May 2013
2 posts
9 tags
Why Christian Courtships Suck Pt. 2 (The Date)
Somehow, my life turned into the lovechild of the Maury Povich show and a telenovella. But I’ll explain that later.
In Pt. 1, I discuss the shock of meeting (and being charmed by) a punk rocker black guy in outreach. He serenaded me with R&B classics like Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been” and even nailed the struggle choreography. Where did this crazy man come...
10 tags
Why Christian Courtships Suck Pt. 1
I’ve had a non-existent love life since the womb. And for many reasons. The South is thee worst place to raise a dark skinned girl. So many things were denied to me because of the color of my skin, like appreciation and light-skinned men.
Even though I was a Christian since 13, I didn’t understand God’s love until I went to college. I was surrounded by kind Christian...
April 2013
3 posts
9 tags
This Is What A Christian On Anti-Depressants Looks...
This is my sexy, “get out my face because my life is falling apart” pose
So its 2:22am on the West Coast and I can’t go to sleep. It’s not because of insomnia or school work, it’s because of a severe depression episode. Searing pain. Tears. Repeat.
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I didn’t want to tell you this. At least not before I graduate from USC. I’m in a...
8 tags
Devotion Authentically Covers 'Fix You'
You don’t come across a group with the authenticity of Devotion everyday. The UK brother-sister duo of Daniel and Peace Oluwatobi started their musical journey in 2008 by singing worship lyrics over R&B/pop compositions. Their January 2012 mixtape, R.E.D., showcased their vocal prowess, yet some familiar cover songs (*cough Trey Songz “Can’t Be Friends” cough*)...
4 tags
A Lot Has Been Going On...
If you’ve been following this blog for a while, you know that I’ve been up the rough side of the mountain. After entering the freefall and quitting my advertising job in 2011, I became a suicidal, broke writer living at my mom’s house.
It felt like every door closed in my face, but in 2012, I enrolled in USC’s Specialized Journalism (The Arts) program. A one year...
March 2013
3 posts
7 tags
Marian Mereba Makes 'Room For Living'
The singer-songwriter era hasn’t ended, it’s just evolved. Marian Mereba, the Atlanta based Ethiopian beauty, is the perfect example. She’s just as comfortable over a head nodding break beat (“Ride The Wave”) as she is over a folksy rock ballad (“Go To London”). Marian’s sound is undeniably diverse. Her vocals, so intimate and pure, beautifully...
8 tags
Ruby Is 'Down' For Her Man
There’s not enough songs about chicken snack wrap/dollar menu love. The type of love that makes you look away when your man drops a 2-for-1 coupon on the counter. Ryde or die chicks are hard to come by, but Ruby is certainly one. She follows her exquisite ballad, “Okay”, with the old school techno-house number, “Down”. The song is quite repetitive (“If...
6 tags
Concert Notes: Emeli Sande Evolved
Courtesy of LATC
(Super late concert review from last month, but I just wanted to share)
Emeli Sande is a lot of things: a catchy pop artist, an introspective singer-songwriter, and an inspirational icon who skyrocketed from Scotland obscurity to international stardom. Floating in the shadows of her career is a less flattering description: she’s boring. Or so I thought. The endearing, yet...
February 2013
5 posts
11 tags
Nick Brewer Had A 'Good' Valentine's Day
Nick Brewer is a beautiful man. Now that I got that out the way, I can actually talk about his music. Since Alone In My Thoughts Part 2, I have been an instant fan of Brewer and his two-step, Quiet Storm Hip Hop. For Valentine’s Day, the romantic wordsmith released the visuals for “So Good” that is just the right amount of simple and sweet. The soulful boom bap of the Moods...
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JGivens 'Can't Say' But Lives The Truth
When I first heard JGivens’ latest single, all I could think of was this is a nice smooth it out joint for the ladies. But “Can’t Say” is much deeper than that. The Saint City based JGivens offers his most intimate account of his Egyptian travels with a G-funk twist. Yes, you read that right. JGivens busts out Nate Dogg-esque vocals while providing a behind the scenes...
8 tags
NOAH's 'Fire' Blazes
It’s not a matter of if NOAH will blow up, it’s a matter of when. The UK singer-songwriter duo comprising childhood friends Rebeka Whittle and Joe Baxter create breathtaking songs steeped in trademark minimalism. After dropping “Alone” in November, NOAH is ramping up for their spring EP with the single “Fires”. NOAH’s vocals delicately intertwine over...
16 tags
Alert312 Dissects Vice & Virtue
Humble Beast sure knows how to create a music roster. Chicago based Alert312 is the yin to Beautiful Eulogy’s yang. While Beautiful Eulogy has folksy, theological driven Hip Hop, Alert312 offers stripped, percussion based production with urban tales on moral depravity and God’s perfection.
Alert312’s dark opus, Of Vice & Virtue is the return of a group redefining their...
13 tags
iLL Camille Loves More In 'Lopsided'
When it comes to Inglewood emcee iLL Camille, I am 100% biased. I want this talented artist to win. Her latest video, “Lopsided”, had me wanting to run a praise lap around Twitter as soon as I pressed play. It is just.that.good. Tay Walker’s smooth vocals over snapping, two-step production was slainworthy on it’s own. Once iLL Camille’s transparent, stream of...
January 2013
17 posts
12 tags
P.SO Finds 'Greatness'
P.SO the Earth Tone King is an artist who has his stuff together. From the moment I pressed play on his album, Gateway To Greatness, I knew I was listening to an emcee who has the total package. P.SO has a fresh sound merging organic live instrumentation and electronic music, and a unique futuristic style gleaning from his skills as a graphic novelist. It’s rare to have an artist so...
16 tags
Concert Notes: Cody ChesnuTT 'Meets Thee'
Last weekend, I had the honor of seeing this generation’s Marvin Gaye up close and personal at LA’s legendary venue, The Troubadour. To be honest, I thought Cody ChesnuTT, the eccentric singer, songwriter, and musician, would be a little kooky. I imagined him with his trademark helmet, thick beard, and tousled fro standing on stage giving me all sorts of side eye material. But in...
4 tags
Green Tea Can 'Never Be The Blame'
You know a song is good when you want to raise an amen hand as soon as you press play. Green Tea continues her soulful throwback appeal with a new video for “Never Be The Blame” off her Dosage III: Time to B.E. album. It is pure vocal perfection wrapped up in 90’s Hip Hop soul. Green Tea’s wispy background harmonies effortlessly glides over the head nodding track. I...
6 tags
For Joy Ike, It's 'All Or Nothing'
Joy Ike is not a name you may have heard but she is a fully polished artist who fills the gulf between Christian contemporary and soulful pop-folk. As the child of Nigerian immigrants, Joy seemed destined to become a cultural bridge since her days listening to DC Talk and Steven Curtis Chapman as a teenager.
Joy’s new third album, All Or Nothing, reflects her eclectic background and...
5 tags
Dawn Richard Reveals Her Goldenheart In '86
Dawn Richard is by far my favorite female R&B artist right now. She solidified my choice with her Goldenheart album release. No matter how much I rave about her, it always seems like an understatement. Dawn is musically fearless. She boasts an expansive range from gentle vocals wafting over a stripped percussive beat to soaring notes signifying the climax of a sweaty EDM dance session....
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Sound Sultan Finds A 'Gud Gal'
When I watched Les Nubians’ latest video, “Museba BOM BOM BOM”, I experienced a stunning revelation: I need more African pop music with the right mix of classy and rachet. I was able to find another in the Nigerian dancehall hit, “Gud Gal” by Sound Sultan. Thanks to notjustOk, I found the perfect trifecta. There’s a deep voiced brotha with a catchy hook...
27 tags
A Rambling Review: Sho Baraka's Talented Xth And A...
After getting an advanced copy of Sho Baraka’s Talented Xth album, I arrived at one important conclusion: Sho Baraka is Hip Hop’s Bill Cosby. No, not in the cranky old man, frumpy hoodie, why-is-he-wearing-sunglasses-indoors type of way, but something much deeper. Sho embraces his fatherly role in restoring true manhood. His boldly discusses society’s void and God’s...
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Barney Artist Makes Music That 'Turns Heads'
East London emcee Barney Artist definitely lives up to his name. His relaxing compositions full of crisp percussion, shimmering melodies, and atmospheric samples never ceases to put me in a creative mood. Barney’s free 12-track BAEP is an incredibly mature project for the rising emcee. He stays consistent to his style with a quiet confidence that is mysterious and intriguing.
Barney...
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JGivens Is 'Caught In The Reign'
I’ve been to a lot of Christian Hip Hop concerts, but JGivens is the sickest emcee that I ever saw live. He is freakishly good. It’s almost scary.
JGivens has been releasing visuals for his #OccupyMondays mixtape in a completely unique way. While most rappers rent a whip, start a cook out, or get a bunch of mindless people to stand behind them, JGivens uses none other than the...
9 tags
2013 is Laura Mvula's Year
It’s official. Laura Mvula is hot in the streets. The Birmingham, UK singer, songwriter, and pianist was ranked number 4 out of BBC’s Sound Of 2013 poll after releasing her She EP across the pond back in November. A huge buzz has been growing and for good reason. There is something magically intriguing about Mvula, whether its her stunning looks, Nina Simone poise, or engrossing...
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Kaliq 'Fights' For Peace With Pharaoh Music
In this rachet-filled world where bedazzled, leopard shirt artists top the charts, conscious rappers like Kaliq offer a ray of hope. The South Central raised, Arizona based artist grew up on the Afrocentric principles of his Nation of Islam father. Kaliq poured his childhood lessons in the socially conscious mixtape, Pharoah Music. While most rappers have one watered down “Fight The...
5 tags
Sonenei & The Soul Embarks On Their 'Million Mile'...
Thanks to Karl Nova, the rapper/awesome sauce person who seems to know every talented artist who ever lived, I came across Soneni & The Soul, a band firmly rooted in Zimbabwe heritage and London modernity. Their 8-track EP, Million Miles Away spans the energetic rhythms of soulful house (“We Can Go”) to the stripped down instrumentation of spoken word (“God Bless The...
6 tags
BBC Names Haim Top Sound Of 2013 Artist
When I discovered that my favorite band, Haim, was named the Top Sound Of 2013 Artist by BBC, I had the joy of a loud black mother at a high school graduation. I knew from the moment I heard this sibling Rock&B band that they were something special. *insert dramatic pause and rolling tear* After releasing their Forever EP, Haim has solidified their sound in leaning on the gritty, staccato...
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ScienZe And Noah Bility Are Nothing Less Than...
I am TEAM Noah Bility around these parts. If the baby haired wonder tells me to listen to his music, I listen. Noah was featured on the last verse of “Stellar” with ScienZe, a Brooklyn emcee with a love for education and Hip Hop. When he’s not doing after school music concerts to empower New York City’s youth, ScienZe rhymes over lush Hip Hop jazz compositions destined...
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Knaladeus Brings Hip Hop Soul To "Not Real with...
So while I was on the grad school struggle bus back in September, producer/emcee Knaladeus (Nah-lah-DAY-us) released a beautifully produced album that is changing my life right now. Hip Hop Soul & Imagination is like a Hip Hop textbook in audio form. There’s interludes honoring the genre’s forefathers (“DJ and Emcee”), crisp boom bap soul production...
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Audra Lynn Debuts The Musical Thesis, "If It Ain't...
This is not a feel good worship song. You’ll probably won’t do a Watch Night praise lap, but in the midst of learning the divine promises that 2013 has in store, its vital to know the process. I rather have an honest view of what God is doing in my life than to reach euphoria only to collapse into bitterness and disappointment.
International House Of Prayer worship singer...
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My 4 Musical Hopes for 2013
1. More Conscious (And Catchy) Hip Hop
It’s time to raise the standard in 2013. I’m tired of doing the dougie to misogynist music while yawning to conscious rap. Regardless of what major labels suggest, Hip Hop can be both conscious and commercial; educational and entertaining. We need to hold rappers accountable so their music is more balanced. What’s the point of making...
December 2012
1 post
30 tags
6 Christian Hip Hop Favorites of 2012
2012 has been the year of Lecronce, but it’s also been the year of underdogs finding and reclaiming their voice. Christian Hip Hop has grown as both a commercial and underground entity. I was so grateful to see non-CHH listeners hear the gospel through Lecrae’s Church Clothes mixtape. Even as this was happening, eclectic Hip Hop began to rise to the surface. When I reflect on the...
September 2012
4 posts
14 tags
Re-Discovering The Cassette Gospel Of The Anointed...
Originally written for my Specialized Journalism (The Arts) course at USC.
The Anointed Pace Sisters were overlooked, just like my mom and I. This eight sister gospel powerhouse wandered between greatness and obscurity. Though Dr. Mattie Moss Clark discovered them in the early ‘70s, the legendary choir director for the Church Of God In Christ (C.O.G.I.C.) was foremost the mother of The Clark...
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Krucial: A Liberating Daughter Of Krump
Krump is a genre of dance that goes far beyond the clown faces. Inglewood raised krump dancer and USC graduate student Krucial is a perfect example of that. I had the pleasure of interviewing Krucial for USC’s groundbreaking choreographed krump performance, The Underground: From The Streets To The Stage. She is a daughter of a culture rooted in so much pain, but also purpose.
“I call...
4 tags
Dewy Sinatra Is Smooth As Merlot
Life is hard in these grad school streets. In between 5 classes and my networking hustle (read: looking for a job), there’s not a lot of time for extracurricular activity. That’s why when I blog, the music I share must be unique, authentic, and skillful. One of the artists who embodies that is London emcee Dewy Sinatra. He’s an artist who always seemed “too cool”...
6 tags
LeXuS Looks Back With NOSTALGIA
I never heard an artist so deeply rooted in Sade’s musical lineage until I heard LeXuS. Her music takes you back to a time when pop icons exuded elegance. This connection to the past anchors LeXuS’ debut mixtape, NOSTALGIA. Her richly layered tone has the mystique and vocal presence of an artist twice her age. The 18 year old singer-songwriter shows great maturity in letting her...
August 2012
9 posts
4 tags
K. Sparks Shows Off The Right Way
There’s an expected checklist for every Christian rapper that can be summed up in three steps. First, talk about how the world can never satisfy the soul. Secondly, drop several Jesus bombs for Christian rap cred. And lastly, add a splash of sanctified Hip Hop “swag” to reach the “streets”. Jamaica, Queens emcee K. Sparks does all these things, but he still...
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Breezy Lovejoy Faces The Man In The Mirror In...
Breezy Lovejoy came into my life like a whirlwind. Yes, his name is the moniker lovechild of a rapper and a Pentecostal preacher, but Breezy Lovejoy is more than a catchy name. He’s the definition of a true artist as a vocalist, drummer, and producer. After releasing O.B.E. Vol. 1 back in June, Breezy Lovejoy releases a video for my personal favorite, “Sadie”. Breezy...
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Soul Features Shows "The Voice" of Jaz Ellington
I live in Los Angeles now, but I’m actually taking the scenic route to London. Or so I hope. Until my dreams come true, I have Andrea Thomas and her Soul Features to connect me to the heart of UK’s soul music scene. Fortunately for us, Jaz Ellington stops by L.O.V.E. Studios to perform John Legend’s “Ordinary People”. This song became one of the defining...
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Rob Milton Shines Tomorrow and Today
While I was “homeless” in LA, there were some major gems in my inbox. One of them is “Tomorrow” by singer, songwriter, and journalist, Rob Milton. Though his name is unfamiliar, his sound is certainly not. Rob’s lead single for his September 3rd EP Shine Tomorrow has comforting samples, rich vocals, and lyrics that are felt, and not just heard. Rob’s...
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Enter The Cave Of Vinnie Dewayne
Explicit language
It is absolutely magical when a visionary director and a poet join forces. Portland’s own Vinnie Dewayne returns with “Cave Man” off his impressive mixtape, #Castaway. Vinnie doesn’t waste any time with the ear catching details. His graphic “doin’ the nasty” mention alerted my anti-misogyny sensor, but Vinnie Dewayne has more...
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Sean C. Johnson Uses Drama & Depth In "No, Never"
Sean C. Johnson’s evolution as an artist and director is beyond astounding. Just when you put him in the soulful crooner box, Sean pulls out another gift as a visual storyteller. His new video for “No Never” not only features my favorite song off of Simply A Vessel Vol 3, it also has a plot twist seemingly inspired by the sex scandals that rocked the Christian community....
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Verbal Kwest Are True Believers
Verbal Kwest is a sleeper Hip Hop group that has no problem reminding you how dope they are. The two man duo comprising J.Kwest and BreevEazie are pure veterans with the hunger of a new artist. Their visuals for “Believers” off their Batman & Batman album is the perfect display of that. Directed by Julian de Buclet and Marshall Porter, we see J.Kwest and BreevEazie have a face...
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Erick Dayz Is Up In The Lights
It’s a beautiful thing to see a rapper go from underground mixtapes to polished singles. Erick Dayz is an underdog lyricist refined by the pain of losing his mother. He even worked full time in high school to assist his father in supporting the family. You can’t help but to cheer for a man of Erick Dayz’ caliber.
After releasing 2011’s Souled Out Mixtape and some...
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The Grad School Chronicles: "Homeless" In LA
The end can be the beginning. That is what I learned as a “homeless” grad student in my first week of USC journalism school. After a mental illness cocktail of jobless depression and suicidal thoughts, I expected to pass through the sliding doors of euphoria. I suffered enough right? Surprisingly, God had other plans.
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3,000 miles and 3 days later, I never felt so richly...
July 2012
35 posts
15 tags
Scandinavian Soul(Features) With Marie Dahlstrom
Scandinavian Soul is a beautiful thing. With the help of Andrea Thomas of Soul Features, Marie Dahlstrøm performs a tranquil medley of “Get It Together” by India.Arie, “Love You Like A Love Song” cover by Ebrahim, and an original composition called “Search”. It has to be one of the most soothing live sessions I ever heard. Marie’s delicate delivery...
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Luck-One & Dekk Go Record Searchin'
While I was “Searchin’” for some eccentric hot fiyah at Ear Milk, I was surprised to find the conscious Northwest emcee Luck-One. After releasing his February album, Beautiful Music Part 2, Luck-One returns with the visuals for the Dekk produced “Searchin’”. The elegant, head nodding track has the perfect backdrop in Seattle’s record stores. Altrac...
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Enter The House Of Kindness
As I was perusing the digital pages of Spin, I came across an artist with an unusual name. Kindness, also known as Adam Bainbridge is not an artist that you see everyday. There is no genre classification for the Peterborough, UK native. After listening to his eclectic May album, World, You Need A Change Of Mind, I finally know what know what his well deserved buzz is all about.
When I first...
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Don't Sleep On Muzi's Somnolence Vol. II
Muzi is somewhat of a mysterious figure. His protected Twitter account even stumped the experienced stalker that I am. All I wanted to do is to insert Muzi into the music boo roster that Frank Ocean vacated. I guess it wasn’t mean to be. But what I do know is that Muzi is an Atlanta based artist who released Somnolence Vol. II as a follow up to the free album he released last year....
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Luca Dimoon Has His Own Utopia
Luca Dimoon caught my eye, um ear with his 2011 video for the Zamaun Tronic mix of “Twilight”. The spacey electronic sounds definitely had me wanting more. After patiently waiting, Luca returns with “Lady Utopia” from his forthcoming album, Telescope. There’s no release date set, but I’m happy to hear a new mix from the extremely talented Milan raised...
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melancholy and the infinite shadness Isn't Too Sad...
Only Shad could casually drop an EP and call it a “little joint”. It’s obvious that Shad has a quiet confidence that doesn’t need a promo team. His skills on the mic do all the talking. For thirsty Shad fans tapping their wrists since his 2011 TSOL album, melancholy and the infinite shadness is an oasis in the desert.
The nostalgic 5-track EP has the sound of an...
