“The festival isn’t very shy about revealing its biases in terms of which era of hip-hop it thinks was king,” said  Oliver Wang, the author of Classic Material: The Hip-Hop Album Guide.

When was the last time you saw Wu Tang Clan — the entire collective — perform live? Or for that matter, listen to Nas’ inimitable flow as he spit bars in the flesh? Or consider the unthinkable: watching ‘Ms’ Lauryn Hill, now more famous for various and sundry off-stage peccadilloes than her music, put on a coherent show?

Read more at the Grio.

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Though soul music is a genre that is applicable to Black music culture, it isn’t exclusive to singers of color. White soul singers have made a tremendous impact in soul and can croon like the best of them.

Video of Amy Winehouse doing what she did best:

Here are 9 other white girls with an unmistakable Black voice:

1. Janis Joplin–She’s one of the original blue-eyed soul singers. At the height of her career she was known as The Queen of Psychedelic Soul. Rolling Stone  magazine ranked Joplin number 46 on its list of the 100 Greatest Artists of All Time in 2004, and number 28 on its 2008 list of 100 Greatest Singers of All Time.

2. Teena Marie–Who can forget the inimitable Teena Marie? Known as the Ivory Queen of Soul, Marie had an undeniable impact in Soul music. The music industry was deeply scarred when the soul singer died in December of 2010. Aside from her unmatchable range, Marie played rhythm guitar, keyboard and congas. She is most known for her work, such as “Fire and Desire” with her mentor and collaborator, the late Rick James.

3. Christina Aguilera–Christina Aguilera is one of the most celebrated voices of our time. With her distinct vocal runs and range, she has certainly made her mark in music.

4. Adele–Currently dominating the U.S. and UK charts, Grammy Award winner Adele has taken the music world by storm. Her music and sound is very nostalgic and filled with timeless soul.

5. Joss Stone–Joss Stone is the epitome of blue-eyed soul. At the tender age of 16, she burst into the music scene, and hasn’t looked back ever since. While she is a music sensation both in the U.S. and overseas, her first three albums have sold about 2.2 million records in the U.S. alone.

6. Pink–Though she’s now a punk rock artist, Pink originally splashed into the industry as an R&B artist. She instantly became a star. Though she’s rough around the edges, her voice is undeniably soul to the core.

7. JoJo–JoJo is of the youngest generation of white soul singers. Not only was she the only white girl signed at 16 to Interscope records, but she possessed a voice that far exceeded expectations. To date she has sold over 2 million copies, and her voice is continuously maturing. The other blue-eyed soul singers better watch out.

8. Duffy–This welsh singer-songwriter is a Grammy award winner, and is a worldwide success. Her song “Mercy” is a notable hit in the U.S.

9. Kelly Clarkson–One of the biggest acts to come out of American Idol, Kelly Clarkson has one of the most powerful voices in music. Though she is a pop artist, Clarkson’s chops are indisputably akin to the blue-eyed soul lineage. She has won 2 Grammy’s and has sold over 12 million records worldwide.

Some of those eliminations will be five R&B categories including Best R&B Female, Best R&B Male, Best Urban Alternative Performance, Best Contemporary R&B Album, and Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal.

Many members of the urban music community are angered by the Academy’s decision.

Music industry notables such as Beyonce’s dad and former manager Matthew Knowles, singers Musiq Soulchild and Betty Wright, among others, have joined an effort to persuade the Academy to reinstate those R&B categories. Simultaneously, other established artists, community leaders, record executives, and radio and TV personalities will voice their concerns at Recording Academy chapters nationwide.

The goal of the protest is to also bring spotlight on the declining recognition of R&B, Funk, Soul music on the mainstream scale. This month, the music community issued a formal statement of protest to The Recording Academy offices in Atlanta, Santa Monica, D.C., Philly, Chicago and New York.

Though the urban music community is agitated with the Academy, it contends that it respects the organization and encourages all to support it, and that its issue is solely with the awards process of the company.

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“The most precious thing in the world is the financial security and wellbeing of your family…You want to send your little ones to the best school and in the end you want to know you left them with peace of mind. Nowadays, we all know that cash rules everything around us. C.R.E.A.M. Get the money. Dolla dolla bill, y’all.”

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In this exclusive video for NewsOne, Radio One founder Cathy Hughes (who is the daughter of original Sweethearts band member Helen Jones Woods) discusses the legacy of these “freedom riders and freedom fighters,” and even reveals that Beyoncé found inspiration in their example:

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First female interracial band celebrated at Smithsonian

WASHINGTON, DC — The International Sweethearts of Rhythm, America’s first all-female racially-integrated band, are being interviewed onstage today at the Smithsonian Institution from 11 a.m. to noon ET as part of the launch of the museum’s Jazz Appreciation Month.

In this onstage conversation (and webcast), members of the International Sweethearts of Rhythm discuss the history of women in jazz and the legacy of the Sweethearts. Moderated by Frank Alkyer (publisher, Down Beat and Music, Inc.) and David Baker (maestro, Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra).

RELATED: First All-Female Interracial Band Celebrated At Smithsonian

Return to NewsOne over the next few days to see more behind-the-scenes of this historic event.

Click on the video below to begin watching:

Video streaming by Ustream

This week the Smithsonian Institution celebrates the Sweethearts’ legacy as part of the launch of the museum’s Jazz Appreciation Month.

ALSO: Why Is Race Still A Factor When It Comes To Dating?

The Sweeethearts’ exhibit will be on display at the National Museum of American History in Washington, DC from March 25 to May 31. Members of the Sweethearts, which included Black, white, Latino and Asian women, will participate in several events on March 29 and 30 at the museum. Radio One founder Cathy Hughes, whose mother Helen Jones Woods was an original band member, will also be a participant [NewsOne is a division of Radio One]:

Hughes, the Piney Woods School and Roz Cron (she had the largest collection) will participate in a “Donation Ceremony” to highlight their collection.  And then Ms. Hughes will facilitate an brief (10 minute) onstage discussion with six of the original Sweethearts who will participate in programming at the Smithsonian:  They are Helen Jones Woods (trombonist), Ms. Hughes’ mother; Willie Mae Wong Scott (saxophonist), the child of a Chinese father and mixed race Native American mother, she grew up on Mississippi in 1920s; Sadye Pankey Moore (trumpeter), African American; Johnnie Mae Rice Graham (pianist), African American; Lillie Keeler Sims (trombone), African American woman who played with the Sweethearts their first year but later served as an educator and administrator in the NYC school system 40 years;  and Roz Cron, one of the first white woman to join the band. On March 30th, the Sweethearts and Cathy Hughes will participate in a 60 minute discussion on the Sweetheart’s legacy that will be webcast via UStream.

NewsOne will provide continuing coverage and a deeper look into the Sweethearts’ history in the coming week.

ALSO: Are You Really Pursuing The Right Goals?

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The Washington Post reports:

Authorities and witnesses said about 1,500 people were at the DMV music awards ceremony at the Crystal City Hyatt hotel when several fights erupted. Five people were treated at the scene and one was taken to a hospital, witnesses said.

Read The Whole Story

Brawl Mars DMV Music Awards Outside Washington: MyFoxDC.com

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On the extended version of his 1988 single “I Wish U Heaven,” Prince sang “Take this beat / I don’t mind / Got plenty others / and they’re so fine!”

Apparently a few hip-hop producers got the message and began mining Prince’s catalog for samples!

Here are a few of our favorites!

Kanye West “Big Brother”

DJ Toomp produced Kanye West’s ode to his “big brother,” Jay-Z. The song replays a riff from Prince’s “It’s Gonna Be Lonely” from his 1979 self-titled album.

2Pac “Heartz Of Men”

Taken from the last album Tupac released before he was murdered, “Heartz Of Men” samples the end of Prince’s “Darling Nikki,” that creepy backwards bit that probably scared Christian parents all over the country.

2Pac “What’z Ya Phone #”

The raunchy closing song on disc 1 of 2Pac’s All Eyez On Me album is built off of a loop from The Time’s “777-9311.” The Time was formed by Prince as an outlet for his funkier material. Prince produced, wrote, and performed most of The Time’s material with his friend Morris Day handling vocals.

Jay-Z & Beyoncé “’03 Bonnie & Clyde”

The Jiggaman launched The Blueprint 2 album with this Kanye West produced single featuring his then-girlfriend Beyoncé. The song features Beyoncé singing lyrics from Prince’s 1987 classic “If I Was Your Girlfriend.”

MC Lyte “Paper Thin”

MC Lyte’s classic “Paper Thin” features a sample from Prince & The Revolution’s “17 Days” which was the b-side of “When Doves Cry.”

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Led Zeppelin is considered by many to be one of the greatest bands in the history of rock music, but their roots clearly lie in the tradition of the blues.

Their blues influences got the best of them on a few occasions during their run in the late 60s and 70s. In 1972, the band was sued for copyright infringement by Arc Music, the music publishing company that handled the catalog of Chess Records, one of the premier blues record labels. At the center of the case were two Led Zeppelin songs, “Bring It On Home” and “The Lemon Song.”

Arc Music claimed that the intro to “Bring It On Home” borrowed liberally from Sonny Boy Williamson’s song of the same name written by Willie Dixon, and that “The Lemon Song” borrowed from Howlin’ Wolf’s song “Killing Floor.”

Compare the songs below:

Sonny Boy Williamson’s original version of “Bring It On Home” vs Led Zeppelin’s “Bring It On Home.”

The Electric Flag’s version of Howlin’ Wolf’s “Killing Floor” vs Led Zeppelin’s “The Lemon Song”

The case was eventually settled out of court for an undisclosed amount of money. Ironically, Dixon himself didn’t receive any money from the settlement until he sued Arc Music over royalties and copyrights.

Dixon sued Led Zeppelin himself in 1985 in regards to another song he felt infringed on his copyrights, claiming that Led Zeppelin’s “Whole Lotta Love” ripped off lyrics from his song “You Need Love.” Again, a settlement was reached out of court, and Dixon was given credit as co-writer of “Whole Lotta Love.”

Jimmy Page, guitarist for Led Zeppelin, commented on the band’s use of classic blues songs in an interview with Guitar World magazine.

I always tried to bring something fresh to anything that I used. I always made sure to come up with some variation. In fact, I think in most cases, you would never know what the original source could be. Maybe not in every case — but in most cases. So most of the comparisons rest on the lyrics. And Robert [Plant, lead singer of Led Zeppelin] was supposed to change the lyrics, and he didn’t always do that — which is what brought on most of the grief. They couldn’t get us on the guitar parts of the music, but they nailed us on the lyrics. We did, however, take some liberties, I must say [laughs]. But never mind; we did try to do the right thing.

Years later, many hip-hop artists would find themselves in a similar position as Led Zeppelin as the laws surrounding sampling became more strict, ultimately changing the sound of the genre forever.

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Philadelphia — Bernard “Bernie” Wilson, 64, who helped define the Sound of Philadelphia as a founding member of Harold Melvin & The Blue Notes, died early Sunday.

Mr. Wilson died at 12:26 a.m. at Kresson View Center nursing home in Voorhees, said his cousin, Faith Peace-Mazzccua, 54, of Bensalem. He had suffered a major stroke last year and a heart attack this year, she said.

Read entire article at Philly.com

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The news came two days after the announcement that Franklin had been released over the weekend from a Detroit hospital following a brief stay. Publicist Tracey Jordan said Tuesday Franklin was “resting comfortably at home, but is anxious to get back on the road to perform for her countless fans around the world.”

Jordan wouldn’t say Thursday whether the events were related, nor did she offer any details about the 68-year-old Franklin’s condition.

“Her doctors have required her” to cancel the appearances, Jordan told The Associated Press.

It’s been a tumultuous several months for the Queen of Soul, whose hits include “(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman,” ”Chain of Fools” and her signature song, “Respect.”

Her adult son, Eddie, was beaten by three men at a Detroit gas station in September. And a month earlier, she broke ribs in a fall, causing her to miss two free concerts in New York.

One of the shows now being canceled is a Christmas concert scheduled for Detroit’s Fox Theatre on Dec. 9. Theater operator Olympia Entertainment said the show was being called off “due to medical reasons.”

Franklin, one of the most honored singers in American history, has won numerous Grammys, the National Medal of Arts, the Presidential Medal of Freedom and has been inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

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General Norman Johnson, lead singer of the soul vocal trio Chairmen of the Board, died Wednesday at age 67.

His group was best known for the song “Give Me Just a Little More Time,” a favorite of Carolina beach music and shag dancing aficionados. It’s a defining song of the Southern soul sub-genre. The track climbed to No. 3 on the Billboard singles chart in 1970. The group would release three more Top 40 hits in 1970, but that was the end of the Chairmen’s chart run.

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Reuters is reporting that Bob Marley’s family has lost a lawsuit seeking the rights to several of his most popular recordings.

U.S. District Judge Denise Cote in Manhattan said the UMG Recordings unit of Vivendi SA’s Universal Music Group is the rightful owner of copyrights to five albums that Marley had recorded between 1973 and 1977 for Island Records.

The albums “Catch a Fire,” “Burnin’,” “Natty Dread,” “Rastaman Vibrations” and “Exodus” were recorded with Marley’s band The Wailers. They include some of Marley’s best-known songs, including “Get Up, Stand Up,” “I Shot the Sheriff,” “No Woman, No Cry” and “One Love.”

Read The Whole Story

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The Louisville, Ky., native founded the R&B-doo-wop group the Moonglows, which signed with DJ Alan Freed. The group’s first single was the 1954 hit “Sincerely.”

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Fuqua added Gaye and others in 1958 to a reconstituted group Fuqua called Harvey and the Moonglows. It had the 1958 hit “Ten Commandments of Love.”

He started Tri-Phi and Harvey Records in 1961, recording the Spinners, Junior Walker & the All Stars, and Shorty Long.

Motown Records founder Berry Gordy later hired Fuqua to develop recording talent

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From NBC Washington:

There has been all sorts of controversy surrounding the death of Tupac Shakur since he was shot in 1996. And maybe that’s why one of his songs is being archived in the Library of Congress.

“Dear Mama” is one of 25 recordings that will be added to the National Recording Registry this year.

Comedian Bill Cosby’s entire second album will be added to the registry as well.

Click here to read more.

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From MSNBC:

NEW YORK — Michael Jackson’s estate has generated at least $1 billion in revenues since the singer died a year ago, thanks in part to a lucrative new record deal with Sony Music and the most successful concert film of all time, according to Billboard estimates.

Through interviews with industry experts and some number-crunching, Billboard examines the various music-based revenue streams flowing into the estate.

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Music sales — Value: $429 million
Since his death, Jackson has sold about 9 million albums in the United States, while the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons have sold about 800,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Outside the States, Jackson’s album sales for the past year stand at around 24 million units. Based on a blended worldwide retail sales price of $11.62 ($12.30 per unit less mechanical royalties), Billboard estimates that Jackson’s album catalog generated about $383 million in sales.

On the digital side, Jackson’s songs have generated 12.9 million track downloads in the United States in the past 12 months, according to SoundScan. Based on those figures, Billboard estimates that the total number of worldwide downloads is about 26.5 million units, with a value of $34 million (net of mechanical royalties).

Click here to read more.

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From CNN:

The music of New Orleans, Louisiana, is more than just Dixieland jazz, Professor Longhair and Pete Fountain.

It’s hip-hop and zydeco. It’s funk and folk. It’s hard rock and new wave, blues and metal, Lil Wayne and the Radiators and Fats Domino and Galactic.

If food is the soul of the city, then music is its heartbeat. (Or maybe it’s the other way around.)

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“Treme,” the HBO show about post-Katrina New Orleans that concludes its first season Sunday, gets it. It has to get it, says music supervisor Blake Leyh. When it comes to the sound of the Crescent City, every New Orleanian is an expert.

The musical choices are often collaborative, says Blake Leyh, right, with producer Eric Overmyer.

“I definitely have felt a heavy, heavy responsibility of representing New Orleans music to the rest of the world,” he says. “There are so many incredible, important artists who have given so much to greater American music culture, but aren’t really known outside the city. So I think that’s the thing people down there were worried about initially, and now excited about — seeing the story told to a wider audience who doesn’t know it, and done with respect and love for the music.”

Click here to read more.

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Earth Wind & Fire and the late Bob Marley are among the 2010 inductees into the Songwriters Hall of Fame, which will hold a ceremony Thursday in New York City.

David Foster, who will also be inducted Thursday, cited “After the Love Has Gone,” a song he co-wrote for Earth, Wind & Fire, as one of the defining moments of his career.

Click Here For More

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Producer Pharell Williams was on CNN being interviewed by high school principal, Steve Perry. In the interview, he credited his high school band-teacher for success and claimed that he was planning on starting a school for at risk children.

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From WhiteHouse.gov:

Music can tell a story, assuage our sorrows, provide blessing and redemption, and express a soul’s sublime and powerful beauty. It inspires us daily, giving voice to the human spirit. For many, including the African-American community, music unites individuals through a shared heritage. During African-American Music Appreciation Month, we celebrate the extraordinary legacy of African-American singers, composers, and musicians, as well as their indelible contributions to our Nation and our world.

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Throughout our history, African-American music has conveyed the hopes and hardships of a people who have struggled, persevered and overcome. Through centuries of injustice, music comforted slaves, fueled a cultural renaissance, and sustained a movement for equality. Today, from the shores of Africa and the islands of the Caribbean to the jazz clubs of New Orleans and the music halls of Detroit, African-American music reflects the rich sounds of many experiences, cultures, and locales.

African-American musicians have created and expanded a variety of musical genres, synthesizing diverse artistic traditions into a distinctive soundscape. The soulful strains of gospel, the harmonic and improvisational innovations of jazz, the simple truth of the blues, the rhythms of rock and roll, and the urban themes of hip-hop all blend into a refrain of song and narrative that traces our Nation’s history.

Click here to read more.

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WASHINGTON — Paul McCartney had been itching to perform a certain song at the White House, and he seized the moment when it arrived.

The former Beatle brought down the house at an East Room concert Wednesday night by belting out “Michelle,” aiming its romantic lyrics straight at a first lady named Michelle.

After serenading the first lady with the words, “I love you, I love you, I love you,” McCartney joked that he just might be the “first guy ever to be punched out by a president.”

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The president didn’t seem to mind though: He was swaying along to the beat while his wife mouthed the words along with McCartney.

The 90-minute concert was built around Obama’s presentation to McCartney of the Gershwin Prize for Popular Song, awarded by the Library of Congress. The president said McCartney had “helped to lay the soundtrack for an entire generation.”

McCartney, 67, said it was a moment like no other.

“I don’t think there could be anything more special than to play here,” the Englishman said.

And then he volunteered to make it a regular gig.

“Lunchtimes, we could come around,” he offered. “We’re cheap.”

The concert featured an all-star lineup of top performers doing their own interpretations of some of McCartney’s greatest hits. McCartney said it was inspiring to see what other people did with his music.

Among those performing were Stevie Wonder, the Jonas Brothers, Faith Hill, Elvis Costello, Emmylou Harris, Herbie Hancock, White Stripes singer and guitarist Jack White, pianist Lang Lang and Foo Fighters frontman Dave Grohl.

The Gershwin prize is named for the songwriting brothers George and Ira Gershwin. Previous recipients are Wonder and Paul Simon.

Those not lucky enough to snag tickets to the East Room gig can catch the concert July 28, when it’s televised on PBS’ “In Performance at the White House.”

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From BlackVoices.com:

To many outside of the Washington, D.C., area (or “ureah” as we would say), go-go seems like some random localized fad whose percussion-heavy beat is often unbearable after a few minutes of listening. To those of us, though, who grew up with the music, it is as much a part of who we are as hip-hop is to New Yorkers. Unlike hip-hop, however, go-go featured men playing real live instruments – which is something Washingtonians love to point out.
Many outside of D.C. only know the popular songs that went mainstream like “Da Butt” made popular by D.C.’s Experience Unlimited (EU) or Salt N’ Pepa‘s early hits “My Mic Sound Nice” or “Shake That Thing.” There was a whole go-go culture that began in the ’70s with Chuck Brown‘s “Bustin Loose” and continues today, though.

Go-go’s trajectory mimics hip-hop in that it began as party music, music of expression by young men primarily who used it to connect with their peers. It was music for us and by us. Coming of age in the eighties, go-go was at the heart of the D.C. social scene. We laughed, did naughty dances, met boyfriends and girlfriends there, sweated out our new relaxers and asymmetric hair cuts and a fight was pretty much the worst thing that could happen. It was pre-NWA, and life was a party.

Click here to read more.

Watch:

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From TheGrio.com:

According to the blogs, BET has been busy in the last two months banning videos about by Teiarra Mari and Ciara and, this time, Ciara’s fans are fuming mad.

At the center of the current controversy is the video for Ciara’s current single “Ride” featuring Ludacris. Captured at various points in a revealing one piece swimsuit and a mink coat with heels on as well as on top of a mechanical bull in a wet t-shirt and super short jean shorts, Ciara looks far more sexually charged in “Ride” than at any point in her debut video “Goodies.” Back in 2004, she was crooning “lookin for the goodies/keep on lookin’ ’cause they stay in the jar.” Now, she’s proclaiming “he love the way I ride it.”

Click here to view photos.

But artistic evolution or devolution, depending on your perspective, is not the primary issue. Instead, Ciara fans are asking about BET’s double standard, going as far as launching a “twitition”. “We have been recently notified that Ciara’s new Music Video ‘Ride’ is not being showed on B.E.T because it’s too sexual,” it reads. “Note that they play Trey Songz ‘Invented Sex’ [where he is having sex with a woman in the video] and Trey Songz ‘Neighbors Know My Name’ [Having sex with DIFFERENT woman]. I think that B.E.T is over analyzing this, or is just being disrespectful to Ciara. MTV and VH1 is playing ‘Ride’ and so are other stations. What are you B.E.T going to do about this because as a fan and Representative of Ciara you are being UNFAIR!” [sic]

Click here to read more.

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]]> http://newsone.com/entertainment/news-one-staff/is-ciaras-video-too-sexy-for-bet/feed/ 3 http://newsone.com/entertainment/news-one-staff/corinne-bailey-rae-discusses-music-and-pump-aid-charity/ http://newsone.com/entertainment/news-one-staff/corinne-bailey-rae-discusses-music-and-pump-aid-charity/#comments Wed, 19 May 2010 18:34:39 +0000 News One http://newsone.com/?p=526925 From TheGrio.com: Corinne Bailey Rae recently checked in with theGrio to talk about her new album "The Sea." Rae, who wrote and co-produced her sophomore project, said the experience of having more control made it feel like more of her own. This time around, her album is more personal and has a more soulful vibe. The singer and songwriter has even described her latest work as a coll... Read more..]]>

From TheGrio.com:

Corinne Bailey Rae recently checked in with theGrio to talk about her new album “The Sea.”

Rae, who wrote and co-produced her sophomore project, said the experience of having more control made it feel like more of her own. This time around, her album is more personal and has a more soulful vibe. The singer and songwriter has even described her latest work as a collection of her favorite songs.

Click here to view photos.

During a two-year hiatus, Rae developed songs that became “insistent ” with her. Combining slow intimate songs, with loud playful renderings, but Rae, like her music, is diverse. She was born to a Black Kittitian father, and a white English mother.

Click here to read more.

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DALLAS — Neosoul singer Erykah Badu faces a disorderly conduct charge for her nude music video shoot in downtown Dallas’ Dealey Plaza.

The Dallas native performed a walking striptease in front of tourists and pedestrians during the March 13 shoot for her “Window Seat” music video.

The performance ended with a nude Badu acting out receiving a fatal gunshot to the head at the spot where President John F. Kennedy was assassinated in 1963.

Click below to view GALLERY: Top Newsmakers

Dallas Police Sgt. Warren Mitchell announced the decision to cite Badu for disorderly conduct Friday. The misdemeanor charge is punishable by a fine of up to $500.

Badu spokeswoman Carla Sims had no immediate comment.

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At the White House Civil Rights Concert, Obama joined Smokey Robinson in singing the Negro National Anthem, “Lift Every Voice And Sing”written by James Weldon Johnson. In this clip you can also see Morgan Freeman, Jennifer Hudson and Bob Dylan. Obama Sings “Lift Every Voice” at the 1:31 moment.

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From The Chicago Sun-Times

Robert “Squirrel” Lester was a troubadour of slow dances and long kisses whose fans told him he was partly responsible for the births of their children.
The silky-voiced singer with the internationally renowned Chicago vocal group the Chi-Lites died Thursday of cancer at Roseland Hospital. He was 67.

He was born in McComb, Miss., where his tree-climbing ability earned him the nickname “Squirrel.” He went on to attend Hyde Park High School in Chicago.

Mr. Lester was with the singing group The Chanteurs in the 1950s. The group morphed into the Hi-Lites and then the Chi-Lites.
Their soaring harmonies contrasted with the gritty stylings coming out of other percolators of soul, like Memphis’ Stax Records.
Their biggest ’70s hits, “Oh Girl” and “Have You Seen Her” — penned by Chi-Lite Eugene Record — made women swoon.

Click Here For More

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I am sure there are a number of Prince fans here on BlackPlanet. This group, I Love Prince, is just for you. Check out this group to speak to many others who share your taste in Prince’s music, style and anything Prince related.

Urban Smooth Ent. L.L.C/ASCAP is a music production based company, founded by musician/composer/producer Michael Troy Downing for the purpose of providing original music for recording artist and film projects. You can check out the profile here!

Check out the BlackPlanet group, B.P. Jazz to interact with other like-minded people. Sounds, stylings, time periods, whatever you want to discuss about jazz, you can express it here!

From Newser.com:

Darius Rucker became the first black singer to win new artist of the year at the Country Music Association Awards, joining Charley Pride as the only African-American to win a major individual award, while Taylor Swift won two awards, including album of the year.

Rucker, whose first country album, “Learn to Live,” sold more than 1 million copies, took the stage Wednesday night to wild cheers from the crowd and shouted, “What a year!”

“First of all, to the fans, thank y’all for accepting me,” the jubilant Rucker said. “And I think most importantly, to country radio, you took a chance on a pop singer from Charleston, S.C. Thank you so much for that!”‘

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From Yahoo News:

LOS ANGELES – Jay-Z released his much-anticipated album “The Blueprint 3″ on Monday, three days ahead of schedule.

The new date was posted on the Web sites of such retailers as Amazon.com, Best Buy and Rhapsody.com. Representatives for the rapper and his Roc Nation label could not be reached for comment.

The contents of the album were recently leaked online, although Jay-Z did not seem to be worried. He will perform at Madison Square Garden on Thursday.

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From EurWeb

After folding in late June due to financial issues, Vibe magazine and its Web site have been resurrected by Leo Hindery’s PE firm InterMedia Partners and its luxury publisher Uptown Media, reports Reuters.

Vibe.com will be the focal point of revival plans described in the Wall Street Journal. The new publishers intend to reopen the site in coming weeks, publish a print edition at the end of the year and then go quarterly.

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Did the music die? The recent passing of Michael Jackson made me ask that question.

Recently I started thinking about the songs of my childhood, actually the soundtrack of my youth growing up in Southeast Queens, New York. I have fond memories of listening to LPs with my father on his old but reliable stereo set, with the hand-crafted turntable, and sand-filled wooden speakers that gave an earthy, real-life sound. Here are some of the songs that come to mind from that day:

• “I Stand Accused” by Isaac Hayes
• Marvin Gaye’s “What’s Going On”
• Roberta Flack’s “The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face”
• “Harvest For The World” by the Isley Brothers
• “Ooh Child” by the Five Stairsteps
• Stevie Wonder’s “If You Really Love Me”
• “Get The Funk Out Of My Face” by the Brothers Johnson
• “Never Can Say Goodbye” by the Jackson 5
• “Ball Of Confusion” by the Temptations, and
• “Midnight Train To Georgia” by Gladys Knight and the Pips

Now, that was music! And it raises an important question in my mind, and possibly yours as well: Will music ever sound that good, ever again? Twenty or thirty years from now, will we remember the songs that are coming out today?

It seems that something went wrong along the way. Popular music, but specifically Black music, which dominates America’s and the world’s music scene, used to reflect the complexity of the human life experience, our emotions, our troubled times and our hopes and joys. In the music, there were the ever-present echoes of the drum rhythms and the storytelling griots of West Africa, of the Negro spirituals growing out of the experience of slavery in America, and of course the Blues. The cultural history was built into the music, and listening to it, at its best, is a religious and spiritual experience. And yet, the music always refined and redefined itself, through Jazz and Hip-hop and other incarnations. But all the while, the music reflected the aspirations and the full spectrum of what was going on in the community, the good and the bad, whether sitting on the street corner with friends, lamenting a lost love, or decrying injustice.

Then money entered the process. Don’t get me wrong, music has been a commercial venture for years. But it is worth noting that as the industry became more lucrative for its participants, or at least its owners, the music became more cookie-cutter, with more of the same and fewer options. Particularly in the past decade – when society was fed a steady dose of materialism and market growth – much of the music which was promoted reflected the materialism and hedonism of the times. Empty calories with little substance. There was much pain out there, to be sure, because after all the vast majority of people cannot afford a seaside mansion, a Hummer, diamonds, or a thousand-dollar bottle of whatever, and most common folk were slipping further as the moneyed few were getting fatter. But the music doesn’t reflect that reality, or at least the songs that get on the air do not. It seems almost fitting that the music industry is suffering financially, with a product no one is buying, just as the economy itself is suffering from systemic problems and is in need of big changes.

Part of the problem is that many talented musicians do not receive the exposure they deserve and we deserve. There are great artists out there, but they don’t get the air time. But on another level, society does not value musicians. Just look at the slashing of music and art education programs in public schools throughout the nation, as more focus is placed on teaching merely what appears on standardized tests. Music education is important to children’s lives as a part of a well-rounded education. Music develops creativity, self-expression, character and a sense of community. And it builds self-esteem, analytical and language capabilities, and innovation. I say this as someone who benefited from music programs throughout my childhood, and was introduced to the tenor saxophone as a sixth grader. Organizations such as the VH1 Save The Music Foundation and websites such as SupportMusic.com and Keep Music In Public Schools! are dedicated to restoring music programs in the schools.

So did the music die? Well, if it did, we need to make sure that we bring it back. We have the power to do it.

BlackCommentator.com Editorial Board member David A. Love, JD is a journalist and human rights advocate based in Philadelphia, and a contributor to the Progressive Media Project and McClatchy-Tribune News Service, among others. He contributed to the book, States of Confinement: Policing, Detention, and Prisons (St. Martin’s Press, 2000). Love is a former Amnesty International UK spokesperson. His blog is davidalove.com.

When asked to reveal parts of their personalities, musicians and song writers often complain fans and the media do not pay close enough attention to the art that they create. “Let the music stand for itself” or “Listen to the lyrics and you will understand,” is a familar battle cry for a pop star unwilling to open up about their life in an interview.

Ten years ago, Michael Jackson released an album called Blood On The Dance Floor.  A commercial failure, the set included a song since buried called “Morphine.” This was the chorus:

Demerol
Demerol
Oh God he’s taking demerol
Demerol
Demerol
Oh God he’s taking demerol

In light of the allegations surrounding Michael’s death, the second verse is even scarier:

He’s tried
Hard to convince her
To be over what he had
Today he wants it twice as bad
Don’t cry
I won’t resent you
Yesterday you had his trust
Today he’s taking twice as much

Written and composed by Michael himself, “Morphine” could just be a metaphorical tale about love as strong as a narcotic, OR it could be a prophetic cry for help from The King Of Pop struggling with growing addictions to painkillers.

In fact, many of the songs that Michael wrote himself, could be read as autobiographical.  Bad‘s “Leave Me Alone” is probably the most famous, but it’s the lesser-played tracks that may tell the truest tale.  One read of the words to “Childhood” from the HIStory album, will bring you to tears.

Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for the world that I come from
‘Cause I’ve been looking around
In the lost and found of my heart…
No one understands me
They view it as such strange eccentricities…
‘Cause I keep kidding around
Like a child, but pardon me…

People say I’m not okay
‘Cause I love such elementary things…
It’s been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood
I’ve never known…

Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for that wonder in my youth
Like pirates in adventurous dreams,
Of conquest and kings on the throne…

Before you judge me, try hard to love me,
Look within your heart then ask,
Have you seen my Childhood?

People say I’m strange that way
‘Cause I love such elementary things,
It’s been my fate to compensate,
for the Childhood (Childhood) I’ve never known…

Have you seen my Childhood?
I’m searching for that wonder in my youth
Like fantastical stories to share
But the dreams I would dare, watch me fly…

Before you judge me, try hard to love me.
The painful youth I’ve had

Have you seen my Childhood….

What do you think?  Are there other Michael songs that feel or sound like he could be talking about his real life?  Sound off and print the lyrics in the comments…

Top 50 Black Message Songs: 50-41

40. BDP: You Must Learn

39. John Coltrane: Alabama

38. Run DMC: Proud To Be Black

37. Grandmaster Flash and the Furious 5: The Message

36. Public Enemy: Black Steel In The Hour Of Chaos

35. Stevie Wonder: Living Just Enough For The City

34. Mavis Staples: Eyes on the Prize

33. Bob Marley: Revolution

32. Dead Prez: Bigger Than Hip Hop

31. Edwin Star: War

Top 50 Black Message Songs: 50-41

Google Inc. said Monday it will block U.K. users from watching music videos on its popular video-sharing site YouTube after negotiations with Britain’s music royalty-collecting body broke down.

Google said it would begin blocking British users starting Monday night. The Internet titan said it knew the move would cause “significant disappointment.”

But it said its hand was forced by PRS for Music, which it said is asking for royalties that would cause Google to lose money every time a video was played on YouTube.

“Our previous license from PRS for Music has expired, and we’ve been unable so far to come to an agreement to renew it on terms that are economically sustainable for us,” Google said in a statement. Until a solution is found, it added, “we will be blocking premium music videos in the UK that have been supplied or claimed by record labels.”

PRS for Music, which collects money on behalf of writers and publishers worldwide, said it was outraged by Google’s move.

“Google has told us they are taking this step because they wish to pay significantly less than at present to the writers of the music on which their service relies, despite the massive increase in YouTube viewing,” the group said in a statement.

Neither group revealed how much money is at stake in their negotiations.

YouTube has become an increasingly popular destination for record labels squeezed by declining sales for compact discs. The Web site has deals with three of the four major record labels but some rights-holders have balked at their cut of the advertising revenue.

In December, Warner Music pulled all of its music from YouTube, saying the payments it received did not fairly compensate the label or its artists and songwriters.

It was not clear how long the music videos would stay blocked. Both PRS for Music and Google said they hoped their dispute could be resolved quickly.

The video Leona Lewis’s “Bleeding Love,” licensed by Sony BMG Music Entertainment U.K. Ltd., which has garnered more than 83 million hits, was still visible from the U.K. late Monday.

Michael Jackson returned to the spotlight Thursday after eight years marked more by scandal than by song and told a crowd of screaming fans that he would play a series of London engagements — his first concerts since 2001.

Wearing his trademark sunglasses and a silver-embroidered black military-style jacket, the King of Pop said his series of shows in July will be his “final curtain call” in the British capital.

“This is it,” Jackson said in a brief statement punctuated by the squeals of fans who gathered inside the massive O2 Arena in southeast London. “And when I say this is it, I mean this is it.”

Although Jackson said the shows would be his last in London, his statement left the door open for further concerts elsewhere. Promoter AEG Live told the BBC the shows might be part of a bigger, final world tour.

An hour and a half late, Jackson appeared at the O2 — where the series of 10 concerts are due to be staged this summer — to announce the gigs.

GALLERY: MICHAEL JACKSON AUCTIONS NEVERLAND

More than 300 journalists had been marshalled to capture the event, even though news of the concerts had leaked out to the media days before. A telegenic army of screaming fans was there to greet their star — although many in the crowd said they were there to catch a live show due to play shortly after the annoucement.

The hours spent waiting frayed some tempers and a few fans shouted obscenities at journalists being escorted in ahead of them for the announcement. But most were just happy to catch a glimpse of Jackson.

“I’ve always been a fan ever since I was really little — his music and the way he moves,” said 21-year-old student Shellie Watson. When asked if Jackson — who was almost Watson’s age when he released “Thriller” in 1982 — still had star power, she said “100 percent.”

“Thriller” is still the best-selling album of all time, but Jackson — who has sold more than 750 million albums and won 13 Grammys — has not performed a major concert since 2001.

Tickets priced between 50 pounds and 75 pounds ($70 and $105), are expected to sell quickly for the shows, despite concerns the 50-year-old star may not be up for a return to the spotlight.

The King of Pop has been plagued by financial, legal, and medical woes for years, and a previous attempt to relaunch Jackson’s career collapsed amid reports of ill health and court action.

GALLERY: MICHAEL JACKSON AUCTIONS NEVERLAND

Jackson has appeared in public rarely since being acquitted of child molestation in California in 2005, and he has struggled to pay his debts — last year, he was forced to give up the deed to Neverland, his 2,500-acre (1,000 hectare) ranch and miniature amusement park in California.

On Wednesday, Jackson launched a lawsuit against an auction house to stop the scheduled sale of more than 2,000 personal items from Neverland, including platinum and gold records, a customized Harley Davidson and a Rolls Royce limousine.

The O2 has become a venue of choice for big-name acts and comeback performers. Britney Spears is due to play there for eight nights in June, Prince did a 21-day series of shows at the arena in 2007, and Led Zeppelin played a one-off reunion gig there the same year.

The concerts — possibly followed by other gigs and a 3-D movie based on “Thriller” — could end up netting Jackson more than $400 million, Randy Phillips, the chief executive of AEG Live, was quoted by the BBC as saying.

That would be welcome news for Jackson, who has been entangled in lawsuits for years, but whether he is up for a world tour remains to be seen. Jackson’s recent work has been uneven: His last live performance in Britain was at the 2006 World Music Awards, but only managed a few lines of “We Are the World” before leaving the stage.

A video of Jackson trying to record a new single, shown at a British court last year when Jackson was being sued for breach of contract, showed him struggling to keep up his powerful vocals.

Rebbecca Kellner, 17, said it didn’t matter really matter how Jackson sang — the fans would come.

“He’s not the greatest singer and maybe not the greatest person,” she said.”But he’s Michael.”

GALLERY: MICHAEL JACKSON AUCTIONS NEVERLAND

The Village People’s first cop wants a revamped version of the group to stop using his likeness and voice.

The lawsuit filed last week in San Diego by Victor Willis claims companies continue to use his voice and picture to promote the new Village People. He is seeking at least $1 million and a judge’s order that they can no longer use his image or voice.

Willis was the original police officer in the group and helped pen the Village People‘s greatest hits, including “Y.M.C.A” and “Macho Man.”

He is suing Sixuvus Ltd., a New York company that promotes the new Village People. He’s also suing the William Morris Agency as well as Can’t Stop Productions — which owns the trademark to the band’s name — and several venues where the new group has performed.

Phone messages and e-mail sent seeking comment from the companies were not immediately returned Monday.