Mint Condition - 7 Album Review

It is hard for me to sit here and write this review for a group that has been stellar and consistent in their craft for more than 20 years! Not hard that I think they are not appealing now but hard for me to imagine that time certainly does fly by. The release of their 7th studio album coincidentally called "7" shows us why this band (yes band) has been able to survive and inspire for the past 20 years. This album is some sort of a reunion for die-hard Mint Condition fans with the return of Keri Lewis. The album is laced with 11 tracks that show you the growth that the group has made over the years. Those of you hoping to hear smooth melodic slow jams that made you fall in love with them years ago, you have another thing coming. There are some very funk ladened tracks on here that showcases Stokely's very distinguished voice. Tracks like "I Want It" and "I Can Ease The Pain" are reflective of that statement. In a day in time in music where real musicianship is either a lost art or just totally forgotten Mint Condition shows us that it is still alive and well. Songs like "Caught My Eye" and "Not My Daddy"(co-written by Kelly Price), show us a glimpse of the past that made us all fall in love with this group 20 years ago. My suggestion is that you put this album on right now and just close your eyes and let MC take you to a place where all you need to do is  just relax and relate.

https://sites.google.com/site/stretchsworld/Not_My_Daddy.mp3
https://sites.google.com/site/stretchsworld/Caught_My_Eye.mp3

Brother Where Art Thou Soul? .

As I sit here listening to Sam Cooke belt out "A Change Is Gonna Come" something struck me that over the last 20 years in R&B, there has been a problem...it's called "SANG-ING!" 

Yes, there are some great singers currently out there but most of them you may not even heard of since they are indie or so far underground it will take Chilean miners and 3 moles to find them. I miss the days of Donny, Luther, Stevie, Bobby (not Brown) Womack, Otis and Al just to say name a few. There are a few cats out there now that have most definitely been influenced by the kings of yesteryear. Such as R. Kelly, Jaheim, Bilal, Anthony Hamilton and Raheem Devaughn. It is crazy to me how soul music is perceived now. If it isn't overproduced with catchy hooks it doesn't sell. Hell, they don't even care if you can sing now. It's all about having that 15-minutes of fame song that will be on the Top 100 Digital Charts. I don't know about you but just like how I like my women, I like my music with--substance. It doesn't take a genius to write "Birthday Sex", hell I can get sex when it's not even my birthday! But it does takes a genius to write "Rocket Love" and to sing 


"I longed for since I was born 
A woman sensitive and warm  
And that you were 
With pride and strength no one would test 
But yet have feminine finesse 
And so much more"

Now that is what you call a song. 


I know how things happen in cycles and phases but I sure hope that the phase of wack music ends soon. I want my soul back and I want it now! I wish I could have lived and experienced the early Motown years or had a chance to see Black Moses (Issac Hayes) in concert. Don't get me wrong I love music if I didn't I would have never got into radio, programmed for both Yahoo and AOL Radio, worked at Bad Boy. But I do have an issue with the lack of love in music today. So I say this my fellow lovers of music...let's get some soul back into our music! I would hate to raise my kids on BS tunes! Bring on the SANG-ING!!!


Check out some flavor from some of the torch carriers of soul music! Eric Roberson, Bilal and Anthony David. Enjoy. 

De La Soul - Timeless

Today was an epic day for music but for Hip-Hop in general! One of the most influential groups in Hip-Hop was inducted into the Library of Congress for their debut album 3 Feet High and Rising. They join the likes of Public Enemy, Tupac Shakur and Grandmaster Flash and The Furious Five. This is an epic accomplishment for the 3 MC's from Long Island, NY. So shout out to to 3 of the best to ever pick up a mic--Maseo, Posdnous and Dave.

I have many favorite De La songs that make my day but since this honor is from their first album let's take it back to '89!! Once again much love for these Native Tongue members for this honor and accomplishment.