album review: run the jewels’ “Run the jewels 2”

“The jewel runners, top tag team for two summers” – Killer Mike, Jeopardy I spent five years of my life in Atlanta as a student of Morehouse College and Clark Atlanta University, and as a result I became a (very) minor adept of Atlanta’s hip hop scene.  Beyond the realms of Outkast and DJ Unk, […]

Dang it, Bobby: Bobby V’s “Slow Down”

Hello, and welcome to “Dang it, Bobby!” an ongoing series I’m starting where I take the lyrics to a song and examine them with my own words.  This is done after the long processes of beating my head against a wall, crying in the sink, sobbing in front of a mirror and, of course, eating […]

Track Review: The Isley Brothers’ “Contagious”

In my review for Kem’s latest album, I praised plenty but shunned the appearance of Ronald Isley.  Ronald Isley, for the few of you that don’t know him, is likely the reason you exist, depending on how old you are, but at 70 plus years old he himself is still making some questionable music, questionable […]

Album Review: @musicbyKem “Promise to Love” (Deluxe edition)

All change is not growth, as all movement is not forward. — Ellen Glasgow R&B is a very, VERY tricky genre in black music.  The younger singers tend to swim comfortably in the twin lakes of love and sex, where older singers tend to wade in the waters of love and relationships.  All three territories […]

Editorial: Restaurant Jukeboxes and Other Fine Necessities

The other day I was fortunate enough to catch Sin City: A Dame to Kill For with a good buddy of mine.  It was okay.  Afterwards we went to get wings.  The two options that immediately presented themselves were Buffalo Wild Wings and Hooters, and ultimately we picked the latter.  We go in, we sit […]

Track Review: Montell Jordan’s “This is How We Do It”

I don’t know what you were doing before taking a few minutes to read this but I’m glad you stopped.  After reading this paragraph, go and grab a copy of your favorite LP from the 90s.  It can be a CD or a cassette tape, it doesn’t matter, just grab it.  Go ahead, I’ll wait. […]

Editorial: “Smoke Gets In Your Eyes”

It’s pretty ridiculous how many versions of this song I’ve listened to as of late.  It started with a distant memory brought about by the almost forgotten majestic beauty of Barry Harris’ music, then it transferred to the Platters, then it circled back to the original musical that it came from, 1933’s Roberta.  In addition […]

Album Review: @tikemenay “Tenay in Tokyo”

What is it about Japan that brings out the best in a musician? I remember Little Brother merely making a song about their dealings with Japan and it was great. Netherlands-based producer Nicolay took his City Lights series to Shibuya Terminal with the second edition and it was as sonically beautiful as cherry blossoms blowing […]