Soul 11 Music: June 2013

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Live Clip: "Q.U.E.E.N." (Janelle Monáe ft. Erykah Badu)

Janelle Monáe closed out the BET Awards with an electrifying performance of her Erykah Badu assisted single "Q.U.E.E.N." and of course Ms. Badu joined her on stage to perform her verse, though interestingly enough, Janelle's second vocal verse was cut from the song (homophobia on BET's part?). Either way, Janelle and Erykah set Nokia Theatre off last night as the duo closed the show with a heartfelt and powerful performance of "Q.U.E.E.N." Watch it all go down after the jump and lookout for Janelle's forthcoming LP Electric Lady when it's released September 10th.

Uncle Charlie Wilson was honored with the Lifetime Achievement Award at the BET Awards earlier tonight and a part of his award was an all-star tribute from the likes of India.Arie, Jamie Foxx and Stevie Wonder, who all offered their takes on some of Charlie's classic hits in addition to Justin Timberlake, Pharrell and Snoop Dogg hitting the stage with Charlie as he performed after accepting his award. Watch it all go down after the jump and Enjoy!

Miguel might've put in the most stage-time at this year's BET Awards as he's already taken to the stage over three times and we still have some time on the show left. With that said, Miguel had a solo performance earlier tonight and opted to perform his joint "How Many Drinks?" with the assistance of Kendrick Lamar towards the end. Watch his performance after the jump and Enjoy!

"Outstanding" - The Gap Band

Writer: Raymond Calhoun
Producer: Lonnie Simmons
Record Label: Total Experience
Released in 1982 from Gap Band IV
Peaked at #51 on the Billboard Hot 100 & #1 on the Hot Black Singles chart

Live Clip: "#Beautiful/R.I.P." (Mariah Carey ft. Miguel & Young Jeezy)

Earlier tonight on the BET Awards, Mariah Carey performed the remixed version of her current hit single "#Beautiful" with the assistance of Miguel and Young Jeezy who closed out the set with a brief performance of his single "R.I.P." With that said, watch it all go down after the jump and Enjoy!

Earlier tonight on the BET Awards, Kendrick performed his joints "m.A.A.d city" and "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe" offering up the best performance of the night thus far in my opinion. Featuring Ms. Erykah Badu on "Bitch Don't Kill My Vibe," Erykah really took it up a few notches on this performance and only has me thinking what this record could've sounded like if she was featured on it. With that said, watch Kendrick's performance from earlier tonight at the BET Awards after the jump and Enjoy!

The official trailer for Fox Searchlight's film adaptation of Black Nativity aired earlier tonight which co-stars Jacob Latimore and Oscar-winner Jennifer Hudson in addition to Angela Bassett, Forrest Whitaker, Mary J. Blige, and a host of other noted actors and singers. With that said, watch the official teaser trailer after the jump for Black Nativity and lookout for it when it hits theaters this holiday season!

The husband and wife duo that is Georgia Anne Muldrow and Dudley Perkins have just recently released an official video for their collaboration "Majesty," which is lifted from their recent LP The Lighthouse. Featuring a mirrored visual image of Georgia and Dudley performing together, the official video fits perfectly for the vibe of the record and you can watch it all go down after the jump for the official video to "Majesty."

Frankie Beverly & Maze's "Before I Let Go," just might be the ultimate party jam in my book. A few years ago I was in a club in NOLA and the DJ dropped this joint and the mid-20s to late-30s crowd all got up on their feet and dropped a smooth two step. With that said, "Before I Let Go" is one of those timeless joints that only comes along once in a blue moon. Therefore as we all get ready for the Fourth of July BBQ time, second listen after the jump to this classic opus by Frankie Beverly & Maze and Enjoy! (Also this is the extended mix... I say why not?!)

Back in 1972 Donny Hathaway recorded a live album that would then be rereleased in 2004 as "These Songs for You Live." On the album, Donny performed numerous hits, classics and covers that truly electrified the audience. With that said, take a listen after the jump to Donny Hathaway's amazing soulful performance of "Sack Full of Dreams" and Enjoy!

I've still been jamming out to "Fill Me In (Sango Remix)" and thought I would bring it back for those who missed it the first go around and can still cop the free download.

Craig David's breakout debut album Born To Do It featured his classic first hit single "Fill Me In" and while it's been over twelve years since "Fill Me In" was first release, a solid remix of his classic joint has hit the net in the form of "Fill Me In (Sango Remix)." With that said, take a listen after the jump to "Fill Me In (Sango Remix)" and if you like what you hear, cop the free download while supplies last!

I know I posted this joint a few months ago, but this cut still goes and I thought it would be great to bring it back for those who missed it the first time.

Back in 1995 R&B trio Mokenstef released their debut single "He's Mine," which was lifted off of their debut album Azz Izz. While "He's Mine" still lives on on some Quiet Storm mixes, Mokenstef disbanded just five years later after never being able to match the success of their hit single "He's Mine." Eventually peaking at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100, "He's Mine" is one of those cuts that you might not remember at first, but once you hear it, will be jamming to it often. With that said, take a listen after the jump to Mokenstef's cut "He's Mine" and Enjoy!

Coko from SWV has one of the most dynamic voices that R&B has seen in the past 20 plus years. With that said, the front woman to SWV went on a Billboard music tour of Japan with several other female 90s R&B singers a few years ago and busted out an amazing cover of Patti LaBelle's classic "If Only You Knew." While many should steer clear of LaBelle's discography, Coko possesses such control over her powerful and dynamic vocals that her cover warrants tremendous praise, Check out her aw inspiring cover after the jump and Enjoy!

Live Video of the Day: "Cocoa Butter" (India.Arie)

Last night, India.Arie continued her promotional run through NBC's The Tonight Show with Jay Leno to promote her fifth studio LP SongVersation by performing the set's lead single "Cocoa Butter" for the Los Angeles audience. With that said, India sang out a sublime rendition of "Cocoa Butter" with her band and you can watch it all go down after the jump!

"I Want Her" - Keith Sweat

Writers: Keith Sweat and Teddy Riley
Producers: Keith Sweat and Teddy Riley
Record Label: Elektra
Released in 1987 from Make It Last Forever
Peaked at #5 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks

Live Clip: "Losing You" (Solange)

Solange was one of the many headliners at Glastonbury 2013 and of course Solange performed her thumping single "Losing You" during her set. Performing on The Park Stage during the festivities, Solange's energetic rendition of "Losing You" got the crowd hype and you can watch it all go down after the jump!

Luke James is slated to kick-off his opening set duties for Beyoncé's The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour tonight in Las Vegas and ahead of his North American debut on her tour, he has dropped an official remix to his joint "I.O.U." with the assistance of Wale. Entitled "I.O.U. (Summertime Remix)," Wale adds a little something to Luke's already solid joint. Take a listen after the jump to "I.O.U. (Summertime Remix)," and lookout for Luke's debut album Made to Love when it's released this fall.

Not too familiar with Nikko Gray, but the famed vocalist is about to release a new album entitled
L O V E T R E E and the LP is led off by the single "Solace." Featuring a pop electric soul sound, the vibe and groove of the record are perfect for a smooth cool Saturday summer afternoon and you can take a listen to it after the jump.

Estelle has released an official lyric video for her single "Call These Boys" which is the first single from her new 3-part EP, "Love and Happiness – Vol. 1 Love Jones." Featuring some colorful cutaways, the lyric video first the vibe for "Call These Boys" perfectly and you can watch it after the jump.

JMSN is hitting the road with The Neighbourhood this summer on tour and to celebrate JMSN has released a new song in the form of "Fool," which will be exclusively released as a split 7" that will only be available on the road. With that said, take a listen after the jump to the sublime "Fool" and Enjoy!

India.Arie released her fifth studio album SongVersation this past Tuesday and now an official lyric video to her song "I Am Light" has just recently hit the net. While it is a bit unclear if this will be the official followup to her lead single "Cocoa Butter," I would assume that her positive brand of soul, that includes "I Am Light" would be an ideal second single choice as it is an uplifted smooth jam that I think we all need to (re)visit. With that said, watch the lyric video for "I Am Light" after the jump and Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "Speechless" (Beyoncé)

"Speechless" - Beyoncé

Writers: Beyoncé Knowles, Andreao Heard, Sherrod Barnes
Producers: Beyoncé Knowles, Andreao "Fanatic" Heard, Sherrod Barnes
Record Label: Columbia
Featured on 2003's Dangerously in Love

Live Video of the Day: "Adorn" (Alicia Keys)

Back during the 2010 BET Awards, Alicia Keys took part in a Prince tribute that took the roof off of The Shrine here in Los Angeles. As we are on the cusp of the 2013 BET Awards, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit Alicia's electric performance that really was one of the highlights from that night. Catch Alicia Key's powerful performance of "Adorn" after the jump and Enjoy!

While I am not familiar with Olamida Faison, his voice rings true and is an artist I am looking forward to discovering some new material from. With that said, the NYC artist-on-the-rise has just released the first song off of his forthcoming EP entitled "#TheInfluence," which is a tribute project to the artists that have played an influenctial role in his love for me. Entitled "She's Only Happy In The Sun," it is an acoustic cover of the Ben Harper original and I have to say, Olamida Faison really does his thing on it. With that said, take a listen to Olamida's take of "She's Only Happy In The Sun" after the jump and lookout for the release of his upcoming EP project entitled "#TheInfluence."

On the night of Beyoncé's return to the stage here in the United States with the kick off of her The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour, the multi-platinum Grammy-winning songstress has released a new commercial for L'Oréal Paris using some of the instrumentation of "Standing on the Sun" as background music. With that said, watch the new commercial after the jump and hopefully an official single release from Beyoncé will occur before her tour wraps its first North American leg in August.

John Legend is back yet again and this time the Grammy-winning singer/songwriter is featured in Benny Benassi's official video for their collaboration "Dance the Pain Away." Originally written as a guitar ballad for John Legend's forthcoming LP Love in the Future, due September 3rd, he and the famed French DJ Benny Benassi, collaborated on it and turned it into this EDM flavored record that was first debuted at Coachella back in April. With that said, watch the black-and-white visual that accompanies "Dance the Pain Away" after the jump and Enjoy!

Melanie Fiona is back with a new joint "Cold Piece," which is the first offering off of her forthcoming third album. On the Alan Nglish produced "Cold Piece," Melanie croons about the pain of a rough breakup and we shall see if she performs it tonight as she opens for Beyoncé during the first North American show of The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour. With that said, take a listen after the jump to "Cold Piece" and Enjoy!

Janelle Monáe released a new joint today entitled "Dance Apocalyptic," which is lifted from her forthcoming LP Electric Lady. Slated for a September 10th release, Janelle's sophomore Atlantic set has been highly anticipated for a minute now and it is already led by her Erykah Badu assisted first single "Q.U.E.E.N." and now her tempo joint "Dance Apocalyptic." Featuring a jive inspiring instrumentation, you can take a listen to "Dance Apocalyptic" after the jump and Enjoy!

I am seeing Beyoncé in concert tonight as she kicks off her first North American tour date of her The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour here in Los Angeles and to help get me ready, I wanted to revisit the live audio of "Halo" from Beyonce's I Am... World Tour live album. An interesting fact though is that the live audio of "Halo" from her I Am... Yours: An Intimate Performance at Wynn Las Vegas CD was nominated for the 2011 Grammy Award for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. What's interesting about this feat is that just the year before the recorded version of "Halo" won the 2010's Best Female Pop Vocal Performance. With that said, take a listen after the jump to B's live rendition from I Am... World Tour and Enjoy!

Back in 1988, Joe Satriani released "Always with Me, Always with You" as a promo/radio only single from his sophomore LP Surfing with the Alien. While most people will be familiar with the song as the main melody for Nicki Minaj's "Right Thru Me," Joe Satriani's "Always with Me, Always with You" stands on its own in my opinion, and you can (re)visit this sublime joint after the jump.

Another day, it seems another version/rendition of Mariah Carey's current smash hit single "#Beautiful." This time entitled "#Beautiful (Spanglish Version)," this rendition of the song features both Mariah and Miguel singing in both Spanish and English during different parts of the song. Mariah being no stranger to singing in Spanish before, having offered Spanish versions of "My All" and "Hero," it is nice to hear her give us another modern hit in Spanish as she continues to dominate the global charts. Take a listen after the jump to "#Beautiful (Spanglish Version)" and Enjoy!

Artist News: K. Michelle Moves Rebellious Soul Release Date

K. Michelle is going to have her fans wait just a few more weeks to hear her forthcoming Atlantic debut album Rebellious Soul as the official album release date has been moved back from July 30th until August 13th. Though it's only a two week pushback, K. Michelle has released an EP entitled "The Hold Over" featuring three new joints "Pain Killa," "Million Harts" and "I Wish I Could Be Her," to help fans bide the time until her debut album is released. With that said, her lead single from Rebellious Soul, "V.S.O.P" will have its video premiere this Saturday on BET's 106 & Park as K. Michelle is involved this weekend in the BET Experience. With that said, lookout for Rebellious Soul August 13th and check out her new EP "The Hold Over" now.

Live Video of the Day: "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" (Tyrese & Marsha Ambrosius)

Last year, RapUpTV was on hand at the 25th Annual ASCAP Rhythm & Soul Music Awards, where Quincy Jones was honored and Marsha Ambrosius and Tyrese shared the stage in honor of the legendary Quincy Jones on his classic "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)." With that said, peep the two duet on "The Secret Garden (Sweet Seduction Suite)" after the jump and Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "Be Thankful for What You Got" (William DeVaughn)

"Be Thankful For What You've Got" - William DeVaughn

Writer and Producer: William DeVaughn
Record Label: Roxbury Records
Released in 1974 from Be Thankful For What You've Got
Peaked at #1 on the U.S. R&B charts and #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.

New Joint: "Step By Step" (Lulu James)

Lulu James blew back onto the scene back in March when her joint "Closer" hit the net and now her official follow-up "Step By Step" has hit the net. The uptempo throwback, think late 70s/early 80s, fits perfectly with LuLu's distinct vocals and one can preorder the single now on iTunes before it is release. With that said, listen after the jump to "Step By Step" and Enjoy!

After the jump, you will find an 11 year old Jazmine Sullivan singing "Home" from The Wiz in her elementary school production. Listen to her runs because to me they are so reminiscent of Stevie Wonder and she truly takes Stephanie Mills' iconic hit to another level. With that said, I really hope Jazmine is either gearing up for a new album or hopefully getting some spot tour dates together because a voice like this just can't go unnoticed. Watch her phenomenal performance of "Home" after the jump and Enjoy!

K. Michelle continues to share her story with her fans through her personal YouTube and this time, K. Michelle opens up about her journey to selling-out a concert at NYC's famed Highline Ballroom concert in the latest episode of her webseries. In this episode K. Michelle shares some rehearsal footage of her preparing for her concert in addition to some backstage footage including her friend Elle Varner. Watch it all go down after the jump and Enjoy!

Last night on TV One the first part of a two part reunion for R&B Divas aired and the ladies opened up about their journey during this second season in addition to attempting to clear the air between a few of the divas. With that said, watch part one of the two part reunion of R&B Divas: Atlanta after the jump and Enjoy!

For the past few weeks different quality versions of Beyoncé's "Standing On The Sun" have been floating around the net as the Grammy-winning songstress has us all anticipating pending news on her forthcoming fifth studio album. With that said, a few days ago, a studio-quality version of B's "Standing On The Sun" dropped and just in time as she will kick of the North American leg of her The Mrs. Carter Show World Tour here in Los Angeles. Listen after the jump and Enjoy!

Fresh off of announcing that her forthcoming album The Art of Letting Go has been delayed from its original July 23rd release date until further notice,Mariah Carey unleashes an official remix to her current top 20 Billboard Hot 100 hit single "#Beautiful," with the assistance of A$AP Rocky. While it is unclear when Carey's forthcoming The Art of Letting Go will see a release date, take a listen after the jump to her "#Beautiful" remix that features Miguel and A$AP Rocky.

Chanté Moore is slated to make her reality show debut next month on TV One's spinoff of R&B Divas in the form of R&B Divas: Los Angeles and ahead of its debut, Chanté Moore has released her new single "Talking In My Sleep," the first off her forthcoming album Moore Is More, due July 30th. It has been over five years since we've heard some new music from Chanté Moore and "Talking In My Sleep" is a refreshing "comeback" from such a beloved voice. Take a listen after the jump to "Talking In My Sleep" and lookout for her new album Moore Is More when it's released on July 30th.

Live Video of the Day: "Cocoa Butter" (India.Arie)

Grammy-winning singer/songwriter India.Arie released her highly anticipated fifth studio album SongVersation earlier this week and in promotion of its release, India stopped by ABC's Good Morning America to perform the set's lead single "Cocoa Butter." With that said, watch India.Arie's smooth and soulful performance after the jump and Enjoy!

Earth, Wind & Fire are back with new music at the ready (never thought I would type that!) and the iconic band continues their sonic journey with a new song "My Promise," which is lifted as the first single off of their forthcoming album Now, Then & Forever, due September 10th. With that said, "My Promise" features that classic EWF sound and vibe and for those fans that pre-order Now, Then & Forever right now, they will have their names printed on the disc's final album packaging.

Take a listen after the jump to "My Promise" and Enjoy!

"Keep On Keeping On" - Curtis Mayfield

Writer: Curtis Mayfield
Producer: Curtis Mayfield
Record Label: Curtom
Featured on 1971's Roots

Playback:"Do 4 Love (Don't Go)" (Mega feat. George The Poet)

I posted this brilliant mashup/cover yesterday by Mega and George The Poet where the duo took on Bobby Caldwell's classic "Do For Love" with some musical elements merged in there from Wretch 32's "Don't Go" and it appears as though not as many people took notice as I would've thought. Therefore I am offering up a playback of the joint for people who missed it the first time. Produced by North London's The Confect, this sublime instrumentation matched with George The Poet's verses and Mega's smooth soulful voice creates a perfect storm in my book and I am STILL looking around for a purchase button so I can support this sublime collaboration. Either way it ends up, take a listen to "Do 4 Love (Don't Go)" after the jump and Enjoy!

Sunday, June 30, 2013

Saturday, June 29, 2013

Friday, June 28, 2013

Thursday, June 27, 2013

Wednesday, June 26, 2013