Second Listen Sunday: Nate Dogg, “Music & Me”
My introduction to Nate Dogg goes back to Dr. Dre’s 1992 debut, The Chronic, and the song “Deeez Nuuuts.” Even then, something about Nate’s voice set him apart from everybody else. He wasn’t just singing on rap records. He was bringing soul, gospel, street knowledge, and West Coast cool into the same space. He set the standard for hook singers in hip-hop, and dare I say, he’s still vastly underrated.
Slow Jam Saturday: Stevie Wonder, “From the Bottom of My Heart”
For this week’s Slow Jam Saturday, I wanted to give Stevie Wonder his due as he prepares to celebrate the 50th anniversary of his masterpiece, “Songs in the Key of Life,” on tour. While the easy choice could have been “Knocks Me Off My Feet”—a classic that still resonates fifty years later—I chose “From the Bottom of My Heart,” the second single from his twenty-third studio album, “A Time to Love,” released in 2005.
Jamal Roberts’ The Journey Review: A Refreshing Throwback to Stick-to-Your-Ribs Soul
It’s hard to believe that an iconic singing competition like American Idol has produced only two Black male winners in its more than two-and-a-half-decade history. Jamal Roberts made history last year when he won the show, following Ruben Studdard’s well-deserved victory in Season Two.
Second Listen Sunday : T-Pain, “Revolver”
One wonderful aspect of supporting physical media is that I never run short of albums to choose from when deciding what to cover for Second Listen Sunday. Often, I’ll head to the man cave, browse through my CD collection, and an album will pop out at me. This week’s pick is T-Pain’s fourth album, “Revolver.”
Slow Jam Saturday : Charlie Wilson “Thru It All”
One of my favorite singers, Mr. Eric Roberson, is performing this weekend at America’s legendary music venue, The Birchmere. To show Eric some love, I want to highlight something longtime R&B fans have always known: he’s had remarkable songwriting talent.
Daley Returns in Fine Form With “Strange Nature” Ahead of Howard Theatre Show
It’s been nearly a decade since Daley released a full-length album, but the British soul singer hasn’t lost the sound that made me a fan in the first place. His latest project, Strange Nature, finds the Manchester native returning with ten tracks of smooth R&B while sounding older, wiser, and comfortable with where his music fits in today’s landscape.
JAŸ-Z In 8 Review: Jaÿ-Z and Rick Rubin Revisit the Music Behind the Legacy
One of my favorite quotes from Jaÿ-Z’s memoir, *Decoded*, is: “If the beat is time, flow is what we do with that time, how we live through it. The beat is everywhere, but every life has to find its own flow.”
Second Listen Sunday : Alfonzo Hunter, “Blacka Da Berry”
During the nineties, Hip-Hop and R&B were closely intertwined. Nearly every major Hip-Hop label featured a singer or group to handle the hooks, and many MCs leaned on these connections to bring vocalists to the forefront.
Slow Jam Saturday :Fergie featuring will.i.am “All That I Got (The Make Up Song)
By 2006, Fergie had become a household name through her work with the Black Eyed Peas. However, when she launched her solo career with *The Dutchess*, she demonstrated that she was more than just the female voice in a successful group. The album produced massive hits like “London Bridge,” “Fergalicious,” “Glamorous,” and “Big Girls Don’t Cry,” but one of my favorite tracks never became a single.
Second Listen Sunday: Samuelle, “Living in Black Paradise”
As a longtime music enthusiast, I’ve often wondered how quickly record labels expect lead singers from groups to release solo albums. This question came to mind recently when my iPod played “So You Like What You See” by Samuelle. Listening to the song, I realized he would be a great choice for this week’s Second Listen Sunday.
Slow Jam Saturday : Timex Social Club, “Only You”
You know the voice. The moment Michael Marshall starts singing the hook in Luniz’s “I Got 5 on It,” anyone who grew up in the nineties knows exactly what time it is. However, nearly a decade before that 1995 hip-hop classic, Marshall was already responsible for another instantly recognizable vocal.
Second Listen Sunday: Anita Baker, “Rapture”
There are some albums you revisit because of nostalgia, and then there are albums you return to because they remind you just how high the standard used to be. Anita Baker’s Rapture falls into that second category. Released in 1986, the album did more than make Baker a star. It helped define what sophisticated, grown R&B could sound like without losing any soul, sensuality, or personality.