Wake Up Call From John Legend & The Roots

Sep 29, 2010 |

In the past lie the seeds for the present. In the present linger visions of the future. Sometimes. To build tomorrow, we need to look to yesterday. John Legend & The Roots’ new collaboration Wake Up! is perfect example of this. Sadly, a lot of music today is flimsy, shallow, lacking an understanding of where we are spiritually, politically, intellectually, etc. Much of it (or at least the stuff that is pushed out at us by mass media) seems to have become a derivative of mediocre, watered-down pop music, without creativity or commitment. It is hard to differentiate between artists (and I...

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Raheem DeVaughn: Soul Legend In The Making?

Jul 15, 2010 |

There is something about the 70s, particularly in terms of music and fashion.  Though hard to define, the 70s were funky and soulful and meaningful.  So much spirit and energy went into that decade; politics, social issues, militancy and consciousness seemed to fuse with love and sex and music and life. I was born into the 70s and so it has a sweet memory to it that came from young naive eyes.  I do remember the afros and tie-and-dye shirts and corduroy trousers and the parties at home and Marvin Gaye, Curtis Mayfield, Smokey Robinson, Stevie Wonder, Barry White, Aretha Franklin, Ike and...

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