tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2923637913865237552024-03-13T10:57:24.319-04:00Jaded, My TummyMusic and Whatnot. writes like "he's mean and his tummy hurt."<br>
tired, exhausted, hungry.<br>Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.comBlogger41125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-50819495442252799942017-03-13T00:38:00.001-04:002017-03-13T00:39:10.069-04:00My Top 2016 Music Albums (Remix) (Sorry.)So ummmmmm, I made a few changes to my top 2016. I realize I still listen to some albums more than others (Common, Blake, Elzhi, Leimberg over Schoolboy Q), but also I finally got around to listening <i>Love & Hate</i>. Jesus fucking Christ that album is good. Plus, Danger Mouse, aka Brian Burton, had his hands all over the production for the album. He's come so far since producing beats for an unknown rapper named Gemini. I've also found myself listening to <i>Blonde</i> a lot more. I got over the drums thing. There. I admit it.<br><br>
1. Solange - <i>A Seat at the Table</i><br />
2. Radiohead - <i>A Moon Shaped Pool</i><br />
3. Jack DeJohnette/Matthew Garrison/Ravi Coltrane - <i>In Movement</i><br />
4. Kaytranada - <i>99.9%</i><br />
5. Beyoncé - <i>Lemonade</i><br />
6. Kendrick Lamar - <i>untitled. unmastered.</i><br />
7. Jeff Parker - <i>The New Breed</i><br />
8. Michael Kiwanuka - <i>Love & Hate</i><br>
9. Common - <i>Black America Again</i><br />
10. Josef Leimberg - <i>Astral Projections</i><br />
11. dvsn - <i>SEPT 5TH</i><br />
12. James Blake - <i>The Colour in Anything</i><br />
13. Anderson .Paak - <i>Malibu</i><br />
14. Elzhi - <i>Lead Poison</i><br />
15. Schoolboy Q - Blank Face LP<br>
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<u><b>Honorable Mentions</b></u>:<br />
Maxwell - <i>blackSUMMERS'night</i><br />
Esperanza Spalding - <i>Emily's D+Evolution</i><br />
Theo Croker - <i>Escape Velocity</i><br />
Frank Ocean - <i>Blonde</i><br />
Rihanna - <i>ANTI</i><br />
Jamire Williams - <i>/////EFFECTUAL</i><br />Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-26784842582831744532017-01-28T03:37:00.000-05:002017-01-28T03:37:24.066-05:00random [ass] quote:<blockquote>
We don't need any more writers as solitary heroes. We need a heroic writer's movement: assertive, militant, pugnacious.</blockquote><br>
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-Toni Morrison, Keynote Speech at<br>
American Writers Congress Manhattan, NY, 1981</div>
Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-42883900280701375162017-01-15T07:50:00.000-05:002017-01-15T07:52:17.867-05:00My Top 2016 Music AlbumsI haven't gone to bed yet (it's 7:37AM right now); just reading and thinking and reading and writing and more thinking. So, I decided I will post my top albums of 2016 up. Why the fuck not? I've been working on it and finalized it earlier this morning. My list reminds me that, despite having expanded my tastes in music over the last 10 years beyond just hip hop, jazz, and R&B, I still am pretty much beholden to that holy trifecta of contemporary black music. My list. In order. For your eyes (all 10 of you, LOL):<br />
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1. Solange - <i>A Seat at the Table</i><br />
2. Radiohead - <i>A Moon Shaped Pool</i><br />
3. Jack DeJohnette/Matthew Garrison/Ravi Coltrane - <i>In Movement</i><br />
4. Kaytranada - <i>99.9%</i><br />
5. Beyonce - <i>Lemonade</i><br />
6. Kendrick Lamar - <i>untitled. unmastered.</i><br />
7. Jeff Parker - <i>The New Breed</i><br />
8. ScHoolboy Q - <i>Blank Face LP</i><br />
9. Josef Leimberg - <i>Astral Projections</i><br />
10. Common - <i>Black America Again</i><br />
11. dvsn - <i>SEPT 5TH</i><br />
12. Anderson .Paak - <i>Malibu</i><br />
13. James Blake - <i>The Colour in Anything</i><br />
14. Elzhi - <i>Lead Poison</i><br />
15. Maxwell - <i>blackSUMMERS'night</i><br />
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<u><b>Honorable Mentions</b></u>:<br />
Esperanza Spalding - <i>Emily's D+Evolution</i><br />
Theo Croker - <i>Escape Velocity</i><br />
Vince Staples - <i>Prima Donna</i> EP<br />
Vijay Iyer/Wadada Leo Smith - <i>A Cosmic Rhythm With Each Stroke</i><br />
Rihanna - <i>ANTI</i><br />
Yussef Jamaal - <i>Black Focus</i><br />
Jamire Williams - <i>/////EFFECTUAL</i><br />
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I really, really wanted <i>Emily's D+Evolution</i> in the list instead of in HMs, but I guess it was not meant to be. <i>Lead Poison</i> might be the most slept-on album of 2016.<br />
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<i>Last note</i>: I may do some write-ups for these and post them over on <a href="https://medium.com/@LargesseMorlu" target="_blank">my Medium page</a>. Please check that out.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-46657240700249735162017-01-15T02:52:00.002-05:002017-01-15T02:59:39.272-05:00New Ta-Nehisi Coates Book in the Works?!?!Arguably one of the greatest writers of our generation, Ta-Nehisi Coates recently tweeted this statement:<br />
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Ok. So I'm gonna take the year to try my hand at this fancy book writin' stuff. See y'all in '18. Take us out, Queen... <a href="https://t.co/kLISnrMJE9">pic.twitter.com/kLISnrMJE9</a></div>
— Ta-Nehisi Coates (@tanehisicoates) <a href="https://twitter.com/tanehisicoates/status/815975576255287296">January 2, 2017</a></blockquote>
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Exciting! Does this mean we could be getting another book within the next year or so from the author of the brilliant <i>Between the World and Me</i> (2015)? There has not been any other book in recent memory that I can enjoy each and every single time from re-reading random passages. In the form of a letter to his only son, the book can be difficult to go back and navigate after reading it. But when I do, I get lost, engulfed in his prose — the beautifully crafted, poignant, assured, politically exigent, intellectually biting, bold prose. I don’t need to make the lofty comparison to that great American writer, because another one, Toni Morrison, ever the authority, does so for me and for us, unequivocally: “I’ve been wondering who might fill the intellectual void that plagued me after James Baldwin died. Clearly it is Ta-Nehisi Coates.”
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So, I’m obviously stoked and eager for his next project. But I have to admit, the quasi-announcement is bittersweet. Is he also taking a hiatus from his journalist exploits at The Atlantic? No more public or online engagements, period, for the time being? Considering the times and the inevitable march of the racist onslaught we are about to undertake in the form of Donald Trump & co., we desperately need (or I selfishly want….I admit it) Coates’ fearless analyses and reporting. However, given his love-hate relationship with the Internet, <a href="http://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics/2016/12/21/13967504/twitter-young-journalists-coates" target="_blank">Twitter specifically</a>, I definitely understand: to get away from the (literal) white noise, the racist cacophony, the burden of being a leading journalistic voice for black America might critically aid in producing his best work to date.<br />
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So, most def, I can’t wait.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-23779442465981949292016-12-29T02:28:00.001-05:002016-12-29T02:28:39.174-05:00random [ass] quote:<blockquote>
The pursuit of knowing was freedom to me, the right to declare your own curiosities and follow them through all manner of books. I was made for the library, not the classroom. The classroom was a jail of other people's interests.</blockquote><br />
<div style="text-align: right;">-Ta-Nehisi Coates, <i>Between the World and Me</i> (2015)</div>
Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-15419423638022882282016-12-27T02:02:00.002-05:002016-12-27T02:06:27.918-05:00Artist Spotlight: Jamire Williams, Drummer, Percussionist Extraordinaire, Artist<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX-TvrUui7VA3d8YyhkliWqCRQ3A1jNWEoNp7CT3TD0eARulYx4N_9QowQYFBUG-6Ug7li2ZDF4eGWhknE0gI6JVJL0zTkTg4MrD7v-ocimCXjuilNA6TfIOA2Jm2UKYy8h_ihkY3Juo/s1600/jamire+williams+pic+1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="211" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhZX-TvrUui7VA3d8YyhkliWqCRQ3A1jNWEoNp7CT3TD0eARulYx4N_9QowQYFBUG-6Ug7li2ZDF4eGWhknE0gI6JVJL0zTkTg4MrD7v-ocimCXjuilNA6TfIOA2Jm2UKYy8h_ihkY3Juo/s320/jamire+williams+pic+1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
Jamire Williams is my favorite jazz drummer, bar none, and I'd say he's arguably in the Top 3 of jazz drummers in America. Truly exceptional.<br /><br />
The first time I discovered him was on Christian Scott's <i>Yesterday You Said Tomorrow</i> (2010). His drumming on there, especially on album opener "K.K.P.D.," really cements together on the LP Scott's musical ideas. Williams' imaginative use of his drum kit and his myriad senses of rhythm—unorthodox syncopation, gutter boom-bap kicks, diffusive cadences, malleable fluctuations of space-time—drew me in. But what made me a fan and convinced me that he become my favorite was hearing him perform as part of pianist/composer Robert Glasper's trio. <a href="http://www.npr.org/event/music/131722844/robert-glasper-trio-live-at-the-village-vanguard" target="_blank">Recorded live at the Village Vanguard in December 2010</a>, Williams sounds like art. And that is no mere trope—he is captivating. Every lick, every brush, every roll, every hi-hat tap, every strike of his calibrated snares feels like the masterful deliberation of a painter's impressionistic brush strokes, ethereal beauty in motion. I can palpably sense the three-dimensional space he's creating inside the Village Vanguard, and my mind. So, when I read <a href="https://daily.bandcamp.com/2016/12/14/jamire-williams-interview/" target="_blank">this recent interview with Bandcamp</a> where Williams states, "It’s high art to me. I look at myself as a painter on the drums," it strongly bolstered my thoughts on him.
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8nDf7Wzi2LKvPadzUQkrhJG8aVCjGwUw3v_RV9hZxlutQv7e1f-KNehw4PnKUCalDcUQo_gHWIhSkFH5doAwGBiOwPx4ifI1EvKzlbUUeMAA3neh5v-pQWl_rfYlovnJS3vxnbonxoU/s1600/jamire+williams+-+effectual.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="250" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgB8nDf7Wzi2LKvPadzUQkrhJG8aVCjGwUw3v_RV9hZxlutQv7e1f-KNehw4PnKUCalDcUQo_gHWIhSkFH5doAwGBiOwPx4ifI1EvKzlbUUeMAA3neh5v-pQWl_rfYlovnJS3vxnbonxoU/s200/jamire+williams+-+effectual.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>
On his Twitter timeline, he announced his latest project, <i>/////EFFECTUAL</i>, released earlier this month on Leaving Records via <a href="https://leavingrecords.bandcamp.com/album/effectual" target="_blank">Bandcamp</a>. It's a pure drummer's record, an avant-garde, pointillist statement of percussion. Despite my open-mindedness to new music, I am a little intimidated in how to go about digesting this record. However, I think I just have to purchase it because of my deep appreciation for him. In that Bandcamp interview, he references as an inspiration for <i>/////EFFECTUAL</i> a Jack DeJohnette drummer's record called <i>Pictures</i>. DeJohnette is quite possibly my favorite jazz drummer of all time (I go back and forth between he and Tony Williams), but I never heard of this album. I might need to cop both of these.<br /><br />
Please, check this dude out. It's worth the effort. Here's a few more projects that he's been a part of and dope as fuck on:<br />
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<u>As Side Musician</u>:<br />
Christian Scott - <i>Yesterday You Said Tomorrow</i> (2010)<br />
Christian Scott - <i>Christian aTunde Adjuah</i> (2012)<br />
Kris Bowers - <i>Heroes + Misfits</i> (2012)<br />
Jeff Parker - <i>The New Breed</i> (2016)<br /><br />
<u>As Leader/Solo</u>:<br />
ERIMAJ - <i>Conflict of a Man</i> (2012)<br />
<span style="font-size: x-small"><p style="line-height:95%"><i>features Corey King (trombone), Chris Turner (vocals), Jason Moran (piano/wurlitzer/rhodes), Matthew Stevens (guitar), John Ellis (tenor sax/bass clarinet), Vicente Archer (bass), Burniss Earl Travis (bass on 1 track)</i></p></span>
<i>/////EFFECTUAL</i> (2016)
Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-38487291561505723622016-12-19T01:00:00.001-05:002016-12-19T02:36:17.258-05:00Song Review: Solange - Rise (from A Seat at the Table)A lot of time has passed since Solange's <i>A Seat at the Table</i> was released in September, and much has been said about it already. However, <i>ASATT</i> is near the top of many year-end lists, including being <a href="http://pitchfork.com/features/lists-and-guides/9980-the-50-best-albums-of-2016/?page=5" target="_blank">#1 on Pitchfork's Top 50 of 2016</a>. So, maybe we'll start talking about it again. Anyways, I want to review individual songs from <i>ASATT</i> here, as many as I can, to get myself back into the exercise of reviewing music. The reviews will be more whatever-the-fuck-comes-out-of-me type writing, because I really need to get these ideas out of my head. I haven't reviewed any music in probably like 3 or 4 years. I didn't intend for this to sound so "English major-y," but here we go:<br><br>
<b>Rating:</b><div class="classification"><div class="cover"></div><div class="progress" style="width: 90%;"></div></div><br>
<blockquote>Fall in your ways, so you can crumble<br>
Fall in your ways, so you can sleep at night<br>
Fall in your ways, so you can wake up and rise<br>
</blockquote><br><br>
Solange repeats this chorus three times to open <i>ASATT</i>. Its drum work understated, its bass cradling Solange's every word, "Rise" is meticulous, a soft preparation for the journey Solange has for you. Her empathy conveys thoughtfulness, tenderness, and her motives are sincere, galvanizing, compelling. She's like a wise, warmhearted mother tucking in her loved one, comforting you, telling you that failing and falling down are inevitable. The foundation Solange sets is preparing for the quiet storm to come. Using the song's calming tone—single-strike, closed hi-hat, atmospheric synths, delicate keys—to soothe your inner scars and bruises, Solange wants you to be attentive and pensive in mood. "Rise" is the salve before you even start. She empowers, encourages, and pushes us from the nest to explore on our own, to "Walk in your way, so you can wake up and rise," with our identity, our blackness, our humanity in tow but laid bare in front of us. It's what a mother does. And it's what Solange does, bracing us all for <i>A Seat at the Table</i>.<br><br><br>
<iframe src="https://embed.spotify.com/?uri=spotify%3Atrack%3A688iitLNSV6Iik1QESqvth" width="300" height="380" frameborder="0" allowtransparency="true"></iframe><br><br>Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-86090004736855259952016-10-27T03:25:00.001-04:002016-10-27T04:01:32.762-04:00Solange - Don't Touch My Hair (feat. Sampha) (Video)So, I kinda really gotta share this. And yes, I know I'm pretty late to post this since it's been out for a while. But I <i>needed</i> to post this, because (1) I love it, and (2) it gives me the <i><b>feels</b></i>. I don't why, but when the bridge comes in with the horns and vocals of co-producer Sampha, for whatever reason, they dancing black as fuck. Like, really. They look <b><i>black as fuck</i></b> with the dance moves, and it gives me the <i><b>feels</b></i>. Then in the later scenes, Solange gets all possessed-by-the-holy-ghost-in-a-black-church while everybody behind her is completely still. It's a strange but beautiful image. Maybe meaning we're still black in the calm and quiet too? Meh. Anyway, I got a couple things on Solange's <i>A Seat at the Table</i> that I hope to post up before everybody stops talking about the brilliant release altogether.<br><br>
Solange - Don't Touch My Hair<br><br>
<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/YTtrnDbOQAU" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-16663954838258128172016-10-17T01:44:00.002-04:002016-10-17T01:45:20.932-04:00#KaeptainAmerica: Welp?Welp... <br><br>
Colin Kaepernick played Sunday to protests from all sides of the debate. Though most notably were these shirts being sold outside the Buffalo Bills' stadium:<br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Shirts with a rifle scope trained on Colin Kaepernick selling for $10 outside of Ralph Wilson stadium. <a href="https://t.co/bSuxF3G5qq">pic.twitter.com/bSuxF3G5qq</a></p>— Robert Klemko (@RobertKlemko) <a href="https://twitter.com/RobertKlemko/status/787689419281207296">October 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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Anyways, to answer my <a href="https://jadedtummy.blogspot.com/2016/10/teamkaepernick.html#exact" target="_blank">previous question</a>. Where was Kaeptain America's head at in his first start for the San Francisco 49ers since November 1, 2015: <a name='more'></a><br>
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" data-lang="en"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Colin Kaepernick arrives to the stadium wearing a Muhammad Ali shirt. <a href="https://t.co/ep1bZKTiOa">pic.twitter.com/ep1bZKTiOa</a></p>— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) <a href="https://twitter.com/ESPNNFL/status/787657473113096192">October 16, 2016</a></blockquote>
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He walked into Buffalo, into the stadium, and right into the center of this political shitstorm wearing a Muhammad Ali shirt. <b><i>A Shirt With Muhammad Ali On It!</i></b> Kaepernick, who apparently was representing the entire race Sunday, performed competently but uninspired as the game went on. In my opinion, that was in part due to the defense just giving up too many yards and having no solution to stop the offense of Tyrod Taylor and co.<br><br>
But, again, to answer my question, for real. Where was Young Kaep's head at for the game? His mind was clearly and exactly where he wanted it to be—aware, prepared, strong, and unafraid. Hopefully, this translates onto the field for him in the near future. Good luck to him.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-24406849615157387022016-10-14T04:16:00.001-04:002016-10-17T01:55:11.426-04:00#TeamKaepernick<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1xQOrorSiXDEt6auEDeu5VPRnpKmNInlKOUTJaBRoPuyDmHEcH0Ypnfmzn9Rc_O8RHuoyDDGKtgweM_rzeAes_BP0jWjpm7mqRg7VilOv_jIoGmUvdtjtznuD7MoyDikDmVWmcXH08A/s1600/kaeptimemagcover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjO1xQOrorSiXDEt6auEDeu5VPRnpKmNInlKOUTJaBRoPuyDmHEcH0Ypnfmzn9Rc_O8RHuoyDDGKtgweM_rzeAes_BP0jWjpm7mqRg7VilOv_jIoGmUvdtjtznuD7MoyDikDmVWmcXH08A/s320/kaeptimemagcover.jpg" width="278" height="370" /></a></div>
So, that radicalization of <b>#BLM</b> <a href="https://jadedtummy.blogspot.com/2016/10/allow-me-to-reintroduce-myself.html" target="_blank">I spoke of</a>? One manifestation, a very courageous and ongoing one, is San Francisco 49ers QB Colin Kaepernick's refusal to stand for the American national anthem. He kneels. It's probably the most innocuous of physical movements, silent of protests that someone could do. But we knew the social weight of this protest after he first did it during the NFL preseason, as did his racist detractors. Now? So many athletes—professional, college, amateur, high school, shit, even marching band members—have all followed suit, furthering the debate in ways we probably didn't see possible. Proudly, determinedly, Kaepernick stands in the tradition and spirit of Muhammad Ali (Rest in Power, brother).<br /><br />
So far this season, Kaepernick has been the backup QB. But, when Blake Bortles' wack-assedness reached new levels of wack-assednessery, head coach Chip Kelly finally decided to replace Bortles with Kaepernick for the starting QB job against the Buffalo Bills this weekend, Week 6 of the NFL.<br /><br />
I can't help but wonder about the anxiety going on in many black people's minds about this, because I know about mine. It's just a "game," but it feels like there's much more at stake. Think Muhammad Ali vs. Joe Frazier, the Fight of the Century in 1971, <a name='more'></a> the boxing match that got pegged as anti-war vs. pro-war, anti-America vs. pro-America. Neither of the outcomes really determine anything of political significance, of course, but the pressure, the gravity, the social weight of the situation is still real. This pressure feels like how black, Latina/o, and other minority students have to perform better than their white classmates to be considered worthy of their spot on campus; or that women have to be twice as good as their male co-workers to be considered equal. Women of minority groups? Well, you get the picture. It also reminds of me when there's some type of tragic event or highly publicized crime or idiotic incident, the first thought about the possible perpetrator is: "Was they black?"<br><br>
In this context though, Kaepernick's performance is and will be a litmus test for him, because of how black athletes are under more scrutiny and forced to be symbols of black America, but also for us, because he's been a critical voice of our generation, a true, positive, and incredibly prominent one. He is, after all, a part of a powerful and seemingly unassailable $9-billion-dollar <del>empire</del>, *ahem*, enterprise. This unfair test is not only a racist double standard but is also another expression of the lack of freedom that black people must endure, even if you average $19 million a year in salary.<br><br>
<a id="exact" style="text-decoration:none">Kaepernick</a> has the tremendous weight of all of racist society bearing down on him, and they will be rooting against him with every snap. Many of us who support him will be pulling our weight with hashtags, viewer ratings, and the donning of red #7 jerseys. Thus, I also have to wonder how he himself is dealing with this. Kaepernick's mental preparedness and possible anxiety can easily affect his performance on Sunday. These issues don't even really concern football; though no doubt, his detractors will claim it as validation of our racial inferiority in some type of, usually, convoluted and indirect way if the 49ers lose. But, is it really something for us to worry about if Kaepernick, who hasn't performed well since the 49ers' NFC Championship run in the 2013 season, winds up playing badly? His very recent restructuring of his original 6-year contract to only 2 years is concerning, because if he leaves the 49ers this year or next as an unrestricted free agent, his prospects at getting another QB gig <a href="http://www.sportingnews.com/nfl/news/colin-kaepernick-nfl-owners-executives-national-anthem-protest/x1dyns4gx4xk1lqhka2g2jt4j" target="_blank">look very, very bleak</a>. His singular, tenacious voice could be silenced no matter how he performs, on or off the field.<br /><br />
It'll suck major butt cheeks if he plays badly (although a situation where he plays very well, but the team still loses? We will still claim victory tho bwhahahaha. The mad-making potential would be exquisite), but all we can do is keep trucking on. Whether the 49ers win or lose, or whether "Kaeptain America" performs phenomenally or terribly, I am and will always be <b>#TeamKaepernick</b>.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-36699504952061360672016-10-12T01:10:00.000-04:002016-12-19T01:00:51.889-05:00Allow me to reintroduce myselfIt's been a long time since I've written anything here. And even a longer period of time that anyone has even paid attention to this blog, i.e. never. #HeyOh.<br />
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First of all, let me say, after ignoring it for so long, I'm finally on Twitter. Please follow <a href="https://twitter.com/largessemorlu" target="_blank">@LargesseMorlu</a>!<br />
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A lot has happened since my last post in 2012, with music and contemporary events. Like <i><b>a muthafuckin' lot</b></i>. I won't even begin to try and summarize it all (R.I.P. Prince, Muhammad Ali, and Phife Dawg tho), but two things come to mind: the radicalization of the <b>#BlackLivesMatter</b> movement and what I possibly believe could be the New Black Renaissance. The former reflects both tremendous tragedy and an exciting time. The brutally racist and recorded killings of <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%23philandocastile" target="_blank">Philando Castile</a> and <a href="https://www.google.com/webhp?sourceid=chrome-instant&ion=1&espv=2&ie=UTF-8#q=%23altonsterling" target="_blank">Alton Sterling</a>, happening within 24 hours of each other earlier this year, ignited <a href="https://www.google.com/search?q=baton+rouge+protests&espv=2&biw=1600&bih=794&site=webhp&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiY59Dsv9TPAhUJHD4KHRHtDIUQ_AUICCgD" target="_blank">a fire under us</a>, and we are demanding not only justice but permanent change, a thorough reorganization of society and its perpetuation of privilege.<br />
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The latter is an acknowledgement on my part that within the past few years we have gotten some of the best black music in years. Highly creative, artistic, forward-thinking, progressive, even political, etc. etc. And often that shit still bangs (see: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z-48u_uWMHY" target="_blank">"Alright"</a>). I think things got started with the return of D'Angelo and his <i>Black Messiah</i> (2014),<br />
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but please, tell me different. This could be a wonderful discussion. Plus, it's not just music. It's been reflected in art, literature (both fiction and non-fiction), television shows, films, documentaries (can't wait to watch Ava DuVernay's <i>13TH</i>), etc. It's an exciting time. Oh wait. I guess Donald Trump, an arrogantly racist blowhard and voice for fascism and white supremacy in America, is the 2016 Republican presidential candidate—lets call that three things. All three are interconnected, and I hope to write about them and other things in a new light that will make you think about them differently, the real job of a writer. And yeah, the writer thing. It's still a semi-aspiration now, and I'm nowhere near the level of even an amateur blogger, never mind a published writer. So, I'm working on it.<br />
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<b>The title of my blog and its convoluted meaning</b><br />
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One last thing. I have to admit I tried to force my favorite MF Doom lyric to being the title of this blog. I tried to give it meaning, wanted it to fit. But I am grown. It doesn't have to mean shit, really. <br />
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Villain, hold the mic like he's mean and his tummy hurt<br />
In a clean pair of ripped jeans and a bummy shirt<br />
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<b>-Madvillain, "Monkey Suite"<br />
from Stones Throw Records compilation <i>Chrome Children</i> (2006)</b></div>
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This is classic DOOM. The villain is gangsta but in a way that's cartoonish, absurd (tummy hurts? LMAO), a kind of mock gangsta rapper. It's hilarious. I've never put this out of my mind within the 10 years since this came out. So, I altered my header text a little: "tired, exhaustive, <b><i>HUNGRY</i></b>". I'm frustrated with the current state of affairs but I crave sustenance, meaning? Fuck Trump (and the Dems too tbh), I want change, progress? Mehhh, you figure out what it means. I simply love the lyric. And I'm ok with my blog title meaning nothing, despite how pretentious it makes me look.<br />
<br />Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-56692040326811883452012-07-04T15:04:00.000-04:002012-07-10T19:28:54.150-04:00[not so] randam [ass] quote:<blockquote>
To say now that America was right, and England wrong, is exceedingly easy. Everybody can say it; the dastard, not less than the noble brave, can flippantly discant on the tyranny of England towards the American Colonies. It is fashionable to do so; but there was a time when to pronounce against England, and in favor of the cause of the colonies, tried men’s souls. They who did so were accounted in their day, plotters of mischief, agitators and rebels, dangerous men. To side with the right, against the wrong, with the weak against the strong, and with the oppressed against the oppressor! here lies the merit, and the one which, of all others, seems unfashionable in our day. The cause of liberty may be stabbed by the men who glory in the deeds of your fathers.</blockquote>
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<b>-Frederick Douglass, <a href="http://teachingamericanhistory.org/library/index.asp?document=162" target="_blank"><i>What to the Slave is the Fourth of July?</i></a> (1852)</b></div>Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-44739801945541887432012-06-25T23:48:00.000-04:002012-06-25T23:48:14.328-04:00prince nico mbarga and rocafill jazz - simplicity<iframe width="420" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/2gptkUOj1kA" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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Let me stay on Africa for a little bit with these Black Music Month posts. This music here, highlife—West African dance/funk/pop medley galore—is what Fela grew up on. As did I. Prince Nico Mbarga was probably the most popular of the genre ("Sweet Mother" was his biggest song and, I believe, highest selling record by an African artist.... don't quote me on that). "Simplicity" is one of my favorites.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-82390404698545671792012-06-24T17:26:00.000-04:002012-06-24T17:26:20.635-04:00random [ass] quote:<blockquote>
Societies never know it, but the war of an artist with his society is a lover’s war, and he does, at his best, what lovers do, which is to reveal the beloved to himself and, with that revelation, to make freedom real.</blockquote>
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<b>-James Baldwin, "The Creative Process" (1962)<b></b></b></div>Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-8279230238856559532012-06-23T20:37:00.000-04:002012-06-23T20:44:20.020-04:00okp review: fela kuti - the best of the black president (2009)I'm still behind on my reviews (please forgive me OKP!), so I'm still posting up already published pieces for the time being. This is one of my favorite reviews. For <a href="http://www.okayplayer.com" target="_blank">Okayplayer</a>, I reviewed the Fela compilation <i>The Best of the Black President</i>, which was released around the start of the incredible Broadway play <i>Fela!</i>. I would give more info on what Fela's music, Afro-beat, is and whatnot, but I introduce those things in the review. I'll have some more Afro-beat related posts coming too, which will fit in nicely with the whole black music month thing. Enjoy!
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<b>Fela Kuti - <i>The Best of the Black President</i> (2009)</b><br>
<img src="http://www.limitemagazine.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/fela-blkpres-cover_600.jpg" width="400"></a>
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There are several labels that have been ascribed to Nigerian Afro-Beat king Fela Kuti: visionary, trailblazer, misogynist, revolutionary, genius, etc. However, "prolific" has to be the most indisputable. Timed with the Broadway debut of the biographical musical <i>Fela!</i>, Knitting Factory Records will remaster and reissue nearly all of Fela’s back catalog...Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-80512484395315103792012-06-20T21:06:00.002-04:002012-07-10T19:31:36.406-04:00my current "needs to be copped" listI was all types of broke when I was in college, but somehow I still managed to collect all types of CDs and occasionally vinyl. Now, I'm all grown up, and I'm broke..... but I'm broke for real. In no particular order, I want to share my list of albums that I'm still eager to cop, despite how late I am on picking them up. If anyone who reads this has more suggestions, please post them up.
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<b>Esperanza Spalding - <i>Radio Music Society</i></b><br />
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I love me some Hope, i.e. Esperanza, although I find myself frustrated that I lean more towards her R&B-leaning cuts than her pure jazz tracks. She's a badass bassist and interesting composer/improviser, so I would like to see more of that. However, if the Algebra Blessett duo, "Black Gold," is indicative of this "radio" album, then it's going to be more of the former. Still, can't be mad at that.
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<b>Big K.R.I.T. - <i>Live from the Underground</i></b><br />
<img src="http://i.imgur.com/waMbm.jpg" width="250" /><br>
MC of the hour right here..... at least for me anyways. I won't say too much here, because I'm working on a write-up for him (á la <a href="/2012/04/artist-spotlight-badbadnotgood-aka-bbng.html">BBNG</a>).
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<b>Killer Mike - <i>R.A.P. Music</i></b><br />
<img src="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2012/05/Killer-Mike-R.A.P.-Music.jpg" width="250" /><br>
Since I've already <a href="/2012/05/instant-coppage-killer-mikes-rap-music.html">given this project props</a>, I should already own this. But alas, I do not. I still believe it <i>MUST</i> be good. There's no way it's not.
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<b>Alabama Shakes - <i>Boys and Girls</i></b><br />
<img src="http://www.mainstreetmusicpa.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/04/as.jpg" width="250" /><br />
A new garage-y rock band on the scene. I see you all's collective eyes roll, but this band is special. They are heavily influenced by the Stax, Memphis, and Muscle Shoals soul sounds, and the lead singer Brittany Howard's voice is painfully wonderful (think female Otis Redding). I <s>want to marry her</s> love it. The band is based out of Athens, AL, which is about an hour's drive from that legendary soul-recording city, Muscle Shoals. The few tracks I've heard on Spotify of this debut LP have me a little discouraged, but I still want to check this out.
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<b>The Black Keys - <i>El Camino</i></b><br />
<img src="http://cdn.stereogum.com/files/2011/12/The-Black-Keys-El-Camino.jpg" width="250" /><br/>
I'm embarrassed to say I've yet to pick this up. When did this come out? Anyways, The Black Keys seem to be one of the biggest bands in America right now (ironically maybe?), so I don't need to say much about this.
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<b>Georgia Anne Muldrow - <i>Seeds</i></b><br />
<img src="http://static.okayplayer.com/wp-content/uploads/2012/02/GAM-Seeds1.jpg" width="250" /><br />
Now, all these albums are good picks, at least in my opinion, but this might be the most intriguing album of all. I'm not a full-fledged fan of the cerebral, post-neo-soul of GAM, but mainly because I simply just don't understand many of her otherworldly projects. Every now and then, she releases a track or album where I recognize her brilliance, be it her atmospheric production or lyrical creativity. <i>Seeds</i> is entirely produced by Madlib, and I've heard too many good things about this to pass it up. So, I'm definitely going to cop this. Problem though? It's not something you can find at Best Buy or major retail store—but also, apparently, some local record shops, as I've failed to find it at my usual spots. I still like the feeling of going into the store and buying it, but I may cave and order it online.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-88841012114842623142012-06-17T21:56:00.000-04:002016-10-14T05:16:34.095-04:00bob marley - jah live<iframe width="560" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/suFx6fNd9cg" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe>
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I was playing an old Bob Marley mix CD I made in college, and this popped on. I used to love this song so much, and now realize that I still do. I can't even explain why. I'm definitely not religious at all, let alone Rastafarian, but this song always spoke to me. Maybe it's because it's about perseverance or having strong faith in the face of despair and opposition. Wikipedia has some <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jah_Live" target="_blank">interesting things to say</a> about the song. I know now why I never found this on an actual album. Enjoy.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-80834634990128840872012-06-15T10:07:00.000-04:002012-06-16T14:16:19.965-04:00random [ass] quote:<blockquote>
One good thing about music, when it hits you feel no pain.<br><br></blockquote>
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<b>-Bob Marley, "Trenchtown Rock"</b></div>Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-74141115866917023092012-06-10T06:54:00.000-04:002012-06-10T06:54:46.138-04:00young, gifted, and black (june is black music month)<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBobnq2N3Zm7tk37E7qU0Klxkt0A35r2UrMfc-BYd2cl5Fiy_z97jRfbNMKFYLcvR8K3SUVjszU_VIqER9V65mNTPl5OlXK4PoazcbFTr-cYN7sVuDYRoS2zHKM7S8sEfkBD91LlbxFg/s1600/donny-hathaway-380x285.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="220" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJBobnq2N3Zm7tk37E7qU0Klxkt0A35r2UrMfc-BYd2cl5Fiy_z97jRfbNMKFYLcvR8K3SUVjszU_VIqER9V65mNTPl5OlXK4PoazcbFTr-cYN7sVuDYRoS2zHKM7S8sEfkBD91LlbxFg/s1600/donny-hathaway-380x285.jpg" /></a>
I just learned via Wikipedia that Black Music Month was established by President Jimmy Carter in 1979. How executive of him, haha. Anyway, for my blog, I wanted to dedicate the month to those extremely talented artists who we tragically lost, either too soon (Jimi Hendrix, Marvin Gaye, Amy Winehouse [I know she's not black, so hush]) or still had time to make another impact (Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Don Cornelius). These artists all suffered from some form of mental illness, some combined with drugs, and it's something that I think about constantly.
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But, one artist who I regard so highly and suffered from mental illness was Donny Hathaway. He is someone who I believe, unlike fellow keyboard prodigy Stevie Wonder, whose singular brilliance was never fully recognized on wax. While alive, he was mainly famous for the softer, simpler duets he did with Roberta Flack. I just happened to be listening to his song "To Be Young, Gifted, and Black," a cover of Nina Simone, around Whitney's passing, and it makes me think of all these artists. Aretha Franklin and a few others also did a cover, but Hathaway's is the best and arguably better than Simone's original. This month, though, I want to post up some artists and music I like that are outside the triumvirate of black music-hip hop, R&B, and jazz-that will be tagged "black music month." So enjoy.
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"To Be Young, Gifted, and Black" from <i>Everything Is Everything</i> (1970)
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<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/6agBPKX02UM" width="560"></iframe>Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-17543170017028723282012-06-06T17:47:00.000-04:002012-07-10T19:28:33.209-04:00ummm, yeah... the flaming lips - the first time ever i saw your face (feat. erykah badu) (nsfw)<object width="480" height="380" data="http://www.guavaleaf.com/nuevo/player.swf" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="movie" value="http://www.guavaleaf.com/nuevo/player.swf"><param name="flashvars" value="config=http://www.guavaleaf.com/nuevo/econfig.php?key=17cf1e0efbc00fee0133"><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always"><param value="transparent" name="wmode"><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true"></object>
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Ok. Ummmmm.... Wow, did I not see this coming. I stayed "Stanning" Ms. Badu even when she tripped out into left field with the brilliant, in my opinion, album <i>New Amerykah, Part 1: 4th Wold War</i> (2008). I didn't think too much of her second installment, <i>Return of the Ankh</i> (2010), but I felt like I began to understand her artistry more clearly than ever with those last two albums, believe it or not.
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Well, in this <i><b>VERY</b></i> NSFW video, she performs a static, hazy noise-rock cover of one of my favorite Roberta Flack songs, "The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face," with experimental alt-rockers the Flaming Lips. You must see the video for yourself, but it's disgusting. And I'm not talking about the nudity, so just watch. <s>Note that I had to get this from the Perez Hilton site, because it was taken down by YouTube and many other sites.</s> It was taken down by Perez Hilton too, so I found another link. I try not to get too wrapped up in the image of musical artists. I like to focus on the music. With that said, I'm not really feeling this cover.
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<b><i><span style="color: #942222;">UPDATE 6/10/12:</span></i></b> Ok, so there's been some developments, which I'm as usual, a little late on. Badu went to Twitter and blasted the band for this leaked version, originally by Pitchfork, and Flaming Lips man Wayne Coyne issued a formal apology: <a href="http://www.okayplayer.com/news/okp-news-erykah-badus-statement-on-first-time-ever-i-saw-your-face-video.html" target="_blank">OKP News: Erykah Badu’s Statement On “First Time Ever I Saw Your Face” Video</a>.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-46569659848297334832012-05-27T19:49:00.000-04:002012-05-27T19:54:29.803-04:00okp review: the spinning leaves and hezekiah jones - hezekiah leaves and the spinning joneses (2011)Since I've been working on some overdue reviews (sorry OKP lol), I'm laying back on blog posts with original writing, so check out this folk album I reviewed for <a href="http://www.okayplayer.com/" target="_blank">Okayplayer</a>. I am not at all well versed in roots music, though I'd like to be. So, this was a challenge. I relied a lot on what the music made me feel in order to critique it, so I thought it came out pretty good, though not necessarily my best writing.<br />
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<a href="http://www.okayplayer.com/reviews/the-spinning-leaves-and-hezekiah-jones.html"><b>The Spinning Leaves and Hezekiah Jones - <i>Hezekiah Leaves and the Spinning Joneses</i> (2011)</b></a><br />
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Founders of the Philadelphia Folk Parade, flagship folk acts The Spinning Leaves (Michael Baker and Barbara Gettes) and Hezekiah Jones (aka Raphael Cutrufello) have done a great deal to establish the City of Brotherly Love as a sustainable scene for roots music. Here on Hezekiah Leaves and the Spinning Joneses, they merge their progressive minds to weave together stories of the everyman, sorrow, nostalgia, whimsy, and deep reflection. Their poetic songs evoke the intended emotions best when they stick to bare-bones arrangements and colorful, acoustic instruments....Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-73039283641332917642012-05-19T00:21:00.000-04:002012-05-19T11:34:12.723-04:00r.i.p. donald "duck" dunn<img border="0" height="272" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgcwUnMSiknZZ6cEWiCV7BRQ58ZRaLIYAD0bR8dq70P9PImXgpOe9-XLGHhvQjO42XXptGzssFix_dA15-NTWPKSPDP0UQRCsyqbJYswsXNdWPZcBrl3VyNHXsuajPgJoDoprxaGc3P_jI/s320/duck+dunn.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" width="320" />Duck Dunn's passing earlier this week was really sad news to me. During the '60s and '70s, he was the in-house bassist for Stax Records which, in my opinion, was the greatest soul/R&B label that ever existed. Their in-house band, Booker T. & the M.G.'s, are arguably the best in soul music as well, and so you can guess Dunn played a big part in developing that signature Stax sound. Some of his classic contributions are for the songs "Dock of the Bay" by Otis Redding, "In the Midnight Hour" by Wilson Pickett, and "Hold On, I'm Comin'" by Sam & Dave.
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He originally was pretty bad at playing guitar. His schoolboy friend who lived down the street from him in Memphis, Steve Cropper (another <i>very</i> important name/musician to know in the Stax lexicon), formed a local band called the Royal Spades. Duck didn't want to be left out, so he decided to buy a bass and learn how to play. He did leave the Royal Spades, which turned into the Mar-Keys when initially recording for Stax, but then morphed into Booker T. & the M.G.'s. The band also released instrumental records, most notably their "Green Onions" (1962) single which reached Top 5 of the Billboard pop chart. Duck came back to work with Booker T. Jones and Cropper after that hit around 1964, replacing bassist Lewie Steinberg. <i>Hip Hug-Her</i> (1967) and <i>Melting Pot</i> (1971) are two of the band's classic instrumental LPs which feature Duck.
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Anyway, I could go on and on about Stax and find more tidbits on Duck himself, but basically everyone should know the music of this label: Otis Redding (my favorite vocalist, period), Sam and Dave, Isaac Hayes, Mavis Staples, Albert King, Johnnie Taylor, and many others. Once you discover the greatness of their music and become obsessed like me, I recommend these two books, <i>Sweet Soul Music: Rhythm and Blues and the Southern Dream of Freedom</i> by Peter Guralnick and <i>Soulsville, U.S.A.: The Story of Stax Records</i> by Rob Bowman. I actually wrote a mini-review of the latter over at <a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/114774756" target="_blank">Goodreads</a> (<a href="http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/114774756" target="_blank">http://www.goodreads.com/review/show/114774756</a>) a while back, if you're interested.<br />
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Rest in Peace, Duck.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-53512676145234940172012-05-14T15:16:00.002-04:002012-05-14T15:17:43.828-04:00allmusic biography: bunny rabbitThis is one of my more interesting bios. I'm extremely proud of this one though, because the writing came together so well, especially considering I wasn't too familiar with that underground, folktronic music scene. Yeah, that sounds a hot mess, but just read the bio. In the picture below, Bunny Rabbit is on the left, and her producer Black Cracker is on the right.
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<b><a href="http://www.allmusic.com/artist/bunny-rabbit-p865232/biography" target="_blank">Bunny Rabbit</a></b>
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Adopting the surrealist imagery of the avant-garde folktronic scene, Bunny Rabbit's devilishly erotic art-raps sent New York hipsters and critics reeling when she debuted <i>Lovers and Crypts</i> in 2007. The contrast of Bunny Rabbit's innocent-sounding, light voice and her actual lyrics was already a little disturbing, but her producer (and lover) Black Cracker, the dynamic drive behind this 2 Live Crew-meets-Goldfrapp project, provided the eerie soundscapes of dusty electro-crunk and trip-hop that clinched the album together....Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-23556392261262074802012-05-13T14:19:00.001-04:002012-05-13T14:19:34.874-04:00childish gambino - fuck your blog (feat. flynt flossy and yung humma)<div style="text-align: center;">
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I'm a MacPro with an Afro/And you guys blow like the Satchmo/And my cash flow, up the ass hole/And my last show was the Camp tour/Saw your blog on Thursday, you only re-blog shit girls say/You didn't re-tweet my birthday, all your comments say 'first' are so gay</blockquote>
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Fuck Yo Blog (think Dave Chappelle haha)! A new, new leak from Childish Gambino (aka actor/writer Donald Glover from NBC's Community). I haven't taken the time to check him out yet, though it must be because I just considered him an "actor wannabe rapper." But, each song I hear from him gets me rolling, plus his flow is actually kinda bananas. So nimble. He's an awkward, nerdy, sarcastic black dude. He uses obscure references (you see that Louis Armstrong shout out right?). I mean that's me hahaha. I should be all over this. I was listening to the streaming playlist at <a href="http://www.thisisrealmusic.com/" target="_blank">ThisIsRealMusic</a> and this just popped on. His verse is last. I could've done it without the anti-gay/sexist remarks though. Listen.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-292363791386523755.post-6741594677701394432012-05-11T00:13:00.000-04:002012-05-11T00:13:45.850-04:00instant coppage: killer mike's r.a.p. music entirely produced by el-p<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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This collaboration between indie rapper/producer El-P and Dungeon Fam member Killer Mike has Hip-Hop Album of the Year written all over it. But, it also has just as much potential to be a hot mess. Either way, this is <i>really</i> worth checking out (I am hearing it's closer to the former though). For many, this collaboration seems so unseemly, because the two exist in very separate realms of hip-hop music. However, the exact opposite is just as true too. El-P's cacophonic melting pot of electronica, hip-hop, and prog-rock has been described as being like the Bomb Squad of the 21st century, while Killer Mike blends an early '90s Ice Cube/pro-black style with that dirty Dungeon Family funk-rap. The Bomb Squad, if you don't already know, was the production squad behind Public Enemy's classic albums, but more importantly, they also produced Ice Cube's classic solo debut, <i>AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted</i> (1990). See where I'm going with this?
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I'm waiting to grab the CD, but you can listen to a stream of the entire album, plus read a detailed explanation for each track by Killer Mike himself, over at the Spin website: <a href="http://www.spin.com/articles/hear-killer-mikes-fiery-rap-music-mc-runs-us-through-his-new-lp" target="_blank">"Hear Killer Mike's Fiery 'R.A.P. Music': The MC Runs Us Through His New LP."</a> Haha, cheers. Album will be released May 15.Ceee-Realhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02520754941855831614noreply@blogger.com0