Buh-Bye Decade!

It's crazy I'm sitting here as we loom on a new holiday season and more importantly we venture into a new decade. The past ten years we have seen a rise and fall in the music industry! We seen 50 Cent, Rihanna, Beyonce', Gaga's, Chris Brown, Jigga Man, and etc; rise and fall around us. These last ten years the bizness has changed a lot. Gone are the days of radio requests and neighborhood stations but hello to iPods and internet streaming.

Soulful Treats!

Guess who is back? Sorry for the delay on not hitting you all up on my musical love and desires (shotout to Rick James--Darkness!!!!)but you all know how it is when your looking for a job. Well do you? Any who, since I have moved from Gotham City back to Bmore I have been on my grind so much that I have not taken any time to listen and find some healing sounds of life...MUSIC!

So this past weekend I did just that and went to Best Buy to find me some golden gems to massage my ears. I think I came out like a champ too! I was able to score some classic's from Marvin Gaye "Let's Get It On", The Jacksons "Goin' Places", Amy Winehouse "Frank" and to a soon-to-be classic Melanie Fiona "The Bridge". And for good measure I bought myself a $25 gift card for iTunes! But the piece de resistance was a friend of mine lacing me with a dope book called 'The Rough Guide to Soul and R&B'. Oh man! What a great book that is so detailed with history to playlists to great images.

Well back to what I copped at BB! So I gave Melaine Fiona's album a lot of love this past weekend. I love her voice. She is such a standout singer that embodies the soul of her soulful predecessors before her. She shines on tracks like 'Walk On By', 'Priceless' and my fav 'It Kills Me'. If there is one album that you would want to spend some loot on it is hers. Yes, she may not sell Rihanna numbers or shake her ass like Beyonce', but there is one thing that I'm sure she will do well and that is SING!

I must admit that I did not know that Gamble & Huff worked with The Jacksons at all. So I was quite surprised that when I copped their 1977 album 'Goin' Places'. You can most definitely hear the Philly sound in this album. You clearly hear it in the song 'Find Me A Girl', where MJ lets it all hang out with his search for that right lady. He sings he's going to make good, good lovin'! Whatcha gonna do? LOL. This album slide under my radar but it is laced with great production and the sounds that built the 70's disco-soul-pop era. MJ and his brethren bring that up-beat spirit and feeling that made America love them for a lifetime!

Lord knows I love me some pre-cracked out Amy Winehouse. Now that she is supposedly sober and has some new 'boobies' she can lure me in again with her soulful voice.

Music Playlist at MixPod.com

Bonus*

One of the best to ever do it, Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr... If you can't get any a$$ from playing any song from Let's Get It On, well you Sir or Madam you have no game!

Legend Lost

As I type this even with all of the coverage from CNN, MTV, VH-1 and BET, I still can't believe that Michael Jackson is gone. In our lifetime we are given only a few chances if any at all to witness greatness. I can honestly say we witnessed it with Michael Jackson. Everyone has a story about what Mike meant to them and how he touched your soul or spirit. We can all shout out a song of his that will have you throw your cares away and just want to get up and party. I remember growing up in Baltimore as a child and wanting to stay up late one Friday night to watch Friday night videos. I begged my mom to let stay up so that I can see Michael Jackson in this video known now as 'Thriller.' Now as a six-year old in 1982, 'Thriller' was the last thing I needed to be seeing but after a few hand over my eyes moments I was hooked to the phenomenon of Michael Jackson!

Now as a kid I like many others wanted to move like him. I wanted to have the precise moves and the magic feet he possessed. I can remember being a kid and dancing for my family every time I heard 'Beat It' on the radio. That same feeling transferred into my teen and adult years too. There was never a time you couldn't catch me bustin' into a Mike move in the hallways or a talent show. The sight of my lanky branch-like body flying all over the place. Some took it for amusement but I really thought I was Michael. Some may have taken it for a joke but I digress. :)

Michael Jackson was a visionary, trendsetter and an all-around force to be reckoned with. I hope folks don't dwell on the idiosyncrasies and odd things that became his life in the latter part of his years. I truly believe those who reveled in his triumphs and patted him on the back are the same one's that casted the first stone at him and shunned him. Again, I say that we only get a few chances in our life to witness greatness. Michael made music that is fresh and timeless and will be shared and enjoyed for centuries to come. Michael has grown from the little boy from Gary, Indiana to the mega-star, who wanted to heal the world. Despite your thoughts of him as a person he truly thought he was doing good. He touched many of lives throughout the world. My thoughts and prayers go out to his family and fans. I'm sure he can now relax and rest in peace as he 'moonwalks' thru the gates of heaven! Here are few of my favorite tracks from the late-great Michael Jackson!

http://www.myspace.com/stretch166/playlists/import-michael-jackson-joints-1194208\nshared vid http://addthis.com

Richgirl vs Electrik Red

Well the onslaught of girl groups is about to hit hard for the summer time. I was just thinking for my amusement only of course, I would like to see all of them go WWE or UFC style in a cage and go at it! First on the bill is Def Jam's and Dream protégé’s Electrik Red vs. Rich Harrison's lab offering Richgirl!

They both basically are the same so who would win in a battle royal? And I'm not talking a singing battle. I want to see butterscotch, whip cream, sprinkles and gummy bears!!! Well that's wishful thinking but for the sheer thought of talent let's make this a singing battle!

So tell me what you think. Leave your comments!

Day26 - Stadium Music

The young Bad Boys make some noise once again with this joint!

Ode To R&B and Soul

So it's 1:40AM and I'm sitting at my parents crib watching a rerun on All My Children and uploading music to my iPod. As I go through my Cd's that I snatched out of my storage facility I'm just amazed of how good music used to be.

Remember the Summer of 2000 when Raphael, Dawn and Ali put together Lucy Pearl? Man, I was in awe and in love at the same time. They sounded great and Dawn look fly as ever but like everything in life...every good thing must come to an end. 'Dance Tonight', 'Without You' and 'Don't Mess With My Man' always on heavy rotation on my iPod!



Mary J held it down with the release of 'My Life' in my mind her best album to date. Tracks like 'Be With You', 'You Gotta Believe' and 'My Life' set your soul on fire.



D'Angelo not only made the women sway and melt when they saw this braided-headed, wife beater wearing, snarl making cat sing. He also made the fellas tighten up on their gym time as well. From the first moment we saw him and heard the guy folks were like who is this falsetto singin' young cat? Well he mos def let it been known who he was and what he intended on doing. With cuts like 'Lady' and 'Me And Those Dreamin' Eyes Of Mine.' Thank goodness for that!


I sure do miss my R&B and Soul from the 90's. Is it wishful thinking and naivete to think those days will ever resurface? Time will tell. Enjoy!

Ciara feat. Justin Timberlake "Love, Sex & Magic

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I must say that Ciara and Keri can beef all they want as long as hot fudge, whip cream and cherries are involved! Damn, CC is looking good in this joint! Your thoughts!

You Big Dummy!

This is one of favorite lines from television! I loved it when Fred G. Sanford (The G stands for greatness) would shuffle into the room and look at his dimwitted son, Lamont and spew the words "You Big Dummy!"

Chris Brown I think Fred would say that and more to you, bro! This incident that has happened to two young superstars is just another eye-opening realization that no one is perfect. After reading the affidavit of the situation I have lost complete respect for the young man that was coined the next big pop star to gain Mike Jackson status. Well he may gain his status alright...the status of your ass needs to be in jail! I don't know where to begin. Just reading the affidavit about how this dude actually drove and a punched this woman repeatedly, put her in the head lock and bite her was just nauseating to my stomach.

The sad thing about this is that we're a forgiving species and in a few months we will all be saying, "Oh Chris Brown whipped Rihanna's ass? When?" I don't condone a man every putting his hands on a woman even if she starts it. Just walk away...just walk away. Now this young man with all the potential and talent in the world is facing 7 years in prison. I know that the word is that he will plea and get probation...but I say fuck that! Celebs always seem to get off with everything. If that was any regular Joe Schmo he would be in jail and facing some serious time. They would put his ass in a cell with those big burly ass cats like in that scene of Trading Places when Eddie Murphy was about to get 'bitched up' by them Jeri-curl brotha's, "Yeah!"

I find it crazy that Rihanna has gone back to this cat! I guess love really does make you do strange things. But I don't think it's suppose to make you go back to 808's & Ass Aches! Why subject yourself to that bullsh*t! I believe Rihanna is in need of her Tina Turner moment. She has to stand-up for herself and whip his ass!

Just like the rest of the world I wait anxiously to see how this pans out. Either way someones career will change dramatically for good or for bad. But I don't know to many women going to the music store to buy albums from women abusers. Domestic violence is no joke and we should not treat it as such.

Here is a song that never hit the airwaves and I hope these two don't make anymore duets in the form of fisticuffs.

Rihanna feat. Chris Brown "Bad Girl"