Amazing Cover: "I Love You Porgy" (Christina Aguilera)

After the jump, you will find Christina Aguilera's amazing cover of  the Nina Simone classic and standard "I Love You Porgy." Lifted from the Grammy nominations concert a few years ago, Aguilera's tribute to Simone offers up one of her most vocally restrained performances to date.

The smooth and silky performance is one of Aguilera's best live vocal performances in recent memory for me and she really shows off why many proclaim her to be the best vocalist of this generation. Take a few minutes to watch her phenomenal vocal performance of "I Love You Porgy" below and Enjoy!

Podcast: "Do Your Research" (The BackBeat)

Hey Friends! On our new episode, we talk about the tragic trailer for the new Nina Simone movie starring Zoe Saldana. Next, we fan out over Kendrick Lamar’s surprise album “Untitled and Unmastered.” We then discuss Sam Smith’s problematic Oscar acceptance speech. Also, we breakdown hip-hop drama between Joey BadA$$ and Troy Ave followed by a discussion of Tank vs. Tyrese. Finally, we show love to the new Hamilton mixtape that is dropping soon!

Stay tuned to the end of the episode where we discuss our songs of the moment. Kyera chooses songs from the Hamilton Cast Recording, The Alabama Shakes, and Chris Brown. Marcus chooses cuts from Jazmine Sullivan, Erykah Badu, and Fifth Harmony.

Podcast: "The Grammy Family" (The Backbeat)

In this week's episode of The Backbeat, Marcus and Kyera delve into the 2016 GRAMMY Awards where they talk about their favorite performances of the night as well as some of their disappointments. In addition to their favorite performances, we get into Taylor Swift's clapback to Kanye West's "Famous" from The Life of Pablo. Then we get into a track-by-track review of Kanye's latest LP and then come back to the GRAMMYs to shame them about their lack of inclusion and celebration of Black female artists.

Song of the Day: "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (Nina Simone)

"To Be Young, Gifted and Black" - Nina Simone

• Writer: Weldon Irvine
• Composer: Nina Simone
• Producer: Stroud Productions
• Record Label: RCA Records
• Released in 1970 from Black Gold
• Peaked at #8 on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart

Amazing Cover: "I Put a Spell on You" (Nina Simone)

In honor of Halloween, I though it might be nice to revisit a classic song that has become synonymous with Halloween.

With that said, I offer up Nina Simone's sublime rendition of Screamin' Jay Hawkins's "I Put a Spell on You." Though Screamin' Jay Hawkins released his rendition back in 1956, the song didn't chart until Nina Simone covered the joint in 1965 where it would go on to peak at #23 on the Billboard Hot Rhythm & Blues Singles.

Take a listen below to Nina Simone's amazing cover of "I Put a Spell on You" below and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Just In Time" (Mar)

Artist on the rise Mar covered Nina Simone's "Just In Time" during a performance back in 2012 and the rising crooner  accompanied himself on his guitar to this classic joint.

While going through some of my favorited videos on Vimeo earlier today, I rediscovered his brilliant interpretation of this Nina Simone classic "Just In Time" and you can watch Mar work it out below as we continue to await further musical moves by Mar.

Amazing Cover: "I Love You Porgy" (Christina Aguilera)

After the jump, you will find Christina Aguilera's amazing cover of  the Nina Simone classic and standard "I Love You Porgy." Lifted from the Grammy nominations concert a few years ago, Aguilera's tribute to Simone offers up one of her most vocally restrained performances to date.

The smooth and silky performance is one of Aguilera's best live vocal performances to date and she really shows off why many proclaim her to be the best vocalist of this generation. Take a few minutes to watch her phenomenal vocal performance of "I Love You Porgy" below and Enjoy!

Song of the Day: "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (Nina Simone)

"To Be Young, Gifted and Black" - Nina Simone

• Writer: Weldon Irvine
• Composer: Nina Simone
• Producer: Stroud Productions
• Record Label: RCA Records
• Released in 1970 from Black Gold
• Peaked at #8 on the Billboard Best Selling Soul Singles chart

Live Video of the Day: "Feeling Good" (Lauryn Hill)

Last night, the legendary Ms. Lauryn Hill made a rare appearance on NBC's The Tonight Show with Jimmy Fallon to perform her riveting cover of "Feeling Good," which is lifted from Nina Revisited: A Tribute to Nina Simone compilation album that is a companion piece to the Netflix documentary What Happened, Miss Simone.

Ms. Hill produced and contributed six songs to the compilation including "Ne Me Quitte Pas," "Black Is the Color of My True Love's Hair," "Wild Is the Wind," "African Mailman" "Feeling Good," and "I've Got Life," an interpolation of Simone's "Ain't Got No, I Got Life."

With that said, watch her riveting performance of "Feeling Good" from The Tonight Show below and Enjoy!

New Joint: "I've Got Life" (Lauryn Hill)

Earlier today, Lauryn Hill's riff on the Nina Simone classic "Ain't Got No, I Got Life" hit the net in the form of "I've Got Life."

Featured on the forthcoming compilation album Nina Revisited: A Tribute to Nina Simone, Lauryn Hill's "I've Got Life" features some very politically charged lyrics further proving that her pen game has always been strong and never gone away. With increase performances and public appearances, it seems as though Ms. Hill is back on her own terms and I can't wait to hear what that brings us.

With that said, take a listen to the full version of "I've Got Life" below and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Four Women" (Kelly Price, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott & Ledisi)

Back in 2010 during BET's Black Girls Rock, Kelly Price, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott and Ledisi joined forces to perform a riveting rendition of the Nina Simone classic "Four Women."

While it has been almost five years since their riveting performance, this quartet's powerful rendition of "Four Women" still seems as if they gathered on that stage just a few days ago in my mind.

Either way you feel, watch their powerful performance of "Four Women" below and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Baltimore" (Jazmine Sullivan)

Earlier today Nina Revistied: A Tribute to Nina Simone went up for pre-sale on digital retailers and as part of that pre-sale, several of the songs from the album were made instantly available, including Jazmine Sullivan's haunting rendition of "Baltimore."

While a snippet of the clip had been making its rounds for the last six weeks or so, the official fully mastered version has finally hit the net and it is really just everything.

Featuring one of the most underrated voices in music right now matched with a powerful lyric and melody especially during these heightened racial times, Jazmine's rendition of "Baltimore" is one of the best things I have heard all year and is a standout cover.

Take a listen below to Jazmine's rendition of "Baltimore" and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Feeling Good" (Lauryn Hill)

Earlier today, Lauryn Hill's sublime cover of Nina Simone's "Feeling Good" hit the net ahead of RCA's forthcoming July 1oth tribute album to Ms. Simone entitled Nina Revisited: A Tribute To Nina Simone, which is being released in conjunction with the forthcoming documentary What Happened, Miss Simone? via Netflix on June 26.

The album includes six contributions from Ms. Hill, including her riveting cover of "Feeling Good" and also features contributions from the likes of Mary J. Blige, Common, Usher, Gregory Porter, Jazmine Sullivan, Lalah Hathaway, and Lisa Simone (Nina Simone’s daughter).

With that said, take a listen below to Lauryn's enthralling rendition of "Feeling Good" and peep the official tracklisting for  Nina Revisited: A Tribute to Nina Simone as well!

Amazing Cover: "I Love You Porgy" (Christina Aguilera)

After the jump, you will find Christina Aguilera's amazing cover of  the Nina Simone classic and standard "I Love You Porgy." Lifted from the Grammy nominations concert a few years ago, Aguilera's tribute to Simone offers up one of her most vocally restrained performances to date.

The smooth and silky performance is one of Aguilera's best live vocal performances to date and she really shows off why many proclaim her to be the best vocalist of this generation. Take a few minutes to watch her phenomenal vocal performance of "I Love You Porgy" below and Enjoy!

Live Audio: "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (Nina Simone)

In 1970, Nina Simone recorded "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" in honor of her late friend Lorraine Hansberry (author of the play Raisin in the Sun). Lyrics by Weldon Irvine, the empowering "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" was originally recorded and later released from Simone's Black Gold and would go onto become a top ten hit on the R&B charts.

With that said, take a listen after the jump to this live audio recording of Ms. Nina Simone performing "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" during a performance in New York City and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "BALTIMORE" (Jazmine Sullivan)

In the 1970s the legendary artist and civil rights activist, Nina Simone released a song entitled "BALTIMORE." It spoke to the challenges of urban living, particularly for people of color.

Earlier this year, a group of recording artists, including Nina’s daughter Lisa Simone, Mary J Blige, Common, Ms. Lauryn Hill, Gregory Porter, Alice Smith and Andra Day amongst others, gathered to pay homage to Nina by covering many of her songs for a Tribute album to accompany the first ever comprehensive documentary on the enigmatic singers life entitled “What Happened, Miss Simone”. Available on Netflix June 26.

Philadelphia native Jazmine Sullivan recorded a chilling rendition of “BALTIMORE".

No one could have predicted the current events leading up to the untimely death of Freddie Gray, an event that lead to civil unrest, riots, widespread protest and the city of Baltimore literally being brought to its knees.

2015 looks a lot like 1968. Another black man dead in police custody….Another family grieving…Another city in turmoil. Take a listen below to Jazmine Sullivan's chilling rendition of "BALTIMORE" as we continue to demand justice.

Amazing Cover: "Four Women" (Kelly Price, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott & Ledisi)

Back in 2010 during BET's Black Girls Rock, Kelly Price, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott and Ledisi joined forces to perform a riveting rendition of the Nina Simone classic "Four Women."

While it has been almost five years since their riveting performance, this quartet's powerful rendition of "Four Women" still seems as if they gathered on that stage just a few days ago in my mind.

Either way you feel, watch their powerful performance of "Four Women" below and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Four Women" (Kelly Price, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott & Ledisi)

Back in 2010 during BET's Black Girls Rock, Kelly Price, Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott and Ledisi joined forces to perform a riveting rendition of the Nina Simone classic "Four Women."

While it has been over three-and-a-half years since their riveting performance, this quartet's powerful rendition of "Four Women" still seems as if they gathered on that stage just a few days ago in my mind.

Either way you feel, watch their powerful performance of "Four Women" below and Enjoy!

Live Audio: "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" (Nina Simone)

In 1970, Nina Simone recorded "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" in honor of her late friend Lorraine Hansberry (author of the play Raisin in the Sun). Lyrics by Weldon Irvine, the empowering "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" was originally recorded and later released from Simone's Black Gold and would go onto become a top ten hit on the R&B charts.

With that said, take a listen after the jump to this live audio recording of Ms. Nina Simone performing "To Be Young, Gifted and Black" during a performance in New York City and Enjoy!

Amazing Cover: "Young, Gifted and Black" (Aretha Franklin)

There is something about the Queen of Soul, Ms. Aretha Franklin's rendition of "Young, Gifted and Black" that really does it for me even above the brilliant original by Nina Simone.

As we all figure out next steps after Darren Wilson was not indicted for killing Mike Brown in Ferguson, I thought this would be an appropriate cover to revisit.

Lifted from her LP Young, Gifted and Black, the title-track to this project offers up a gospel infused rendition that only Ms. Franklin could bring and for her unearthly interpretation, Ms. Franklin was awarded the Grammy Award for Best Female R&B Vocal Performance in 1973.

With that said, take a listen after the jump to her amazing cover of "Young, Gifted and Black" and Enjoy!