by Darrell Holmes

Michael Jackson was BAD!

Since Michael Jackson passed on June 25, 2009 the numerous memories of music and moments relating to Michael have flooded blogs, Myspace, Facebook, and Twitter.  In fact, the Twitter rush was so tremendous that Today on NBC reported that a server went down.  I can personally remember having a Jackson 5 Triumph Tour poster on my wall, the first time I heard Thriller, dressing up as Michael for one of my sister’s birthday party talent shows, and wishing my name was “Michael” as a child because it was such a “cool” name.  One young lady on Thursday’s evening news conveyed that she was going to be a dancer in his upcoming tour and how she moved to LA from her home country because Michael lives there.

Remembering Michael Jackson forces you to remember that his impact can’t truly be measured.  He was more than just a music icon; he caused a paradigm shift in our culture.  Even at a young age, Michael’s beaming demeanor and mature vocal style made non-R&B listeners to pay attention.  As he grew older he used his music to draw peoples together across racial lines with one particular highlight of that being his “Billie Jean” video premiere on MTV.  Prior to that premiere MTV had never played a video by a Black musician.  His aggressive and sometimes suggestive dance styling would be the predecessor of present-day Pop, Hip Hop, and R&B artists from Usher and Chris Brown to Britney Spears and Prince.  It can be seen in the dance sequence of the Eddie Murphy movie Coming To America.  His sound is echoed in the music of artists like Mariah Carey, R Kelly, Justin Timberlake, and his little sister Janet.  His epic mini-movie music videos were ground-breaking in their length, content, and budget.  He also used his medium for humanity as he donated millions of his own money and resources to benefit sick and ailing children, underprivileged people both foreign and domestic, and animals.

None of that includes his actual music.  Among his list of accomplishments are 13 Grammy Awards, 13 #1 singles, being twice inducted in the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame(solo and Jackson 5), seven Top 10 singles on one album (Thriller), the only artist with 5 #1 Singles on one album(Bad), and over 750 million albums sold worldwide.  Thriller alone spent 80 consecutive weeks in the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 while Bad spent more 38 consecutive weeks Top 5 of the Billboard 200 which is also a record.  Thriller also remains as the best-selling album of all time.

Certainly Michael was not a saint and he lived a very challenging and sometimes disturbing life.  From an outsider’s view, it seemed as though every attempt to salvage some type of “normalcy” in his life was always mistaken, questionable, or ill-advised.  Over the years, his oddities seemed to become as consistent and inflated as his successes.  Not even his accomplishments, fame, and fortune could make him immune from the roller coaster we all experience in life.  Condolescences to his children, his family, friends, and fans.

by Darrell Holmes
Foreign Exchange is a hip hop/R&B collaborative based out of North Carolina.  Members consist of Phonte Coleman who serves as half of the hip hop duo Little Brother.  The other member is Nicolay who does most of the production along with composition and performances for the group though Phonte is the lead.  The combo met on www.okayplayer.com and began emailing thoughts, beats, vocals, and eventually, full tracks to each other.  They would eventually find a way to produce a full LP without the two meeting face-to-face (Nicolay would eventually leave his native Netherlands for North Carolina).  After critical acclaim from their debut Connected in 2004,  L.I.A.B. was released October 14, 2008.

L.I.A.B. is definitely not your mother’s R&B album (or older aunt depending on your age) as prefaced by how the album begins with it’s opening track “Daykeeper” featuring underground R&B sensation Muhsinah.  The track is purposefully heavy on the digital but still very smooth and melodic.  Phonte serves as lead vocal which may be surprising to casual Little Brother listeners but hardcore fans are very aware of his juke joint affair with harmonies as evidenced by other works like Zo! and Tigallo Love the 80s.  Similar to Andre 3000’s recent vocal departures, Phonte wittingly maintains pitch by utilizing keys and falsetto that compliment his voice throughout the album.  Muhsinah adds great compliment to Phonte with smooth background harmonies all encapsulated by Nicolay’s very simple keys and a basic beat that blends well.  A very solid opening track that stays true to the concept of the album.

The next track is “Take Off the Blues” featuring Darien Brockington.  If you’ve heard almost anything that has come out of Foreign Exchange’s parent collective Justus League you’ve likely heard D-Brock’s work as their in-house male vocalist.  On “Take Off the Blues” he actually becomes hard to distinguish from Phonte without listening carefully. Brockington opens the track with Phonte bringing the rear with the backgrounds.  This track differs from the opener highlighting a higher tempo, a more straight forward jazz beat, and a bridge that features a 3-part trumpet solo.  If R&B made love to neo-jazz on Nicolay’s kitchen table “Take Off the Blues” would be it’s offspring.

“All or Nothing/Coming Home To You” follows third also featuring Darien Brockington.  This offering begins to hit closer to home for traditionalists as it portrays a core sound borne out of something you’d expect to find on a Carl Thomas release.  Nicolay makes it his own by adding his signature synth in the hook and Phonte does his rap thing at the bridge.

“House of Cards” featuring Muhsinah is a ballad that kicks off with an understated bassline and keys as Phonte offers up “Practiced every word.  Rehearsed every lie.  Covered all my steps.  This is why.” just before the high hat drum sequence kicks in with the chorus from Muhsinah proclaiming that Phonte’s house of cards is soon to fall.  The back-and-forth between Mushinah and Phonte as dueling lovers gives a voice to the tension produced by the drum beat Nicolay provides.

“Sweeter Than You” is much more heavily computerized than previous tracks.  The sound heavily bleeds the tech hip sound that began in Europe and England over the past 10 years but still very much falling into the R&B category in tone, tempo, and lyrics.

***  STAR TRACK  #1  ***

If you were to hang your hat on one track that the radio would consider playing from this album it would be “Something to Behold” featuring Darien Brockington AND Muhsinah.  Phonte begins the track with “You gone have to sing on this one Anna Mae” (c) Ike Turner.  The beat, chorus, vocals, and rap bridge are straight hip hop and vintage Little Brother.  Even if the entire album isn’t your forte even the most ardent LB opponent can likely appreciate this track for nothing more than its most basic, straight-forward approach to make you move your feet.

***  STAR TRACK #2  ***

The album’s last track may be it’s best because of what it’s not.  It’s not a love song, ballad, hip hop track nor is it an adventurous journey into some previously unheard of sound from overseas.  At the core, the album’s title track is a father’s sentimental ode to his son and that’s what makes it a truly remarkable song as evidenced by the lyrics:

“Hey baby boy lying sound asleep.  I hope you dream of lullabies and clowns.  The more you open your eyes the harder to believe.  So here’s a song for you when you are down.  ‘Cause only heaven knows what to make of these changing times but for the night let’s just leave it all behind.  I know this world’s so cold but don’t let tear drops change your mind.  So for the night let’s just leave it all behind”

Nicolay provides a beautiful canvas with which Phonte can paint his scene providing a Caribbean vibe that supports well the synergy of the song.

Overall, most people appreciate an album that takes them on a journey and leaves them at a different place than where they began.  That journey can be thought-provoking, awe-inspiring, provide thoughts of love and caring, or possibly even depression and sadness.  Regardless, any album with a goal of being exceptional can’t afford to be conservative in its approach.  Simultaneously, it must have a core that people can hear, recognize, and relate to.  Nicolay and Phonte achieved their goal with Leave It All Behind.  From the sound, to the lyrics, to even the album art this is a classic, well-crafted album that draws on familiar jazz and R&B cues while also sticking to what fans have become familiar with whenever Little Brother is involved.

I give this album an A rating.

If you’re a regular to the podcast, you know every show I try to highlight a music artist. I wanted to wait until the next show to highlight this artist, but I thought why not share her story with you in it’s own post. Dondria a.k.a “phatfffat” is a local artist from Sachse, Texas who was discovered by So So Def Records on youtube. The video below shares the whole story and is a reminder of how hard work and ingenuity can help you reach your dreams. The opportunities are out there. You just have to go after them.

You can watch video of Dondria’s quest to stardom on her Youtube page and while you’re there, show her some love by purchasing her single “Can’t Stop” on iTunes and Amazon. She has a great voice in and out the studio. I’ll keep you posted on any news I hear and as always I want to know what you think.

Purchase “Can’t Stop” at iTunes
Purchase “Can’t Stop” at amazon.com
www.youtube.com/phatfffat

Brad Terrence Jordan is the Houston-born rapper better known to you and I as Scarface. His rap career and catalogue began during hip hop’s infancy back when his rapper name was Akshen and he was recording for Short Stop Records with Lil’ Troy. He would later sign with Rap-A-Lot Records and joined the group Ghetto Boys after another member left. After a slight name change,(Geto Boys) the group would release their first LP Grip It! On That Other Level in 1989 which would begin their local legend. Since the Scarface achieved tremendous heights with his groupmates, began production for several artists such as Beanie Siegel and UGK, became president of Def Jam South and helped mentor Ludacris, and won a Lyricist of the Year at the Source Awards along the way. Long considered a legend among hip hop archivists and fans alike, Scarface and the Geto Boys represented the Dirty South and Houston rap LONG before it was cool to do so. Depending on you ask, Scarface’s album The Diary and The Untouchable are among the greatest full-length albums in hip hop’s history. M.A.D.E. is Scarface’s 11th solo release.

With Scarface’s album M.A.D.E. coming out I really didn’t know what to expect. When you consider how many collabos and albums(solo and group) Scarace has appeared on you can’t exactly expect him to be the New England Patriots of hip hop on every verse. He has been close but with him being so late in his long career what can one really expect. Well, on the first track he brings about what you would expect; a very solid track. “Never” has a great sample and a good beat. One interesting line Scarface spits is “I’ll never turn my back on Jesus” which is interesting since he is now Muslim by faith. Not to turn this into a theological debate but assuming he was raised with Protestant roots you would figure his prospective towards Christ would change.

“Big Dog Status” is much more classic Houston. A hook with tons of swagger, strong bassline, and an organ synth ala UGK. As you would imagine, it’s an ode to Scarface’s legacy and his amount of stroke in the game. He chronicles how early he achieved his success and how young he was when he was able to live a lifestyle so many dream of.
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Little Brother is a rap duo consisting of Phonte Coleman and Thomas “Big Pooh” Jones. They are part of the larger rap collective called the Justus League. Based in Durham, North Carolina, Little Brother rose to fame in 2003 due to their debut album, The Listening. Considered by some to be an underground classic, The Listening was noted for the smooth, nostalgic samples via producer/group member 9th Wonder and the equally smooth delivery of rappers Big Pooh and Phonte. The group drew numerous comparisons to their recognized forerunners Tribe Called Quest and De La Soul among others. Their second effort, The Minstrel Show, was expected to have much more commercial success after the group signed a deal with Atlantic Records. Despite birthing what is widely considered another classic album, sales didn’t bare out near as well due in part to a lack of promotion from Atlantic. In 2007, LB would part ways with both Atlantic Records as well as group member 9th Wonder almost simultaneously due to differences on where the group would go and how it would sound with both parties. Little Brother returns in Fall of 2007 with their third album Getback.
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It was last night that I heard about the passing of legendary UGK hip-hop artist Pimp C. I’m a native Houstonian so I’m aware of the impact he had on the city as a pioneer of the Houston rap scene. If there’s one thing I’ve learned it’s that in every death, there’s a lesson in life. Born Chad Butler, this young brotha was only 33 years old and was on his way to opening new chapters in his life and business.

I’m 31, so this hits close to home because it reminds me that life is not promised. We get mad at people over little things and we hold unnecessary grudges and beefs that could easily be resolved. We fight, disrespect and kill each other without realizing the impact it has on our society and community. On the radio this morning I was listening to an interview with Pimp C and how he was talking about the benefits of working together. There’s power in numbers and there’s no limit to the positive impact we can make if we only work together.

I can’t say that I agree with everything he’s said and done, I hope to have an impact on the lives of others as he did. It’s evident that his loss will be felt in the hip-hop community. So continue to pray for his family and those close to him that they’ll be able to have strength through the grieving process ahead.

OUR CONDOLENCES GO TO KANYE WEST AND HIS FAMILY DURING THEIR TIME OF BEREAVEMENT OVER THE LOSS OF DR. DONDA WEST.

Kanye Omari West is a 30 year old rapper/producer from the city of Chicago. Originally known for his production skills, Kanye has traded his place behind the boards for one on the stage. His credits as a producer include Jay-Z, Alicia Keys, Common, and Jermaine Dupri along with introducing John Legend. His awards are numerous with several Grammys credited to his name. After two critically and commercially acclaimed albums, Kanye returns with his 3rd major release titled Graduation.

If you haven’t already heard about this album you REALLY need to get out more. Kanye and release-date mate 50 Cent have a wager on who’ll sell the most albums with 50’s career pushed to the middle of the betting table. In my humble opinion, the only things mainstream hip hop has had going this year has been “Internation Player’s Anthem” by UGK, decent efforts by artists like TI and Common, and a whole lotta bubblegum that all of which wasn’t necessarily bad. Graduation is expected to restore balance by backpackers and music pundits alike.

The album starts off with the track “Graduation” which is very…Kanye-esque? It replaces the comedic skit from Late Registration featuring Bernie Mac and has a rhythmic flow. Somewhat solemn but also upbeat at the same time. A good opening track. Maybe my fave line of the whole album is here; “Good mornean look at the valedictorian scared of the future while I hop in the DeLorean”. You’ll never lose me with 80s Michael J. Fox references.
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Prince is among the most easily recognized artists in the world. Born Prince Rogers Nelson, his first studio album was released in Spring 1978 and since then he’s released 24 studio albums. Among those albums he’s had five Number 1 singles, a litter of Top 10 singles, and four #1 albums along with some Grammy awards sprinkled in. He’s also produced for other top-selling artists like Whitney Houston, Sheila E., Alicia Keys, Tevin Campbell, Madonna, and The Time. He was named #28 on Rolling Stones Top 100 Artists of All-Time in 2004 and #5 on the Top 25 Pop Artists of the Past 25 Years. Having gone through several name changes, writing “slave” on his face over a dispute with his former label Warner Bros., and some interesting love relationships Prince remains an icon of pop culture. Planet Earth is his 24th LP.

Like most people I know I enjoy and appreciate Prince’s music but I’m not a “Prince freak”, excuse the pun. Certainly, his hits rival the catalog of almost any artist you can name. Part of his appeal is also that he appears timeless having turned 49 years old last month. Still, with Planet Earth I honestly didn’t quite know what to expect other than at least two singles that would likely be listenable. Sometimes it’s good to be wrong.

The album starts off with a solemn lead-in to the title track Planet Earth. Here Prince does his socially conscious thing by using his instrument to speak on earth-friendliness, race relations, and war. I would expect nothing less from Prince. Whether you agree with his commentary or not, the track is a good R&B/rock mix that picks up nicely as you get into the song. Even if some may see the track as “preachy” it doesn’t weight itself down. Very nice guitar riffs at the end as well.

“Somewhere Here On Earth” is another track of note that has a well-infused R&B/jazz sound. Great muted trumpet solo at the beginning that has a very “Miles Davis”-like quality. The track itself will remind jazz listeners of a Billie Holiday sound. The track is very smooth, soft, and sexy but not in a pornagraphic way many of us tend to characterize Prince’s music as.

The next track “The One U Wanna C” is hard to pigeon-hole. Maybe a little Counting Crows meets Fishbone? Whatever, it’s still uniquely Prince. Possibly what Prince does the best on this album is rock and this is a song that maybe displays it best. If you liked his Superbowl halftime performance last year you’ll like this track.

***Star Track***

You may disagree after listening to the album, but my favorite track was “Mr. Goodnight”. CLASSIC Prince with a modern feel. Ya’ll they got Prince rapping and he did a good job! The beat and the mood of the song reminds me of “Big Poppa”, but again, it’s uniquely Prince. A strong headbobber that will draw in the younger listener who probably doesn’t remember “Rasberry Berret”.

I realize most people won’t consider this to be among Prince’s classics, but it has to go among his better releases. Prince manages to craft an album that simultaneously bridges the gap between younger listeners and his core base and brings in non-traditional Prince listeners by keeping the album PG. He also caters to the mainstream rock audience with tracks like “Lion of Judah” and “Guitar”. Prince again displays himself as a technician at production and pines out an album without any throwaway tracks.

I give Planet Earth an A rating.

Donnie is a soul/R&B artist hailing originally from Lexington, KY. Having honed his craft in Atlanta, GA, his Southern gospel influences are as prevalent as his socio-political commentary. His first album, The Colored Section, would go on to receive critical acclaim after an inauspicious debut. He claims Marvin Gaye, Stevie Wonder, and Donnie Hathaway as his musical influences as he helps keep their legends alive through his music. The Daily News is Donnie’s second LP.

Though I love Donnie’s music, I’ve always felt that I wouldn’t be able to do his art justice in a review format. Therefore, I handed over the reigns to my wife, Shaunta Holmes-Reese for the review below since she was better suited to dissect what Donnie does best on his newest album. His music is as complex as it is enjoyable and I thank my wife for taking her time out to help a brother out. Her review is below.

Once again, people should open their ears and minds to what Donnie has to say on his newest LP The Daily News.. The album starts off strong with two of America’s biggest tragedies; the too soon forgotten 2005 Hurricane Katrina is represented by the song, “Impatient People” and the unforgettable per media events of 9/11 that are deeply embedded in the song titled “911.” Donnie gets his message across to listeners immediately saying, “I’ll trade the World Trade to spend some time with you baby, I’ll trade my racism, my sexism, my homophobia, trade all my funny ways, my financial center, gonna be a cold and lonely winter without you.”

After Donnie releases his emotions about unforeseen events, he let’s loose on the pharmaceutical industry with a full fledged band on “Over the Counter Culture” featuring Phonte of Little Brother. The song blasts the legality of chemicals and drugs used to “fix” the diseases of people, emphasizing that America supplies the drugs and the pharmaceutical companies “don’t never be breaking no laws” as they provide over priced ways to kill people who are already dying financially.
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Robert Sylvester Kelly is a Grammy Award-winning R&B artist/producer from Chicago, Illinois. He originally broke into the music scene nationally with his former group The Public Announcement. After leaving his group a year after their album release, R Kelly would go on to achieve immense career success including 3 Grammy’s for his single from the Space Jam soundtrack, “I Believe I Can Fly”. That same song would also be voted #406 in the Top 500 Songs of All Time by Rolling Stone magazine. He has also produced tracks for several platinum recording artists such as Janet and Michael Jackson, The Isley Brothers, Nas, Celine Dion, and Jay-Z along with helping to spawn several artists’ careers such as Aaliyah, Changing Faces, and Sparkle. It’s estimated he’s sold over 50 million albums worldwide. His latest LP is titled Double Up and it is his 12th LP to date.
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