Cut: "I Believe In Music" (Donny Hathaway)

Back in 1971 Donny Hathaway released his sophomore Atco release entitled Donny Hathaway and while the disk is probably best remembered for Hathaway's sublime covers of "A Song For You" and "Giving Up," one of my favorite gems from this record has to be "I Believe In Music."

While it will never appear on a greatest hits album of Hathaway's, "I Believe In Music" is a solid mid-tempo from the later crooner that deserves a "rediscovery" in my opinion. Therefore take a listen below to Hathaway's "I Believe In Music" and Enjoy!

Second Listen: "This Christmas" (Donny Hathaway)

Back in 1970, Donny Hathaway co-wrote, produced and released "This Christmas" as a special single release for the holiday season.

Though it only peaked at #11 on the Billboard Christmas Singles Chart in 1972, the song has gone onto become a Christmas standard and classic having been covered by numerous high profile acts including Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, The Temptations, The Four Tops, Stevie Wonder, Chris Brown, and Patti LaBelle.

With that said, take a first or second listen to this holiday jam below and Enjoy!

Second Listen: "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (Donny Hathaway)

Back in 1973, Donny Hathaway released his last studio album Extension of a Man and one of the standout joints from the album for me has to be his stunning classic cut  "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know."

Written by Al Kooper and produced by Arif Mardin, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" from the Atco release would go onto peak at #60 on the Billboard Pop Charts and #20 Best Selling Soul Singles.

With that said, take a listen below to Donny Hathaway's riveting recorded performance of "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and Enjoy!

Podcast: "Phone Down" (The BackBeat)

In this week’s episode of The BackBeat, we give our delayed review of Lianne La Lavas’s amazing sophomore album Blood, get into Jeezy’s comments about the student protests around the country, talk about the rumored release for Rihanna’s ANTI, engage with Amber Rose’s financial goals for young women, get into Adele and arguments around cultural appropriation (Hey Iggy!), and share our thoughts on Prodigy suing UMG over royalties. We also share our excitement about Missy’s new song and video for her Pharrell assisted “Where They From.”

Stay tuned to the end of the episode to hear what our Songs of The Moment are this week! Kyera chooses some great songs from Missy, J. Cole, and Wale. Marcus dips into the discography of Erykah Badu, Eryn Allen Kane, and Donny Hathaway.

Cut: "Love, Love, Love" (Donny Hathaway)

Donny Hathaway's last studio album 1973's Extension of a Man offered up some of the best material from the famed crooner and one of the cuts from his classic LP has to be "Love, Love, Love."

Sampled by Jay-Z for his hit "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Love, Love, Love" was released as the lead single from Extension of a Man, but is often forgotten as one of the gems from his discography. With that said, take a listen to "Love, Love, Love" below and Enjoy!

Podcast: "Hotline Bling" (The BackBeat)

In this week’s episode of The BackBeat, we get into Nicki Minaj’s new ABC Family show, Whitney Houston’s upcoming Hologram, Drake making history on the Billboard Hot 100, Erykah Badu's remix of Drake’s “Hotline Bling,” a status update on Lauryn Hill’s highly anticipated followup to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill, as well as our reviews on both Tamar Braxton’s (Calling All Lovers) and Janet Jackson’s (Unbreakable) new albums.

Kyera also gives us a brief Culture Talk regarding the musical Hamilton, and Marcus offers a Blast from the Past regarding Donny Hathaway. Make sure you tune into the end of the episode where we give our Songs of the Moment.

Take a listen below and Enjoy!

Cut: "You Were Meant for Me" (Donny Hathaway)

After the success of the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway duet "The Closer I Get to You" in 1978 from Flack's Blue Lights in the Basement, Atco records released the Donny Hathaway solo single "You Were Meant for Me" to capitalize on the #1 Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart success of "The Closer I Get to You."

While "You Were Meant for Me" from Donny peaked at a respectable #17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, it would unfortunately be the last single released from him before his tragic untimely death. With that said, take a listen below to Donny Hathaway's "You Were Meant for Me" and Enjoy!

Cut: "I Believe In Music" (Donny Hathaway)

Back in 1971 Donny Hathaway released his sophomore Atco release entitled Donny Hathaway and while the disk is probably best remembered for Hathaway's sublime covers of "A Song For You" and "Giving Up," one of my favorite gems from this record has to be "I Believe In Music."

While it will never appear on a greatest hits album of Hathaway's, "I Believe In Music" is a solid mid-tempo from the later crooner that deserves a "rediscovery" in my opinion. Therefore take a listen below to Hathaway's "I Believe In Music" and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Giving Up" (Aaliyah)

While the remake of the cult classic Sparkle starring Jordin Sparks and Whitney Houston is currently out on DVD, Aaliyah was originally pegged to star in the remake with Houston and she recorded an amazing cover of the Donny Hathaway classic "Giving Up" for the project before her tragic death.

With that said, this cover showcases off Aaliyah's amazing vocals and proves that her vocal prowess hadn't even peaked at her tender age of 22. Take a listen below as we all eagerly await the teased about Timbaland project!

Second Listen: "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" (Donny Hathaway)

Back in 1973, Donny Hathaway released his last studio album Extension of a Man and one of the standout joints from the album for me has to be his stunning classic cut  "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know."

Written by Al Kooper and produced by Arif Mardin, "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" from the Atco release would go onto peak at #60 on the Billboard Pop Charts and #20 Best Selling Soul Singles.

With that said, take a listen below to Donny Hatahway's riveting recorded performance of "I Love You More Than You'll Ever Know" and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "The Closer I Get To You" (Luther Vandross ft. Beyoncé)

Featured on bother Luther's Dance With My Father and Beyoncé's debut album Dangerously In Love, their rendition of "The Closer I Get To You" is one of the best duets of the past 25 years hands down and is in my top 10 of all time. Their vocals coo effortlessly and meld perfectly on this classic love song that it is such a crime that we never saw them perform it live together.

With that said, take a listen after the jump to Beyoncé and Luther's rendition of "The Closer I Get To You" and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Giving Up" (Jennifer Holliday)

Jennifer Holliday is best known for originating the role of Effie White in the original broadway production of "Dreamgirls," which would later win the powerhouse vocalist both a Tony and a Grammy for her show-stopping number "And I Am Telling You."

While Holliday is still known primarily for this joint, one of my favorite songs in her discography is her cover of the Donny Hathaway hit and Gladys Knight & The Pips original "Giving Up." Having originally been write by Van McCoy and recorded by Gladys Knight & The Pips, Holliday infuses her legendary pipes into this classic and turns it into a near 9 minute soulful opus.

Take a listen below to Jennifer Holiday's sublime rendition of "Giving Up" and Enjoy!

Cut: "Love, Love, Love" (Donny Hathaway)

Donny Hathaway's last studio album 1973's Extension of a Man offered up some of the best material from the famed crooner and one of the cuts from his classic LP has to be "Love, Love, Love."

Sampled by Jay-Z for his hit "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Love, Love, Love" was released as the lead single from Extension of a Man, but is often forgotten as one of the gems from his discography. With that said, take a listen to "Love, Love, Love" below and Enjoy!

Cut: "Love, Love, Love" (Donny Hathaway)

Donny Hathaway's last studio album 1973's Extension of a Man offered up some of the best material from the famed crooner and one of the cuts from his classic LP has to be "Love, Love, Love."

Sampled by Jay-Z for his hit "Girls, Girls, Girls," "Love, Love, Love" was released as the lead single from Extension of a Man, but is often forgotten as one of the gems from his discography. With that said, take a listen to "Love, Love, Love" below and Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "Someday We'll All Be Free" (Donny Hathaway)

"Someday We'll All Be Free" - Donny Hathaway

• Writers: Donny Hathaway and Edward Howard
• Producer: Arif Mardin
• Record Label: Atco
• Released in 1973 from Extension of a Man
• It reached #51 on the U.S. Billboard R&B Charts 

Amazing Cover: "Someday We'll All Be Free" (Gregory Porter)

Lifted from Gregory Porter's performance at the LantarenVenster in Rotterdam, Netherlands from back in 2012, Gregory proves why all of the buzz and breakthrough success that he has been receiving is clearly warranted.

Therefore, watch Gregory Porter's performance of "Someday We'll All Be Free" below and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "A Song For You" (Lalah Hathaway)

Made iconic by her father Donny Hathaway, "A Song For You," which was originally penned and performed by Leon Russell is one of those standards that with every interpretation gains a new sense of meaning.

With that said, Lalah Hathaway has been taking on this classic song during her live sets to honor her late father Donny and her rendition is of course sublime. Honestly, Lalah's smooth and haunting alto is pitch perfect and her interpretation of "A Song For You" is perfect. Watch it all go down from a performance in Pennsylvania after the jump and Enjoy!

Rare Recording: "Someday We'll All Be Free" (Aretha Franklin)

I posted this rare recording of Aretha Franklin's sublime cover of the Donny Hathaway classic "Someday We'll All Be Free" a few weeks ago and as we continue to celebrate the Queen of Soul's 72nd birthday, I thought I might as well repost it.

Back in 1992, Spike Lee released the biopic Malcolm X about the legendary civil rights activist Malcolm X and the Denzel Washington-starring film also featured a powerful soundtrack that was anchored in my opinion by Aretha Franklin's riveting rendition of the Donny Hathaway classic "Someday We'll All Be Free."

Originally featured on Donny's Extension of a Man album, Aretha Franklin's rare rendition of this classic cut from the Malcolm X official soundtrack features a gospel testament at the beginning of the song and is one of those rare recordings that not enough people are familiar with in my opinion.

With that said, take a few minutes this Sunday morning and listen to the Queen of Soul, Ms. Aretha Franklin's sublime rendition of Donny Hathaway's "Someday We'll All Be Free" below and Enjoy!

Cut: "You Were Meant for Me" (Donny Hathaway)

After the success of the Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway duet "The Closer I Get to You" in 1978 from Flack's Blue Lights in the Basement, Atco records released the Donny Hathaway solo single "You Were Meant for Me" to capitalize on the #1 Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart success of "The Closer I Get to You."

While "You Were Meant for Me" from Donny peaked at a respectable #17 on the Billboard Hot Soul Singles chart, it would unfortunately be the last single released from him before his tragic untimely death. With that said, take a listen below to Donny Hathaway's "You Were Meant for Me" and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Baby I Love U" (PJ Morton ft Ledisi)

Ledisi and PJ Morton collaborated on the Donny Hathaway and Roberta Flack classic duet "Baby I Love U" almost two years ago and luckily for fans of both of these gifted vocalists, their duet is still on the net.

Produced my PJ Morton, Ledisi's and Morton's vocals harmonize perfectly together and the sparse instrumentation really allows their voices to take centerstage. With that said, take a listen below to PJ Morton's and Ledisi's duet on "Baby I Love U" and if you're like me, you already have your $1.29 to purchase it on iTunes if/when it's finally released!