JUST BECAUSE

AL GREEN: SIMPLY SUBLIME

Al Green: Simply Beautiful
From I'm Still In Love With You (Hi, 1971)

Straight up - one of the most beautiful ballads ever written.

ARETHA GOES ONE STEP BEYOND

Aretha Franklin: One Step Ahead
From 7" (Columbia, 1964?)

Here's the thing you have to understand: this is one of Aretha's rarest sides on Columbia (where she was, more or less unsuccessfully, before Atlantic signed her and nurtured her into soul's greatest female icon). Let's put it this way: I'm a huge Aretha fan, I love her Columbia years and I love this song in particular...and I don't even have a copy of the 45. It doesn't even appear on an LP - besides a greatest hits comp which is how much folks come by it.

Yet, amazingly, there's actual footage of her performing this song. Seriously, my mind is so blown right now.

(And yes kiddies, we know, this is where "Ms. Fat Booty" came from).
(Source: Soulstrut)

WE SHOULD JUST GO ALL BOLLYWOOD, ALL THE TIME

(Source: Soulstrut)

NUYORICANS, REPRESENT

(Thanks to Sean)

BECAUSE YN SHOULDN'T HAVE ALL THE FUN

(context. Check "Clumsy")

WE DO LIKE MP3s...BUT STILL

TOO KOOL

UMCs: One to Grow On
From Fruits of Nature (Wild Pitch, 1991)

Even though I just posted about this the other day, I have to say: I'm really feeling these testimonials that the UMC's Kool Kim has been posting to Unkut.com. The latest breaks down exactly how the group fell apart, how they managed to be dead-broke despite a string of chart-topping singles, and how Kim shares - with uptmost candor - a side of the hip-hop business that far too few rappers are willing to share.

MINDS ARE SO STEADY

Don't ask me how I've ended up with two Chi Ali posts inside of a week (his catalog doesn't run that deep, ha) but I was listening to this song, in particular, the other day and I remembered how great a tune it is...minus the lyrics.


The beat is ace - the way that bassline kicks in, the sprinkles of keyboards - and the hook, taken from BDP, is ingenius. Even the video is pretty good (well, in portions) but the lyrics pretty much do reflect Chi Ali's age (not just a #). I mean: "stay out of my pockets and everything will be splendid/I make my money, so I'm spend it." Ehh...

Can I just say: I LUH the dancing in this video...I really do.

DOPEST FEMALE THAT YOU'VE HEARD THUS FAR

OUR FRAME OF MIND

After my first week of teaching full-time, I need something to chillax to. Eddie Kendricks = the perfect prescription to held unwind: