I am very excited about this! (Neo) Soul Goddess (IMHO) Amel Larrieux ("Get Up", "For Real") just dropped a new album! In my opinion, she was due (really overdue for me) for one. If you are wondering who she is, well, you may not have been here before. I know I've at least mentioned her sometime in the past. She is the former voice of the group Groove Theory ("Tell Me" and "Keep Trying") and one of my favorite artists. She has now 3 solo albums and is one of the ONLY people whose album I would buy unheard (and I did too). Come to think of it, she's one of the only people whose album I would actually buy nowadays PERIOD!

Anyway, her new album is called, "Morning" and I believe it just came out this past Tuesday (that's when i saw it, at least). I haven't listened to it, as I said, but will tomorrow. If you want to check out Amel or bits of the album (and past ones), go here and here, respectively. If you are a lover of Soul music, Neo or otherwise, you will NOT be dissapointed.


(UPDATE) Here is a link to a couple of Groove Theory videos and an fairly recent interview with Amel.

Now if anyone didn't know, I am a little bit of a Sci Fi fan. I particularily like the show Star Trek: Deep Space Nine. It was a good show. It was also one of the first to hit DVD before the TV on DVD craze broke out. The problem was that it was like $100 a season when it came out. Other shows (of hour long length, especially) are a half or a third of the price. Hell, even the last Star Trek series, Enterprise, is cheap (in more ways than one). That's crazy! Yea, I bought the first season, but that's besides the point. I was thinking that the sales would drive the market and maybe bring the price down. I was dead wrong about the bringing down the price part. I hadn't bought any more of them either, by the way. That might change because I just noticed the prices for this show, and I think other Star Trek shows, have gone down. Yippee. I don't know why they finally did it....well that's a lie, they probably realized that this price wasn't going to fly in today's market. So now I can finish my collection a little easier. Granted, I've gotten ahold most of the seven seasons and have seen then, but now I can have my own copy (WINK). I also just realized that I am probably the only one really caring about this news, but since you all love me, you wan to know anyway. Now, if you all want to chip in, or just buy them (seasons 2 - 7) for me, I won't be upset at all. :)

and i'm kinda tired. Hadn't even made a lot of time for Pandora and that sucks. There is another service that I will soon check out and report back on soon. I also have a couple of other things in the brain pan, but they won't come out to play right now. Plus, i'm working a good bit, like that has ever stopped me. In the meantime, check this out.

Ralph Tresvant, of the group New Edition IF you didn't know, has a new album floating around. He was recently on Chuck D and Gianna Garel's Air America show, On the Real. you should check it out. They talk about what he's been up to lately. As a matter of fac, check the rest of the show also because it equally good with some great music and discussion thrown in. So yea, i'm still around. never left.And L, i'm finally going to get to your tag. And Nita, I still want that voice email. I'm holding you to it.

Here's where you can download the show: Air America Radio - On the Real 4/09/06

Later

Welcome to what could be a new series on the spot. Its called "Sample moment" and if it's not clear enough, it will be covering sampled songs, mosly rap and Hip Hop, but could be some others. We shall see. As with any other time I bring up some music, I will be using Allmusic.com. I will also probably be using The-Breaks.com and a few other places that might have what I need. I'm kind of lazy so this may or may not be as in depth as I'd like or have the info on.

Today's sample moment came from my perusal of Pandora. I was listening to my Old school Hip Hop station (check on the left of this blog, if you please) when I came across the song "Wild Thang" by 2 Much. This is the first time that I've heard of this group (and song) and i'm fairly proficient in my Hip Hop. Why do you care? You might not, if you do, it's because you've heard this song one way or another(i'm gonna find ya. I'm gonna git ya git ya git ya git ya...sorry about that). The song is best known from the song "Doin' it" from LL Cool J's 1995 album, "Mr. Smith". That's right, folks. you know the song now, don't you?

Now, I have know idea when this the 2 Much track came out because I hadn't found much concrete evidence except for this and this, but I am willing to bet any amount of money that this is the song that sparked LL's. In fact, if I remember correctly, this little piece of info came out around the time that the song did. Plus, the fact that the girl rapping in LL's song is the SAME one in the 2 much version. She's not the same as the one in the video, but that's a different story. One that I think LL went to court about because the rapper from the song, Le shaun, was not in said video because she was, I guess, "not up to specs" or something. Anyway, if you don't believe me, listen to the link from two sentences ago, then pull out or copy of LL' s (I know you have it) song or album to compare. I'll wait.

Well, the story's not done folks because there was more to this. I know a couple of you were thinkng that was it and was about to slip up. Hell to the Naww, Bobby! Well, I see one of you with your hand up thinking, "What about the other song'? Yes, Leshaun and 2 Much were NOT the first ones to use the beat for their song. That honor goes to one the argueably strangest people on earth. Or should I say, Strangé. That's right, Model (I don't know why), Actress(debatable), Singer (I got nothing) Grace Jones of Boomerang fame was the first one that I know to be a slave to that rhythm. Grace laced vocal on that now more famous beat in 1982 on the song, "My Jamaican Guy" from her album, "Living My Life". I bet more than a couple of you know this song, too. You're probably singing it now. And guess what, she wrote it too. Yes folks, this is where it all started. And LL was NOT going to have Grace Jones in the Doin' it video either.... Well, he might, no he really wouldn't.

So that's it for this one. I thought it was going to be short, but the jokes on me. If you want to check out any this, click away on any of the link. Also, check out the album: Hip Hop essentials: Vol. 11. That's where you can find 2 Much's version as well as a couple of other nice ditty's. Oh, and as a bonus, check out these albums:

Fat beats and Bra Straps: Hip Hop Classics and
Fat beats and Bra Straps: Battle Rhymes & Posse Cuts

Both are compilations of classic female Hip Hop artists(speaking of where are they nows). There's some good material on these puppies. And if there are any suggestions for songs I should try to look up, hit me up. Don't give me nothing too crazy and be warned, I know more about rap than say Rock or Country.

(UPDATE) Apparently, LeShaun and LL have possibly traded verses over a track more than once. I'll have to check it out. Also, I would love to do this as a podcast, but there is no way in HELL that i'm fooling with the licenses agreements I would have to fool with to do so.