by vivrant thang on feeding the music jones and in heavy rotation
Music makes me higgghhhh!
Just back from a listening party for New AmErykah, the fifth album from the reigning Queen of Soul Bounce, Erykah Badu. It was quite a crowd of music lovers who had braved frigid temps and the threat of nasty weather in hungry anticipation of this album that has long had the streets buzzing for that honey.
It will be in stores and online on Tuesday, Savior’s Day and has the tagline, “freeing the slaves and the slave masters.”
Tall order, huh?
I’m a believer.
New AmeErykah delivers in a big way. I am already in love with this album. Judging from the crowd reaction, I’m not alone.
Entertainment Weekly calls the opening song, ”Amerykahn Promise,” ‘wonderfully bizarre.’ I told a friend it was ‘other worldly.’ (note: I was actually listening to “Twinkle.” I would call that song “wonderfully bizarre” and “other worldly,” whatever the hell that means). I’m not sure what I meant by that at the time, but that’s what came to mind. From there, the ride continued to get better.
Every single song was like a different experience, but not like the confusion and disappointment that was Worldwide Underground. She took her time with this one and it shows. I can’t wait for her other two releases later this year…although I think I will be spent after all the eargasms I’m sure to experience with New AmErykah.
You know you want some of that honey too. Act like you know on Tuesday! I’m already scoping out where I can cop mine early in the day since, MUCH to my chagrin, I no longer work right across from Best Buy.
They were giving away some promotional posters, including one of the famous album covers. I can’t wait to frame it. No hateration please.
Yes, I’ve got a red and a gold wall in my home. They don’t call me Vivrant for nothing!
* I just got another listen. Don’t ask how and it doesn’t matter. I will still be PURCHASING a copy on Tuesday. If you aren’t as thrilled by “Honey” as I am, it is indeed the weakest song on the album. And I would only make that admission if “Mama’s Gun” was put to my head. It’s really hard to choose my favorite tracks because honestly, they all speak to me. The ones that speak the loudest so far are “Me,” and “That Hump.” When listening to Amerykahn Promise, I feel like a baddddaaaaassss ready to bust up out of a dumpster blasting!
Hil, you should have gotten the side-eye from me last week, but you’re lucky I was on deadline and not able to rant about your shenanigans. I wish I could say you hadn’t given me any more material this week.
Frankly, I’m pissed with you.
Because your campaign has crashed and burned, I must now *gulp* turn into an Obama stan. We already know I was a supporter, but I still respected those that chose to support you. I even said I could potentially support your candidacy should you steal win the nod.
Now I can’t see how anyone legitimately thinks you still have a chance in hell.
What was up with all that changing campaign managers midway through the game? That’s like changing coaches in the middle of the Super Bowl. It was messy and distracting. If you can’t handle your business at this juncture, how can we believe you’re ready to go up against the Republicans, let alone right this sinking ship? Your finances are in the toilet. We won’t get into all of your other foolishness. Then you bring in a Black woman to clean up your mess? Sorry Hil, we got out of that business a long time ago.
She is grasping at straws and it’s pitiful. Guess America is fed up with getting puff puff passed back and forth between the Bushies and the Clintons.
So Hil, I quit you. Obama has to win the nod. End of story. There is no room for the possibility of a Plan B anymore. Thanks to you, I got to make room on my packed calendar to attend Obamaholic Not So Anonymous Meetings.
Therefore, Hilary Clinton, you get the side eye of the week week week.
On another note, I am giving the definite side-eye to the “Pastor” issuing this so-called 30 Day Sex Challenge in response to the 50% divorce rate. Single people, be celibate for 30 days and connect with yourself (not like that!). Married folks, have sex every day for thirty days straight.
Of course it’s spreading across the web like wildfire. At the time of this posting, the official site for the challenge crashed from all the hits.
My first thought was this was some ole bull-ish. Sexing every day is not going to save a marriage that is crashing and burning. From what I can tell, when it’s bad, you barely want to touch each other and when you do, there’s no miraculous turn-around. The sex was probably not the problem. So hard conversations probably need to take place and that probably needs to be done vertically. I’ve never been married though, so any married or divorced people please school a sista. I’m only guessing here.
However, I wanted to keep an open mind so I did a little more investigating. When I came across this video, ‘Pastor” WirthLESS was on my list!
I’m sure you can cop that booklet for three easy payments of $19.95.
I guess I shouldn’t hate. Watching BET on Sunday mornings can corrupt any “Pastor.” However, I still had to give the good Reverend Doctor the side eye of the week week week.
Let me know what you all think of this sex challenge. Personally, I think it sounds VERY nice in theory, just not feasible. Besides, I know from experience sex can be used to avoid the issues. I don’t see how it can bring them to the forefront in the majority of cases…unless the issue is the sex or lack thereof.
When the dog bites, when the bee stings
When I’m feeling sad
I just simply remember my favorite things
and then I don’t feel so bad.
Although I’m far from sad on this last day of a week-long vacation before I start my new job tomorrow (‘scuse me while I drop down and get my eagle on), I thought I would share some of the things that have been making me smile these days.
I was ridiculously late to this party, but I’m glad I’ve arrived.
From the first time I watched one of B. Scott’s wildly popular YouTube videos, I was hooked. When I’m having a bad day or any kind of dark thoughts, I watch B. Scott, laugh like a damn fool, and feel so much better.
There’s just something about B. Scott. Could be his beauty…inside and out. Maybe it’s his dance moves. Or perhaps it’s that infectious laugh. Whatever it may be, I’ve loving it.
If you’re not yet a love muffin, seriously, you need to get into it.
Every time I try to get away from HBO, they pull me back in!
My plan was to quit them for a while after the last episode of The Wire until Curb Your Enthusiasm, Big Love, or Tell Me You LoveMe returned. However, this new half-hour series has me hooked!
It’s about a psychotherapist and his weekly sessions with four very complicated patients. These sessions and his own problems drive him to therapy himself with his old mentor, with whom he also shares an interesting history.
Blair Underwood stars on this show as one of the patients. He’s good.
I watched the first episode when it aired and then life got in the way and I missed the rest. I spent almost a whole day of my vacation catching up. I couldn’t turn away. Could be because it gives me insight into what my own therapist may be thinking while listening to me babble.
I checked out this exhibit at the National Portrait Gallery on Valentine’s Day. Since I love art and black and white photography, especially by Black artists, this was a must-do on a day that was all about me.
Aside: I would love for Mr. Vivrant Thang and I to be serious art collectors and have a small gallery in our home.
But I digress.
It’s an exhibit that showcases portraits of the 2005 Hip Hop Honors nominees as well as black and white photographs of various artists such as Jean Grae, Mos Def, Chuck D, Pharcyde, and a stunningly artistic picture of Erykah Badu.
I snuck a few illegal pictures in (flash off) of the portraits. Better ones on the website.
With this exhibit, I was especially intrigued by the mixed media installation piece, which is a response to Nikki Giovanni’s poem, “It’s Not a Just Situation: Though We Just Can’t Keep Crying About It.” It was an intricate work that lent itself to lots of interpreration and discussion. I personally spent about fifteen minutes standing there trying to take it all in.
Happy Valentine’s Day
Every day the 14th!
I don’t think y’all heard me!
I just wanna say Happy Valentine’s Day!
Every day the 14th!
Can y’all dig that?
Until last year, Valentine’s Day was a big deal for me. In high school, I remember watching the popular girls walking around with their huge balloons, flowers and teddy bears. In college and beyond, the timing was always off. Either I hadn’t been dating anyone for a while, was only involved with a FEPO (for entertainment purposes only), or I had just broken up with the person I was seeing just before that day.
Last year, up to about a month before, it looked like it would be more of the same. That is until one of the exes popped up wanting to get back. While we were getting reacquainted, I casually mentioned that I had never had a nice Valentine’s Day [read: you need to make it happen]. He promised to make the day special for me. It had only taken 29 years. I was too hype.
He went all out with the planning and it was all very creatively done. As he started to reveal parts of the agenda for the evening, I was thrilled with the effort. I took care of everything on my end as far as my girly maintenance and outfits for the show and the “afterparty.” Other than that, I was instructed to just show up and be my “vivrant” self. I can’t lie. I was enjoying a man working to earn my affection. And it was going to be on Valentine’s Day – finally!
The evening didn’t quite go off without a hitch. I won’t tell the entire story but let’s just say it all came thisclose to being ruined. I had to let Jesus take the wheel and we got through it and went on to have a nice time.
In hindsight, while I greatly appreciated someone making the extra effort to ensure that I finally had a nice Valentine’s Day , it’s really just another day. What’s really important is how we spend the other 364 days of the year. For all he did on that day to get back in, less than two months later, it was quite apparent that nothing had really changed between us the second time around.
I will never become anti-Valentine’s Day, but in a future relationship, I don’t want that to ever be the only day that Mr. Vivrant Thang feels he has to put a little extra effort into us. I believe in regular date nights. Weekend getaways just for a change of scenery. Sweet “just thinking about you” notes left in random places. Naughty calls or texts in the middle of the day. It’s up to both of us to keep the fires going year round.
Now on to the music.
As you can tell by my Top 50 list, I am a fan of the slow and sexy jams. Over the years I’ve mixed up my share of slow and sexy CDs. Now, I like to leave it to the professionals.
The HNIC of my favorite music site, Soul Bounce, shares a couple of mixes he cooked up. Head on over there and grab them. Warning, one of them is called “The Babymaker.” Don’t say I didn’t tell you.
For now, we do things a little more low-tech over here. If I had the time and the know-how, I would have turned my list into a podcast and participated. In any event, I thought I would share some of the songs that were a part of last year’s Valentine’s Day celebration. I decided to break them down into “The Show, The Afterparty, The Hotel.”
Enjoy, but make every day the 14th!
The Show
Fortunate – Maxwell Say Yes – Floetry Pretty Brown Eyes – Mint Condition I Care 4 U – Aaliyah He Loves Me – Jill Scott Soul Sista – Bilal Voyage to Atlantis – Isley Brothers Damn U – Prince I Need Love – Robin Thicke Imagination – Floetry Adore – Prince Queen of Sanity – Bilal Let’s Chill – Guy A Love of My Own – Average White Band You – Raheem Devaughn Promise – Ciara
The Afterparty
I Love You – Keith Washington You Don’t Have to Go Home – Boney James Softest Lips –Eric Roberson Ask Yourself– Raheem Devaughn Do You Mind – Janet Jackson Anytime, Anyplace – Janet Jackson Can We Make Love – Silk Feenin – Jodeci If Only For One Night – Luther Yearning for Your Love– Gap Band Insatiable – Prince International Lover – Prince When We Make Love – Ginuwine Three Letter Word – Jamie Foxx Softest Place on Earth – Xscape Hurry, Hurry – Pete Belasco Can’t Get Enough – Tamia Come Inside -Intro Reasons– Earth, Wind and Fire All This Love – Debarge Love Won’t Let Me Wait – Luther Once, Twice, Three Times – Howard Hewitt The Beautiful Ones – Prince
The Hotel
Lay Down – Floetry Turn Off the Lights – Teddy Pendergrass Sex Me (Parts 1 & 2) – R Kelly Til The Cops Come Knockin – Maxwell Scandalous – Prince Slowly – Tank Slow Love – Prince White Turns To Grey – Bilal Between the Sheets – Isley Brothers The Greatest Sex – R Kelly Do Me Baby – Prince Seconds of Pleasure – Van Hunt Untitled (How Does It Feel) – D’Angelo The Art of Love – Toni Braxton Uhh Ahh – Boyz to Men Sweet Sour U – Bilal Sumthin Sumthin (Mellosmoothe) – Maxwell You Got The Bomb – Brian McKnight Your Love Is King – Sade
It’s been almost a month since this concert, but life comes at you fast. Besides, I had a little ranting and edumucating to do before I could get back to the music. Never fear. I’ll always come back to the music.
I have to credit Butta with first introducing me to Teedra some two years ago. On a couple of occasions, I was consulting the expert on must-have albums I needed to have in my collection. She always put Teedra’s 2004 release, Complex Simplicity on her list of favorite albums. I downloaded some songs and gave them a listen, but was more excited about seeing her perform live . That’s when an artist truly cements their place in my heart. Leave the stage in flames and you’ll have a fan here for life.
I missed her when she came to the area last year. So when I heard she was coming back and that Eric Roberson was opening, I was all over it.
Ya’ll already know how I feel about the Erro concert experience. He never disappoints. He rocked with us for well over an hour, well beyond what you would expect from an opening act! The man loves the music and performing for the fans. I believe with a case of Gatorade up there, he could stay all night.
Of course I got some video.
New music from an upcoming album that I hope we’ll see sometime this year:
Head To Toe
At most shows, Erro takes random words thrown out by the crowd and freestyles on the spot…and the song actually makes sense! Plain and simple, that is pure talent because most times the words are extremely random.
Freestyle
By the time Teedra took the stage, the natives were restless, to say the least. One thing I can say is that Teedra has a strong fan base. They adore her and I think a fight would break out if anybody said anything bad about Miss Moses!
For her female fans, her songs have that relatable quality. You can identify with what she’s going through because you’ve been there and done that ghetto love thang.
It’s sassy and in your face, while still being classy. On You Better Tell Her, she lets her man know, “You better get that bitch told tonight!” After all, she’s wifey and it’s her name on the accounts.
For the men, you got this pretty, ride-or-die chick that keeps it gangsta but can easily flip it and get sultry and sexy, letting the man know she just wants to be with him.
Be Your Girl
Backstroke
As you’ll notice, the crowd knows each and every word to all of her songs. At times, you could barely hear her. I can imagine that’s got to feel good to an artist to have fans that have let their tapes rock til their tapes popped – and know all the words to your songs.
Despite how big she may one day become, she is always going to have that homegirl quality about her. I think you’ll always be able to imagine kicking it with her like regular folks. Check out her blog entry from last July when she announced that her album wouldn’t be out until this year.
Hey yall. Just letting you know that my album is not coming out this year. It has been push to the top of next year. Not my decision but I ain’t mad. It is what it is. I really am ready for yall to hear it though!!! I wish I could invite all of yall to my house. We’d have cocktails. I would cook yall some really good down home cajun dish. (You know New Orleans redbones are raised to show talent in the bedroom and the kitchen…. yada mean!) Me and The Black Moses Group (my band) could rock out in the backyard. Afterward we could get on some layed back sexy shit in my living room and listen to the The Young Lioness roar. Its funny, industry people think every artist hates their label, but in my case their wrong. I don’t hate nobody. I just don’t quite understand their logic. But don’t cry for me Argentina. I’m soooo Goood!! I don’t put my faith in a label my faith is in God, who reminds to have faith in myself and my team. God has a plan for me so no weapons formed against me will ever prosper. Its taken me a while to humbly accept it, but I am truly blessed with a talent from God. The world didn’t give it and damn sho can’t take it away. Thank yall for staying down so long, waiting so patiently and supporting so consistant and diligently.Showing up to everyshow packing the house singing loud and having fun with me. Telling all ya folks about me and always making me feel relevant in a musical climate that has forgotten the value of an artist that still makes music out of a love for it. I love yall for soooo many reasons. 1 reason is for the way you relate to me and just accept me for being myself and so many other reasons. Just so yall know, in 2008 I’m gunning for world recognition. Yall know i ain’t no superstar and never will be but Hot Dammit! I’m a natural born ROCKSTAR!!!!! and simply put I think the world should have a chance to witness a Young Lioness.
I think so too, Teedra.
The only criticism I have is that her headliner sets are way too short. It paled in comparison to Erro, who was opening for her! Seems like it should have been switched. I understand the same thing happened the last time she performed in DC. I heard several fans complaining about the price of the tickets in comparison to the show they got. They were there to rock with Teedra til the break of dawn! There were several songs she didn’t do and I felt she could have done some material from her upcomingmaybe never coming release, The Young Lioness. Her fans are chomping at the bit and she left them wanting. That’s not always good.
Fortunately for her, someone was there to save the day. The crowd she attracts is similar to Raheem Devaughn’s and so it was no surprise that he showed up and did a number at the end of the show.
Prototype
What I appreciate about artists like Teedra, besides her talent and stage presence, is the fact that she is so appreciative of her fans. She was very humble and sincere in thanking us for supporting her and loving her music.
On another note, although Teedra is not an independent artist, her humble spirit reminds me of why I will always support independent music. These artists are still hungry and are grateful for the people that are buying the tickets to the shows and dropping the money for their albums.
Despite the brevity of her performances, Teedra has something special and I’ll always support her music and her live performances.
For more information, visit her website or her Myspace pages:
SONGS IN THE KEY OF LIFE 