Though not unexpected, we are sad to report that this year’s much anticipated Afro-Punk Festival is being cancelled. The site’s organizer’s posted the following message on the festival’s website recently:
“Afro-punk Family, though we have tried everything in our power to maintain the dates of the Afro-punk festival this weekend despite the expected hurricane, after numerous meetings with the city, parks department, our sponsors and countless others, we are unable to move forward with the festival this weekend. The expected inclimate weather poses a great safety risk for all participating/attending, and subsequently we have been instructed to cancel the outdoor festival.
Our ENTIRE team has been working tirelessly around the clock, meeting with authorities, partners and sponsors to avoid cancelation. Thank you and we will get back to you with our plans to reschedule.
Afro-punk Festival Team”
We were so saddened to hear this last night. Nick and his wife Valerie Simpson wrote some of the most powerful ballads of our time. From Motown to Disco, their harmonies and lyrics simply transformed the way songs were written. This legend will be sorely missed, not only for his talent, but for his enduring style and grace. Seeing he and Valerie Simpson sing “Solid” really made me believe that Black Love could really work. Today, I know that she is more heartbroken than all of us. She clearly lost her best friend and we lost an incredible voice. Rest in Peace my brother. Job well done. There will NEVER be another Nick Ashford!
It doesn’t get any better than this folks. Reigning lyrical king of hip-hop and self proclaimed “God-MC”, Rakim, and one of the best duos in hip-hop history, EPMD (with Master of the Mix winner, DJ Scratch on the cut), join forced with DJ titan, Funkmaster Flex on August 21, 2011. Though threatened by severe mid-late afternoon thunderstorms, this show went on and delivered! Rakim soared through his legendary anthology solo with the confidence of a King, which he is. Happy 25th anniversary to the incredible ‘Paid In Full‘ album!
Thanks to ToneRiggz for this incredible video footage! Check photo galleries courtesy of Superglued.com.
Billy Preston was a prodigy. By age 9, he’d mastered the Hammond Organ. At 10, he performed with Nat King Cole and recorded with Mahalia Jackson. At 15, Little Richard took him on a European Tour. In the late ’60s, Billy joined The Beatles on their farewell rooftop concert and was the only artist ever to share a songwriting credit with the rockers. In the early ’70s, he regularly toured with the Rolling Stones. And his greatest fame came on his
own, with a slew of popular hits including ‘Nothin’ From Nothin’,’ ‘Will it Go Round in Circles,’ ‘You Are So Beautiful’ and ‘With You I’m Born Again.’
But the joy Billy shared in his music was masking a deep sadness. Burying a dark childhood secret behind drugs and alcohol, Billy deteriorated throughout the ’80s and ’90s, ultimately ending up in prison. For the first time, Billy’s closest friends and family open up about the torment that drove a musical genius to ruins and a painful, early end.
How do you sell an enigma? In the 1990s, American rave was a big but scattered subculture. Packaging its fleeting tunes and site-specific good times for mainstream consumption would take some doing. When rock and hip-hop began show signs of weakness mid-decade, a handful of true believers, funded by major-label money, would make their move.
In America, raves — British-style warehouse and outdoor parties featuring DJs playing house, techno and their variants — first washed ashore in 1989, when groups of largely British ex-pats began throwing U.K.-style warehouse parties in L.A., San Francisco and Brooklyn, independently but in basic sync with one another. By 1993, rave was an established fact in the heartland.
Few U.S. labels paid attention at first — rave was largely a European phenomenon, with few “name” artists that the majors could sell to radio. House and techno were singles-oriented, their first albums compilations. Most of those were only available in England, though — American fans either bought 12-inches, mixtapes from local or regional DJs, or imported compilations.
From TVOneOnline.com – In the late 1970’s, when disco, funk, and soulful ballads ruled the dance floors, few bands could match Heatwave’s range and originality. From the disco anthem “Boogie Nights” to the wedding classic “Always and Forever”, Heatwave combined driving dance rhythms with creamy melodies to create a lasting sound and legacy. Their unique approach was in part the result of a remarkably international makeup: led by brothers Johnnie Jr. Wilder and Keith Wilder, from, Dayton, Ohio, Heatwave included a keyboardist from England, a drummer who’d fled from Czechoslovakia, a bassist from Spain, and a keyboardist, Rod Temperton, who not only wrote most of their material, but eventually became the songwriter behind some of Michael Jackson’s greatest hits. With that kind of pedigree, Heatwave might have become superstars – but a series of violent and horrific tragedies, including a gunshot murder and a car accident that left Johnnie Wilder paralyzed from the neck down, doomed the band at the height of their powers.
Dave Chappelle dropped in on San Francisco’s Wild 94.9 station to chat with morning DJ JV recently, and he covered a variety of topics, including the supposed “meltdown” set he had in Miami.
If you recall, Chappelle made headlines for a July standup set at a charity event where he refused to tell jokes for roughly 45 minutes. In the blog world, the fact that a vocal chunk of the audience had been both heckling and recording Chappelle from the moment he walked out on stage was played much smaller next to the “Dave Chappelle Meltdown” leads. Hearing him explain the situation in detail in this interview makes two things clear: 1) it’s hard to blame him for turning on that particular audience, and 2) this is a rational, intelligent man who knows his craft.
Beyond the Miami show, Chappelle also talks about living in Ohio, showbusiness as an addiction, and giving Kanye West his first appearance on television.
From TVOneOnline.com – She had a record deal by the time she was 14. She was a featured vocalist with James Brown at 17. Berry Gordy signed her to Motown Records 3 years later. And in 1967 Tammi Terrell teamed up with Marvin Gaye to record a series of classic romantic hits – ‘Ain’t No Mountain High Enough’, ‘Your Precious Love’, ‘Ain’t Nothin Like The Real Thing’, and more – that remain the gold standard for romantic duets. Ironically, Tammi’s actual love life was not nearly as perfect as the romance in her songs, and included abusive relationships with both James Brown and David Ruffin. And the magic of her career ended abruptly when she collapsed on stage from a brain tumor while singing with Marvin in the fall of 1967. But she refused to give in to her fate. Tammi underwent 8 surgeries over the next three years, and even returned to recording, before she died in 1974 at the age of 24. Her life was short, but full of passion, art, and courage, that will finally be told in its fullness on ‘Unsung.”
From TVOneOnline.com – There may never be a more soulful, sexy, funky combination of voice and music like that which emanates from the “Ivory Queen of Soul,” Teena Marie. Her phenomenal range and unique tone has made her among the most recognizable voices in R&B. At the age of 17, Teena fulfilled her childhood dream of a music career when she signed with Motown Records. There, she teamed up musically – and for a time, romantically – with funk master Rick James, who produced her debut album, Wild and Peaceful. A hit song with James, Fire and Desire, along with Teena’s robust sound and powerful delivery, helped to overcome long standing racial barriers between black audiences and white singers. Teena talks about leaving Motown at the height of her career, losing her long-time friend Rick James and her fight to take control of her life.
While album sales cannot be really argued with, we think the criteria should include mixtapes to the extent that that data can be made available. Weezy, for example, has been extremely prolific over the past few years and release several mix tapes, like ‘Sorry for the Wait’, which have been downloaded millions of times. This has to count for something but seems to be left out of the equation for some reason….Hmmm…comment below on what you think the reasons are! Read complete article here.
From TVOneOnline.com – Funky, funny, and living large – literally – the Fat Boys became one of the most commercially successful groups of the 1980′s. They helped take rap from the parks of NYC to worldwide acclaim and sales. Mark Morales, (Prince Markie Dee), Damon Wimbley (Kool-Rock-Ski) and Darren Robinson (The Human Beat Box, aka Buff) parlayed a feel good brand of humor, all-you-can-eat buffets and an infectious party style into their music. Guided by manager Charles Stettler, a Swiss born hustler and novelty record maker, and produced by Kurtis Blow, they grew into international superstars, with inventive remakes of songs like “Jailhouse Rap,” “The Twist,” and “Wipeout” – the latter a hit and video they performed with the Beach Boys. They would go on to influence a new generation of rappers like Heavy D., Notorious B.I.G. and Rick Ross, showing that big could be sexy. But the pressure to stay on top would cause rifts which would split the group apart and endanger their health – and ultimately contribute to the tragic death of Buff in 1995. Finally reunited, the surviving Fat Boys recount the joys and sorrows of their career for “Unsung.”
From TVOneOnline.com – For twenty years, the Zapp band created hits that sparked fires on dance floors worldwide. Situated somewhere in the funk zone between Prince and Parliament, the Troutman brothers, Lester, Terry, Larry and Roger, crafted a sound so flavorful, yet so polished, that they pulled together audiences of fans black, brown and white. Roger’s talk box touch helped hits like Computer Love and I Wanna be Your Man soar up the charts, yet even with all of their success, the group spun out of control when Larry killed Roger and then turned the gun on himself. Ten years later, the Zapp family is back together and their sharing the untold story of the amazing yet tragic journey of their lives.
Through interviews with members of the original group, family, friends and colleagues Unsung will chronicle the rise and fall of Debarge, arguably Motown’s most successful group of the 1980s. From their deep roots in their mother’s Pentecostal church, to their signing with the fabled Motown label as Berry Gordy’s unabashed reincarnation of the Jacksons, and their subsequent descent into sibling rivalry and drug abuse that ultimately led to their break-up, we’ll re-discover this immensely talented family whose influence still resonates in the music of artists as varied as Babyface Edmonds, P. Diddy, Mary J. Blige and Ashanti.
Among the more popular family acts on the ’70s R&B circuit, Memphis’ Sylvers recorded for Pride, MGM, Capitol, Casablanca, and Geffen during their 13-year chart run. No less than nine of the ten brothers and sisters in the family — Olympia, Leon, Charmaine, James, Edmund, Ricky, Angie, Pat, Foster — performed in the group that was viewed as a Southern version of the Jackson 5. Their 1972 Pride single “Fool’s Paradise” got things going in the right direction, reaching number 14 on the R&B charts. They had three other Top Ten R&B hits in the ’70s, but their biggest song was “Boogie Fever” in 1975. It perfectly captured the disco spirit and topped both the R&B and pop charts that year. “Hot Line” was another Top Ten on both lists in 1976, and their second biggest single. They scored another Top 20 R&B single on Casablanca in 1978, “Don’t Stop, Get Off,” but the charming qualities of their earlier material seemed more calculated. They couldn’t recapture the spark during their mid-’80s period on Geffen.
From TVOneOnline.com – In the intergalactic continuum of funk, the name best known by earth people and aliens alike is the Atomic Dog and Mothership Captain himself, George Clinton. Emerging from the most distant region in the galaxy (a home he calls Dog Star 9), this interplanetary traveler chose music as his language to communicate a message of love, respect and dance-floor artistry to earthlings the world round. His extraterrestrial brew of rock, soul, Motown and doo-wop made for a potent funk brew that became the recipe for two beloved 70′s groups – Funkadelic and Parliament – both of which he helmed, and populated with musicians who would themselves become some of the brightest stars in the 70′s and 80′s, including Maceo Parker and Bootsy Collins. Clinton’s own star blazed ever more brightly through the 80′s, when hits such as ‘Loopzilla’ and ‘Atomic Dog’ shook dance floors in all quadrants of the known universe. An entire generation of rappers grew up with his music, and in turn, made his beats and grooves the DNA of Hip Hop. But bad business deals hounded Clinton from the outset, and with finances further diminished by a proclivity for mind altering chemicals, his earthly empire crumbled, leaving him all but destitute today. On this exclusive episode of ‘Unsung,’ George Clinton reveals the story of his long strange ride.
UPDATED ON AUGUST 26, 2011: EVENT CANCELLED DUE TO HURRICANE IRENE!MORE DETAILS.
SOULHEAD MUST GO! If you do not come to this show, it is either because you will not be in Brooklyn that weekend or you’re wack. Period. This super eclectic festival is one of the Summer’s most anticipated events and is always packed with the most interesting people anywhere. With booths, vendors, and food galore, this is a music lover and people watching paradise. Commodore Barry Park can be a bit of a challenge to get to but it is always worth the trip.
The Afro-punk Festival is returning to Brooklyn’s Commodore Barry Park for its 7th edition on August 27-28 2011. This year has the most stellar line up yet with Cee Lo Green, Santigold, Janelle Monae, Fishbone, Toro Y Moi, Toshi Reagon and BIGLovely, Ninjasonik, Cerebral Ballzy, Gordon Voidwell, Reggie Watts, Res, Joi, Rocky Business, Straight Line Stitch.
Just added: Gym Class Heroes, Das Racist, Kenna, Tamar-kali, Bad Rabbits, Joe Jordans Experiment, Jersey Klan, Radkey, and DJ’s Stack-Aly, Jillionaire, Dances with White Girls, D://BOi, dj.shErOck, toni*K! In addition, the Nike Battle For the Streets Skate and BMX Competition, the largest street skate and BMX competition in NYC will return with the nation’s top amateur skaters and BMX riders in a competition to be judged by top professionals in both sports including Nigel Sylvester and P-Rod. Dates – Saturday, August 27 and Sunday, August 28, 2011
Location -
Commodore Barry Park (corner of Flushing and Navy St.)
11:00–04:30 DJ STACK-ALY
04:30–05:00 NINJASONIK [SKATE PARK STAGE]
05:00–05:15 DJ JILLIONAIRE + BMX DEMO 05:15–05:45 REGGIE WATTS
05:45–06:00 DJ JILLIONAIRE
06:00–06:40 TORO Y MOI
06:40–07:00 DJ JILLIONAIRE + BMX DEMO 07:00–07:40 GYM CLASS HEROES
07:40–08:10 DJ JILLIONAIRE 08:10–09:00 SANTIGOLD
Bites and Beats Stage:
12:00–02:30 DJ SEROCK* & DJ TONI*K
02:30–03:00 RADKEY
03:00–03:30 DJ JILLIONAIRE
03:30–04:00 ROCKY BUSINESS
04:00–04:30 DJ DANCES WITH WHITE GIRLS
04:30–05:00 BAD RABBITS
05:00–05:30 DJ DANCES WITH WHITE GIRLS
05:30–06:00 GORDON VOIDWELL
06:00–06:20 DJ DANCES WITH WHITE GIRLS
06:20–07:00 KENNA
07:00–07:30 DJ DANCES WITH WHITE GIRLS 07:30–08:10 DAS RACIST
SUNDAY, AUGUST 28, 2011
MTV Hive Stage:
11:00–04:30 DJ D://BOI
04:30–05:00 JERSEY KLAN [SKATE PARK STAGE]
05:00–05:15 DJ D://BOI + BMX DEMO
05:15–05:45 CEREBRAL BALLZY
05:45–06:00 DJ D://BOI 06:00–06:40 FISHBONE
06:40–07:00 DJ D://BOI + BMX DEMO 07:00–07:40 JANELLE MONAE
07:40–08:10 DJ D://BOI 08:10–09:00 CEE LO GREEN
Bites and Beats Stage:
12:00–02:00 DJ SEROCK* & DJ TONI*K
02:00–02:30 JOE JORDON EXPERIENCE
02:30–03:30 DJ DANCES WITH WHITE GIRLS 03:30–04:00 RES
04:00–04:30 DJ JILLIONAIRE 04:30–05:00 JOI
05:00–05:30 DJ DANCES WITH WHITE GIRLS
05:30–06:00 STRAIGHT LINE STITCH
06:00–06:20 DJ JILLIONAIRE 06:20–07:00 TAMAR KALI
07:00–07:30 DJ DANCES WITH WHITE GIRLS 07:30–08:10 TOSHI REAGON
Download the Full AfroPunk Schedule:
Here are a few of our favorite songs by some of the artists set to perform at this year’s AfroPunk Festival in Brooklyn:
Cee-Lo – F-ck You
Janelle Monae – Tightrope (featuring Big Boi from Outkast)
(Ratings 1 lo – 5 high. Comments from staff listening session)
JAY-Z & KANYE WEST “WATCH THE THRONE”
01 No Church in the Wild (ft. Frank Ocean) – 4
“love the intro. wikid beat, solid lyrics. love Frank Ocean from Odd Future”
02 Lift Off (ft. Beyoncé) – 3.5
“Beyonce tried really hard to make this interesting. kanye’s auto-tune mumbling became annoying in the second verse. jay entertained but sounded like he phoned it in. lift off effects novel”
03 Niggas in Paris – 4
“loved the beat and Jay’s first verse. Kanye’s verses were pretty funny and the hook is pretty entertaining and memorable. nice effects.”
04 Otis (ft. Otis Redding) – 3.5
“not a fan of the content but hearing Otis singing with this beat compels regardless”
05 Gotta Have It – 3.5
“love the sample. sounds South Asian. lyrics so so but flow on point.”
06 New Day – 4
“nice boom bap backdrop. love the nina symone nod but could have done without the auto-tune effect. like the message and performance.not sure what the Me and the Rza connect references were all about.”
07 That’s My Bitch – 4.5
“debates about ‘bitch’ aside, we just love the sound of this. sounds really 80′s but flows so nicely. funny, entertaining and clever. tight beat. hot verses from both MCs”
08 Welcome to the Jungle – 4
“tight old school feel. just feel, loop, spit. Nice.”
09 Who Gon Stop Me – 3.5
“lyrically, just ok to us. sample became a bit annoying after a while. i guess this is what happens when ‘Ye stops talking about cars and money. Jay does rip it though and carried this one lyrically.”
10 Murder to Excellence – 4
“love the instrumentation and the vocal sample, although it is a bit derivative of previous work. lyrically strong for both. solid message.”
“love the melody and the message of this one. Frank does a very soulful job on the hook. Unfortunately, this may not get much radio play but we dig it.”
12 Why I Love You (featuring Mr. Hudson) – 3.5
“interesting message and creative aggressive hook, albeit a bit techy. Jay flows hard here. Kanye seems inspired in his verses by Jay.”
Bonus tracks:
13 Illest Motherfucker Alive – 4
“love the title and the sentiment in the song. sounds eerily like a Rick Ross flow on “Ye’s verse, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. We like the grind of this one.”
14 H*A*M – 4
“classic braggadocio. love the simplicity. the title is a little corny but I get it. not a huge fan of hearing Jay-z singing even a little bit.”
15 Primetime -4
“to the point hip hop. strong beat and instrumental progressions. coming of age tale in many respects.”
16 The Joy (ft. Curtis Mayfield) - 3
“makings of you sample was appreciated but not well used. lyrics are a little deep on this one. didn’t need all of those “uggh” effects either. would have expected more from a Pete Rock/Kanye collaboration”
Overall Rating: 3.8/5.0
Our Favorite Tracks: That’s My Bitch, Illest Motherfucker Alive, Niggas In Paris, No Church in the Wild
Our Recommendation: BUY. Despite our previous ruminations about Otis and its misplaced context, we actually liked the album. Not loved, but liked a lot. The album felt long but had some serious moments. Perhaps we expected a little more from these two titans of hip-hop, but the reality is they did deliver. I wonder what the “Watch the Throne” reference is for? Are we to believe that Jay-Z is trying to transition said throne to Kanye? Maybe as a producer and sometimes deft lyricist, but the KING? We love both of these guys and are happy that they have completed and released this project. We would recommend you listen to it here and make your own decision. In the meantime, watch the ‘Watch The Throne’ documentary. LEAVE A COMMENT BELOW!
From TVOneOnline.com – The O’Jays are an amazing case study in survival, both in the music business and in life. Formed in 1958 in Cleveland, Ohio, as the Triumphs, and later re-naming themselves after popular local disc jockey Eddie O’Jay, the group has endured in one form or another for five decades, always anchored by the instantly recognizable voices of Eddie Levert and Walter Williams. Following several minor hits in the 1960s (such as ‘Lipstick Traces’) the group struck gold in the 1970s in association with the great Philadelphia Soul record label producers Gamble&Huff, with songs that mixed romantic and social messages, such as ‘Backstabbers,’ ‘For the Love of Money’ and of course, “Love Train.” . But along with their artistic achievements, the individual members of the O’Jays have struggled with challenges that included Williams’ quiet, decades-long battle with multiple sclerosis, and the untimely deaths of Eddie Levert’s sons, Sean and Gerald. Still putting on a show after a half century of performing together, the O’Jays tell the inside story of their journey on ‘Unsung.’
One of the great hit-makers of the 1980s and ‘90s, Miki Howard is a torch singer extraordinaire with a jazzy touch. Born and raised in a musical family – both parents were celebrated gospel singers– she burst onto the R&B scene with ‘Come Share My Love’ in 1986, a hit that climbed to number five on the charts. Miki went on to score a half dozen Top Five hits, including ‘Ain¹t Nuthin’ in the World’, ‘Love Under New Management,’ and ‘Ain’t Nobody Like You’, while recording old school standards as well. A romantic duet with Gerald Levert, titled ‘That’s What Love Is’ led to an intimate relationship that mirrored that song’s dizzying passions. Miki’s jazzy chops and smoldering good looks also won her a coveted role as Billie Holiday in Spike Lee’s film ‘Malcolm X’, after which she recorded a tribute album to Lady Day. (Another album of jazz standards, ‘Three Wishes’ was nominated for a Grammy in 2001). But after that her career plummeted, as Miki¹s personal life mirrored the emotional dramas of her songs– hot romances and bad relationships, and subsequent struggles to make ends meet as a single mom with three kids. Now she’s back on the scene, with a voice as strong as ever, and singing with a style that reflects her hard – won experience. “Unsung” celebrates the artistry, the trials and the triumphs of an effervescent diva with a golden touch.
