music

My Michael Jackson Mixtape

Sunday, July 19th, 2009

Cassette Tape flickr user 622 (cc: by-nc-nd)

Here’s an audio/video mixtape from some of the best MJ mixes I’ve heard recently. How many times can we say “RIP Michael?!”

SIDE A : The MJ Warm Up

Track 1. Come On Come On Come On/Lemme Show You What It’s All About: Love the five-part Minding Michael podcast series from Qool DJ Marv Aural Memoirs & da Buttamilk Archives. Featuring the MJ hits I had forgotten along with those beloved pop standards, this podcast is not to be missed. My favorites are Part One, “A Good Time,” for its melancholy, and Part Three, “Grab Your Belt Buckle/Music’s Taking Over” for the disco hits that make you move even when you’re sitting down. “Roughly 75 percent of these songs, I’ve never played in public,” Qool DJ Marv wrote about Minding Michael. “This is my translation of Michael as a fan and DJ, as a boy who grew up with stronger together black family vibes and Black is Beautiful all up in my head, and as a man who still embraces that exuberant idealism by perpetuating it and sustaining it through the magic of the music in the mix.” (Ranging from 47 mins. to over an hour long)

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Beneath Low

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

Lil Wayne

New York-based writer, publicist, and activist April Silver says she continues to get feedback about a piece she wrote in response to this performance by Lil’ Wayne and Drake at the BET Awards 2009. Director Byron Hurt also responded, and wrote the following to BET’s Debra Lee on June 29:

“Sunday night’s BET Awards show was a disgrace. It’s sad and unfortunate that your network, owned by Viacom, continues to crank out mediocrity and perpetuate negative stereotypes of black men, women, and children. Although you likely received high ratings for the awards show, there is no honor in reinforcing the status quo’s opinion of black people. Your tribute to Michael Jackson and the overall show had its great moments, however, BET failed to deliver a solid, quality show. Rather than “raising the bar” and presenting African-Americans as a creative, proud, dignified people, BET lowered the bar for the entire world to see. The BET Awards drew a huge audience to watch a tribute to Michael Jackson, but left millions of viewers feeling disappointed, embarrassed, and reduced to classic stereotypes.

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Michael As Memory

Friday, July 3rd, 2009

michael-jackson

I recently released Kiss the Sky, a novel about a black rock musician. Then I did an event with an actual black rock musician who read my book and said that the part about Michael Jackson was so eerie. I had forgotten all about it. But I found it…written years ago… and yes, eerie.

Tell me what you think about MJ and your memories… I am getting creeped out watching all the old footage, especially the ones of Diana calling Michael “sexy” while they are are both wearing those dark spangly shirts…

I wish he’d been happy. I find it hard to believe he was.

Peace,
F

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Music News You Can Use: Rihanna Post-beating Show, Cudi’s False Retirement

Thursday, April 23rd, 2009

rihanna

Bruises are long gone, but we won’t forget … Rihanna is reportedly performing in Dubai on May 28, her first show after her alleged physical fiasco with Chris Brown last February. A spokeswoman for the Dubai Department of Tourism announced the news, and added that the tickets will be one sale in two weeks. The announcement for the concert that is slated to attract 25,000 audience members comes two days after a spokesperson for Chris Brown denied that he is dating Girlicious singer Natalie Mejia or his hometown ex-gf. Really

Face it, Cudi can’t get enough of the limelight … Empty threat alert: Kid Cudi’s not retiring. Within months after his solo debut “Day ‘N’ Nite,” Rapper Kid Cudi blogged that he was quitting the rap game due to the horrendous pressure around him (boo hoo). But after a trip to SXSW and now signing with Universal Motown, it looks like Cudi is retracting any emotional weep trip he had when writing his entry. Shoulda’ known…

Pearl Jam, Shmearl Jam …

The alternative grunge band is back with tour dates, an upcoming album, and, wait for it, a film too?!? Guitarist Mike McCready said in a radio interview last month that they are halfway done with the new album, and have a film in the works with direction Cameron Crowe. “We’re building up to our big 20th anniversary,” McCready said. “We’re trying to have a little campaign of building rereleases with new mixes and new outtakes up until that time.”  Not another weak sauce comeback, I hope.

Radiohead’s “Pay-What-You-Want” sets trend … Toronto based hip-hop emcee K-os is following Radiohead’s footsteps by allowing his fans to name their price for his upcoming tour dates. For each show, K-os will not ask his audience members to pay a standard ticket price — rather, the rapper will ask for what they should pay after watching the show. The idea, which was backed by his manager, was not an easy decision to make, but was something he wanted to try. “I love risk,” K-os says. “If I wanted no risk, I’d work some other job. I’m excited to see what will happen.” We’re excited too.

Winter Music Conference: Getting Schooled by Questlove

Friday, April 3rd, 2009

questlove

I’m sitting in my sedan in front of Sopranos Pizza on Washington Ave. on South Beach watching a group of pigeons pulverize a slice of pizza on the sidewalk. It’s Sunday morning, in late March and the sun is rising on South Beach. It’s the final day of Miami’s Winter Music Conference.

I’m having déjà vu. Most likely cause I’ve attended this annual dance music marathon, where DJs, producers, artists and their hangers-on come to break new records, network and party, for the past five years. So here I am again to “house music all night long” as the old classic goes. I pick up my ever-present iPod Touch to read a twitter update:

i murdered the living shit out of the winter music conference.

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