young age. His father was murdered when he was ten. There are fleeting references to this on his records; if you know the story, you'll get it. But it's not alienating, these brief remembrances. They're endearing. In an interview two years ago, for his first solo album, he told Wordmag.com this about his loss:"The loss of my father really inspired my creative side. By getting into music, it provided me with a way to cope with his death," says Dwele.Studying both the piano and the trumpet from the age of six, Dwele says he's never been one to follow the leader. He's been listening to greats like Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis and Donnie Hathaway, whom he credits for influencing him as a musician since his elementary school days. And these musical roots show. Some Kinda is full of funky, jazzish, head-bopping music. It's just not head banging music. The drum work is mostly hip-hop groove, much like D'Angelo's landmark Brown Sugar album. (Thankfully, there's but one R. Kelly-type R&B slow-grinder.) But as tight as the music is, it's upstaged by Dwele's melt-butter vocals and those mind-f****** lyrics. I don't know where D'Angelo, Bilal, Maxwell and Musiq are with their next projects, but with this one, Dwele's solidifying his place on that prestigious list. Some Kinda is poetic, fills with a fresh bouquet a special void in today's frenetic, lyrically challenged hip-hop world. I'm a tough audience, but even I must admit: Dwele's birthed an impressive work in the tradition of no less than Marvin Gaye. Listen closely: Some Kinda is some kinda ear Viagra!Coldest Cuts: Holla, Know Your Name, Flapjacks, I Think I Love You, Some Kinda, Wake the Baby (with jazz sax man Boney James), Old LovasFiller and Meat By-product: None.Just Didn't Have an Appetite For: The one track with Slum Village, who I like a lot. It's one of the more up-tempo tunes, which was a step in the right direction.Potential Spoilage: There's remarkable tone consistency from track-to-track. Admittedly, some might consider this sameness. However those with open minds, hearts, and ears will "get" this as an atmospheric concept similar to Marvin's celebrated What's Going On album, which stayed in chill mode -- flying high in the friendly skies -- the entire album.Grade: A (Stellar writing by a hip-hop cat!)For more CD reviews and artist news, visit Viqi French Fever- The Nu Music Blog. Ed/Pub:NB Music37495@blogcritics.org Thu, 6 Oct 2005 06:59:15 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/02/113301.php Viqi FrenchA James Brown concert was the first I ever attended. Nearly in my teens then, I was enthralled by the infectuous music and by Brown's entertaining antics&#8212his legendary cape toss-offs, his precise splits, and Camel Walk strut. The show registered a 10 on my little Richter Scale of concert excitement. I thought no one rivaled the Godfather of Soul. Until I witnessed a bikini briefs-clad Fela Kuti and his funky-as-the-Godfather Afrobeat orchestra, accompanied by about a dozen of his dancing and harmonizing wives! (Not shown in this picture of Fela's stage magic? The remainder of his 27 wives, who I presume had been left at home in Nigeria while he and the others toured the States.)What can I say? The man was way loved. Not just by his band of women, slamming percusionists, and the JB-esque horn masters also firing up the stage, but by people the world over. Which is why, almost eight years after Fela's death, another tome about the Nigerian funk king has been published: Arrest the Music!Clasically trained in London and influenced by Brown, Miles Davis, and Malcolm X, Fela Kuti became a champion for the people. He was arrested more than 200 times and savagely beaten for his political outspokeness. On that rebellious note, here's a bit about the latest, must-read book deconstructing the world's best-known troubador and his startling, lady-loving whirl: Arrest the Music! is a lively study of Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, one of Africa's most popular and controversial musicians. The flamboyant originator of the "Afrobeat" sound and self-proclaimed voice of the voiceless, Fela used music, sharp-tongued lyrics, and derisive humor to challenge the shortcomings of the Nigerian and postcolonial African states.Looking at the social context, instrumentation, lyrics, visual art, and people through which Fela produced his music, author Tejumola Olaniyan offers a wider, more suggestive perspective on Fela and his impact on listeners in all parts of the world. With Fela front and center, Olaniyan underscores important social issues such as authenticity, racial and cultural identity, the relationship of popular culture to radical politics. Also the meaning of postcolonialism, nationalism, and globalism in contemporary Africa.About the Author: Tejumola Olaniyan is Professor of English and African Languages and Literatures at the University of Wisconsin, Madison. He is author of Scars of Conquest/Masks of Resistance: The Invention of Cultural Identities in African, African-American, and Caribbean Drama and co-editor (with John Conteh-Morgan) of African Drama and Performance (Indiana University Press, 2004)."And please do not sleep on the following CD on which Fela's musical son, Femi Kuti, is joined by artists ranging from Bilal, Macy Gray, Roy Hargrove, and Me'Shell Ndegeocello to Common, Baaba Maal, Kelis, D'Angelo and Talib Kweli in support of AIDS awareness. Edited: PC Books37099@blogcritics.org Sun, 2 Oct 2005 11:33:01 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/10/01/002903.php Viqi FrenchI got a kick out of Lil' Kim's spokesman saying he recently created a reading list for her. Given her something more to ruminate while a victim of The Wicked System. Then, after seemingly being pressed for titles, he cited these stellar tomes: * The Autobiography of Malcolm X * I Know Why the Caged Bird Sings * The Four Agreements: A Practical Guide to Personal FreedomNice list, right? I'm thinking the Queen Bee could wind up with both a Martha and an Oprah moment. This could be the accidental jumpoff of an influential new book club. You know, the Kimmie reads them while on lock down, then gives the world a thumbs up or down. Fans stay connected and accidentally more enlightened. Yes-yes, y'all. From Sing-Sing.For more funk-da-fied infotainment, visit Viqi French Fever - The Hot Nu Music Blog. Music37170@blogcritics.org Sat, 1 Oct 2005 00:29:03 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/09/28/203105.php Viqi FrenchImagine our world without the various music styles we know and love today. Would Hendrix have blazed "Purple Haydn"? Would hip-hoppers be banging Bach on the block? During Black History Month, would church folk lift every voice, singing Vivaldi? Sounds bananas, right? Well, this is precisely why a worldwide shout-out goes today to William Christopher Handy, who on this day in 1912 published the sheet music that started it all: The Memphis Blues. W.C. Handy single-handedly changed the music game. Unfortunately, Handy was hoodwinked, bamboozled, and barely made money from his new-fangled hit song. But what Handy didn't receive in U.S. dollars, he surely gained in fame: his staccato-rich ditty triggered the sound revolution that birthed every genre from Jazz to R&B to Rock. The genius composer, known as the Father of the Blues, is probably tickling the big ivories in the sky right now, if he's listening to how far it's all come. In fact, those ivories must be tickled pink with His Ye-Ness -- Kanye West -- and his bluesy chart-topper, titled Gold Digger.What's more, West's down-home hip-hop hit has spurred a spoof that sums up the times better than anything that Handy might have imagined. George Bush Doesn't Like Black People, a tune by The Legendary K.O., is set to West's Gold Digger beat, with this right(eous) hook: "I ain't sayin' Bush a gold digger. But he ain't messin' with no broke-broke!"Way to go, Cool Papa Handy! Almost 100 years later, we're are still singing your praises. And unfortunately, still crying the blues.And speaking of the Blues and birthdays: Cut the cake also for the legendary Koko Taylor, who turns 75 today. The First Lady of Chicago Blues won a prestigious W.C. Handy Blues Award earlier this year, for Traditional Blues Artist of the Year (Female). Music37001@blogcritics.org Wed, 28 Sep 2005 20:31:05 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/09/26/061805.php Viqi FrenchPart 1 of 3 The best-known Neo Soul music acts include Maxwell, Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Me'Shell Ndegeocello, Musiq, Floetry, D'Angelo, Angie Stone, Bilal, India.Arie -- even Lauryn Hill and Joss Stone. But what exactly is Neo Soul? Neo Soul is a raw, non-conformist musical cocoon of yesteryear -- the 1970s and earlier -- brilliantly interpreted by contemporary talent. The resulting sound has the power to sooth, heal and excite in butterfly kisses. Like the boldest, hippest poetry, Neo Soul expresses pure, unabashed emotion and informs the listener long after the song's final notes dissipate.Neo Soul represents a spiritual revival of decades-old underground funk, sometimes with jazz, rock or folk elements. Like funk music, Neo Soul pledges deep allegiance to a bluesy, gospelized essence popularized by greats like Aretha Franklin and Curtis Mayfield... So much so that, sometimes, if played between "real" oldies, a "neo" track sounds like a tune from long ago -- but blissfully without the hisses and scratches associated with vinyl records!More simply, Neo Soul is a continuum of legends such as Donny Hathaway, Prince, Minnie Ripperton, Ann Peebles, Al Green, Donald Byrd & The Blackbyrds, Marvin Gaye, Parliament-Funkadelic, Stevie Wonder, Isaac Hayes, Betty Wright, and Sly & The Family Stone given a fresh, new millenium edge. Perhaps the first American vocal act to redux this powerful sound was Zhane (pronounced Jah-NAY). This Philadelphia duo's seminal CD of 1994 included the radio hit "Hey Mr. D.J.", which sampled synth chords from "Haven't You Heard" -- an R&B tune by jazz crossover composer Patrice Rushen. Zhane used Rushen's springy melody to create a mega party anthem, one embraced by young and old alike. However, most of Zhane's album cuts took the neo sound steps further, skillfully stepping into light jazz territory, making the CD a diverse, enduring classic.The next significant Neo Soul entree was perhaps the 1995 CD Words by The Tony Rich Project. Produced by L.A. Reid, Tony Rich broke the sound barrier with a laid back blues and folk-rock sound embedded in a Nu-drum rhythm. A multi-instrumentalist with a smooth voice a la Baby Face's, Tony Rich indeed helped rebirth a missing sound in soul music, with a few tunes (surprisingly) still in rotation today on Easy Listening radio.But it took D'Angelo, the Virginia-born son of a Pentecostal minister, to perfectly define the sound of Neo Soul. D'Angelo created a mass yearning for more of this dark, sexy, moody stuff with his seminal 1995 hit "Brown Sugar" (and CD of the same title). He crooned sultry love songs with heavy down beats in a manner that harkened Prince and Marvin Gaye at once. D'Angelo is considered the artist who opened the flood gates and put Neo Soul on the map, solidifying a well-deserved place in music history.All the while, the Neo Soul movement was joined by other immensely talented and impassioned Neo Soul vocalists such as Joi, Carleen Anderson of the Young Disciples, and Laurnea -- all taking wonderfully different tangents. Some leaned heavily toward rock, others incorporated a spoken word poetry style and political rants. But it wasn't until 1997 when Erykah Badu rocked the industry with a haunting voice reminiscent of Billie Holliday's that Neo Soul seemed to blossom into the full bouquet it is today. Executive produced at Motown by Kedar Massenburg, the same visionary who produced D'Angelo, Badu was so fresh in her throw-back styling that she garnered a succession of chart-topping hits and gained a die-hard cult following. With beats by The Roots and masterful jazz bass contributions by Ron Carter, Baduizm is an essential CD for any serious music collector.Amidst the onslaught of new jack R&B, these Neo Soul pioneers proved the seasoned sound of Soul was not only still viable, but a life's spice in great cross-generational demand. Today, the Neo Soul scene is robust with a full menu of innovators paying homage to black music roots -- yet keeping it progressive and next-level. Part 2 of this three-part series will explore London's indelible imprint on the Neo Soul movement, asking the question, "Why did it take the Brits to get us diggin' America's old Soul grits again?"For more articles on Neo Soul, CD reviews and the artists behind the music, visit Viqi French Fever - The Hot Nu Music Blog.ed/Pub:NB Music36792@blogcritics.org Mon, 26 Sep 2005 06:18:05 EDT http://blogcritics.org/archives/2005/09/20/075917.php Viqi FrenchAs if channeling African American writer Zora Neale Hurston, I trekked across rare, foreign soil on which probably ninety-nine percent of Americans would never, ever travel. And with the commitment of that treasured author-anthropologist, I braved it.But only for a week and some change. Small change at that. Like a half dollar's worth.Each steamy, Caribbean night -- well past the bewitching hour -- the sound of conga drumming in wild abandon echoed from the smokey hills. Haunting me, beating the soul of me with more intensity than I've ever experienced in a house music club. And I, mind you, dance next to the six-foot speakers in these dark, thunderous dens. (Which is why I now feel damn near deaf.)But it wasn't the volume of the hillside drumming; it was their deep purpose that had me on edge. The drums were driving traditional religious ceremonies... Every night... Until the crack of dawn. I rarely slept. Luckily, the hotel bar was always open! I stayed at the Oloffson, a "gingerbread" mansion surrounded by lush gardens. But I was hardly the only wide-eyed guest swizzling a little plastic stick in a glass on the porch at 4 a.m. Not with the drumming keeping us so awake and social.The location was Haiti. The city: Port-au-Prince. My reason for going there? I was conducting a little informal "research" for a suspense novel I was writing back then (and have recently blown the dust off). It's a story set in "The Industry." Something they used to call a competitive set of corporations vying for our new car and soft drink dollars: an industry. But now, the term seems to belong to Hip-hop.Hip-hop, indeed, is at the crux of the aforemention novel. Hip-hop also is the topic on which this opinion piece rests... I ask you, "How can black music that so brilliantly echoes the intense, African sentiment of the drums I heard in Haiti seem so overwhelmingly dismissive of its true power and potential uses?"Now don't get me wrong: I own enough of this music to trade toward a small Frigidaire. In the beats I hear profound evidence of deeply embedded, DNA-bequeathed intelligence. It's as if aural tribal marks are cut into the essence of many tracks. I'm almost like "Mozart who?" For real! And there are so many of these highly evolved producers, I am convinced that something of an Underground Renaissance is unfolding before our eyes.But when will we ever harness that artistry, that lyrical power of persuasion, to inspire meaningful change? I mean, if hip-hop can make some white folks want to "act black," surely there's some deep-ass science going down. I mean, ain't nobody use to wanna be like us! Only hip-hop gets that unprecedented, head-scratching, bragging right. World-wide, too. (Well, maybe the Rastas get a little credit, too. Given the number of blonde dreadlocks that have been bonded over ganga, as if smoking Jamaican Super Glue.)But what could hip-hop really accomplish? I believe it could serve as a catalyst to spur world change in profound ways. I believe there's potentially enough energy there to be instrumental in helping unseat evil governments.But alas: we're only racking up street cred points for doing away with each other. (Where's a Black Panther when you need one? Fiddy?)And this is what my dusty, old manuscript is about. Sort of... "What if 'Fiddy'...?"Now, I don't mean him personally. But someone who'll someday be as influential as he. Or as indefatigable as our very own "Elvis": the ever-green and growing Tupac Shakur. (Why, just last spring, my boyfriend swore Pac popped up on the West side of Chicago! Then I thought I saw him, too: he sprouted on the parking lot of MacArthur's, the soul food restaurant!)Anyway, the premise is probably best understood by relating this tidbit... There's a theory about the impetus behind Adolf Hitler's power, that he sort of... snapped early on. He allegedly believed he'd been blinded in a gas attack. The doctors treating Hitler found absolutely nothing wrong with his eyesight, and determined this "blindness" was all in his mind. So the doctors "cured" him through @hypn@sis@, telling him, "Yup, you're blind, all right! But because God has chosen you as a special person, you can regain your eyesight through sheer will power." And so he did; Hitler "fixed" his vision. And in so miraculously healing himself, he ultimately also convinced himself that he could "heal" just about all the ills of the world. And the rest, as they say, is history.I suppose it would take some type of mass hypnosis -- or vodou, which may be about the same -- to get this rap thing on higher ground. One might even argue that mass hypnosis is exactly what happens In Da Club, On Da Radio, and On Da Videos all the time.So in the spirit of the great novelist, folklorist, and anthropologist Zora Neale Hurston, I say, "Somebody tell my Hip-hop horse that it's time to turn around, carry us in another direction." Because every good "horse" under the influence of a steamy boom-bap does exactly as told. Get just the right one spittin' about change on a mic, and the entire Rhythm Nation may follow.Wonder if we hooked up on a dark hillside one night and rubbed together two quarters, could we make make 50 Cent? Perhaps the @revolution@ will be televised, after all. If not on MTV, perhaps on November 9th, when "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" hits movie screens nationwide.Reprint courtesy of Viqi French Fever - The Hot Nu Music Blog Music36414@blogcritics.org Tue, 20 Sep 2005 07:59:17 EDT