Vibes, Ep.1

Newcomer Andra Day gives a toast to music with 'Cheers To The Fall'

Album Review

          
                Andra Day has been buzzing within the industry for a few years now, from being a YouTube standout with covers of songs like Eminem’s “Lose Yourself” to being called upon to work with Stevie Wonder before even having a record deal (It is in fact Wonder who would help her secure a recording contract with Warner Bros later) to being a standout at this years Essence Fest that has led to her first of many albums with ‘Cheers To The Fall’.

Hearing Andra Day’s voice alone is a nod to music’s past. Her voice echoes those of Billie Holiday, Nina Simone, and Amy Winehouse all in one sound bed.  The San Diego native’s Warner Bros. debut ‘Cheers To The Fall’ is a sonic dose of love, heartbreak, consciousness, redemption, and celebration, all in the span of 50 minutes. Vocally she is reminiscent of Amy Winehouse on “Only Love”, carrying the accompanying production that is similar to Winehouse’s work with producer Salaam Remi in the past. Giving melodic vocals to brush against classical sounding horns and percussions. The same can be said of “Gold”. On this particular song, Day eases her singing style into a massive chorus that turns her pain of letting a love interest slip away, into straight up anger. It’s this same pain that is mixed with beautiful songwriting, giving ode to Nina Simone on “Honey or Fire”. On this song, Day knows not to rely solely on her singing to bring power to song, as she uses minimal piano keys and heavy drums to match powerful backup singing.

There are shadows of 60’s soul on records such as “Gin & Juice (Let Go My Hand)” and “Goodbye Goodnight”. This same sound is mastered on the albums first cut (and single) “Forever Mine”, where Day sings with maturity and innocence at the same time. The song is a slow build to a fast rhythmic paced bridge at the end that has her sing-rapping, and even giving a shout out to the legendary group Mobb Deep in the process, singing “The way that you move, never seen it before/Looking for my head, can’t find it no more/You ransom my heart, and I get the reward/Winning the crown like a Trojan Horse/I come back, back, back every time, you got me shook like the Mobb when they rhyme” Day sings. For further enjoyment, check out the song on YouTube for the Spike Lee directed visual. Yes That Spike Lee.

The standout on this record is in fact “Mistakes”. Pulling herself together to be forgiven in a relationship, and realizing that she needs her other half, you actually believe that she is sorry (for whatever she did). This track brings power to her voice, and is also the most up-tempo on the album. Andra Day has good songs on this record. The only thing missing is her cover of Nina Simone’s “Mississippi Goddam”, where she makes the classic song into her own. That alone is an accomplishment.

Mastering the Pen: Jazmine Sullivan's 'Reality Show' Co-Stars Songwriting

          There is a lot of soul that comes out of Philadelphia, Pa. It kinda starts with Gamble & Huff, the production duo behind 70’s sound of Teddy Pendergrass, The Jackson’s, and the O’Jay’s among others. Then you have DJ Jazzy Jeff, all the way to ?uestlove and The Roots, Eve, Jill Scott, Musiq Soulchild, and Meek Mill. One important piece to this list is Jazmine Sullivan, who just released her third studio album Reality Show via RCA. Singing since her childhood, and studying under legends like Salaam Remi and Missy Elliott, Sullivan’s talents stretch beyond her powerhouse voice, as she has an ability to paint a picture with her songwriting skills more effectively than most singer-songwriters of her generation. Reality Show proves that while she can sing her way through stormy situations, it’s her captivating use of a pen that keeps listeners entertained and inspired through each song.

            One would think that the album would detail breakups and heartbreak, after all she did strike big with 2008’s “Bust Your Windows”, however there is a range in topics within the album. Starting off with the Key Wayne produced “Dumb”, Sullivan covers a familiar topic in her catalogue: cheating. The song should have been more of a hit in the summer when it was released as the albums first single, but all is fair. Calling out her other half for being dumb to think that she isn’t aware of his actions, Sullivan gets assist from MMG lyricist, and fellow Philly kid Meek Mill. Other records that get into the pitfalls of a relationship are the DJ Dahi backed “Brand New”. This track fits the ‘Reality Show’ concept, coming off as a Love & Hip hop storyline. Lyrics like “They don’t know you like I do/I swear when n***as start making money/They start actin’ funny/It’s no love when they come up/They get brand new”. While the lyrics are angry, the vocals and production are mellow. Same can be said for “Silver Lining” and “Mascara” The former deals with a woman trying to survive financially between jobs, and having to raise and take care of family. While a relatable story, far too many vocalists are this candid let alone sing about it in song.

            One of the highlights of Reality Show is “#HoodLove.  Produced by industry vet Chuck Harmony, the record deals with the volatile side of being with someone, and doing everything that you can to keep things afloat in hard times, even when you know he/she has “two strikes”. The song’s vibe gives a haunting feeling. One that let’s you know that the relationship is “Bonnie & Clyde” inspired, with a heavy bass to match. Another highlight is “Stupid Girl” where Sullivan showcases a Motown inspired range, with production that brings to mind old sound of The Marvelettes. Sullivan’s pitch is altered again on the album closer “If You Dare”. Using an upbeat track, the song is base and percussion heavy, with the theme of living your life as a focal point. The song is one of the most positive and upbeat records on the album.

            On a few listens to the album it is rather easy to see that Sullivan has an old soul. She uses production and vocal arrangements that sounds like a tribute to Prince and Anita Baker on the tracks “Stanley” and “Masterpiece (Mona Lisa) respectively. She does it effectively without it sounding forced.  In fact her influencers would be proud if they heard the tracks themselves. “Forever Don’t Last” is signature Jazmine Sullivan, and interestingly is the most autobiographical record on the album. The acoustic riff and drum snap in the background compliments her vocals and the pain in the lyrics well.

            Not everyone can sing and be an effective songwriter. Jazmine Sullivan can. There is a song on here for anyone over the age of 25 to relate to. More importantly the album is entertaining, and should be in most playlists this year. There is a reason Sullivan was nominated for ‘Best New Artist” years back at the Grammys. She has a range that few can emulate.

Time Stood Still: D'Angelo and The Vanguard gives us 'Black Messiah'

           

          Scrolling through Instagram on December 12, 2014, I came across an a photo by North Carolina producer 9^th Wonder (follow him!), the photo showed a copy of a new album by D’Angelo titled Black Messiah. Judging by the comments underneath the picture and my own reaction, it seemed like another Internet troll. Later on when a 15 second YouTube video teased the album, along with a confirming tweet from none other than Soulquarian patriarch ?uestlove, it became official: D’Angelo was about to resurface to the public with an album 14 years after Voodoo. Within the next few days the album would be released on ITunes to the shock of many and less than 24 hours after it’s NYC listening party. By midnight on December 15^th I had bought and downloaded an album, and upon listening to the project, realized that an artist that had been in seclusion had arrived back on the scene at the right time with the right music.

            Black Messiah returns D’Angelo to the spotlight that he had left after the critical and commercial high of 2000’s Voodoo, an album that took five years to make after his debut Brown Sugar birthed the Neo-Soul genre. In a recent interview with D’Angelo, he dismisses the genre itself, not because of the music and its offspring associated with it, but because of the box that it puts his music in. After Brown Sugar, artists such as Maxwell, Erykah Badu, and Lauryn Hill were pushed to the forefront of soul, but D’Angelo was right; it placed all of them in a box. By the release of Voodoo in 2000, the music was so far removed from the sound of his debut, that it became a hard pill to swallow for even the most loyal of fans. Voodoo was great album however, and in today’s climate a classic, but it was different in the boundaries that it pushed. Even “Co-Pilot” to Voodoo, ?uestlove admitted to having to play to “gutter bucket” levels to play a more raw sound to D’Angelos liking. That raw sound added to D’Angelos cohesive sophomore effort, but the album didn’t receive its massive praise until the music video for “Untitled (How Does It Feel)”. Depicting himself unclothed with a one-shot camera zooming out just past the waist, D’Angelo was now a sex symbol. While this was standard for the likes of Usher and Ginuwine at the time, D’Angelo wanted to be known for his art and the video came to haunt him as the tour for Voodoo went on. Women only wanted him for his body as opposed to the music, and this often led to the “Neo-Soul Pioneer” to scold at his audience.

            After the Voodoo tour, D’Angelo went into seclusion, and days turned into months, months to years, until a 2005 mug shot showed a heavy set D’Angelo arrested for drugs and picking up a prostitute. By this time music in general was at a standstill. Not only from a commercial standpoint, but also more importantly from an artistic one. Contemporaries such as Lauryn Hill and Maxwell were also on hiatus; hip-hop was way past its creative peak into the 90’s, and R&B was chasing creative less Hip-Hop for inspiration. With artists such as James Brown, Prince, and Sly Stone past their prime, no one was there now to pick up where they left off.

The few artists that were out during the 00’s didn’t quite have much to say (or at least didn’t say much). During the presidency of George W. Bush, as people complained about the state of the world, people be it artists or consumers alike got comfortable.  Upon the presidential election of Barack Obama in 2008, there was a feeling of change in the air, but it wasn’t fully grasped by our fellow artists. Sure there were records such as the underrated 2010 album by John Legend & The Roots Wake Up, But nothing brought upon the true feelings of the time into sound. Maybe perhaps our people in general were living in illusions, and it wasn’t until the recent murders of Trayvon Martin, Michael Brown, and Eric Garner that the public finally accepted that there were some serious problems that were being glossed over in the black community. Sure, artists such as Talib Kweli, Dead Prez, and even recent Public Enemy music still were addressing these issues, but Black Messiah is bringing back the feeling that made the protests of the ‘60s urgent.

Now on to this album …

            Black Messiah was originally titles James River, but if you listen to the music, the new title fits appropriatlly. The backup band this time around is called The Vanguard, featuring fellow Soulquarian ?uestlove, as well as Pino Palladino, Jon Blackwell, Jesse Jackson, and the albums primary co-writer Kendra Foster. Instead of talking directly about Ferguson, Missouri, D’Angelo states “All we wanted was a chance to talk/’Stead we only got outlined in chalk” on “The Charade” a song that gives you a Phillies sound reminiscent of the Gamble & Huff days. This could be due to the drums of ?uestlove, whom also shows up for a majority of the album. It’s on “Charade” that the bass drives the track to another dimension. This is the to the talents of Pino Palladino Another politically charged record is “1000 Deaths”, where D’Angelo handles much of the instrumentation with drums by ?uestlove and vocals by himself. The best part of the song is the distorted lyrics aligning with the heavy percussion work. According to sound BM sound engineer Ben Kane, the track was conceived when D’Angelo saw a Fishbone concert a few years back. The song’s highlight is at the very beginning with the VHS sample of Dr. Khalid Muhammad and a documentary film about Fred Hampton joined together. The sample sets you up for anger and rebellion.

            At other times D’Angelo does self-reflection with ?uestlove’s drums and guitar riffs on “Back To The Future (Part 1), reminiscing on his hometown, and the physical shape that depicted him in his 2005 mug shot. On this track D’Angelo sings that he “Used to get real high, now I, now I’m just getting a buzz”. “Till It’s Done (Tutu)” brings D’Angelo to sing about questions of where we as a people come from and  even then what we become as a result. Topics, such as war and pollution come about as it is asked as a whole society of flesh, what are we fighting for? 

           Much credit to the album has to be given to Kendra Foster who helped write a majority of the songs with the artist. Foster along with Paladino, ?uestlove, and Q-Tip help bring D'Angelo's vision to light and makes this project an extraordinary collaborative effort. The sound of the album is even nostalgic to the days of vinyl recordings due to BM being made using only analog tape for recording,making the listener hear small details to shape your listening experience. Credit goes to engineer Russell Elevado for this aspect, bringing to light a sound that music no longer has but is in need of

            Love is another central theme within the album. Interestingly, the messages within the love that D’Angelo sings goes deeper than a person, but of loving oneself. Songs such as the whistling melody of “The Door” have a nice groove. The guitar synth riding to the drums in “Ain’t That Easy” is a good opening to the album, in fact it was co-written by Q-Tip, who also lends his pen game to the raunchy and funky “Sugah Daddy”. The two biggest highlights on the album however are “Really Love” and “Another Life”, the latter being D’Angelo’s best vocal performance on record since 1995’s “Cruisin”.  “Really Love” starts with dark strings courtesy of Brent Fisher and a Spanish dialogue, before going into the slow drums and guitar, as D’Angelo longs for his other half.

            While Black Messiah seems as if it’s christening D with a revolutionary title, it’s not; The album’s linear notes (which can be downloaded along with the booklet on D’Angelo’s website) clarifies that we are all black messiahs. If music such as this can get us on the right path, the 14-year wait by D’Angelo was worth it. It’s like time stood still and D’Angelo never left.

Something Fresh: A Chroma Key Visual

https://vimeo.com/114079052

J Cole '2014 Forest Hills Drive' Review

   

     The kid from the 'Ville comes back home.  After two successful albums (2011's  Cole World: The Sideline Story, and 2013's Born Sinner), and a three peat of acclaimed mixtapes preceding his signing to Jay-Z's Roc Nation, J Cole returns to his hometown of Fayetteville, NC for this third offering. This album is as much about returning to your roots as it is about gaining a perspective of who you are. Rather than boast about what he has or promoting the dance floor, J Cole uses a message to invoke an emotion or two throughout the album. It creates for his most cohesive record to date.
     In a singles driven era, 2014 Forest Hills Drive has no obvious single cuts on the album. Perhaps that is why Cole decided to release it without radio assistance with an online announcement three weeks before it arrived. This is not a bad thing, as it is rare to listen to a whole album all the way through these days, and the albums that can make this are few and far between (you have to count Kendrick Lamar's Good kid, m.A.A.d. city though). That being said, much like Kendrick, J Cole has created a timeless piece that might be in the conversation of album lists in the next few decades.
     2014 Forest Hills Drive is about a kid, who left his hometown of Fayetteville, to move to New York City for St. John University. In the process, his childhood home was foreclosed by the bank. After graduating Magna Cum Laude, making a mixtape, chasing Jay-Z for a record deal, to releasing two gold selling albums and a record label of his own, Cole has bought that same home again, depicted on the album cover. Take into consideration his recent support of Ferguson protests, and post fame after that 'Control' verse, J Cole is now that guy.
     The album tracklist itself reads like an autobiography from start to finish. Beginning with the piano driven "Intro" Cole asks "Do You Wanna Be Happy/ Do You Wanna Be Free?" His summer protest song "Be Free" is in fact more urgent than this, but it is considered  the precursor to his album intro. The song wants you to strip away everything but happiness and freedom. Without these two elements what is the purpose of living. Next up is "January 28th" Cole's born date, bringing you back sonically to his The Warm Up days. Drum heavy, Cole takes his time on the first verse to tell an eye lens view of his perspective of the surroundings of his teen years, before taking a notebook to write his rhymes, while the second verse plays on the wittiness of wordplay describing his surroundings in current times. On the third verse, Cole makes mention of Drake and Kendrick Lamar, two of his greatest peers, to point out that the only rap gods were born on January 28th. (J. Cole and Rakim!).
     "Wet Dreamz" has a nostalgic boom-gap sound that many hip-hop head will reminisce on. Also sounding similar to the sounds on his first two mixtapes. Telling a story about his first time with a girl, and giving clever melodic rhymes to reminisce on his crush. Listening to it can take you back production-wise to Kanye West's  College Dropout era. "'03 Adolescence" takes place where "Wet Dreamz" leaves off. No longer innocent, Cole is now a high school graduate heading to college heading to New York. The most telling part of the song is Cole's honesty. It is here that he admits to being insecure and shy during this period of time in his life, also not sure of what will happen to his future "in a city where too many niggaz die". The vulnerability in the track is something that is missing in today's music. Peep the story told in the third verse about his willing to sell drugs with his older friend, only to be brought back to reality by the friend telling him that he's a fool to live a life he is not built for.
     "A Tale of Two Citiez" is based on the differences of living in Fayetteville and New York. Being a small town kid moving to the big apple is nothing short of a culture shock. The song is produced by Vinylz instead of Cole, much like the next song following "Fire Squad". Sounding a hungry as ever, Cole pulls no punches lyrically, pronouncing himself as the greatest, and the "new Spike Lee", as well as "'02 Lil' Wayne". It's the third verse though that sets in, addressing black appropriation by white artists. Think what you want the track isn't so much a diss, than it is a call to arms to stop trying to be a "bitch" and even "the king" when in essence we are all kings.
     Melodic wise Cole showcases his skills here more so than any other album he has had. "St. Tropez" reflects the riches Cole has gained since his quest for hip-hop fame. Much different in sound than "Fire Squad", the song references and samples "That's All Right By Me" by Esther Phillips. The most fun track on the album has to be "G OMD", and eve this song has a message. Almost a parody of  past Lil' Jon hits, "Hollywood Cole" talks about  his hometown, before heading back to his new found rap fame, and getting lost in its materialistic glory. Contemplating going back home, Cole switches up the flow a few times to makes you hit the club to say 'fuck it'.
     "No Role Modelz" is a reflection of his past once more, but this time realizing that he has no one to look up to to guide him growing up. Produced by Phonix Beats, who uses a George W. Bush audio sample midway, still carries out the album's cohesive sound. "Hello" also takes on a narrative of seeing an old girlfriend, who now has kids and has moved on with her life. Here, Cole depresses himself by looking back on what would've been.) "Apparently" provides Cole with his own canvas for expression towards his mother's pain after their home was foreclosed. The song is an ode to his mom, while expressing the flaws within himself while she watched  him grow up.
     "Love Yourz" is kind of the counter part to Kendrick Lamar's "i". The song tells that "there's no such thing a life that's better than yours". Addressing the fact that there will always be people to compare yourself to, as well as the materialistic dreams that comes with it. But there is only one life. As a fitting send off is "Note To Self" is more a 14 minute shout out than a song, but the soulful sound bed throughout keeps you listening.
     Calling an album a masterpiece is premature by any standard (it's only been out 14 hours as of now), but we can say that it its cohesive and above all else good. That's what music is supposed to be right? The album's message carries on for 64 minutes: You can't run from home.

From Music to Ferguson: 'Fire Squad'

     2014 has been and urgent year socially. One could argue that with current technological advancements, a decreasing crime rate nationwide, even a African-American President, that things are getting better. While in fact there are improvements being made in certain aspects, there are still issues that need to be addressed and acted upon. This blog is not going to change that fact or even make things better in the slightest bit, but whomever reads it should at least think about it. As a young black man writing this, I have to address situations that are impacting me first before talking about issues that are irrelevant to the progress of people. This article in fact is a reflection into the recent issues going from Gaza, to Michael Brown and Eric Garner among others, but is one that is overdue because the problems that have manifested over the news are nothing more than open wounds from a harsh history that we are part of. This reflection is potent in the music of today, a once thriving art form that is now suffering from the imitation of reality.
     If music is the paradigm for self expression, then Hip-Hop is (or was?) the most influential in representing the people. To be a representation in sound of not only your peers but the environment of a misrepresented class there is a lot of pressure, but one that our culture flawlessly exceeded within. Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five couldn't have represented the early 80's any better with "The Message". NYC in particular was on the verge of the crack epidemic, and the public school system at the time was on a decline. By the time Public Enemy came out with the It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back in April 1988 (two months before I was born), A declining economy, astronomical crime rate, and crack-cocaine was in full swing. Chuck D was the visual spokesman for the time with "Night of the living Baseheads".
     All of this while a culture named hip-hop was becoming a cornerstone in expression for the underclass. This was result of policies that went as far back as post World War II: The passing of the G.I. Bill, of the migration of African-Americans in the South to the industrial peaking North for jobs, the Civil Rights and Women's movements of the '60's, Vietnam War and resulting peacetime of the 70's and so on. By the 1990's times had changed, and music did as well. In a sense music represented the times no matter what was good or bad was within the world. In the past decade however, there has been a shift in what the purpose of the music is for, namely hip-hop.
     
     "You can't have music be one-dimensional. It's got to be able to grow and take on all different aspects of life. Social change is something people shouldn't be afraid to touch upon..." 
                                                                                 - excerpt from Chuck D (Paste Magazine, 2004)
     While there are protests throughout the world regarding injustice, flaws within the Voting Rights Act, there are also common personal issues we all are facing. Socially there is still an imbalance, we are divided economically as much as we are racially, so hip-hop is reflecting this right? Wrong.
     Not to blame radio or commercialization totally for this, even if you search through the internet foe independent artists, more artists are chasing lust and materialism than the ones that are not. There is not anything wrong with today's subject matter in hip-hop, life is life, and reality is reality, the problem is that there is no balance, and a focus to the issues that are really important. Here lies where an artist of J Cole's stature stands out. Not only has he recently made music to represent his reality, but also social era in modern time. Who knew that his unnannounced visit to Ferguson this past summer in support of Michael Brown, an unarmed teen fatally shot by an officer named Darren Wilson, would spark a change in his music so soon? J Cole had nothing to gain by his visit commercially, but he did it rather for himself and his people, our people.
     Not surprisingly most artists that are more powerful than himself have decided to not push the Ferguson issue, which is the sad part. Nevertheless it is not a surprise that Cole's newest release 2014 Forest Hills Drive is a call to arms in every aspect possible. No...it is not Nation of Millions, nor What's Going On. It is J cole's truth and an awareness to the issues reflecting young black men. This is about a kid who lost his childhood home due to foreclosure after going to college, who later chased materialistic things, only to realize that it was never worth it, and to return home with a better perspective. And then "Fire Squad" comes in.
     The first song to leak from the album a week before it's release has grabbed the most headlines. Not because it's catchy and sugar coated, but rather dark, grimy, truthful, and sounds good. The third verse is the most important, calling out Justin Timberlake, Eminem, Macklemore, and Iggy Azalea for white appropriation within black music. The song is not so much a diss as it is an awareness to what has been going on for decades.
     What hits the most is J Cole's "wiping away at the crown" dialogue at the end. Instead of respond to 'Control' (Kendrick Lamar's calling out of rappers, including Cole himself), he calls for unification. After visiting Ferguson, and dealing with his own self-awareness, Cole knows the reality of his situation, our situation, it's lack of unity. Without unity everything disintegrates.