Soul 11 Music: August 2013

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Live Video of the Day: "Back To Black" (Amy Winehouse)

One of my favorite Amy Winehouse joints is the title track to her sophomore album Back To Black, which helped Amy earn a then record tying 5 Grammy Awards in one night including Best New Artist, Record of the Year, as well as Song of the Year.

With that said, though "Back To Black" didn't gain as much acclaim as Amy's "Rehab," it in my opinion is as good if not better then her Grammy winning hit. Watch her sublime performance of "Back To Black" after the jump and Enjoy!

Today marks the 20th anniversary of Mariah Carey's third studio album Music Box, which was her first career diamond-certified album in the United States. To honor this occasion, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit one of my all-time-favorite jams by Mariah Carey, which happens to be the fourth and final single lifted from Music Box.

Entitled "Anytime You Need A Friend," this Mariah Carey and Walter Afanasieff creation would go into peak at #12 on the Billboard Hot 100 and features background vocals from Kelly Price and Melonie Daniels. Featuring powerhouse vocals from Mariah Carey and a gospel undertone that fits perfectly with the blend of pop and R&B, "Anytime You Need A Friend" is one of those classic MC joints that just never gets old.

With that said, take a listen after the jump to "Anytime You Need A Friend" as we celebrate the 20th anniversary of Music Box, which has gone onto sell over 32 million copies worldwide!

Been jamming to K. Michelle's debut album Rebellious Soul and since getting a standard edition from Target, I had to get my hands on the deluxe edition as "The Right One" interlude wasn't enough for me. When I finally got my hands on a copy earlier this week, I have to admit that I've been bumping the three bonus joints nonstop.

With that said, one of the three standout bonus tracks from Rebellious Soul is her mid-tempo joint "Better Than Nothing." While it is unclear what the forthcoming second single from the project will be, "Better Than Nothing" is another banger to add to the lineup of potential singles in my book and fans during her current promo tours have been lucky enough to see her perform it live.

Peep K's performance of "Better Than Nothing" after the jump from a recent performance in Washington DC and Enjoy!

"Luxury: Cococure" - Maxwell

Writer: Musze
Producers: Musze
Record Label: Columbia
Released in 1998 from Embrya
Peaked at # 16 on the Billboard Hot R&B Singles chart

Remix: "Never Let Me Go (Clams Casino Remix)" (Florence + The Machine)

Was revisting some Florence + The Machine earlier today and I thought I would reshare this dope remix of the Flo + The Machine joint "Never Let Me Go" via Clams Casino.

Jersey's own Clams Casino has been building a name for himself lately and if you haven't heard of him, his remix to the Florece + The Machine joint "Never Let Me Go" is a perfect introduction to this budding producer who has quickly become an in-demand producer for the rap scene.

With that said, take a listen below to "Never Let Me Go (Clams Casino Remix)" which adds even a bit more erie to a Florence jam and Enjoy!

Today is the first day of the second annual Made in America Festival, and if you weren't able to get to Philadelphia to watch all the action go down in person, you can still catch the entire festival live thanks to a live stream via YouTube.

Featuring performances by A$AP Rocky, Emeli Sandé, Imagine Dragons, Phoenix and the one and only Beyoncé today, peep the full schedule and lineup after the jump (all times in EST) in addition to the live stream!

Rediscovered José James's involvement in Capitol Studios' 1 Mic 1 Take series and the No Beginning No End crooner opted to take on the Al Green classic "Simply Beautiful" for his performance in this acoustic guitar led cover.

With that said, José croons out a sublime acoustic rendition of "Simply Beautiful" and you can watch it all go down below!

This joint came on my playlist last night and I had to take it back as sometimes Syl's classic "Is It Because I'm Black?" rings so true for me.

Back in 1970, Syl Johnson released his sophomore album Is it Because I'm Black? and the title track would go onto because one of his biggest hits to date. Peaking at #11 on the Best Selling Soul Singles,

Johnson wrote the title track in response to the murder of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and it still resonates loud and clear today. With that said, Syl Johnson's legacy still lives on through this powerful cut and you can take a listen to "Is it Because I'm Black?" below!

Yesterday during ABC's Good Morning America Summer Concert Series, multi-platinum and Grammy-winning recording star Alicia Keys brought out Maxwell during her set to perform their duet "Fire We Make."

What a lot of people forget about this pairing is that Alicia Keys actually opened for Maxwell on her first tour in support of her classic debut album Songs in A Minor.

With that said, watch the due perform their slept-on ballad "Fire We Make" after the jump and hopefully we will be hearing more duets form the duo soon as a rumored collaborative EP is said to be in the works.

The Foreign Exchange are slated to release their forthcoming album Love In Flying Colors later this year and ahead of the set's release, a new official music video for their single "Call It Home" has just recently hit the net.

Directed by Kenneth Price, the official visual for "Call It Home" take us around the world with a beautiful montage of scenery from across the globe and is quite fitting for the single.

With that said, peep the official video for "Call It Home" after the jump and lookout for Love In Flying Colors when it's released on September 24th!

Live Video of the Day: "Listen To Your Heart" & "No One" (Alicia Keys)

Earlier today, Alicia Keys appeared on ABC's Good Morning America to continue promote her latest LP Girl On Fire and she was rocking a new modern look with a short cropped cut.

With that said, to close out her set, Alicia Keys performed a medley of her joint "Listen To Your Heart" and her #1 hit "No One." While she is set to bring her World tour Set the World on Fire to Latin America next month, she is also serving as an executive producer for the forthcoming October 11th film The Inevitable Defeat of Mister and Pete, in addition to scoring the film.

Peep Alicia Keys' performance of "Listen To Your Heart" and "No One" after the jump and Enjoy!

"How You Gonna Act Like That" - Tyrese

Writers and Producers: Tyrese Gibson, Harvey Mason Jr., & Damon Thomas
Record Label: J Records
Released in 2002 from "I Wanna Go There."
Peaked at #7 on the Billboard Hot 100 and #4 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks Chart

Amazing Cover: "Climax" (Sevyn Streeter)

Sevyn Streeter has been building her own solo career for a minute now and while she has penned some solid hits for the likes of Kelly Rowland ("Gone"), Tamar Braxton ("All the Way Home") and Ariana Grande ("The Way"), I am interested to see what Sevyn saved for herself in terms of material as all of those joints, especially Tamar's latest single "All the Way Home" go in my book.

With that said, Sevyn recently performed for Rap-Up Sessions and during her performance that finds her overlooking the Hollywood Hills, she offered up a solid acoustic take of Usher's big 2012 Diplo produced joint "Climax."

Peep Sevyn's dope cover of "Climax" after the jump and lookout for her debut album on CBE/Atlantic Records soon!

Earlier today, the official video for K. Michelle's joint "The Right One" hit the net. Lifted from the Best Buy deluxe edition of her Atlantic Records debut album Rebellious Soul, K released the video for "The Right One" as a special treat for her fans as it currently is not intended to be a single lifted from her LP.

With that said, I wonder what the follow-up to her hit single "V.S.O.P." will be, but in the meantime peep the official music video for K's "The Right One" after the jump and Enjoy!

With Babyface and Toni Braxton's collaborative Motown album slated for release this December, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit my favorite Babyface classic hit "Whip Appeal."

Back in 1989, Babyface released his sophomore album Tender Lover and his album exploded selling in excess of 3 million copies in the US alone and spurred four top 5 R&B hits including "Whip Appeal." In addition to peaking at #2 on the R&B charts, the single was then his largest pop crossover hit peaking at #6 on the Hot 100,.

With that said, take a listen below to Babyface croon away on one of my all time favorite 80s joints "Whip Appeal."

Another day, another new joint from Yuna. After releasing the first single "Falling" form her forthcoming sophomore album Nocturnal, singer/songwriter Yuna has just released another new joint form her album entitled "Rescue."

Produced by Chris Braide, "Rescue" is an up-tempo blend of pop/soul from the rising songstress and if her forthcoming October 29th LP Nocturnal is in a similar vein to "Falling" and "Rescue," I think Yuna might have a solid hit on her hands. With that said, take a listen after the jump to "Rescue" and Enjoy!

Drake's Sampha assisted joint "The Motion" just recently received the official remix treatment thanks to producer/DJ Sango, who's put together some of my favorite remixes as of late. Entitled "The Motion (Sango Remix)," Sango offers up a dope remix to one of Drake's promotional tracks from his forthcoming third album Nothing Was the Same.

With that said, take a listen after the jump to "The Motion (Sango Remix)" and if you like what you hear, cop the free download while supplies last.

Algebra Blessett released her debut album Purpose back in 2008 and her sophomore followup Recovery is slated for release later this year, marking five years since Algebra first came on the scene.

With that said, Algebra's single "Nobody But You," leads her highly anticipated sophomore LP Recovery and the accompanying video for "Nobody But You" features a Peanut inspired love story between Lucy and Schroeder.

Peep the official video for "Nobody But You" after the jump and lookout for her upcoming eOne sophmore album Recovery, when it's released later this year!

Live Video of the Day: "Numb" (Gary Clark Jr.)

One of my favorite albums of 2012 is hands down Gary Clark Jr.'s major label debut Blak and Blu and since it was released towards the end of 2012, I am sure it will see some Grammy love when the nominations are released later this year.

With that said, during the end of last year, Gary Clark Jr. stopped by NBC's Late Night with Jimmy Fallon to perform the second single from his set "Numb." With that said, peep his thumping performance of "Numb" below and if you haven't checked out his latest LP, go out and support this brotha!

Earlier today, an official behind-the-scenes feature of K. Michelle shooting the official video for her second single "The Right One" hit the net. Featued on her debut album Rebellious Soul as an interlude on the standard edition after "My Life," but as a full version on the Best Buy deluxe edition, "The Right One" is another banger from K. Michelle's unfiltered girl-talk flavored LP and serves as a solid choice to followup her current hit single "V.S.O.P."

With that said, the Tank co-penned joint's video concept focuses on K finding that her man cheating on her for the last time and the repercussions of this. Co-starring Chi-Ali, who also was featured in her video for "V.S.O.P." K and her team recently shot the official video for "The Right One" in New York City" and you can peep the official behind-the-scenes footage after the jump!

"Full Moon" - Brandy

Writer: Mike City
Producer: Mike City
Record Label: Atlantic Records
Full Moon was released in 2002 from Full Moon.
Peaked at #18 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100

Album in the Works: "Alive" (Jessie J)

Jessie J is set to release her anticipated sophomore album Alive next month and ahead of its release, the famed UK singer/songwriter has released the official tracklisting and back cover of Alive via her personal Twitter account

Featuring collaborations with Brandy, Becky G, Big Sean, and Dizzee Rascal and production from the likes of Dr. Luke, Ammo, and Claude Kelly, Alive marks Jessie J's official followup to her breakout debut album Who You Are.

With that said, peep the official tracklisting for Alive after the jump in addition to the back cover!

Christina Aguilera took to Twitter earlier today to share a deeply personal letter to her fans thanking them for their support throughout her career and opening up about where she is at now.

In addition to her personal letter, Christina released an inspirational music video for her joint "Let There Be Love," which is lifted from her overlooked fifth studio album Lotus. With that said, peep her tweet about the video and the official video for "Let There Be Love" below and hopefully some new music from Xtina come 2014!

Another day, another banger from Ariana Grande from her forthcoming September 3rd Republic Records debut album Yours Truly. She is clearly the hottest new artist this year and I wouldn't be surprised if she gets a Grammy Award nomination for Best New Artist and she has really put in work for her rising career.

With that said, after the jump, you can take a listen after the jump to "You'll Never Know" and get to know Ariana Grande the artist a bit better!

After discovering that the Queen of Soul had a live recording of "Love The One You're With," more than a year ago thanks to doctoral student Stefan Smith, I rushed over to my vinyl collection to dust of Franklin's Live at Filmore West and put it on my record player immediately.

Much to my surprise and enjoyment, Aretha and crew churned out an upbeat infectious rendition of "Love The One You're With," which is a sublime addition to any music collector's discography. Still in rotation for me on several of my playlists, the Queen of Soul can't get much better in my book than a live crisp vocal during her prime.

With that said, take a listen below to this amazing live audio and Enjoy!

Though Darkchild originally produced "It's Not Right, But It's Ok," the Thunderpuss remix to her third single gained enough radio play that it became the definitive version of Houston's Grammy winning hit, "It's Not Right, But It's Okay."

With that said, "It's Not Right, But It's Okay" would go onto peak at #4 on the Billboard Hot 100 and become one of Whitney's last top 10 hits. Therefore, take a listen after the jump to this sublime Thunderpuss remix of "It's Not Right, But It's Okay" and Enjoy!

Every now and then I just have to revisit some of Baby Huey's music as there is such a truth for me found in his voice and the instrumentation found on his debut album.

With a psychedelic brand of soul and a vocal style that drew comparisons to Otis Redding, the 400 pound Baby Huey was set to break nationally with his 1971 debut album. Unfortunately, a fatal heart attack prevented him from seeing the release of the disc. Baby Huey's lone album has become a sought-after collectible soul fanatics.

With that said, take a second listen after the jump to Baby Huey's "Hard Times" and Enjoy!

During Justin Timberlake's 2013 MTV Video Music Awards medley in honor of his acceptance of the Video Vanguard Award, I couldn't help but recall Kelly Clarkson's phenomenal take of one of Justin's classic hits, "Cry Me A River."

Lifted as the second single from Justin Timberlake's solo debut album Justified, "Cry Me A River" to me is still Timberlake's best music video and one of his top hits in his growing discography. With that said, back in 2012, Kelly Clarkson covered his hit single "Cry Me A River" while she was in Illinois during her fan request. With that said, peep her amazing cover of "Cry Me A River" below and Enjoy!

TV Rewind: "R&B Divas: Los Angeles" Season 1 Ep. 8

Earlier tonight, the eighth episode of TV One's hit reality show R&B Divas: Los Angeles aired and of course the two monologue projects kick into high gear with final rehearsals and the main diva's project hitting opening night

With that said, it is revealed to Lil Mo, Chanté Moore, Michel'le and Claudette Ortiz during their rehearsals that Kelly and Dawn have launched to do their own monologues and of course the drama ensues as a repercussion and opening night kicks off for the monologues. In addition to the drama, Chanté, Lil Mo, Michel'le and Claudette all open up during their monologue performances and we get to see another side of these divas.

Peep the latest episode of R&B Divas: Los Angeles after the jump and Enjoy!

"Almost Doesn't Count" - Brandy

Writers: Shelly Peiken and Guy Roche
Producer: Guy Roche
Record Label: Atlantic Records
Released in 1999 from "Never Say Never"
Peaked at #16 on both the Billboard Hot 100 and US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs

Interview: Emeli Sandé

Emeli Sandé appeared on Power 105.1's The Breakfast Club yesterday and she opened up about her reaction to the 2013 MTV Video Music Awards, why she wanted to step from behind the pen (having written for Alicia Keys, Rihanna, Katy Perry), breaking into the US market, why she has decided to continue doing features, feeling isolated in Scotland, if she thinks she would break into the US market quicker if she wasn't Black, addresses the rumors of a forthcoming sophomore album later this year, and so much more.

With that said, peep Emeli's interview with The Breakfast Club after the jump and lookout for her as she hits the road in the next few months to support her debut album and potentially her upcoming sophomore LP!

Whitney Houston's "The Bodyguard World Tour" offered up some of, if not the best live vocal performances known to modern man and thanks to the power of the Internet we can continue to enjoy her hair-raising vocal performances.

With that said, during her "The Bodyguard World Tour," Whitney performed her show-stopping "I Have Nothing" every night to sold-out crowds and as you can tell from her performance in Philadelphia, the audience was in aw before Houston even hit the bridge of her iconic hit. Take a listen below and Enjoy!

I had the pleasure of attending a few of the recordings for TV One's Verses & Flow and while some of the poetry I heard was hit or miss (it's subjective, so you be the judge), most of the musical guests were spot on killing it.

With that said, an official preview for the upcoming third season of Verses & Flow has hit the net and features a preview that includes Jill Scott, Anthony Hamilton, Avant and Bell Biv DeVoe among others. Watch it go down after the jump and lookout for the kick off to this season when it begins airing on September 11th.

K. Michelle's debut album Rebellious Soul has been in heavy rotation since I picked up a copy of her LP and while my favorite joint is "Pay My Bills," a lot of people I talk to have been riding out to "Can't Raise A Man" and it seems like it would be a logical choice as a potential single.

With that said, after the jump you can find a live clip of K. Michelle belting out her joint "Can't Raise A Man" from her recent show in Baltimore and from the crowd's reaction and participation, I hope someone over at Atlantic is lining this up as the followup to "V.S.O.P."

In addition to "Can't Raise A Man," after that, you can peep a clip of her performing "Coochie Symphony (Interlude)," which follows "Sometimes" on Rebellious Soul. Watch it all go down after the jump and Enjoy!

"Coochie Symphony (Interlude)"

Cut: "Hanging On" (Ellie Goulding)

Last year, Ellie Goulding released her take on Active Child's "Hanging On" with the assistance of Tinie Tempah and while Ellie's vocals and the track are on point, Tinie's verse just seemed a bit out of place on the whole production.

With that said, versions of "Hanging On" hit the net without Tinie Tempah's verse and while her newly released Halcyon Days (Deluxe Edition), that was released features her "Hanging On" version with Tinie Tempah, after the jump you can listen to her solo version!

Tamar is back with a behind-the-scenes preview of her forthcoming video for "Hot Sugar." Lifted from her forthcoming sophomore Epic Records album Love And War, "Hot Sugar" has been a personal favorite of Tamar's since we first heard it on her hit WE TV reality show Tamar and Vince.

With that said, earlier today, Tamar released the brief preview via her Instagram stating "Hey #Tamartians here’s a sneak peak of #hotsugar video coming soon #SheWon #loveandwarsept3rd."

Hopefully the official video for "Hot Sugar" will drop before her album's September 3rd release, but either way it ends up, peep the preview after the jump and Enjoy!

"Never Knew Love Like This Before" is a Grammy Award-winning hit song written by James Mtume and Reggie Lucas and recorded by American R&B singer Stephanie Mills. The song is the second and final single from Mills' 1980 album, Sweet Sensation.

The song became Mills' biggest hit on the Billboard Pop Singles Chart, where it peaked at No. 6, outperforming her previously highest charting single, "Whatcha Gonna Do with My Lovin'", which peaked at No. 22. The single was also successful on the R&B and Adult Contemporary charts, peaking at No. 12 and No. 5, respectively. On the UK Singles Chart, the track climbed to No. 4.

With that said, you can take a first or hopefully second listen to "Never Knew Love Like This Before" after the jump!

Nobody in my book can hold a candle to Mama Patti and while a lot have tried to cover her work in the past, few have been able to match the veracity and power that comes with a LaBelle classic.

With that said, Keke Wyatt covered the Patti standard "If Only You Knew" on her 2001 Geffen debut release Soul Sista and while she keeps it cool for much of the song and is clearly singing in her head voice for the majority of the song, her tone and range are pure beauties on this tribute cover and you can take a listen to it below!

Second Listen: "Fake" (Alexander O'Neal)

Back in 1987, Alexander O'Neal released his biggest hits to date which was the infectious thumping joint "Fake." Peaking at number one on the R&B charts"Fake," which was produced by Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis helped spur sales of O'Neal's sophomore album Hearsay and would make him an international star.

With that said, take a second listen to the old-school jam "Fake" from Alexander O'Neal after the jump and Enjoy!

One of my all-time favorite songs by Sade has to be her ballad "By Your Side." Lifted from the group's fifth studio album Lovers Rock, "By Your Side" was released back in 2000 and became an instant classic in my book.

With that said, I thought it would be appropriate to revisit one of the group's sublime performances of my all time favorite joint from them, "By Your Side." Peep Sade's phenomenal rendition of their classic "By Your Side" below and Enjoy!

"Two Hears" - Stephanie Mills featuring Teddy Pendergrass

Writers: Reggie Lucas, James Mtume
Producers: James Mtume, Reggie Lucas
Record Label: 20th Century Records
Released in 1981 from Stephanie
Peaked at #40 on the Billboard Hot 100

Playback: "Hurt You" (Toni Braxton ft. Babyface)

While Babyface and Toni Braxton released their joint "Hurt You" last week, the song has exploded onto Adult R&B airplay chart with "Hurt You," opening up at No. 17. The first single from their forthcoming duets album Love, Marriage, and Divorce, due December 3rd, "Hurt You" marks their 23rd (Toni) and 21st (Babyface) appearances, respectively on the Adult R&B airplay chart dating to the chart's 1993 inception.

With that said, I thought it would be appropriate to honor these two legend's powerful return to music with a revisit and playback of their current hit single "Hurt You." Currently building on radio, I am sure it will impact the other charts shortly. Therefore, take a playback to "Hurt You" after the jump and lookout for their Motown duets album Love, Marriage, and Divorce when it's released December 3rd!

Last night, JoJo took over an apartment in the West Village (New York City, for those unfamiliar) to offer up a rousing set as a part of The FADER and vitaminwater’s #uncapped series. Performing covers of Sade's "Sweetest Taboo," Kendrick Lamar's "Swimming Pools (Drank)," in addition to some of her hits including her breakout joint "Leave (Get Out)," JoJo set the place off and hopefully her lawsuit will et expedited so a new major label LP will be in our futures.

With that said, during her set, JoJo teams with LA rapper Casey Veggies and Francesco for a dope performance of her 2007 joint "Anything." Entitled "Anything (#uncapped Remix)," JoJo and Casey Veggies and Francesco set it off with "Anything" and really have me craving some new music from JoJo.

Peep her performance after the jump and Enjoy!

Earlier this year in February after taking home several awards at the Grammys, Fun. stopped by BBC Radio 1's Live Lounge and offered up the customary cover.

With that said, Fun. opted to cover Ellie Goulding's hit single "Anything Could Happen," which seems fitting as she has been performing a solid cover of their joint "Some Nights." Take a listen below to their solid live rendition of "Anything Could Happen" and Enjoy!

Adrian Marcel has been making moves throughout 2013 and now he has released an official music video for his joint "My Life," which is lifted from his critically acclaimed debut mixtape "7 Days Of Weak," which was co-produced by non other than his mentor, Raphael Saadiq.

With that said, for the accompanying official visual for Adrian's smooth joint "My Life," the rising singer/songwriting chills on the steps of a hood crooning out his ballad about a woman who changed his life for the better while black-and-white clips of him performing the joint and in the studio with Raphael slice between this imagery.

The video is slated to receive its television debut premiere on BET’s 106 & Park later today and you can check it out ahead of its release below!

It's just so easy to get on an Anita Baker kick and after revisiting her album Rapture for her joint "Caught Up in the Rapture," I of course wandered through some of her other gems including her class jam and the title track to her third album Giving You The Best That I Got.

With that said, Ms. Anita Baker has been on and off tour these last couple of years and the following clip of her crooning "Giving You The Best That I Got" is lifted from her 2011 appearance at The Chicago Theatre. Peep her smooth slowed-down rendition of "Giving You The Best That I Got" below and Enjoy!

While Daley released his FreEP Songs That Remind Me Of You a month ago, the rising UK singer/songwriter has followed up this release with the premiere of a official new music visual to accompany his new single "Broken."

Lifted as the first official single off of his forthcoming highly-anticipated debut album Days and Nights, due later this year, the accompanying music video for his mid-tempo synth bumping joint "Broken" is a rather dark and ominous visual that suits the song well.

Peep the official music video for "Broken" after the jump and lookout for Daley's debut album Days and Nights, when it's released later this year.

Live Video of the Day: "Not Gon' Cry" (Mary J. Blige)

During the Eric Clapton & Friends In Concert: A Benefit For The Crossroads Centre At Antigua, Mary J. Blige dropped a sublime performance of her classic jam "Not Gon' Cry." While others have attempted and imitated the Queen of Hip-Hop Soul, Mary is truly in a league of her own and the below performance offers up just one example why.

Mary unlike a lot of her contemporaries really gives each performance, song, and note the emotional vigor it deems and she really infects this performance with that special Mary brand of soul.

Peep her sublime performance after the jump and Enjoy!

Saturday, August 31, 2013

Friday, August 30, 2013

Thursday, August 29, 2013

Wednesday, August 28, 2013

Tuesday, August 27, 2013

Monday, August 26, 2013