Weekly Music Commentary

The Journey From Barney to Music Superstar

2013-05-19T12:31:00.000-07:00

Demi Lovato

How many of you reading this post are parents? And of that number how many of you are parents to adult children? If I had to guess there are possibly a great number of you out there answering yes to both questions. Parenthood today has taken on a variety of faces. Single parents, step parents, parents who have adopted children, grandparents raising grandchildren, and the situations go on. Regardless the circumstances, parents most of the time have the privilege of watching their children grow up. I remember watching on as my daughter began to speak and comprehend her surroundings. It was such a joy to watch a little mind at work figuring out life and developing her individual preferences and ideas. One of the things most may remember was how our children loved certain television programs. Here in the US we still have certain programs that have been a part of children’s lives for three generations. One of the television shows that my daughter, and very likely your children watched and loved is Barney and Friends.

Yes, the purple dinosaur and his buddies have been entertaining and educating young ones for over twenty years. (New episodes have not been produced since 2009, however reruns continue to air on various PBS stations) My daughter loved not only the TV show, but also the music, videos, live shows, books and stuffed animals associated with the program. The children who appeared on the show as Barney’s friends were also entertaining as they sang and danced along with their large purple friend. However, as my father always used to say, “Time marches on”, and those children like ours grow up fast. Yes, many of them, as many of our children have grown into adults and many have started their own families. In reflecting upon those children my thoughts turned to young superstar Demi Lovato.

Oh yes, she was once upon a time one of Barney’s friends, now all grown up. As I looked at some of the

old pictures of Lovato as she appeared on Barney, I wondered if her parents thought she would become the major star she is today. Most parents want their children to succeed in life, but overall I’m sure most are like me and ultimately just wish for their child’s happiness. My dad told me many times that he wanted me to have a childhood that I could look back upon fondly. I have approached parenthood similarly, hoping my daughter would have a childhood without great pain. I used the phrase “without great pain” because there will be some pain. It is part of the human experience to feel pain, even in childhood. Demi Lovato surely was not exempt from painful experiences on her way to the top of the entertainment world. In fact, she revealed that she was bullied so severely she requested a home-schooled education. She earned her high school diploma through home-schooling April 2009. Lovato also has suffered from eating disorders and self-mutilation in efforts to cope with depression. Her climb to fame did not make her problems lessen as she continued to fight through drug and alcohol problems as she stated was “like a lot of teens do to numb their pain“.

Though Demi Lovato suffered greatly during her teen years, she has grown musically and philanthropically. In 2010, Lovato served as spokeswoman for the anti-bullying organization PACER and in October 2012, she was named the new Ambassador of Mean Stinks, an anti-bullying campaign focused on eliminating bullying among girls. Also during 2012 Demi Lovato served as a judge on The X Factor, and released her fourth album Demi May 14th. Needless to say the young star has had a turbulent journey through childhood that I’m sure she hopes has settled. She will soon be celebrating her twenty-first birthday that signals at least a legal transition into adulthood. Somehow I think her emotional transition happened a while ago, as she purchased a home for her family on her eighteenth birthday. At least for now she is back singing and recording and appears focused and happy. I’m sure her mother wishes for her happiness like all parents for their children. I would just love to see her enjoy her success in the music world.

Is Mainstream America ready for "The Roots"?

2013-05-12T10:17:00.000-07:00

Last week I was on vacation. It was great to get away and relax. Believe me I definitely needed to rest my body and mind. I am not sure which part needed more rest. Vacations are good for one of my favorite sports of people watching. Young and old, single men and women, couples, people of various races, from all around the world enjoying their time away from usual life. As I watched everyone I thought to myself; this is what the entire world looks and sounds like all gathered in one place at one time. I started to think that if this is the identification of the world, what the mainstream is. I hear that term mainstream so much, especially when attached to America - the entire term rendered Mainstream America. I needed to know what that term mainstream really meant, and so I turned to my dictionary. Mainstream: main current of thought or behavior: the ideas, actions, and values that are most widely accepted by a group or society, e.g. in politics, fashion, or music.

When I saw music in the definition as an example, my interest was peaked even more. What made me weigh in on this discussion of mainstream America was a couple of weeks ago the announcement that Jimmy Fallon will be taking over for Jay Leno as host of the Tonight Show. Several years back when Jay Leno took over the hosting job from Johnny Carson, NBC network executives felt that mainstream America was ready for Leno, and his brand of comedy. As for the music, remember that Doc Severinsen and his star-studded big jazz orchestra took care of the music for the Tonight Show with Carson for years. However, when NBC made the change from Carson to Leno, Branford Marsalis took over as music director with a new band, and jazz guitarist Kevin Eubanks followed a little while after Marsalis.

Were Doc Severinsen and his band mainstream musicians? In their time, yes. Of course, when Marsalis and his band took over most also considered them mainstream musicians. While both groups were in the mainstream in their own times gives us more insight into mainstream American music. It would seem that the mainstream has a way of shifting. The key words within the definition of mainstream are “most widely accepted by a group or society”. Which group or society? I ask that question because most are now speculating how Fallon’s house band The Roots will fare after making the trip with Fallon to the Tonight Show. Is mainstream America ready for The Roots?

Well, The Roots are different because they are sort of a musical anomaly, an instrumental hip-hop band. Hip-hop music was widely accepted years ago and today it is normal to see and hear hip-hop artists everywhere you turn on television. The very popular band The Roots, have won four Grammy Awards to prove their acceptance by fellow musicians and the music buying public. However, are these awards and accolades emitting from mainstream America or their large and growing fan base?

Here is where the debate begins. In my opinion, Jay Leno was not acceptable to mainstream America until the older audience that faithfully watched Johnny Carson, as well as younger followers of Leno all viewed together. Why did NBC choose Branford Marsalis to replace Severinsen as musical director? Even though Marsalis was a younger musician, he was a jazz musician, thus tolerable to the older Carson audience as well as the younger Leno crowd. Kevin Eubanks presented a similar choice. Now here we are at the crossroad again. NBC executives are looking for Fallon to bring his younger viewers, but I am sure they do not want to lose that older audience right now. Not with David Letterman and music director Paul Shaffer, ready to move in and take the older audience away from the Tonight Show. The Roots will certainly entertain the younger, musically hip audience as they are doing with Fallon currently. Is that older audience ready to embrace them or will they tune off the Tonight Show? Personally, I am looking forward to The Roots performing on the larger stage along with Fallon and watching the revamped show. They are a part of what made Fallon's current show very popular. I really believe mainstream America has shifted once again. Apparently, NBC executives believe it too!

Remembering Luther Vandross

2013-05-05T09:07:00.001-07:00

Just a few weeks ago as I was driving along one morning I heard a radio DJ mention that April 20th would have been the late Luther Vandross’ sixty-second birthday. Immediately I started to think back and realized that Luther Vandross died going on eight years ago. Could it really be that long? It does not seem that long because his music still surrounds us and is still a part of our lives. Always considered the pinnacle of modern balladeers, Luther Vandross songs can be heard on radio stations literally anywhere in the world. The very popular singer was truly one the most loved entertainer of all times. Most fans have their favorite songs and memories that accompany them very much like a photo scrapbook filled with old pictures of family members.

For me it was somewhat different, but not so dissimilar from other men. Luther Vandross’ fan base was and still is predominately female. Not unusual when you consider the history of the male vocalist famous for love songs. The traditional crooner if you will. Frank Sinatra and Bing Crosby have been characterized as famous singers who make women faint at hearing them sing. However, men view the traditional crooner very differently. From the male perspective the love songs are the way to sway the object of affection in your direction. Early on I had that same view of Luther Vandross’ music. That is until I really took time to listen with my musician’s ear.

I think most of you musicians reading today understand that you can listen to music several ways. To listen as a musician though, means that even if you prefer to hear other performers you still appreciate the technique of the artist. This does not mean I did not like Luther Vandross’ singing. He was very good indeed. I had an appreciation more for his ability to perform within the musical arrangement, which created a fantastic sound.

My appreciation really started to build for Luther after attending one of his live performances. It was the late 1990’s when Luther Vandross was on his way to a couple of shows here in South Florida. My wife wanted to go and by that time I was looking forward to his concert too. Just over a year before Vandross released the album Your Secret Love, which I admired as a collection of brilliant musical works. By this time I was working in the industry myself, and recognized the work of many studio musicians and producers. Luther Vandross had some very good ones around him at all times, like Marcus Miller, Lisa Fischer and Nat Adderly Jr. That show was one of the best concerts I have ever attended, as Luther Vandross performed as advertised and maybe more. For those of you reading who also attended one of his concerts, you understand that he always gave excellent performances and interacted well with the audience with humor.

One of the things many remember is that Luther Vandross had a wonderful sense of humor. Those close to Luther Vandross truly loved and appreciated so much more about his personality. Nat Adderly Jr. first met Luther Vandross in high school and later spent much of his musical career working as pianist, arranger, producer and music director for Vandross. He said of Luther Vandross, “he was ‘a hilarious guy‘, a great employer, a great friend, and an incredible musician”. I didn’t think it was possible to describe Vandross in a few words, but Adderly did just that. Overall, Luther Vandross’ music will tell his story for the rest of our lives and well into the future. For now and tomorrow, continue to enjoy some great music as we remember one of the greatest musicians of all time, Luther Vandross.

When a Dogg Becomes a Lion

2013-04-28T15:25:00.001-07:00

Impossible! From canine to feline? Simply impossible! But what if you just called the dog a cat? Maybe that could work because it would just be a name. It brings to mind the famous line from Shakespeare‘s Romeo and Juliet, “A rose by any other name would smell as sweet”. True or false: it does not matter by which name you call a person, because that person remains the same. False, I think! Names seem to hold more importance than just a means of identification. When a couple finds out they are expecting a child an important next step is the choice of names. Folks will possibly look to name the child after relatives, friends, famous actors or athletes. The reason for all the forethought is that the name is something a child will take with them into adulthood. Perhaps!

There are many folks who gain nicknames sometimes in childhood, which follow them through adult life. Also, many people choose to legally change their names in order to give themselves what they feel is a better identity. Entertainers, especially in the Hip Hop genre, always take great effort in the choice of a stage name. I actually witnessed the difficult and well-planned process of name choice for an artist in a promotion team meeting. Recently the entertainment world has been buzzing with the name change of rapper Snoop Dogg to Snoop Lion.

If you think like me you probably are wondering is this really a news story? We have definitely heard of rappers changing their names before. Sean "Puff Daddy" Combs asked to be called "P Diddy" and also answers to "Puffy" without anyone flinching. Biggie Smalls had to make a change to Notorious B.I.G. in order to avoid lawsuit. Changing names is not the largest event in the life of a rap artist. In fact, rappers accept new monikers quite a bit without adverse effects upon their careers. However, Snoop Lion’s name change is somewhat different than many of the others. Why? He has made a change to his overall way of life which has had a major effect upon his music.

Snoop Lion’s subsequent change reminds me of the name changes made by Muhammad Ali and Malcolm X. They made their name changes for philosophical reasons; lifelong changes in religious beliefs accompanied their changes. Muhammad Ali was a well-known heavyweight boxer when he became a member of the Nation of Islam. For him his name change did not bring about a career change, but it did change his fundamental way of life. The difference for Snoop Lion is more apparent because he is an artist. Therefore any life changes he makes will definitely play out in all his creative efforts.

For Snoop Lion it all revolved around a 2012 visit to Jamaica and an introduction to the Rastafarian movement. Of course we are now hearing the influence of Jamaican music upon Snoop Lion’s new songs and album, but the influence goes much deeper than music. Snoop Lion’s new choice of religion has brought about changes to the message conveyed by his music. He has developed a more peaceful musical ideology and now looks to his old fans to buy in, and hopes new fans also enjoy his efforts. True to his changes his new album is entitled Reincarnated, as Calvin Broadus (Snoop Lion) has claimed to be born again. I think Snoop Lion will continue to enjoy success the same as other artists after name changes. More than just a change of his name, the Dogg has become a Lion.

Meet Tiwa Savage!

2013-04-21T14:23:00.000-07:00

If you have read the Weekly Music Commentary for a while, you understand how I feel about the entire world of entertainment. As I have written before, “with the growth of technology the world grows increasingly smaller“. While I sit in my corner of South Florida in the US, this article is being read by others in countries like Russia, China, England and several countries on the African continent. Just knowledge of my worldwide audience and hearing from some of you continues to push me to widen the scope of Weekly Music Commentary. However, I have been a fan of world literature, art and music for some time. I had the pleasure to study world history and culture in college and upon leaving I continued to embrace the art of my neighbors around the globe. Most recently I have enjoyed Nigerian movies and music which led me to the featured artist this week: Tiwa Savage.

Many of you reading may not know anything about Tiwa Savage for a couple of reasons: 1) she is somewhat new to music as a solo artist and 2) it’s possible you have not been exposed to Nigeria’s music scene. If one or both of the previous reasons apply in your case do not feel bad. If all goes according to plans you may hear much more about her very soon. Tiwa Savage is not new to the US and UK because she has spent a chunk of her life in both places respectively, even though she was born in Lagos. At age 16 Ms. Savage got her start singing background for George Michael. That tremendous induction into the music industry has lead to a great deal of work with some of the most notable artists in the industry. Just look at the list of musicians to whom she has lent background vocals: Mary.J. Blige, Chaka Khan, Blu Cantrell, Emma Bunton from The Spice Girls, Kelly Clarkson, Andreas Bocelli, Sting, 50 Cent, The Black Eyed Peas, Eminem, Robbie Williams, and Destiny’s Child. In addition, Tiwa Savage is well known as a prolific songwriter. In 2009, SONY/ATV signed Tiwa to a singer/songwriter deal and she has written for some of the most renowned artists and producers including Babyface, Kat Deluna, Monica and Mya. In 2010 she earned a Grammy award nomination for her songwriting contribution on Fantasia Barrino’s song “Collard Greens and Cornbread”.

Tiwa Savage is not an artist with a little natural talent who happened to get a break into the music business. She is a 2007 graduate of Berklee College of Music and that underscores her natural musical abilities. Ms. Savage has now arrived armed with songs as a solo artist and ready to release an album to a world of awaiting music fans. Interestingly, Tiwa Savage is not a teenager but an adult of thirty-three years old. Thirty-three is considered old to start a career in the music industry. Even artists who spend much time climbing the ladder via the background vocal route as Tiwa Savage has done normally don’t start a solo career after age thirty. Nevertheless, Tiwa Savage seems ready to do something different than most today. As you can see from her photo she is a very beautiful woman, who can only be helped by that fact in her quest for success. She also is a very polished performer as you will see from her videos and concert performances.

Most importantly, Ms. Savage has an understanding of the music business as she owns her own record label, 323 Music Entertainment, and working on her album under Don Jazzy’s Mavin Records. The first lady of Mavin has signed a multi-million naira deal to become the face of Pepsi, the first African to sign such a deal. Overall I do appreciate that Tiwa Savage has stuck to her Nigerian musical roots, a fact that is important for the success of Mavin Records and other Nigerian artists to follow her path. I am really looking forward to her album Once Upon a Time. Something tells me that Tiwa Savage is going to make more history in Africa and throughout the musical world.

Is Lil' Wayne Okay?

2013-04-14T12:51:00.000-07:00

Who is the hottest rapper today? Depending upon whom you ask that question you may get various answers. I remember asking a friend who he thought was the top rapper right now, and he said definitely Lil’ Wayne. A lot of folks reading this week may disagree, but he should be included if there is a debate. Just browsing his body of work we see that he has worked with countless hip hop and pop music artists, including in November 2008 becoming the first hip hop act to appear on the Country Music Association Awards performing alongside Kid Rock.

Dwayne Michael Carter, Jr. (Lil' Wayne) is not new to the hip hop game by any stretch of the imagination. In fact, the New Orleans native joined Cash Money Records in 1991 at the age of nine, becoming the youngest member of the label. He recorded his debut studio album, The Block is Hot in 1999, and it was certified platinum by the Recording Industry Association of American (RIAA). The years following his debut Lil’ Wayne went on to record several hit albums, but his mixtapes and collaborations with various artists would place him at the top of the hip hop game today.

Accompanying all the fame and fortune would be the array of rumors and stories along with some legal problems. Lil’ Wayne was arrested several times on an array of drug and gun charges and in 2010 served eight months of a year-long sentence in New York on weapons charges. Last month Lil’ Wayne was in the news for another reason; reported health issues. Of course, this was not the first time media sources had reported that Lil’ Wayne was suffering with health problems. There were several reports in October 2012 of Lil’ Wayne suffering seizures once while traveling in-flight to Los Angeles, which forced the plane to make an emergency landing in Texas. At the time his representatives claimed that the reports had been exaggerated, and that Lil’ Wayne was resting at home in Louisiana. In a November 2012 interview with MTV, Lil Wayne revealed that he was taking seizure medication, on doctors' orders, due to the October 2012 incidents. Subsequently Lil’ Wayne suffered seizures last month that hospitalized the star and provoked more rumors of his near death.

Was Lil’ Wayne really so close to dying? It might be best to hear it from Lil’ Wayne himself as opposed to the media and public relations representatives. HuffPost Healthy Living on March 29th printed an interview of Lil’ Wayne with Power 106‘s DJ Felli Fel where he said the following: "The thing is, man, the bad news is, I'm an epileptic, I'm prone to seizures. This isn't my first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh seizure. I've had a bunch of seizures; y'all just never hear about them. This time it got real bad because I had three of 'em in a row, and on the third one, my heart rate went down to, like, 30 percent. Basically, I could've died. So, that's why it was so serious." No more rumors, the seizures were of the serious nature and we also know the cause: epilepsy. As I read this I wondered a couple of things: 1) are there other musicians who have epilepsy and 2) how has it affected their ability to perform?

First of all if you have ever seen someone suffer an epileptic seizure you know that it is frightening! As a child I remember a couple of family friends who suffered from epilepsy and the seizures were serious and required immediate attention from family members and friends who happened to understand necessary first aid. My mom knew about epilepsy and was always calm in the face of emergency. I was surprised to learn that Adam Horovitz of the Beastie Boys and singer-songwriter Neil Young both suffer from epilepsy. There are many entertainers who also cope with epilepsy and continue to perform every day. According to a report from the Mayo Clinic, “epilepsy can be controlled, but not cured, with medication. However, more than 30% of people with epilepsy do not have seizure control even with the best available medications.” Therefore, Lil’ Wayne coping with epilepsy does not have to end his career, but he may need additional medical attention. With a new album on the market, I Am Not a Human Being II and a pending tour to promote the album, Lil’ Wayne has some performances still on the table. Is Lil’ Wayne okay? We will know very soon.

Against All Odds

2013-04-07T13:17:00.000-07:00

Fantasia Barrino

Overall, about half (51%) of teen moms have a high school diploma compared to 89% of women who didn’t have a teen birth. Young teen mothers are even less likely to graduate from high school. Fewer than four in ten (38%) mothers who have a child before they turn 18 have a high school diploma. Parenthood is a leading cause of school drop out among teen girls—30% of teen girls cited pregnancy or parenthood as a reason for dropping out of high school. Other data find that less than two percent of young teen mothers (those who have a baby before age 18) attain a college degree by age 30.3.

The music industry is one of the hardest to break into, and even harder to achieve and sustain a level of stardom. I’m sure many of you reading around the world have known someone with amazing talent who never received a chance at a recording contract. There are various reasons but let’s just say the odds are even a talented vocalist or instrumentalist will not find success in the music industry. Imagine the array of external factors contributing to make the odds even less favorable. If you noticed at the beginning of this weeks’ post I started with statistics showing the effect teenage pregnancy has upon the education and lifetime prospects of the mother. No doubt those without some form of education or even a high school diploma find difficulty succeeding in society today. In addition, if the person does not have the ability to read, the prospects of accomplishing anything diminish even further. Nevertheless, we refer to persons chances in life as odds because in spite of all the obstacles, a few will still succeed. Such is the case with this weeks’ featured artist: Fantasia Barrino who was a teen mother, high school dropout, and functionally illiterate.

The twenty-eight year old third season American Idol winner has been through much adversity, but the young woman has not only survived, but she has put together a very solid musical career. Fantasia is about to release her fourth studio album later this month entitled Side Effects of You. She appeared on Broadway as Celie in The Color Purple, and won a 2010 Grammy for Best R&B Vocal Performance for the song Bittersweet, as well as a variety of other awards and accolades. Still Fantasia has fought through some very tough problems in her personal life which include a home foreclosure, lawsuits, and an attempted suicide. Yet, here we are today featuring Fantasia who is juggling music and some television and movie offers. (Aretha Franklin considers Fantasia a very good choice to portray her in the pending movie of Franklin’s life story).

The questions remain as to how Fantasia Barrino overcame all the odds and became such a musical success story. Perhaps we should look back to American Idol in the year 2004. On her way to the finals Fantasia chose to sing Summertime from the musical Porgy and Bess. In a very moving and heartfelt rendition, Fantasia moved the Idol judges to offer massive praise. Randy Jackson called it the best performance in the shows history and after a second performance of the song Simon Cowell remarked that she was the best contestant to ever compete in any competition. Both judges, as well as a large television audience, could tell that Fantasia bared her personal feelings through the performance. Maybe the fact that Fantasia understands herself emotionally has bearing on how she deals with adversity. Of course she is extremely talented and most in the music industry do not dispute her abilities. However, she must possess a real strength deep inside that allows her to rise after each tumble in life.

After her failed suicide attempt in 2010 Fantasia said, "Music saved me. When I went in the hospital, I went into the computer room, and I looked up artists who've been through things, artists who sing from their soul. I took my cues from them, and I just put my mind and everything into music." She also relied on her family, something she had not done earlier in her career. Fantasia also gave a lot of credit to her faith in God. "I have to tell God thank you because He has blessed me. Just when I thought it was all over, He kept blessing me," Barrino told her audience, according to the Trinidadian Guardian newspaper. "He's always been there. I made it through because of God ... Everything I went through is my testimony."

For now Fantasia has given us a new song Lose to Win that is getting a lot of airplay. She described what the song meant to her in an interview with Philadelphia radio station WDAS FM. "When I recorded lose to win, that song wasn't just about a relationship ... and I think when people hear it as well they don't just think of a relationship," Barrino said on the radio station. "They think of somebody might have lost a job, a home, a family member. In that moment when you're losing you think, 'Oh my God. If I can just find one person to lean on.' Against all odds, Fantasia continues to sing and we continue to listen.

Trying Something Different

2013-03-31T13:08:00.000-07:00

Robert Glasper

When you think about the different genres within the music industry, they seem to divide musicians like nation’s borders divide the population of the world. Genres are used more by music executives to categorize music for record sales purposes. I learned about genres early as I remember presenting a dance record I was promoting to a buyer. He listened a little more than ten seconds and simply called it R & B. Yes, the song had R & B elements, but I thought if you just had to categorize the record, you could just as easily call it dance music. You see it is very easy to find elements of various styles of music in a given song because; musicians make music. Most musicians create based on the music that has influenced them, many times without regard to genre. Recently we were provided a great example of how musicians of various genres can easily work together and produce music appreciated by others within the music industry and music fans alike. I am speaking of the album entitled Black Radio, which won the Award for Best R & B Album at the 55th Grammy Awards. The artist is Robert Glasper, who will turn thirty-five years old April 5th.

Glasper is a singer-songwriter, record producer, composer and arranger who is categorized as a jazz musician. The best way to describe Robert Glasper if you have not heard of him is that he is an extremely brilliant pianist. Just listening to him play is really a wonderful treat to the ears. Those who have worked with Glasper in the past view him as an effective young ambassador of music. If you noticed, I did not say he was an ambassador of jazz music alone. No, because Black Radio showed us something a little larger than jazz music. Please, all you jazz purists out there don’t think for a moment that I am disrespecting the place of jazz music in the history of modern R & B, Soul and hip hop music respectively. And I don’t believe Robert Glasper is showing any disrespect either. I believe he has simply highlighted the relationship between the musical genres.

First of all we start with the artists whom he chose to accompany him on Black Radio. Lalah Hathaway, Bilal, Stokley (from the group Mint Condition) and Ledisi all bring us a sound defined as jazz fusion. Erykah Badu, Music Soulchild and Chrisette Michelle have a track record with R & B music. Lupe Fiasco and Yasin Bey (formerly known as Mos Def) are unmistakably hip hop artists. However, despite diversity they gathered with Robert Glasper to create a beautiful album of music and a great experience. I say the latter because Glasper mentioned in a recent interview how much he and artists enjoyed the interaction, and how much it contributed to the creative process.

Black Radio was not born by chance because Glasper has had a relationship with hip hop and R & B artists dating back to his high school days in Houston. Moreover he has toured and performed with hip hop and R & B performers throughout his career. This synthesis of hip hop and jazz is supposedly Glasper's attempt to correct what he sees as a lack of new energy in the jazz genre. In the April 2012 issue of Down Beat, Glasper stated that "I've gotten bored with jazz to the point where I wouldn't mind something bad happening. Slapping hurts, but at some point it'll wake you up. I feel like jazz needs a big-ass slap." Now we have Black Radio, which is Glaspar just trying something different. We will wait to see if "something different" will be something that lasts. Whatever your musical tastes, please do yourself a favor and get a copy of Black Radio. You may be among the many who have embraced a different sound.

Youth is the Hope of Our Future

2013-03-24T14:40:00.000-07:00

Coco Jones

The title of this weeks’ post is a quote from Jose Rizal, a reformist and nationalist prominent in the history of the Philippines. Rizal was a polymath; he attended medical school and was a practicing physician, as well as an artist, a poet and essayist, additionally remembered as a political figure. He accomplished all of these things at a very young age as he died in 1896 at thirty-five. You see, Rizal would have the unique perception of viewing life from both sides as prodigal youth and reflective adult. Therefore, he would have a very clear understanding of the promise young people would offer society throughout a variety of institutions. I have written about a number of very talented young artists now making their individual contributions to the world of music, and this week I feel I made another exemplary choice. This week our featured artist is Courtney “Coco” Jones.

Coco celebrated her fifteenth birthday at the beginning of January this year, but she has quite a few musical accomplishments to her credit. Like many talented musicians, her musical abilities became apparent very early, for Coco this was at her kindergarten graduation where she performed America the Beautiful at six years of age. At nine years old, the youngster from Lebanon, Tennessee met with casting heads for Disney, and she was well on her way. Since 2010, she has been a very busy young woman, first competing on Radio Disney’s The Next BIG Thing. As of 2011, she has guest starred on the Disney Channel’s So Random. In the summer of 2012, she starred in the movie Let It Shine. Earlier this month she released an EP entitled Made Of, which displays her exceptional vocal and songwriting talents. I first discovered this very talented young woman, as I happened upon a video for a song she released earlier in 2012 called Holla at the DJ. The video is very good and polished, featuring an artist with great vocal and dancing abilities. I wanted to find out a little more about this young person, and just as I started to research, Let it Shine premiered on the Disney Channel.

Right away, I noticed that she was rather young, but her voice was more mature than I expected from a fifteen year old. Upon listening to the entire EP Made Of, I could still hear a very mature voice, but the material is certainly age appropriate. Nevertheless, media and fans compare her to a young Beyonce Knowles. I have made clear I really do not like to compare artists; however, I do understand why most see parallels.

There is no doubting the talent of young Coco Jones, but when thinking about very young performers I tend to think like a parent. For most of us who are parents, the goal is to find balance for your children so that they can enjoy their childhood. My parents really did a wonderful job of making sure my younger years were happy times. Parents of exceptional children never want to stifle creativity, but balance is necessary if you want your child to continue to enjoy what they do. All indications are that Coco Jones is enjoying life even as the limelight grows brighter. Very soon will come adulthood and there will be pressure to continue to create music - at an adult level. It appears that she is preparing for a great future in music, film and more. Jose Rizal’s quote rings true in that we do look at our young people to carry on in our future. Coco Jones is another young performer with the hope of future success.

It's a Family Affair

2013-03-17T14:11:00.001-07:00

Tamar Braxton

Recently the entertainment world has been buzzing with news from singer/reality show star Tamar Braxton. She is an integral character on one of televisions' most successful reality shows, Braxton Family Values, a show that follows the lives of the sister musical group The Braxtons. Also, Tamar stars in a spin-off of the show called, Tamar and Vince, which chronicles the life and times of Tamar and her husband Vince Herbert. Both shows will continue on air for another season. Congratulations are in order for Tamar and Vince as last week they announced Tamar’s pregnancy with the couple’s first child. In addition to all this news is the fact that Tamar’s single, Love and War, is receiving a lot of radio air play and positive feedback. Oh yes, she is also looking at releasing her new album soon after signing with LA Reid and Epic Records. Any one of the aforementioned events would be overwhelming, but I think Tamar will handle everything just fine.

Even though I am not a big fan of reality television I did view a little of Tamar and Vince just to get an idea about her personality. I know many folks have definite opinions (positive and negative) based on her appearances on her shows but I needed more substantiation. And several interviews and guest spots have given me a picture of a more balanced Tamar. She was a very cordial and upbeat co-host on Anderson Live which may provide more career options for her in the future. Overall I think she is outgoing and fun to work with. Nevertheless, making music is the ultimate goal and it looks like Tamar is determined to create a great album.

As mentioned before the single Love and War is a fantastic song and Tamar’s vocal performance on the record is excellent. However, with everything she does she will undoubtedly always be compared with her sister Toni Braxton. The question is how fair the comparisons are. We must remember that Toni was much younger when her solo career started under the brilliant production of Kenneth “Babyface” Edmonds. Tamar is working with much different producers and looking for what will be a distinct sound. Tamar is not only older (age 35) but also more aware of the way the music industry works. The Braxton’s are hardly the first family to venture into the music business together. Throughout the 1970’s and 1980’s it was common to enjoy the music of families like The Jackson’s, DeBarge, The Jets, Sister Sledge, Staple Singers and many, many more. Sometimes when group members release solo efforts, they tend to seek their own musical path, understanding that they will face comparisons to the music of siblings by the media as well as fans. Tamar has stated many times that she has sung for years with her sisters, including backup for Toni. Now, she feels that it is her time to move to the forefront.

There exists another family dynamic for Tamar Braxton. Her husband Vince Herbert is a songwriter, producer, record executive and founder of Streamline Records. Herbert has taken on the task of managing the career of his wife Tamar. For those married people reading this post, you may have reservations about working with your spouse. Understandably many feel working with a marriage mate brings about different problems in the relationship. In addition these problems will play out in front of the cameras in their reality show. I must say that I really like Vince. His demeanor and the way he conducts business are similar to my own approach. I say that based upon some of what I see in the reality show, but mostly from statements of others in the music industry. The long-term test for Vince will be if he can successfully juggle managing Tamar with being husband and now father. Just about everything in Tamar’s future will revolve around her family. Hopefully, the family will support her musical endeavor well and help her to develop into the star she wants to become.

Turning it All Around

2013-03-10T14:04:00.000-07:00

Charlie Wilson

Next weekend here in South Florida we will welcome a large yearly concert called Jazz in the Gardens. It is held at Sun Life Stadium and features some of the biggest names in jazz and R&B music all together on stage for a two-day event. There are so many artists whom I would love to see even if performing alone, but this show will be a major event with several fan favorite artists together for all to enjoy. The list of entertainers such as Ne-Yo, Fantasia, Earth Wind and Fire, Monica and New Edition are all sensational stories within the music industry in their own rights, but in writing the Weekly Music Commentary, I always choose to feature only one musician out of respect for their individual creations. This week I chose another of my favorite entertainers scheduled to appear at Jazz in the Gardens: Charlie Wilson.

Uncle Charlie (a nickname given to him by rap artist Snoop Dogg) is unique not only because he has been active in the music industry since 1967, but also because he continues to produce records that show up regularly on the Billboard charts. At sixty years old Charlie Wilson is still performing and recording music that is up to date. Truly the envy of his musical peers, I have heard more than one artist state that they would like to do what Charlie is doing. What Charlie is doing is making sure his music is relevant while not compromising his own style and artistic flair.

I appreciate his longevity in the music industry because I not only see and hear him today, but I very much remember his performances with his group, the Gap Band. Music from the Gap Band was always popular with my high school marching band, not to mention the millions of fans from all corners of the world. After reflecting on the career of Charlie Wilson, like many musicians there have been good times as well as bad. Also like many in the music industry, Charlie Wilson had alcohol and drug abuse problems that might have cut his career short.

My father and I talked a great deal about so many other jazz musicians he knew who became habitual drug users. Some ended tragically with major health problems and too many times death. After the breakup of the Gap Band, Wilson’s drug and alcohol problems continued throughout the late 1980’s and into the mid 1990’s. In 1994 Wilson entered rehab and started to turn his life around and in 1995 he married his current wife Mahin, and started the next stage in his life. An additional part of Wilson turning it all around was manager Michael Paren of P Music Group who persuaded Wilson to embark on a solo career, and later helped negotiate a multi-album deal with Jive Records. The first album from that deal Charlie, Last Name Wilson, was released August 2005 and Charlie Wilson has been a constant name in the Billboard charts ever since. January 29, 2013 he released Love, Charlie and there seems to be no slowing down in Charlie Wilson or his music.

In between his string of solo hits Charlie Wilson was diagnosed with prostrate cancer in September 2008. The cancer was detected early so Wilson started treatment immediately and now is cancer free. He did not keep the diagnosis and subsequent battle private and stated, "I've always been performing but now its time for me to start informing." Wilson teamed with the Prostate Cancer Foundation in 2008 and is the currently the national spokesperson. “When I learned that the PCF had helped to build a global research enterprise of nearly $10 billion and funded more than 1500 programs at nearly 200 research centers in 12 countries, I knew I wanted to support their efforts.”

In our time we recognize great musical endeavors by giving Lifetime Achievement awards. With Charlie Wilson, we can award him by listening to his music and attending his more than stellar performances around the world. Don’t miss the opportunity when he comes to your city.

The Price When We Do Not Succeed

2013-03-03T14:03:00.004-08:00

Lady Gaga

“I know the price of success: dedication, hard work, and an unremitting devotion to the things you want to see happen”.
Frank Lloyd Wright

Growing up in Chicago I was very familiar with Frank Lloyd Wright as an architect, educator, designer and visionary. If there was a person who would know something about the price of success, it would definitely be Frank Lloyd Wright. His buildings and houses can be found throughout the city as great historical landmarks. His quote rings true for persons within any industry. Yes, even the music industry.

Whenever you see a popular entertainer you can be sure they arrived at the top due to a combination of talent, hard work and devotion to their art. The aforementioned attributes expand to a wide array of persons and entertainment companies that all work very hard to insure success of every recording and performance of the individual artist. So many people invest time, energy and money that whether an artist succeeds or fails falls on the shoulders of many. And of course, each concert and release is measured independently of the entire body of work. Why? Many times different record producers, writers, promoters and concert promoters are used from one project to the next. The larger issue is what happens when the unplanned problem arises.

An illness or injury to the artist really throws a monkey-wrench into the entire works and creates an insurmountable hill to climb. This is exactly what happened to this weeks’ featured artist Lady Gaga a few weeks ago. She had been fighting through a hip injury for months and when it the pain became unbearable, doctors realized surgery was required to repair a labral tear. Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, now widely known as Lady Gaga, is understandably unhappy about cancelling her tour and not being able to perform for her fans. The twenty-six year old entertainer has been performing at a high level for about eight years and does not seem to contemplate thoughts of early retirement. However, she is injured and her body must heal after the surgery to repair her hip in order to return to performing.

I think we all have at one time or another suffered an injury and possibly needed a surgical procedure to correct the problem and heal. Several years ago I underwent knee surgery to finally alleviate a painful problem of several years. In a way my own situation was similar to Lady Gaga’s because I pushed through the pain for years before I realized I could not function until receiving medical attention.

Lady Gaga is indeed disappointed as well as her many fans. At what price? Billboard reports that approximately $25 million in ticket sales alone will have to be refunded, for the singer had sold about 200,000 tickets for the remainder of the tour. Are there any of you reading this post who have purchased tickets to a concert that had to be cancelled? I know I have been through it a few times and it hurts, even with the monetary refund. However, imagine the pain of losing on the promotional end. A stadium tour like Gaga's employs well over 100 crew members, not to mention the impact the development will have on both local support staff and top-level partners like Live Nation. A recent article in the Huffington Post stated, “An expert tells MTV that Live Nation will probably suffer the most, as the event company pays huge upfront costs for development that it hopes to recoup over the course of the tour.

Therefore, even though there is a great price for success, there can be a bigger price when we do not succeed. Even though Lady Gaga will not be able to perform for a while, I’m sure she will still be in the news speaking as an advocate for an variety of human rights issues as well as giving attention to the less fortunate. Despite canceling the tour, Gaga made good on a promise to visit terminally ill 5-year-old fan Kayleigh Gurbynski in Chicago. Get well Lady Gaga, and we hope to see you back on the stage performing very soon.

Through Jan. 17, the “BTWB” tour had grossed $168.2 million and moved 1.6 million tickets to 85 shows, according to Billboard Boxscore, with Asia, Europe, and South American legs already completed in 2012. The North American leg, which was to wrap the tour and was almost completely sold out, would have likely put the tour at more than $200 million gross, easily in the top 20 tours of all time and probably in the top 15. As it stands, Gaga finished sixth among all touring artists in 2012, with a gross of $125 million and attendance of more than 1.1 million, according to Boxscore.

Can I Talk to You?

2013-02-24T14:25:00.001-08:00

Tyrese Gibson

Fame and success in the music industry can open additional doors for creative expression. Throughout the years many successful singers have received opportunities to act in film or television and have found that they are very good screen actors as well as vocalists. In our time singers and hip hop artists have branched out even further into overseeing lines of clothing, perfumes and various other products. Additionally many have written all types of books partially to express talent in another area, but also to pass along information and help to others. After many years of life and working as a musician, along with other jobs, I have come to understand the true reason why an artist creates - art. Understand, contrary to popular opinion, an artist does not create only to make money. Even though large sums of money can be made, the reason one creates music, paintings, poetry, novels and other materials is to communicate.

When an artist performs or writes music and/or books, they are speaking to an audience. I remember reading recently that one young singer/songwriter said that she did not care if she sold millions of records as long as she put her soul into the creation. As long as she created a great album she would be satisfied. Nevertheless, her album is doing just fine and many people think it is a great album. Our featured artist this week has enjoyed a stellar and diverse career through music, film and publications. This week we discuss Tyrese Gibson.

Tyrese is a dynamic artist who comes from humble beginnings in south central Los Angeles to one of the most widely acclaimed entertainers of our time. He is very recognizable as his motion picture success has helped the singer/producer become iconic. Films such as the Transformer trilogy, Fast and Furious 2 and Baby Boy have increased his audience well above his musical fan base. With all his activity in film folks may have forgotten Tyrese’s album “Open Invitation” was nominated for R & B album of the year at the Grammy awards earlier this month. Today though, Tyrese Gibson is making news because of a new book he co-authored with Rev. Run (of historic rap group Run DMC) called “Manology: Secrets of you Man’s Mind Revealed”.

In a recent interview with Forbes magazine Tyrese explained the idea for the book got started from conversations between he and Run via Twitter. Tyrese happened to disagree with Run’s statements about marriage and relationships. Tyrese said, “I realized that most of the things we were not on the same page about because he’s in a different season in his life, and I’m in a different season in my life as a man“. The two decided to write the book that offered both opinions on life. Even with all the success Tyrese Gibson has gained through music and motion pictures, he still felt the need to say more. Now Tyrese and Run have created a vehicle that will help folks, especially women, understand men in today’s society. Tyrese said, “I’m concerned about what you don’t know, and I’ve got to go all out, even to the point of borderline embarrassing myself to paint the clear picture and tell you just what’s going on out there“. The book is allowing Tyrese to speak to us once more, this time on a different subject, but just the same it comes from his heart. He will be talking to us further with another album in 2014 and several movies this year and next. However Tyrese chooses to speak to an audience, let’s hear what he has to say.

Are You The "Next" One?

2013-02-17T13:58:00.002-08:00

Amber "Sevyn" Streeter

Are we using the label “next” too freely within in the music industry today? It seems that every record company, every entertainment management firm, every record producer, music PR firm, music media member and fan is looking for an artist who will be larger than life. They all seek that artist who will produce a ton of hit music for many years. However, when we look to define greatness, what is the standard? Simply put, the standard is the success garnered by previous entertainers. Is it fair to a singer who has worked many years to learn to create music that projects individuality and a new sound? Fair or not, this is the way the business and life in general works. Nevertheless, all of us continue our search for the next popular entertainer.

I remember back in the fall of 1983 that I was a young college student who happened upon the Miss America contest on TV. I do not habitually watch beauty contests but this one caught my attention as a young African-American woman was in the finals. This was an unusual event and I stayed glued to the television set waiting to view possible history. The talent segment of the competition began, and this young woman began to sing. As I listened, I knew this competition was over and many things had changed. The young woman was triple-threat artist Vanessa Williams. The next, great artist at the time!

Since then I have not experienced many definitive moments where I correctly predicted an artist would have that long, illustrious career. In fact, like most the industry and fan base, I am probably around 50% in determining musical stardom. So many factors go into determining if the artist will produce a hit song or album, and then even more factors exist for deciding longevity in the business. A few of such factors are talent, ability to write popular music and competence in public performance. Our featured artist this week seems to possess all of these factors and some additional intangibles. This week we present to you Amber “Sevyn” Streeter.

The first thing that I noticed was the consensus among music industry professionals and media members that Sevyn’s solo work will be stellar and she will experience major popularity. A closer look at her accomplishments thus far provides reasons as to the industry optimism. Sevyn has worked extensively singing with Chris Brown and he has responded favorably by featuring her on several songs. She also has written songs for Brown and other popular artists like Brandy, Kelly Rowland and Alicia Keys. In addition, Sevyn has performed with two all female singing groups: TG4 and Rich Girl. She has spent over ten years in the music industry and now at age twenty-six, she has a good understanding about her next career steps. After listening to a recent interview Sevyn appears to be a very intelligent singer/songwriter who is capable of producing music for a long time, whether her own or for other artists.

Do these factors mean certain success for Sevyn? Not necessarily. Many considered Rich Girl, Sevyn’s second group, ready for success while possessing major vocal talent and backing from super producer Rich Harrison. Sevyn spoke freely about the reason for Rich Girl not being able to live up to expectations. "We were together for four really long, beautiful years. The label was going through a change. We can't pinpoint or put it all on one thing in particular," she admits. "It came down to we love each other, we love music, so let's just not stop whether we are together or apart." Now we have Sevyn with a new single and video gaining in popularity, and an audience awaiting her album. Will Sevyn Streeter be the next one? The best we can say is maybe so.

It Does Not Matter Where You're From

2013-02-10T11:52:00.000-08:00

Wiz Khalifa

One morning last week as I was working on a project at home I noticed there were two movies on TV with singer Chubby Checker about the dance he helped make famous: The Twist. Of course more than forty years later you cannot mention the name Chubby Checker without following it up with some statement about the Twist. As I watched one of the movies there was a scene at a club with a mid-sized audience made up of mostly older, white couples. The Twist craze at that point was not just for young folks anymore. It quickly crossed social, economic and racial boundaries and by 1962 knowledge of the dance reached every household in the US, and many others around the world.

There have been several comparable dance and music movements throughout the years, but today I feel a similar change in musical awareness occurred with Rap music. Think about it this way: I am writing this particular entry at almost fifty years old, yet I am familiar and a fan of a lot of rap music. In fact, there are fans of rap music that are much older than me today. Like the Twist, the overall urban art form has moved across several boundaries and now rap in embraced worldwide by almost every culture on earth - not just young African American kids in large US inner cities. Also, rappers are increasingly coming from different places these days. A few weeks ago I featured young rapper Kendrick Lamar, who was born and raised in Compton, CA, a launching ground for a large number of rappers. It’s common to speak of rappers from the South Central Los Angeles, Brooklyn, Bronx and Queens in New York. Detroit has given us quite a few rappers as well as Chicago. Yes, even here in Miami we see many rappers who have brought international attention to the South Florida Hip Hop scene. However, how many rappers have you heard about being born in North Dakota? Try this weeks’ featured artist Wiz Khalifa.

Cameron Jibril Thomaz was born in Minot, North Dakota to military parents. Even though neither of my parents served in the military throughout my youth, I crossed paths with many children of military parents while growing up. I grew to feel their pain because most move around the country and sometimes the world, never really establishing long-term friendships. Such was the young life of Wiz Khalifa, complicated further by his parents’ divorce early in his life. Several moves around the world brought the young rapper to Pittsburgh, PA, where he would attend high school. Pittsburgh, although possessing a critical fan base of rap music, is not widely known as a haven for Hip Hop artists. I’m sure most of us can understand a rapper coming from Pittsburgh more than North Dakota. Nevertheless, we now have a twenty-five year old rapper who has been shaped by life in the city of Pittsburgh, and the rest of his childhood travels.

I recently heard him in a brief interview and he has a fairly uncomplicated view of life and family, as he will soon become a father and husband to fiancee` Amber Rose. Wiz Khalifa receives criticism because of his openness regarding his marijuana use, but I don’t know how different he is from other artists. The only discernible difference between Khalifa and some current and past musicians is that he does not hide his affinity for cannabis. Will he continue to openly use marijuana and rap about it on future records? Maybe not as he grows as an artist. However, no one is denying Wiz Khalifa’s talent. In fact, by the time many of you read this post, Wiz Khalifa may go from Grammy nominated rapper to Grammy winner. Keep on the lookout for more rappers from North Dakota.

R Kelly's Tour Through R&B History

2013-02-03T09:58:00.000-08:00

When I started the Weekly Music Commentary, I looked forward to certain features that I knew would be special to me for various reasons. Some entertainers would be favorites of mine and therefore very easy to discuss. Others I would identify with because of certain events or life experiences. Nevertheless, this week definitely was one I knew I would cover because of both reasons. You see, I do enjoy listening to R Kelly’s music and also share geographical origins from the south side of Chicago, Illinois.

I have not always appreciated the music of Robert Kelly. In the early stages of his musical career I did not feel I was his target audience. With the grinding ballads and sensual lyrics there was no doubt he was singing directly to a predominantly female audience. Still, through all the “bumping and grinding” all can hear a skilled songwriter working at his craft. It would not be long before other musicians found out that R Kelly was an extremely talented musician and record producer. The list of musicians whom Kelly has produced records for reads like a list of Hall of Fame musicians including Michael Jackson, Mary J Blige, Luther Vandross and last weeks featured artist Aaliyah.

As with most persons who spend many years working within an industry, R Kelly has grown and changed as an artist as he enters his twenty-fourth year in the music business. Kelly continues to write and record songs that expound on the human experience of love, but the most recent two albums “Love Letter” and “Write Me Back” do so to a familiar beat. One person I spoke with said you can hear so many influences from past musicians that it seems like an R&B history lesson. This is especially the case as you listen to “Write Me Back”. What is very appealing to me about this album is the fact that Kelly still manages to keep producing music the R Kelly way. He still gives us great songs lyrically like a storyteller of love; good, bad and indifferent. However, R Kelly gives us a tour of R&B music in a pure form as it has been delivered by great artists through many years. The question now is this: Is this how R Kelly music will sound and be presented during the rest of his career? Good question! I don’t know if R Kelly could answer that question, as creativity is sometimes influenced by a variety of factors. We just have to wait for the next albums and enjoy whatever he brings to the table.

One of the more interesting musical projects of any time has to be R Kelly’s “Trapped in the Closet”. The “hip hopera” as Kelly described it, is a series of songs currently consisting of 33 whole chapters released starting from 2005 to several chapters just released November 2012. If you have not had the chance to see the DVD of at least the first twenty-two chapters, you are in for an interesting treat to say the least. "Trapped in the Closet" is proof of R Kelly’s talent on display. Amazingly, R. Kelly took a musical risk but has created something that may separate him even more from many of his contemporaries. If you are a fan of good R&B music, purchase a copy of “Write Me Back” by R Kelly. Enjoy the R&B history lesson.

What Could Have Been

2013-01-27T12:23:00.000-08:00

Aaliyah Haughton

Just two weeks ago on January 16, 2013, I noticed throughout social media several people took time to remember one of the great young entertainers of our time who is no longer with us: Aaliyah Haughton. That date, January 16 was Aaliyah’s birthday and this year she would have turned thirty-four. Tragically, her life ended August 25, 2001 in a plane crash after filming a music video in the Bahamas.

Accidental death hurts wherever and whomever it happens to, but it is very painful when a young person dies in the middle of a very promising career. At twenty-two, Aaliyah had a list of accomplishments that read like an artist many years within the industry. Three studio albums and two feature films various awards and a performance at the 1998 Academy Awards ceremony all defined Aaliyah as a busy young artist who found great success. I had to think back to what I was doing in life at twenty-two. I remember just finishing college and taking on a couple of jobs arranging music here and there, but nowhere near the accomplishments of Aaliyah. In fact, I had just started working with an independent record company here in Miami with maybe a couple more years before actually recording marketable music.

Aaliyah's talent became apparent very early in her life with her first album released at fifteen years old. The larger question is this: how much would Aaliyah have accomplished if she were alive today? Answers to that question will vary from person to person because of what we have all seen from prodigal entertainers of the past. Some artists’ have enjoyed long and illustrious music careers, and others “flamed out” under external pressures that ended their music and sometimes their lives. To speculate about what Aaliyah might have done, we might start with examining the clues of the projects she left tabled at the time of her death. Aaliyah filmed the motion picture “Queen of the Damned” which was released after her death. Moreover, she was to play the character Zee in “The Matrix” sequels. (The role was subsequently recast to Nona Gaye) With these types of movie roles on her resume and still in her twenties, Aaliyah would assuredly have appeared in more movies. Would she continue to record music? I am sure Aaliyah would have continued the singing portion of her career because she seemed to enjoy her musical performances. How big a star would Aaliyah become before her thirtieth birthday? Most likely more success than even she dreamed. The exposure from the films would have made Aaliyah one our most recognizable young stars by the year 2009.

The years to follow are not so easy to predict. You see, Aaliyah was engaged to marry co-founder of Roc-A-Fella Records Damon Dash at the time of her death. If the marriage worked well most likely, the young singer/actress and husband would have children, which would complicate her career movements. Nevertheless, with her talent this young woman could have been one of the greatest entertainers of out time. Well, it is all speculation, which makes for a good conversation among friends. Aaliyah’s premature death leaves us with some very good music and films for our enjoyment. Her family, friends, and fans that were waiting for so much more miss Aaliyah Haughton. Today, we have the memories and promise of what could have been.

"New Edition" Music has Opened Various Opportunities

2013-01-20T17:50:00.000-08:00

This year 2013 is just a couple weeks old and already, there are some events to come that will make this year historic. 2013 will mark the thirty-year anniversary of R & B group New Edition. Upon hearing this news for the first time, I was a little shocked. I like so many of you reading this week, witnessed and enjoyed listening to New Edition music throughout their entire career. A thirty-year career! Even with witnessing and hearing performances year after year, I still picture them collectively as teenagers or young adults.

Last year New Edition received the well-deserved Soul Train Lifetime Achievement Award. After watching these over forty-year-old men continue their long journey I began to reflect on all things individual members of New Edition have accomplished. Think back to Bobby Brown, who left the group for his solo career. He went on to deliver chart-topping songs that propelled him to become a household name worldwide. Next three group members Ricky Bell, Ronnie DeVoe and Michael Bivins teamed to perform as Bell, Biv, DeVoe and major success and accolades followed them as well. Ralph Tresvant successfully followed with his solo effort before rejoining his New Edition band mates for more music. Popular solo artists, Johnny Gill, joined New Edition for their second and current musical run.

Michael Bivins

When you think about all the spin-off acts from New Edition that have worked it makes you look at some musicians' other endeavors within the industry. Many performers are also songwriters or producers for other musical acts. However, there are increasingly larger numbers of artists who are finding a niche in forming their own entertainment and recording companies. One member of New Edition who has done well in this way is Michael Bivins. In years past Bivins discovered very popular groups: 702, Another Bad Creation and Boyz II Men, all of whom were signed to his Motown distributed label Biv 10 Records. Known as the quiet guy of the group, its obvious Bivins has learned good business lessons in order to find and develop talent as he has done. There are not too many artists who have “been there” like Bivins with his thirty-year career spanning from his teen years through adulthood. He truly understands what may lie ahead for young, aspiring entertainers starting in the music industry. His current company, “Sporty Rich Enterprises” continues to nurture new talent within today’s complex musical atmosphere. One of Bivins’ recent projects is an online film “Road to the 30”. It captures New Edition at the Soul Train Awards press conference, backstage on tour, and at rehearsals, and shows the group’s day to day routine. It is truly a wonderful, insightful work and I encourage you to view it if you are fans of New Edition or not. I provided a link below. I must congratulate the gentlemen of New Edition on receiving their Lifetime Achievement Award, and I hope they will produce much more music in the future.

Sporty Rich Enterprises Videos

You Can't Go Home Again...Maybe?

2013-01-13T14:14:00.000-08:00

Kendrick Lamar

In 1940 a novel by author Thomas Wolfe was published entitled, “You can’t go home again”. The statement is somewhat true in that things do change, and people change and grow up. Your home can never be the same as when you were a child. That statement can be perceived as good or bad news depending upon an individuals' childhood experiences. However a person views his or her early life, the memories stay forever. In fact, those memories help to pave our adult paths.

The featured artist this week can never be accused of shying away from his childhood experiences. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth has grown to become a successful Hip Hop artist who like many contemporaries is inspired by his own life. He was born and raised in Compton, California, a city southeast of Los Angeles.

Compton has been made popular because of negative depictions in media and film, and also gang problems throughout the 1980’s and 1990’s. Compton is home to many rap artists, most notably the group N.W.A., with influential rapper/producer Dr. Dre a childhood idol of young Kendrick Lamar. The sub-genre "Gansta Rap" was brought to prominence by Compton rappers who basically spoke about the gang and police activity that surrounded them. Even though the city of Compton is widely perceived as violent and dangerous, it cannot overshadow the many successful people who also call Compton their home. Largely a middle-class city with homes, schools, stores and other amenities necessary for normal living, Compton is really no different than any other place. I was born and raised on the south side of Chicago, and although widely known for major violence it continues to produce many leaders in entertainment and other industries. That is the same reason Kendrick Lamar can be proud of his originating from the city of Compton. Even though he had some bad experiences growing up, he also received the influence of previous Hip Hop artists that pushed his own success.

Kendrick Lamar’s musical influences were not only external: he also writes about experiences within his family. His new album, good kid, m.A.A.d. city, is filled with songs chronicling childhood exploits surrounding his family sometimes in great detail. The album has been met with positive critical acclaim and a growing fan base has responded with record sales: the album, released October 22, 2012, was certified gold by RIAA (The Recording Industry Association of America).

I must admit I did not really know much about Kendrick Lamar until just before the release of good kid, m.A.A.d. city, his second studio album. Even though he is a young new artist, after listening to some of his earlier work I knew he was an extremely talented rapper. It may be a little early for lofty comparisons to the likes of Tupac Shakur, but even now I consider him a true poet. As his body of work continues to grow I’m sure he will only improve, and in time Kendrick Lamar may be mentioned in the same context with many of the legendary lyrical geniuses of Hip Hop. If you are not familiar with Kendrick Lamar, I understand he will be the musical guest on Saturday Night Live airing January 26, 2013. I'm sure he will give a great performance. Perhaps everyone really can go home again to our memories of younger days, and possibly receive inspiration, encouragement and ideas to help us succeed today. Maybe?

Bruno Mars: Music of the Future

2013-01-06T15:39:00.000-08:00

Well, we have now entered the year 2013. Here we are thirteen years following the year when many thought the world structure would crumble because computers would not be able to read past the year 2000. Now we are here thirteen years later, and we see no end to technological advances. The music industry also has experienced changes because of available technical upgrades seemingly every six months. Personally, I really like what I see in regard to music industry changes. We live at a time where we have a much larger selection from which to choose, and many more artists are able to provide material to wider audiences. Last week I saw and heard a lot about the music and news of 2012. I look back on all the musicians I featured in Weekly Music Commentary and really enjoyed so much of their music. I appreciate the great number of new artists who have come upon the scene and given us legendary albums. Another of those entertainers is being featured this week: Bruno Mars.

Bruno Mars has hit the market like a singer/songwriter with several years of experience under his belt. At the end of 2012 he gave us his second album and once again he has a song, "Locked Out of Heaven", currently number one on the Billboard charts as we write this commentary. Reviewing all the music of 2012 fueled several conversations with others about what to look for in 2013 and years to come. Like many of you reading out there I too like to talk about the future of the music industry and express my opinion about how music will change. Bruno Mars is an artist who I feel is the personification of the music of tomorrow. As a historian, I feel in order to understand the future many of the clues can be found in the past and present. Therefore, if you want to know something about the future of music, the best thing might be to look at current trends.

First of all the backgrounds of individual musicians are extremely diverse. Like Bruno Mars, many musicians’ parents and grandparents come from very different geographical locations throughout the world. Mars was raised in Hawaii to parents of Puerto Rican, Jewish, Filipino and Spanish descent. This factor alone may have had a major effect upon his musical preferences. In addition his parents were also musicians who performed all styles of music from Motown to Rock n Roll. As you listen to his new album you can hear elements of Hip Hop, R&B, Motown, Rock and Reggae.

As Bruno Mars’ music becomes more popular it shows us that in 2013 and beyond he will continue to bring us albums without true genre lines. Many folks I talk to don’t necessarily like this development feeling it may dilute pure musical forms within each genre. That may or may not happen, but I cannot state for sure if genre erasure is good or bad for music overall. Regarding his current album “Unorthodox Jukebox”, Mars said, “I listen to a lot of music, and I want to have the freedom and luxury to walk into a studio and say, 'Today I want to do a hip-hop, R&B, soul or rock record.'

Bruno Mars also started in the music business as a songwriter and producer for other artists but now has successfully stepped in front of the microphone. There have been a great number of musicians to blaze this trail and many, many more will follow. “Unorthodox Jukebox” was released December 11, 2012, and that means much of its musical impact will be felt throughout 2013. Pick it up and enjoy an excellent album of music.

photo by James Mooney

The First Lady is Still Singing!

2012-12-30T13:50:00.000-08:00

Faith Evans

After viewing a recent episode of the reality show, "R&B Divas", my thoughts went back to 1999 after singer Faith Evans released her album “Keeping the Faith“. Somehow, my daughter got my wife to go to a concert headlined by Evans, which included Ginuwine and the group 112. I first could not believe my wife was actually going to the concert because as she would say, “I do not really follow these new people“. Nevertheless, she went and actually enjoyed the concert. I asked her about Faith Evans whom at the time I did not really know much about. To my surprise, my wife really enjoyed her part of the concert most stating, “Faith Evans really has a great voice“. Not long after she and my daughter attended the performance, my wife purchased the “Keep the Faith” CD and, as it usually occurs, I ended up listening and enjoying the album more than my wife and daughter.

A few years later as I started to follow a young triple threat artist by the name of Beyonce Knowles, I went to see one of her movies entitled “The Fighting Temptations“. There again was Faith Evans with a brief but major role in the film in which she covered the Donna Summers hit song "Heaven Knows" sensationally. If you have not seen “The Fighting Temptations“, and you like Cuba Gooding, Beyonce, comedy and gospel music (not necessarily in that order) please rent or purchase it.

I must admit I knew more of Faith Evans' personal life and marriage to rapper The Notorious B.I.G. (Biggie Smalls) than her singing and music. She received the nickname “The First Lady” because she was the first female artist contracted with Sean "Puffy" Combs’ Bad Boy Entertainment recording company although some call her the first lady of hip-hop because of her marriage to the late Smalls. After contributing to Mary J. Blige and Usher’s albums respectively, she released her own solo album Faith, which was certified platinum with major hit “Soon as I Get Home” leading the way.

Faith Evans is still very active in the music business after her start about twenty years ago. October 2, 2012 she released her seventh album with a single currently in rotation around the country, “Tears of Joy“. The album is very different from any of her previous albums for two reasons: 1) Evans shares the microphone with other stellar R&B singers, and 2) the proceeds from the album will benefit the Whitney E. Houston Academy of Creative and Performing Arts in East Orange New Jersey. Oh, by the way, Faith’s reality show shares the same title as her album, R&B Divas. The show is very interesting; unlike most reality shows, the participants are friends and get along quite well. Evans along with Nicci Gilbert, Syleena Johnson, Keke Wyatt and Monifah all deal with the struggles and successes of female vocalists in the music industry, and other business endeavors. Sure, the women experience situations that upset them from time to time, but the friendships remain in tact nonetheless. Interestingly as competitive as the music industry is you would think there would be all out fights between the divas. When viewing the show you really see them supporting and helping each other, providing a wonderful lesson for up and coming artists. Faith Evans’ demeanor is very much as I expected: quiet, with a great work ethic and possessing great business and personal intelligence. Her personality seems to set the tone for the show and keeps an umbrella of calm over the rest of the cast. There are rumors of changes in cast members for next season but with Evans scheduled to return the show; everything should remain the same as season one. Make sure you buy the album R&B Divas. It is exceptional and of course, proceeds go to a good cause. Also, look for R&B Divas on the TV One channel.

Rihanna: Quick Rise to Stardom and Adulthood

2012-12-23T15:10:00.000-08:00

"I am a child but I have to think and act like a woman, this business forces you to"

Imagine if at sixteen years old someone approaches you from the music industry who felt that you were very talented, and then wanted you to record a demo for major record label executives. Before you know it, you are singing for some of the top decision makers in the industry, and after the audition, you are signing a six album-recording contract. These days this type of story is rare in the music industry, but it happened to Rihanna. Moreover, some executives are trying to replicate the process because of Rihanna’s success.

Many of you reading may feel that sixteen is rather young to handle such experiences, but young persons signing such contracts happens often in the industry. I remember when I first started to work at a small independent record company the singers signed were - you guessed it, sixteen years old. After a while I began to wonder what we were doing working with such young artists who needed parental consent, but later I understood from the business perspective the time it takes to develop an artist. If an entertainer is starting out at sixteen, by the age of nineteen or twenty the artist is ready for the limelight. In addition, young persons are easier to mold into a particular image easier to promote.

There is no arguing the fact that Rihanna has enjoyed major success in the industry. Seven studio albums, more than 25 million albums sold and 60 million digital singles sold worldwide are evidence of her popularity. Her five American Music awards, eighteen Billboard Music Awards, and five Grammy Awards show that artists and others acknowledge her work in the music industry all before the age of twenty-five. Do you believe we have all of this musical success from a teenager from the small island nation of Barbados? Robin Rihanna Fenty is a long way from her humble beginnings living with her family in a three-bedroom bungalow, as she recently bought a $12 million dollar mansion in California. There is absolutely no question that Rihanna has acquired millions of dollars and worldwide recognition. However, what is the price of the success?

When I read Rihanna’s quote above the first word that stood out to me was “forces”. Maybe Rihanna wanted to grow up fast as most adolescents do. However, she said the business forces you to grow up, and so I wonder if she experiences not necessarily regrets, but the realization that some of her childhood was lost. There has been a lot of news in the media of her relationship with another young superstar, Chris Brown, mostly regarding her allegations of physical abuse. Rihanna constantly fields questions about her personal life and I am sure she would rather speak about her music only, so I will stick to discussing her music. Last month Rihanna released her new album Unapologetic, that I can tell you has music for all listeners. She also received three more Grammy nominations last month. Rihanna is young in age, but her eight years in the music industry have been eventful, successful and extremely busy. Going forward I hope two things for Rihanna: 1) that she is able to be happy and 2) enjoy creating good music.

This Public Enemy is Loved

2012-12-16T13:11:00.000-08:00

As the news broke of the 2013 Rock and Roll Hall of Fame induction list, I could not contain my smile. The list includes well deserving and possibly overdue rock bands Rush and Heart, but also a personal favorite: Public Enemy. As I mentioned before as a college music education major I was not a fan of rap music. However, a select few rap outfits caught my attention and I liked what they were doing. One of those rap acts was Public Enemy. From the very beginning there was something about their music that was appealing to me.

Public Enemy really met major success in the 1989 when Spike Lee’s movie Do the Right Thing was released and their song “Fight the Power” anchored the film and took on a life of its own. Amazingly here we are years later when an extremely anti-establishment rap act is now embraced by a large international fan base and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. When Public Enemy was new to the music world, I understood who they were and what they were doing musically. They were political, idealistic, socially influential, yet controversial and militant. As a young black man who grew up on the South Side of Chicago, I understood exactly what Public Enemy was saying through their lyrics. The message they were sending was one of black pride and empowerment, the words coming from the civil rights movement and leaders like Martin Luther King, Malcolm X, and Black Panthers, and also Louis Farrakhan. When I listened to Public Enemy I understood my generation, and most likely the next generation of young black men and women were the target audience.

Nevertheless, Public Enemy music reached the white suburban young folks and a waiting European audience that pushed them over the top. The anti-establishment rap group who spoke of Fighting the Power is now embraced by the power of millions of fans. The group has lived through major controversy and accusations of anti-Semitism and homophobic statements throughout the years, not surprising when a musical group takes on politics and social commentary as their backdrop. In thinking back to Public Enemy’s beginning I wondered if Chuck D and Flavor Flav ever thought the day would come when their music would be loved the world over. Perhaps, the major international success did not just happen by chance, but by careful design.

One thing I always like to point out to persons is that rappers are not unintelligent. Such statements are generalizations and undermine the art of rapping. The fact is that all artists come from various walks of life and it is difficult to gauge brilliance until a creation comes to fruition, very much like painters, sculptors, poets, novelists and others. There is the possibility that the group members of Public Enemy understood the times surrounding their start, and realized the audience would evolve and “learn” to accept their art. The political climate when they started was quite different than today, but just maybe they believed their audience would emerge as a result of world events and appreciate the lyrical message without experiencing the racial oppression. It’s hard to say for sure, but for now many of us who remember the start of Public Enemy can just smile. We can enjoy this day when this Public Enemy receives love from millions worldwide.

UK versus US: You Decide!

2012-12-09T13:49:00.000-08:00

Lianne La Havas

A few weeks ago, my wife asked me if I heard Adele’s song from the new James Bond movie “Skyfall”. I had not heard it at the time but quickly found the song and listened. My wife said that she felt this was the best James Bond song ever made, but I was skeptical. I remembered such great songs as Goldfinger, For Your Eyes Only, and the mega Marvin Hamlisch hit Nobody Does it Better from The Spy Who Loved Me. I must admit that Adele’s song is very good, and quite possibly one of the best James Bond movie songs. However, I stopped short of making the same statement as my wife. Still, whenever someone mentions Adele to me I readily agree that she is a phenomenal vocalist and songwriter, but I feel they have not heard other young and talented female singers from the United Kingdom.

I wrote about Adele after her historic Grammy award sweep last year, found, and featured several other artists from the UK. Marsha Ambrosius, Emeli Sande`, Rebecca Ferguson and this week Lianne La Havas all hail from the UK and are all very talented artists. Are there talented young female singers from the United States who compare? Absolutely, and I have featured a good number of them too: K Michelle, Tess Henley, Elle Varner and Bridgit Mendler, and many more. Whom do you prefer? On the other hand, is there a preference? I got an opportunity to listen to the new album of the sensational Lianne La Havas last month.

I stumbled upon her music while researching another artist and feel I found another diamond. In addition, I was able to see her appearance on the David Letterman show and she was great. In fact, I was impressed more by the response from Letterman who liked her, and then deferred to his renowned music director Paul Shaffer and asked him what he thought. Shaffer responded by calling her “classic”, and I could not agree more with his choice of words. She plays the guitar very well to go along with stellar singing and songwriting skills. La Havas’ songs are truly a breath of fresh air in today’s musical atmosphere and I am sure many will agree to some extent.

Nevertheless, when comparing young female artists from the UK with those from the US, is there truly a difference in their music? Maybe not! Most music fans still like what they hear (and now see by way of videos) then download music files, or less currently, they buy CD’s. I do not think fans find out about geographical origins of favorite singers, nor do they care until after they made their purchase. Unlike the sixties when The Beatles and Rolling Stones coming to America was major news, today we have music released and artists going back and forth as if they were next door. We are living at a time like no other where technology has made the entire world like one large neighborhood. Now we have the music of another young, talented young woman from London, Lianne La Havas and her new album, “Is Your Love Big Enough?” She has not only appeared on Letterman, but also Late Night with Conan O’Brien and Last Call with Carson Daly. La Havas has arrived in the US and made her way into our living rooms. Give her a listen, go ahead, and purchase her album. She should be around and making music for years to come. I think many more young artists will follow her to the other side of the Atlantic Ocean. Enjoy!

Just plain Nicki?

2012-12-02T13:44:00.000-08:00

"I just embrace all people of all lifestyles and I don’t tell them they are bad people. But I feel like people always wanna define me and I don’t wanna be defined." Nicki Minaj

Five years ago, it would have been hard to find someone who knew anything about a talented young woman named Onika Tanya Maraj. In fact, very few still may recognize that name. Most likely, you know the young woman by the name Nicki Minaj. Minaj has risen to iconic status and all media feature her frequently. In fact, many people are talking about her without ever hearing one of her songs. She is widely recognized today because she is now an American Idol judge. Most recently, Nicki Minaj was acknowledged more for her verbal engagement with ex-Idol judge Steven Tyler than her music. I will go back to this incident later in the post, but right now, I would like to examine how Nicki Minaj became a household name.

Minaj was born in Trinidad and Tobago and lived with her grandmother until her mother brought her to Queens, New York at a young age. In an earlier interview, she stated that her father drank heavily and her parents were constantly fighting, which contributed to making her childhood less than desirable. However, she would graduate from LaGuardia High School, which specializes in music and visual and performing arts. Initially Minaj wanted to become an actor but her career failed to take off. After a variety of jobs came and went she would start her music career as a rapper. After she previously released several mix tapes, she signed a recording contract with Young Money Entertainment in 2009 and the rest is Rap history. The Platinum certifications of her albums are testimony to her popularity among fans to go along with the respect from other rappers. However, Nicki Minaj has really exploded not only onto the Rap world but also upon the mainstream audience. I knew that was the case last year as she was chosen as a guest on Saturday Night Live. I knew about Nicki Minaj and was aware of her music before SNL, but her comedic timing and overall stage awareness was astonishing. Most people might say the writers of SNL can make even the most boring persons comedians, but one look at some of Nicki’s videos and you will see a wealth of talent on display.

Many folks have varied opinions about Nicki Minaj and her level of talent, but I believe we can all come to one realization: Nicki Minaj can never be described by using a few words. Her fashion style and demeanor are if nothing else - original. The Huffington Post and Yahoo! have weighed in on her daring sense of style with the latter stating “the world would certainly be very quiet without Ms. Minaj”. Currently in the news is her response to Steven Tyler’s statements. Minaj took exception to Tyler saying, “she (Minaj) would send Bob Dylan to the cornfield if he were a contestant on American Idol today“. Minaj felt the statement was racist and responded via Twitter; implying she would judge Dylan adversely because she is black and a rapper. I choose not to weigh in on that debate but I am concerned with the effect of Twitter today. With over 14,000 tweets and 14 million followers, Billboard ranked Minaj the sixth most active user of micro logging website Twitter. I am positive Nicki Minaj says what she means and is a person who truly ‘keeps it real’. Nevertheless, I wonder if her statements get to the public via Twitter before she has an opportunity to explain or think about their full effects. Such a statement is part of a larger debate about the effect of social media on entertainers. Our time is very different because of technological advances as a whole and all of us, including musical superstars, need to proceed with caution when it comes to comments made via social networks or electronic mail. For sure, Nicki Minaj will continue to raise eyebrows for her statements, fashion and definitely her music.