Big up to XO and all the cats at Studio 43 for not only dropping some amazing tracks but stepping up their video game as well. F.R.N.O. is off of X.O.’s stellar Monumental LP. DMV STAND UP!

Film Director Lee Daniels has offered Black cinema & American film a gem in his movie Precious, a film adaptation of writer Sapphire’s book, PUSH. To say that the soundtrack is soulful and gritty is an understatement; but nevertheless it is a statement. The film is about 16-year-old Claireece “Precious” Jones, an obese, illiterate inner-city black young woman with a down-syndrome child who endures an incestuous relationship with her abusive mother’s partner. Soul and gospel early Hip Hop & House music help to color this narrative that is sure to see Oscar gold. However, this amazing feat in black film and 21st century cinema may also be seen as a setback for some. Ultimately, this story highlights the struggles of a minority person who is yet a minority within a minority. The film’s protagonist is an illiterate black woman with a disable child. The film tells the story of a young woman in the late 1980s & early 1990s. We are witnessing her story now in the 21st century.

The Precious soundtrack features Nona Hendryx, LaBelle, Queen Latifah. The music reaches as far back as 1934 with Sunny Gale’s “Did You Ever See A Dream Walking?” Mahalia Jackson’s “Just A Closer Walk With Thee” is from the 1940s. Mary J. Blige – who sings the only recently recorded song on the album, “I Can See In Color” hosts a record with needle static in the background to give it a more authentic & gritty feel, a feel of struggle. And yes, the film is about one individual’s struggle, but what does it say about our current music atmosphere that the film soundtrack could not boast more recent singers from the 1990s or later?

Precious deals with issues such as illiteracy, weight issues, self-esteem, sexism, colorism, & incest just to name a few. However, the disconnect between the music and the setting of the film and then the setting of today’s viewers makes for a dangerous situation.

To musically narrate a film of the ’90s with music from the ’40s, ’70s & ’80s says that the music of the time in which the protagonist exists cannot tell Jones’ story. And if her present music isn’t telling her story, then whose story is the music narrating?

It is understandable that a notable Black film dealing with universal issue would include some gospel or soul-infused music. However, I’m sure many artists of the New Jack Swing era or early Hip Hop would be able to narrate Precious with music that the lead character would have known & heard on her radio or on her cassette tapes.

Another issue is more complex. Director Lee Daniels is a black man, a father, & a gay man. The ’90s saw a rise in a return to Black Pride infused with Hip Hop culture and Cross Colors, as well as a push in the Gay Rights Movement. When you have a soundtrack of a movie set during this great age of Bill Clinton, the beginning of the Internet, & gay pride, Mahalia Jackson is not speaking to the signs of the times (circa 1987). This soundtrack eliminates people that are not part of the musical experience, unfortunately excluding the protagonist. Ironically, solely based on the description of the director-a black gay man – and those like him, Daniels, a multiple minority himself is not included in the Precious experience, & his identity & experience obviously need not be part of the production in order to produce a remarkable work of art. This is not to say that he has not suffered with any of the issues that the film explores; but if the soundtrack is also to re-iterate the movie, where are your other black minorities?

The soundtrack is a mix of soul singers from yesteryear that seem to be providing more of an ancestral framework rather than a current examination of Precious’ story.

The tracklisting hosts a line-up of songs that are to uplift and mediate the pain of the protagonist’s life, much like The Color Purple. Black music is used to tell a black story that is ultimately universal. So, is the soundtrack with its old tracks a warning to us that history will repeat itself if we don’t hearken to what has been told by our forefathers & foremothers? Or is it telling a 21st century viewership that our social situation has begot lackluster music that cannot aid in a fight or narrate our struggles because like the disconnect between Jones’ story & the music used to tell it we have disconnected from our struggles and are thus producing lifeless, apathetic art?

The music included on the Precious movie soundtrack is as great today as it was when it originally surfaced. So the soundtrack by merit of music alone is superb, wrought with a story of empowerment & push. However, the soundtrack as a medium to tell this story falls short because of its disconnect.

The XX – Shelter (Them Jeans Drums Edit)

The xx might just be the most soulful goth band that ever existed. The band (now a threesome) looks straight out of an emo lookbook, yet lead singer Romy Madley Croft’s voice just drops with this nonchalant, imperfect, yet emcompassing soul. They have already covered Aalyah’s “Hot Like Fire” amoung others and is already one of the most buzzed bands of 2009.

LA producer Them Jeans takes the XX track “Shelter,” and adds a subtle breakbeat and some light keys, making the track a soulful house floor filler rather than a art rock staple. (via Beatlife)

DJ Skeet Skeet. Young Bol in charge. Very ill profile of him in the following video, someone in D.C. needs to do something like this.

Skeet!

ABCLA:”DJ Skeet Skeet” from Kevin Boston on Vimeo.

Photos by Boney Starks. Follow him on Twitter @boneystarks and please support.

Last Sunday night, Washington, DC’s Black Cat was graced with hip-hop royalty as Rakim took the stage, rocking old joints and new tracks from his new album The Seventh Seal.

One of the most talented MCs out of the “Class of 09,” B.O.B. is still critically slept on by most of music. The multiple threat MC can do crunk, introspective hip-hop, and alt rock with ease, switching between these three genres effortlessly on stage. His hits “Haters Everywhere,” and “Ill Be In The Sky” are solid and the dude definitely needs more exposure.

The track, “No Man’s Land” is a perfect example of the dude’s versatility. But when will we ever see a major label release?

I guess it’s true to say they saved the best for last. In a year on the alternative underground dominated by a cadre of fresh faced club divas, likely the best of the lot, Chicago’s Kid Sister, has dropped her standout debut release, Ultraviolet. It is more a testament to her career so far than album release. A solid number of these tracks have already been hits on dance floors worldwide. In taking the financial gamble of not releasing an album until completely ready, Kid Sister’s music is field tested and absolutely dance floor approved. Plus, with cameos from Kanye West and yes, making another dance vocal appearance after the success of David Guetta’s big single “One Love,” Estelle, and promoting Chicago’s unique synth heavy juke style and dance music history, there’s definitely something excellent here for everyone.

Ultraviolet succeeds for a massive number of reasons. Foremost, the album was pushed back an absurd number of times, while angering to the consumer, it allowed for the album to be as perfect as it could be as an exposition of the talents of the artist. Where say, Amanda Blank’s album falls a bit short in fleshing her out completely as a talent, this album succeeds. In just over 37 minutes and 12 tracks long, there’s a quality in the economy here from tracks one to twelve that just isn’t on any other album in the alternative/underground/hipster dance scene all year. Executive produced by A-Trak, the album leans toward hip hop and R & B considerably, as the tracks are certainly dance floor bangers, but between the spunky soul of Kid Sister’s voice and A-Trak’s work here, the album does have tremendous crossover appeal.

Current single “Right Hand Hi” produced by the Swedish House Mafia crew of Steve Angello and Sebastian Ingrosso, and features an insistent synth and some barely there dubbed basslines, fading into some techno production work. The song is a high energy blast that is a guaranteed dance floor killer. As well, the familiar tracks on here, the buzzworthy dubstep of the 2008 Rusko produced single “Pro Nails” with Kanye West, DJ Gant-Man’s hyperkinetic juke production of “Switch Board,” and the dubstep pop of “Control” all succeed here, as in having them on the album, it provides the seasoned Kid Sister fan with a “greatest hits” feel, but for a new listener, these productions absolutely fit the record.

The album’s true winner may be the cover of Status IV’s 1982 Chicago house classic “You Ain’t Really Down.” Yes, the track whose opening synths were sampled for Stetsasonic’s “Talkin’ All That Jazz” is covered here, and we get the true heart of Kid Sister as an artist. She’s an avowed fan of music, and fully aware that as a Chicago based dance diva, there are certain homages that must be paid. Recently, she has recorded with Green Velvet (aka Cajmere of “Percolator” fame), another legendary Chicago based dance artist, which shows that her respect and knowledge of her musical heritage is certainly anything but prefabricated. The production for “You Ain’t Really Down” takes the track from it’s Chicago roots and takes it to the Nuyorican soul of the freestyle movement, which takes nothing from the song, and it breathes life into the song for an entirely new generation.

As a rapper, Kid Sister is adequate, light, funky and totally buoyed by the tracks she’s backed with. As a fan of music who gets to record music that reflects something clearly very intrinsically tied into her soul as a person moreso than an artist is where she succeeds. Her interpretations of classic 80s house open a window to her soul, and loose an artist that has a direction that truly separates her from being “just another hipster artist.” Whereas the Amanda Blanks and Uffies of the world reside in a world of cheese and camp, Kid Sister, pro nails and all, absolutely the real deal.

4.5 OUT OF FIVE STARS

BUY TICKETS

On December 12th, National Geographic Live will present a panel discussion titled “Distrant Relatives” which will focus on the extensive ties between Hip-Hop and Reggae. Moderated by MTV VJ Sway, the panel will be led by Nas and Grammy-winning artist Damian “Jr. Gong” Marley. In addition to these two powerful names, the dicussion will also include Kool Herc, Rakim, Daddy U-Roy, King Jammy, Jeff Chang, Moussa Lo and DJ Red Alert.

Following the discussion, there will be an afterparty and performance at Zanzibar nightclub.

This is an AMAZING opportunity for the DC and it’s one of the few times that you will get to see such hip-hop talent on the same stage. LIMITED tickets are available for $25 and will cover the discussion AS WELL as entrance to the afterparty. Don’t SLEEP!

Welcome to the first installment of Audio Relaxation Therapy.  A.R.T. began as a humble email blast sent out to office workers across the United States, Toronto, Hong Kong and Japan.  The email consisted of positive thoughts, good music and the encouragement to back away from the monitors, don the headphones and breathe.

A.R.T. has now found a gracious home here at The Couch Sessions and I look forward to sharing music and thought with you each Wednesday.

Are you ready to breathe?  Let’s go…

Shingo Suzuki – Eternal Sunshine

Why is music so universal?  Spoken language takes years to learn, lifetimes to master.  Visas, border patrols, budget constraints and National Security stifle face to face interaction.  The ignorant leanings of the imperfect human mind cause many of us to clench tightly to our comfort zones.

But none of these can fully hinder the power of music because music is received by the heart, not the mind.  That’s why music makes us cry, hate, love, fight and dream.

So when I hear dirty, crackly samples over laid back dilla-esque drums come from a nihonjin brother who wakes up under a “different sun” than I do…I understand.  At least my heart does.

He’s speaking my language.

DC’s Outputmessage has been quietly killing the EDM game for a hot minute now. With his tracks getting recognition worldwide (and his Dmerit collabo getting praise from LA’s iHeartComix among others), and his production getting even better over each release, its only a matter of time that this dude will become a breakout star. N.Y.R. is the third single from the upcoming LP, and includes remixes from Osborne, Dmerit, and my homie Will Eastman. Check it.