Summerstage pt. II - Jazm... Ms. Cox???

About three weeks ago, the time had come again for some more freeness in Central Park... Another Summerstage, but this time around... some R&B. The show was headlined by Jazmine Sullivan, whose soulful "Fearless" album was a breath of fresh air among today's R&B (no autotune!), and was also to feature Chrisette Michele & Ryan Leslie.

Earlier in the day I found out that Chrisette had canceled. I took this sorta personal because it was the second time she did this to me! I had bought tickets to see her and Ryan Leslie at the Apollo in February... never happened.

So new line-up... Case, Jon B., Deborah Cox, Ryan Leslie, Jazmine Sullivan (in that order). Not bad!

R. Les was amazing! He's a musical genius, I must say, and very passionate about it. Great performer. I left the show singing "How It Was Supposed To Be". His band is tight!

Jazmine was aite... she sings well live but didn't really capture my attention even though I knew all her songs. Her set seemed way too scripted... and she seems to only have one screaming-type note in her range...

... Rewind...

So after Case brought a lady on stage, sat her on a stool, and sang with his face IN her crotch; and Jon B's waayy too long and boring performance (felt like I was watching Dark Knight w/o the Joker!); came the highlight of the show for me... Ms. Deborah Cox... I must say that before the show I was probably the least hyped about seeing Ms. Cox... just because she had been gone for a whiiile... as were Case and Jon but I sorta wanted to see them perform (sigh)...

Out came Deborah, looking like she just hit 25 (she's 35), and with her very first note made my blood crawl and had my ears on lockdown. With no band behind her, just accompanied by an instrumental CD, sang 3 songs and stole the show for me. She started with "We Can't Be Friends", then had the audience singing along to a song off her new album which most of them never heard before, and ended with her classic "Nobody's Supposed To Be Here". The crowd was begging for an encore but to no avail... we wanted more!!!



I'm glad to hear real R&B again. I'm glad to hear a real singer again! Even her new stuff doesn't sound watered down and "pop". MJB should take notes... no need to sell out to pop culture to make good music. No need to let a machine sing for you if you have a voice of your own! Go Deborah!

Summerstage pt. I - Q-Tip!

What season is better than summer? What's better than a free concert?... What in the world could be better than a free concert in the summer???

Last month I had the amazing experience of seeing Hip-Hop legend, Q-tip, rocking live. Chester French opened and did an okay job... but everyone was there for the ATCQ leader. This was my second time seeing him perform... (first time opening for Common at Nokia Theater Times Square) and it was even better than the first! Something about the outdoor vibe mixed with hot sun made it more intimate than a dark room with flashing lights.

I've had Q-Tip's most recent album, The Renaissance, on heavy rotation since it dropped in November, '08. It's the first Q-Tip album I ever really listened to and imo it's one of the best for '08 and so far '09... and most certainly ever! Hearing those tracks live made me appreciate his artistry even more. People have questioned Q-Tip's relevance to the current state of music, but his album stuck to its title, bringing it back to the music... minus the bling and the swag (THANKS!).

Q-Tip had his mother on stage; played a tambourine while rapping; gave a tribute to MJ for his song "Move", which samples the Jackson 5's "Dancing Machine"; went back into his older hits; was joined by Diddy on stage to dance to "Vivrant Thing"; jumped into a "Tribe" set, performing all the classics... and as if that wasn't enough, he walked through the crowd, pushing his bodyguards away, so that the audience could join him in singing "Life is Better".





That, my friends, is a true artiste!

My Word!... Empty Barrels

This is my most recently completed poem (new shyt!) and is the second piece I wrote as a follow up to "Speak". One incident in particular served as the main inspiration for this poem. One of my professors heard me perform "Speak" for a debate team we were hosting. He was surprised, to say the least, and made it known that I hardly ever spoke in (his) class. A friend, who also heard me then for the first time, shared a similar sentiment. I'm usually very low-key, not to be confused with anti-social but I choose carefully when, where, and with whom I am more vocal. This is my response...

Empty Barrels

People always used to say I was not like most boys...
Growing up I was a shy kinda guy
Quite quietly reserved to myself
Ask me why and I'll tell you...
Because empty barrels make the most noise
Most toys don't make you much smarter
So I play with words
Because it is much harder to win
And I like the challenge
Of getting my barrel almost full to the brim
So if you want to describe him as quiet, think twice
Cuz his words are strong enough to incite riots
But... but I just don't want to start one
Smart ones know that those who have the least to say
They talk the most
And those who talk the least, when they speak
You should listen close
So it's not ironic that I'm not quite sonic
Unless I see a stage with a mic on it
Or if there is something to address
That is when I feel like my tongue cannot rest
None the less, all the more
When I was in form four
I used to speak on behalf
Of the boys in the class that were labeled delinquents
Cuz they were relinquent to the taunts from my teacher, unjust
Trust that "class lawyer" was the title she gave me
Still speaking, but now they know me as Navy
And to me there's a difference between
Speaking and talking
Just like creeping and walking
One takes less courage
The next, should be encouraged some more
Therefore... the next time you take the floor
Make sure that your words are the opposite of poor
Cuz my tongue is raw
So don't make me draw my lyrical pistol
And have you running to the door
I'm not above the law, at all, at all
But I would Empty Barrels on all of y'all
Make you fall from your poise
So call all your boys
And tell them what I said about making old noise

By: Yvan 'Navy' Mendoza

It Doesn't Alma Mater!

It was my brother who alerted me to this story while chatting online. The conversation went something like this...

Bro: You heard about the (expletive) Monroe Grad?

Me: No

Bro: The (expletive) graduated in April and is trying to sue Monroe for not finding her a job!

Me: Are you serious???

Bro: $70000 for tuition and $2000 for stress

Me: WTF?!? Who is she?

Bro: Trina Thompson... the story is all over the news all over the world!

My brother is not known to be a "cussbud" but it was clear that he was angered by the utter stupidity of this woman. I too was vexed when I heard the news because both he and I are graduates of Monroe College. After a google search which showed 23,400 results, and a day for the shock to subside, I am here with a few thoughts on the matter...

Apparently Trina Thompson believes that acquiring a college degree guarantees you employment. Why not? Especially given her (superb) credentials of a 2.7 GPA and good attendance, why wouldn't any employer be dying to hire her? Not to mention the fact that the job market is bubbling with opportunity!

Sarcasm aside, I think Ms. Thompson, as an individual, sadly embodies a vast fraction of the society at large. The black community, in particular, is plagued with many Trina's who are lazy in their attempts to earn a living, and rely on a quick fix. I applaud her efforts for making and completing the step to obtain a college education but one must have the mentality to complement the degree. Too often we sell ourselves short and resort to playing the "blame game." If you are at the bottom, bringing others down will not take you to the top. This could only bring them below you but you will remain at the bottom.

As the old adage says... "Don't bite the hand that feeds you."

The story by CNN

Good News... There's Good New Music!... J. Cole

I feel there is a reemergence of good music into the mainstream. (It's about damn time!) I have to give props again to my homie Jabz for putting me on to J. Cole... I'm like a lot of people who are hearing this dude for the first time... So here's a short bio from my one day research...

• J. Cole (born Jermaine Cole) hails from the town of Fayetteville, North Carolina (often mentioned as "The Ville" on his mixtapes)
• Went to St. John's University in 2003 on Academic scholarship and graduated Magna Cum Laude... 3.82 GPA (quite impressive)
• Used school as a ticket to NYC to be in the heart of the music industry
• Dropped one mixtape "The Come Up" before being signed by Jay-Z to his new "Roc Nation" imprint
• Jay-Z heard one song and was impressed and wanted to meet with him...

The song that apparently got him signed happens to be my favourite track from the "The Warm Up" mixtape... "Lights Please"

By 2nd and 3rd fave joints are "Losing My Balance"...

...and "I Get Up"

Navy Goes to W.A.R.!... Feature in Harlem

In the spirit of Hubert H. Harrison, Claude McKay, Eric Walrond, Marcus Garvey, and the many West Indians who helped to shape the identity of Harlem during the roaring 20s…..

Work As Renaissance returns
on Wednesday, August 19, 2009
with a touch of Carnival featuring two premiere talents and a special guest:

Half rapsonian, half poet, wholeheartedly brilliant

NAVY

Seduction’s voice swaying to a reggae beat

HERMINA

From Trinidad to Juilliard to Prospect Park, her words nourish brainstems

SAMANTHA

THORNHILL

These wonderful features will be backed by an endless supply of firepower via various members of the art community, including the ingenious one-man band himself,

NGOMA ,

and Brooklyn’s finest j’ouvert band

KUTTERS RIDDEM

SECTION.

DOORS OPEN AT 8PM.
$7 FOR 1 PERSON/ $10 FOR 2 PEOPLE
BRING AN INSTRUMENT AND PLAY FOR FREE ADMISSION
LA PREGUNTA ARTS CAFE
1528 AMSTERDAM AVENUE AND 135TH STREET
1 TRAIN TO 137TH STREET--CITY COLLEGE

Songs of the Times: Blu - Untitled (LovedU) 2

Every so often there's a song that serves as your daily theme music. One that could eventually be added to the soundtrack of your life. One that, when you hear it in the future, would take you back to a certain place, time, and state of mind...

Blu's smooth lyricism and flow is spread over this track which samples Radiohead's "You and Whose Army." There is one line that did it for me... "I plot and planned it for the giver so, hoping folks hear Below (the Heavens), and see I'm not the same as Lil Wayne"



My good homie, Jabal put me on to Blu with his album "Below the Heavens" (produced by Exile), which I encourage you to get a hold of! It's classic material. I instantly became a fan and in the same speed added Blu to my favourite MC's list.

This song is off his latest mixtape, "Her Favo(u)rite Colo(u)r", which was released on Valentine's Day 2009. After doing other collaborative work such as "Johnson and Jonson", Blu rejoins Exile (who also instantly became a favourite producer) for some smooth, jazzy, poetic artistry on this mixtape.

p.s. Also check out "Amnesia"