Recently in Music Category

His debut album “Shine Through It” hit the stores yesterday. I love his acting; I can proudly say I would pay to see him act in anything, but I say leave the singing on a Broadway stage. It is okay to make an album for one’s own listening pleasure and distribute to family and friends. However, that voice is straining and after the first audio clip and ½ way thru the second clip, I could not take anymore. So I am going to give it a second listen on another day. Audio Clips

Mildly horrible or in Spanish----or-ree-blay. Sorry T….just a little ole opinion from me. People.com has a sneak listen at some of his tracks. Definitely, he will have a sizable ready made following by virtue of who he is and people will love his music and support anything he does. Here is a video clip of him performing “Sanctuary” from yesterday’s the Today Show.

Former Spice Girl and tabloid princess, Melanie Brown aka Mel B. is working on another solo album and Contact Music reports Missy Elliot will work with her and she is going to be doing a duet with phenomenal vocalist and entertainer extraordinaire Janet Jackson. Now, I expect some way-out-there material with combo partners (Janet + Elliot).

I read somewhere where Janet is going to "help" Mel B., and I could not help but think: Hey, wait a minute. Who is helping whom in this collabo? Either way, hopefully the result will be a good much needed blockbuster hit record for Jan and Mel B. READ MORE...

That's right. Rolling Stone magazine has declared Chuck Berry's song to be the greatest rock 'n' roll guitar song of all time. Wow! The 81 year old pioneer of rock 'n' roll is still rockin'.

Jimi Hendrix's "Purple Haze" was number 2 on the list. Go. Go. Johnny Go! They both topped the magazine's "100 Greatest Guitar Songs of All Time."

Here is Jimi Hendrix's version of Johnny B. Goode. He plays the guitar with his teeth. Watch Jimi!

Here is Chuck Berry performing Johnny B. Goode in 2007. Watch Chuck!

Etana is another underexposed songstress. Beautiful voice.

Jamaican dancehall artist Assassin is doing a collabo with R&B superstar Usher, for a remix of Love In This Club. How many times are they going to re-fix this song? I flat out don't like this song.

I don't hate it, but it's just an average sounding song (to me, and it does not match the same level as his previous work), so hopefully, Assassin can add so island fire to it and change my mind.

His videos are always cool. Love dancehall. READ MORE... WATCH Love in this Club Video

Reference:
The Jamaica Star

Hattie Hart was a solo performer back in the twenties who also did lead vocals for the Memphis Jug Band. Will Shade on harp, Tee Wee Blackman on guitar, Ben Ramey on kazoo, and Ham Lewis on the jug along with Hattie made up the band. They made this song about cocaine, and I didn't even know people used cocaine back then, and was SHOCKED to hear this song.

According to a MemphisHistory.com site her songs were provacatively risque and she wrote songs about love, sex, cocaine, and voodoo. MemphisHistory.com says her voice was considered "one of the best, employeeing a high vibrato and a range of emotions." She had a brief recording career after traveling to Chicago during the Depression, and disappeared into obscurity. Well, if she wrote and sang songs about cocaine, one could only imagine how life wound up for her. Here is their song, Listen to Cocaine Habit Blues .

There must have been a lot of hatred and self hatred. Check out this next title by the folk band: A Black Woman Is Like A Black Snake. It is true, we must know our past to understand the present.

Here are the lyrics:

A Black Woman Is Like A Black Snake

A black woman's like a black snake, she will strike and run,
A black woman's like a black snake, she will strike and run
...

...

I wouldn't marry a black woman, I'll tell you the reason why,
I wouldn't marry a black woman, I'll tell you the reason why,
She's so black and evil she won't look in your eye

...

Oh fish are swimming, they come into the net,
Oh fish are swimming, they come into the net,
... try to do the best they can, they do the best they can

Follow the jump to get the Cocaine Habit Blues Lyrics

In my opinion, Coko was the vocal powerhouse with the model looks behind SWV. As a group, I really liked them, and now that she is a solo gospel artist, it is a welcomed treat to hear her sing again. I read a revealing 2006 interview she did with Vibe on skin color and the industry.

To me, she was the most beautiful, and her dark brown skin was an enhancer, and still is. She talked about the industry's preference for the lighter toned singers and how it affected her self-image. This is the first time I have heard this testimony from someone directly affected by racism and bias in the music industry.

Here are excerpts:

Coko: I don’t even think I knew what happiness was in the 90s. I was feeling my way. I’ve always asked myself about that. But I’m very happy right now with the woman that I’ve become. I love who God has created me to be and I’ve learned to accept who I am. I’ve always had a problem with just being who I was. I had issues with my skin color and all of that.

I used to love this guy when he was the other half of the music group Wham. He was and still is one of those naturally gorgeous guys. Quite sure he was a fantasy thought for many women until we found out about his same sex rest stop romps. lol, well, now that he's no longer locked up in that closet to the public, especially the women who just looooovvee him, in that way, he expresses that freedom of being out in this song. George looks great, and it looks like life is treating him well. And he does address the "haters" in this tune...lol. All that finest just gone to waste...

An Easier Affair

Some lyrics:

Here comes one for the ladies
For the ones who love me
To think I thought I could be some kind of family man
I told myself I was straight
But I shouldn’t have worried
‘Cos my Maker had a better plan for me

Well let me tell you people
It’s an easier affair
Not living my life with other people on my mind
No, got nothing to hide from anyone
Yes, I’m walking on new air
Just living my life
Better believe I'm gonna get what’s mine
See I don’t have the time
For the haters

He's going on tour and just released an album, follow the jumps for more news.