free downloads, mp3, album reviews, concert reviews, interviews, documentaries
April 2, 2013
Artist: Chris Brown
Title: Fine China
Hood: Virginia, USA
Genre(s): R&B, Pop, Soul
Label: RCA
Released: April 1, 2013
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March 27, 2013
Between 1980 and ’99, Prince had more songs on the Billboard Hot 100 chart than any other artist. MSNBC’s Toure talks about his new book, “I Would Die 4 U,” which explores the mix of sexuality and spirituality that made Prince famous. Read more of this post
March 6, 2013
Super producer Teddy Riley will go down as one of the most important figures in modern music. From his seminal work with Keith Sweat, Guy and Michael Jackson to his later work with Blackstreet, this talented musician certainly deserves our attention when he speaks, which isn’t that often. Enjoy this interview from last years NAMM (National Association of Music Merchants) conference where he discusses some of the tools he uses for his legendary recordings! Read more of this post
December 14, 2012
Clearly someone has a ton of time on their hands and LOVE Michael Jackson. While we fit into the second category, we are thankful to user Sisiorange for putting this time and effort into this hilarious recreation ofThriller, the classic full length video/short film that helped to solidify his place as the King of Pop. While not all of the footage is spot in, it is remarkable close and a lot of fun to watch, especially on a Friday afternoon of long week. Enjoy!
December 5, 2012
Artist: The Weeknd
Title: Trilogy
Released: November 9, 2012
Words: Victoria Shantrell Asbury
Edit: Jay Fingers
R&B sensation The Weeknd recently released his first major label album Trilogy. For those unfamiliar with the young Canadian crooner, The Weeknd is a solo artist who came onto the scene in 2011 and blew hip-hop and R&B lovers away with his with his critically acclaimed mix-tapes House of Balloons, Thursday, and Echoes of Silence. The Weeknd brought a new sound that blended R&B, rock, synthesizers, and a whole lot of sexy moans together as the 22-year-old sang about sex, drugs, and, well, more sex and drugs. Read more of this post
November 26, 2012
Last night’s BET televised and Centric produced Soul Train Awards, which was deftly hosted by Cedric the Entertainer, were really incredible. Despite missing some of the Sunday evening football games, we watched, sang and rejoiced with the lot of incredible performances that were featured. Among those performing were soulful superstars Stevie Wonder, Tyrese, Tank, Anthony Hamilton, Leah LaBelle, Fantasia, and Charlie Wilson among others. New Edition brought down the house with a rousing medley of hits from their heyday including a Bobby Brown led Mr. Telephone Man and a seat clearing rendition of their classic If It Isn’t Love.
We’ve compiled the best of the web for this recap in case you missed it.
October 19, 2012
Spike Lee‘s soon to be released Bad 25 is building buzz around the globe. Fans are eagerly awaiting the story behind MJ’s insanely successful late 80′s hit album, Bad, which celebrates its 25th anniversary this year. The documentary should certainly improve Lee’s creative image, which has been tarnished lately based on the poor reception of his recently released movie, Red Hook Summer, by critics and moviegoers.
June 7, 2012
Title: Prince – of the Magnoli Files (unsure of the title actually but this is as close as we could get. Albert Magnoli directed Purple Rain but the way)
Duration: 93:21
Studio: Unknown
Today, we wish our #1 artist of all time, Prince Rogers Nelson, a very happy 54th birthday! To commemorate this living legend, please join us in viewing this rare documentary about this one of a kind artist. For those of you who know us, know we are serious Prince nerds. So, this is just the kind of thing we like to see, especially on this special day. This documentary also features soulhead neighbor and Brooklyn-based writer Nelson George.
Description: A documentary about the Prince collection by the following three film series Results from the OMNIBUS: PRINCE, ROGERS NELSON (1991) PRINCE,: MUSICAL PORTRAIT (1989) BEHIND THE the BEAT: PRINCE, U (1988)
April 1, 2012
We have to admit that we were a little late to this party, but now we are here and loving it! A while back, we were so happy to see Sisters With Voices AKA SWV reappear on the Mo’Nique Show and knew they had a sincere shot at a comeback. Lead singer Cheryl “Coco” Clemons still has that incredible voice that we came to love with their chart topping 90′s era smashes like “Weak” and “So Into You.” The groups’ other talented members, Tamara “Taj” Johnson-George and Leanne “Lelee” Lyons, sure sound great on the lead single, “Cosign”, from their forthcoming album, I Missed Us, which is due for release on April 10, 2012.
This track, released by Koch Records, features a very catchy hook, solid melodies and a throwback, golden-era hip hop sensibility that we have indeed missed. Cop this one and support them when these Sisters With Voices come to your town.
March 8, 2012
According to this video, king of pop, Michael Jackson, and recently departed Whitney Houston were involved at least for a short time. In the interview with Whitney Houston, which looks to have been shot after the Michael’s death, she describes an elaborate date at Michael’s Neverland Ranch in Los Olivos, California where he “pulled out all of the stops”. She explained how Michael flew here in with a helicopter and had her lead to the house in a coach and buggy! She even recalled a rather entertaining run in with Bubbles, Michael’s pet chimp.
“He was a gentleman. Always kind. And I Will Always Love Him” – Whitney Houston (about Michael Jackson)
Also appearing in the video are two unnamed men, both of whom confirm that Michael was not gay, as some in the media have rumored. In fact, as they describe, Michael had relationship with several mainstream stars. In a few montages, Michael is seen with Brooke Shields and Madonna among others. Could they have been real love interests and not just arm candy for award shows and public appearances? Perhaps. We will never know.
Whatever their connection was, Whitney ends the interview by saying “I really wanted to marry Michael.”
Wow! Michael was ’bout it!
In related news, it has come to our attention that Whitney was also rumored to have been involved with Michael’s older brother, Jermaine Jackson, who, the article claims was unwilling to leave his wife for Whitney. I mean, they did do this duet and it was rumored that Whitney chose a Jermaine lookalike in her “Saving All My Love for You” Video. Read more here.
March 7, 2012
Words by Ron Worthy
Last month, my wife and I were thrilled to be invited to Brooklyn Bowl to check out the Prince and Michael Experience, which was created by Bomb Records owner and San Francisco Bay Area based DJ, Dave Paul. It had been the first time I had seen Dave in years. You see, we had met years earlier in San Francisco when I was nearing the end of my matriculation at Stanford. At the time, my good friend, Cheo Coker (Southland, Notorious) was writing for Dave’s underground hip hop mag The Bomb Hip Hop Magazine and it was one of his first big breaks. At the time, Cheo and I were serious Prince nerds. At one point, I recall taking a collection on campus for a Prince live bootleg album, Dance Music Sex Romance – 2nd Show, and taking the bus up to the Berkeley record store where the record was on hold. Cheo and I spoke endlessly about Prince, his music, his women and our mutual love and respect for his music. So, it came as a real surprise when I heard Dave was as into Prince as I was when we met. Who knew?
Fast forward to Brooklyn Bowl and we were ready to experience what we had been hearing about from our friends around the country who had been to the event. We were not disappointed. Although the evening started later than most parties of its type, we took our disco nap and braved the frigid air to make it happen. For those who haven’t been to Brooklyn Bowl, it is an actual bowling alley with a huge dance floor, a stage and two large bars. The place was packed and filled with Prince and Michael Jackson revelers. In the crowd were plenty of look alikes and folks who clearly spent too much time preparing for the evening.
Dave was able to maintain a consistent flow throughout the night and mixed several standards from both artists with a few remixes and other rare tunes that complemented the overall flow. In addition, a few associated artists’ records were thrown in for good measure. However, given our aforementioned addition to Prince, it would have been nice to hear a few more bootlegs and more from associated artists like The Time, Vanity Six or Jesse Johnson. The crowd was very diverse and it made for a very We are The World feeling, which was not a bad thing.
In addition to great music, there were several live on stage performances to the music including several Michael Jackson lookalikes who seemed to be battling each other during Thriller. That part was simply hilarious. These guys really take their jobs seriously. Towards the end of the night, we were able to speak to the most popular impersonator and he said that he didn’t grow up with a father in the house and that Michael was his father in his mind. After a very long silence, my wife and I excused ourselves and ran for our car. But seriously, it was one hell of a night and one that we would highly recommend.
We were able to catch up with Dave for a quick Q&A. Check it out below:
1) What was the main motivation for during a Prince AND Michael Event?
I’ve been a Prince fan for a long time, and for a while, an avid collector (vinyl, cd’s, posters, buttons, magazines etc). In 2002 I wanted to do an all Prince party here in San Francisco. But there had already been all Prince parties out here, Dream Factory and a couple of others. I was discussing my dilemma with my friend Jeff Harris who is a huge MJ fan, and he suggested why don’t we do Prince and Michael Jackson. So I brought all my Prince records and he brought all his Michael records and that’s how it started.
2) You have been doing these events for 9 years now, how has the event evolved over the years?
Before our monthly residency at Madrone in San Francisco we were a roving party, a different club every time. Then we were playing at Rockit Room and Leila (the owner of Madrone at the time) was there and had such a good time she wanted the party at Madrone. That’s how Madrone came to be our home for PR+MJ for the last 6 years.
3) You have taken the show on the road and seen loads of different crowds. How do the various cities differ with respect to their response? (several examples would be great)
Every venue, city and date is different. It’s funny but a song that works the crowd into a frenzy at one party can do nothing the next time. Even here in SF at our monthly. You just never know. Also it depends when during the night you play a song. Years ago no one was into Lets Go Crazy by Prince, it was played out. Everyone was into the b-side Erotic City. But in the last few years Let’s Go Crazy has been HOT and Erotic City, you almost have to play early in the night.
4) What is the biggest challenge as a DJ putting together your setlist? How much is set before hand and how much is live?
We never pre-plan a set. We just spin song by song on the fly. So the biggest challenge is just reading the crowd – giving them what they want, and giving them what you think they need.
5) Ok, this is the tough one. Pound for pound, who is better, Michael Jackson or Prince?
That’s the million dollar question isn’t it? In the end it’s like apples and oranges and every person you ask you will get a different answer, and the reasons behind their answer. For me – Prince. I love both and respect both but for me growing up I was able to relate to Prince’s music more. Songs like When You Were Mine and Anotherlover… to the nasty songs, to his production with the Linn drum.
Check out our slideshow of the Prince and Michael Experience:
February 13, 2012
Words by Ron Worthy
Last night saw the world of music celebrate some of today’s best and pay tribute to the recently departed Whitney Houston, who died on Saturday at the Beverly Hills Hilton Hotel. The show was replete with the customary performances, many of which left us wanting for the glory days. A few highlights were Bruno Mars’ splendid (albeit slightly annoying) performance, Nicki Minaj’s Halloween inspired Madonna tribute, and of course, Jennifer Hudson’s emotional performance of Whitney’s (and Dolly Parton’s) hit “I Will Always Love You.” It, along with moving tributes by Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys and many others made the night a bit more special than it otherwise would have been. However, it was clear that it was Adele’s night, who swept the major categories and tied Beyonce’s record for the most Grammy’s in one night by a female artist.
We really enjoyed L.L. Cool J as the host and we were impressed with his handling of an incredibly difficult and unexpected intro. We were also inspired by Sir. Paul McCartney’s new Valentine inspired ditty and loved the way he closed the show with such classic melodies.
We could have done without as much Chris Brown, however. While his dancing prowess is well documented, he did not even deserve to share a nomination with the likes of Ledisi, R. Kelly or Kelly Price, much less win the category. Please. Someone has clearly got the fix in. No disrespect to this brother or his team, but he simply did not deserve that award for best R&B album and definitely not two performances, the same number as a Beatle? Please!
For all the splendor of the show, it had the air of the 80s shows where there was 1 clear chosen winner (ala Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Prince) and everyone else just knew they were going to lose. The night was clearly owned by Adele, who belted out her mega hit “Rolling in the Deep” with all of the expected revelry. Not missing a note and looking beautiful, she made believers out of any on the sidelines. We went in fans and come out evangelists.
That said, we feel she pales in comparison to Ledisi, who was tucked away in the audience, not even offered a chance to showcase her incredible talent. With one of this years best vocal performances on her Pieces of Me LP, she deserved at least 1 duet in tribute to Whitney. She was robbed and if she is reading this, please know that you will always have a home here for your music or announcement or whatever. Your voice and talent will go down as one of the best voices of our time. When it is all said and done, you, too will go down as one THE VOICES. Kudos on a great year regardless of the awards.
Below are the results of last night’s predictions (list by Wikipedia.com). Our picks are highlighted in Green. Where we missed, the winner will be shown in Green and our answer in Black.
Best Reggae Album
February 8, 2012
“Hoping you can put that 9 to 5 upon the shelf and enjoy yourself at Brooklyn Bowl! Join me and my special guests Maine Anders (as Michael) and Dame Cuchi Frita (as Prince) go-go dancing as we celebrate the music of Prince and associated artists and Michael and the Jackson family.”
This event has been making its way across the country for the past 8 years and we are so excited to finally have it arrive in our backyard. Replete with lookalike go-go dancers and some of the best music of any generation, The Prince and Michael Experience is sure to deliver! We are super excited to reunite with our West Coast potna Dave! Well done sir!
Here is a writeup of the event from the SF Weekly:
Prince and Michael Jackson fans go toe-to-toe on the dance floor as dj’s mix album cuts, remixes, rare tracks and hits from the two artists as well as cuts by such ancillary acts as Sheila E., The Jackson 5, The Time and Janet Jackson. The music is far from the only thing happening at this party, there’s theme dancing, a face-off between guests repping The Purple One or The King of Pop, and much, much more. This is the perfect night out to lounge with your friends, make some new friends, get your drink on, dance your ass off and have the time of your life.
Collectively, Prince and Michael Jackson helped define the early-’80s era of MTV, revolutionized both R&B and popular music, and influenced thousands of musicians worldwide. The Prince and Michael Experience is meant to celebrate the music of two of the biggest pop cultural icons of our generation. It is done with love and mutual respect for both artists. The experience is presented by bombhiphop.com who have successfully produced over 100 of these events in San Francisco as well as Seattle, Portland, Chicago, Oakland, Los Angeles, Bend, Vancouver and Honolulu.
“For EIGHT years now, Dave Paul (proprietor of hip-hop label Bomb Records) has hosted and DJ’ed at the brilliant “Prince vs. Michael Jackson” parties. As selections of hits, rarities, and remixes from both artists are presented over the course of the evening, audience members square off in funky battle, holding signs bearing the mug of their favored entertainer to judge which one is the true king of pop. This sure ain’t the place for cynics, but Darling Nikki’s and Dirty Diana’s are all welcome to participate.” – SF WEEKLY
Here is more information:
A DJ/Dance Party Tribute To The Purple One & The King of Pop:
THE PRINCE AND MICHAEL EXPERIENCE
Featuring go-go dancing by The Maine Attraction as MICHAEL & Dame Cuchi Frita as PRINCE
FRI, FEBRUARY 10, 2012
DOORS: 11:00 PM / SHOW: 11:30 PM
LOCATION:
Brooklyn Bowl
61 Wythe Avenue
Brooklyn, NY 11211
(718)963-3369
ADVANCE TICKETS TO THIS EVENT ARE SOLD OUT. THERE WILL BE A LIMITED AMOUNT OF ADMISSIONS RELEASED ON THE NIGHT OF THE SHOW STARTING AT 11:00 PM. ALL ADMISSIONS WILL BE FIRST COME FIRST SERVE, $10 AT THE DOOR, CASH ONLY.
January 27, 2012
We fully support and love what these DC cats have been putting down for the past year. With an intoxicating mix of old, new and future greasy soul, DJ’s Adrian Loving (we go back to ’77), Jahsonic, Stylus and a solid rotation of surprise guest deserve some light for their efforts to unearth some tracks that have been forgotten by some. This is a must attend for those pushing 50 or 25. Well done brothers!
Check out this mix in celebration:
Here’s a description:
Axel F is a party started in 2011 in Washington DC by DJ Jahsonic, DJ Adrian Loving and DJ Stylus celebrating the illest jheri curl funk, champagne soul and lazer boogie cuts from 1977 – 1987. It’s everything you never hear at your standard ’80s party and it’s as fun as it sounds. We play lots of slow jams for the ladies.
Anniversary party feat. live performance by the Sexual Chocolate Band & Show
Saturday, January 28
Tracklist:
AXEL F ONE YEAR ANNIVERSARY – mixed by DJ Stylus
Reverend Brown intro
DâM-FunK – Monster Jam (DâM-FunK Re-Freak 4 Kool Herc)
Gladys Knight & The Pips – Save The Overtime (For Me)
Bobby Nunn – Do You Look That Good In The Morning
Sherrick – Just Call
Vesta Williams – Don’t Blow A Good Thing
Tyrone Brunson – Fresh (Scratch Mix)
Bugz In The Attic – Consequences
RJD2 – A Rollerskating Jam Called Fridays
Aurra – Baby Love (Touchsoul Boogiedub Edit)
Kon & The Gang – Sunlight
Bennson – Let The Love (Yam Who Remix)
Material – Over & Over
Logg – Lay It On the Line (JM After-Session M&M Mix)
Finis Henderson – Skip To My Lou
Janet Jackson – Say You Do
Aretha Franklin – Jump To It
Michael Jackson – Just Good Friends feat. Stevie Wonder
Ollie and Jerry – Breakin’… There’s No Stopping Us (Club Mix)
New Edition – My Secret (Didja Gitit Yet?)
Jamie Foxx – Slow Jam (live)
Midnight Star – Slow Jam
DeBarge – Love Me in a Special Way
Sheila E. – Hold Me
Isley Jasper Isley – Insatiable Woman
Herb Alpert – Making Love in the Rain feat. Lisa Keith and Janet Jackson
Status IV – You Ain’t Really Down (acapella)
Azari & III – Reckless With Your Love
EPMD – It’s Time 2 Party
Raze – Jack The Groove
Aretha Faltermeyer – Who’s Zoomin’ Axel F
The Time – Grace
Prince – Irresistible Bitch (propsEdit)
Michael Jackson – Billie Jean (Ahmed’s Get It Remix)
Shalamar – Dancing In The Sheets
Dance Avenue – Doing Lines
Buy Tickets here. $10 Adv, $15 Day of Show
Listen here:
Download here:
September 15, 2011
This video was shared by Jermaine Jackson via You Tube with this description: “Jermaine Jackson on his memoir You Are Not Alone — Michael: Through a Brother’s Eyes, the most authoritative account from inside the Jackson music dynasty illuminating the private man, the son, the father, and the brother.”
Buy the book here.
June 27, 2011
We are likely late to this party, but we just heard a tribute from the legendary Commodores (sans Lionel Richie). They have re-recorded their 80′s tribute to Marvin Gaye and changed several word to make it MJ specific. Check it out if you haven’t heard it yet.
June 27, 2011
According to the Associated Press, Michael Jackson‘s famous red and black leather jacket from the Thriller video was sold at auction for $1.8 Million.
“Darren Julien, president and CEO of Julien’s Auctions in Beverly Hills, says the jacket was purchased Sunday by Milton Verret, a commodities trader from Austin, Texas.
The jacket is one of two Jackson wore during the filming of the 1983 “Thriller” video. Jackson wears the jacket in a scene with a troupe of zombies who rise from their graves and break into a dance routine.
Verret says the jacket will be sent on tour and used as a fundraising tool for children’s charities.
A portion of the sale price will go to the Shambala Preserve, a big cat sanctuary caring for two tigers Jackson one owned.”
Great price and a good cause for sure.
