SoulBounce.com

The comparisons between Fantasia Barrino and Jennifer Hudson have been long-standing since both women were featured contestants in 2004 on Season 3 of American Idol. When Fantasia won, some naysayers said Jennifer was robbed and should have won. While I don't think a win on American Idol is any indication of talent, I do believe that Fantasia is a better vocalist, largely due to her vocal control and the dimension she conveys even when she sings the most mundane songs. Fantasia's new album Back To Me is testament to her range as a vocalist. She is gifted with the ability to use her voice as a magical instrument despite lackluster lyrics and formulaic pop beats. While the CD has some production highlights that showcase Fantasia's incredible voice, many of the songs only stay afloat thanks to the steely will of Fantasia's vibrato. Like the family members that drag Fantasia down--as seen on her reality show, Fantasia For Real--so does the production on some of these songs. Yet, the album has its bright spots.

Read more...

When Cee-Lo gave us the preview of the song "F#&% You" a couple of weeks ago, I played that song at least once a day the week of its release. It was hilarious. The typography gave us the lyrics note by note. No better words have ever been written to capture the sentiment of being in love with a gold digger who trades you in for a richer suitor. Now Cee-Lo has released the intended video for the song from his upcoming album The LadyKiller. Hats off to him for keeping it fun, retro and campy. From the all-girl trio reminiscent of Dreamgirls and Motown's The Supremes to the '60's diner hang-out, the video is a colorful rock and roll ride where our dear hero prevails despite being fantastically emotional throughout the song.

• T.I. and Tiny were arrested in Los Angeles last night in suspicion of possessing that sticky-icky-ooh-wee. [RDR]
• A former executive of Bad Boy Records is now suing Diddy, claiming she was fired for being too old and disabled. [TMZ]
• War is seeking 10 million dollars in damages from Pepsi for unauthorized use of their song "Why Can't We Be Friends." [CM]
• Soulja Boy's new book will detail how to become a teenage millionaire. [MTV]

Baltimore-based MC Substantial has joined forces with producer Marcus D out of Seattle to form the duo Bop Alloy who specialize in jazz hop--think A Tribe Called Quest and Gang Starr. Fresh from a Japanese tour, the twosome is putting the finishing touches on their debut album, SMDABA, short for Substantial and Marcus D are Bop Alloy, and they're giving folks a chance to sample their sound on the song "Jazzmatic." Featuring the rich vocals of Steph the Sapphic Songstress, "Jazzmatic" is a mellow smooth tune that purveyors of hip-hop soul will most definitely eat up. Substantial is the type of hip-hop artist that those who don't typically listen to hip-hop enjoy because he is very conscious of the instrumentation and vocalist that accompanies him on each track. At least it appears that way. Steph's vocals on this song are perfect (as they were previously on my favorite tune from them both, "My Favorite Things"), and this song offers just enough of a tease that has me, and possibly you, too, wanting to hear more of what Bop Alloy has to offer when their album drops on September 7th. Until then, add this to your collection with a free download.

Bop Alloy feat. Steph the Sapphic Songstress: "Jazzmatic" [Download]

Bop Alloy [Facebook][Twitter][Bandcamp]

It's been a little over two years since Taylor McFerrin dropped his SoulBounce-approved EP, Broken Vibes. Well, he's back to bless our ears with more Bounce-Worthy sounds on his three-track preview for his upcoming album, Early Riser. The producer/artist has little to worry about in terms of comparisons to his famous father, Bobby McFerrin, thanks to a sound that's uniquely his own. Imagine the lovechild of Sa-Ra and Portishead, if you will. An early fave is "Awake to You," a sensual opus filled with tinkling pianos and soothing guitars backed by a slow, steady beat. Even without lyrics, Taylor manages to say a mouthful on this plush instrumental. 

Taylor McFerrin: "Awake To You"

Taylor McFerrin [Official][Facebook][Twitter][MySpace]

D-Nice has been doing quite nicely with chronicling the lives and backstories of many of our favorite artists. His latest installment of his Soul Survivors series is Eric Benét, a man whose talent has unfortunately been overshadowed in the past by his previous relationship issues. For those of us who have been fans of Eric for the majority of his career, we all know that his talent by far eclipses anything going on his private life. In the clip below, Eric opens up about being influenced musically by his family's eclectic tastes, his beginnings as a song writer, Tamia's impatience with "Spend My Life," and his upcoming album Lost In Time's '70s soul influences. For those of you who want to be more in the know with Eric, make sure you follow him on Twitter.

Remember that feeling you got every Christmas Eve night as you patiently waited for daybreak to be able to open your presents? This is the same experience I had waiting patiently for The Foreign Exchange's new single "Maybe She'll Dream Of Me" to drop at 12 noon today. Now that I've heard it, I have to say that I love it just as much as I thought I would. It's not as smoldering and heavy as their first single, "Daykeeper," from their Grammy-nominated album Leave It All Behind. In fact, it's a much lighter tale of a relationship that needs some mending, but I do adore Phonte's singing and rhyming on just about any track I can get from him. Authenticity drops October 12th, perfectly envisioned on their cover by these striking Autumn leaves. 

The Foreign Exchange: "Maybe She'll Dream Of Me" [Download]

The Foreign Exchange [Official][Facebook][Twitter]

Let's look past this album cover for just one second. It's not my favorite picture of Faith Evans. I would have loved to see her looking less like a Victorian-era magician but that's just me. Let's instead take this moment to rejoice over a song that not only uses Dave Grusin's "Either Way"--sampled for Notorious B.I.G.'s "Everyday Struggle"--with splendid results, but finally is a Faith track that is worthy of the raw beauty inherent within her voice. This version of "Everyday Struggle" from Faith's soon-to-be-released Something About Faith not only features live instrumentation but Raekwon whose rambling adlibs seem better suited here than on that Justin Bieber-Kanye bubblegum concoction. This track brings me back to the '90s heyday of hip hop and R&B collabos when Faith, Mona Lisa, Lauryn Hill, Mary J. Blige and so many others could peacefully coexist on a track with a grimy rhyming cohort. Speaking of MJB, what happened? No matter. Faith has once again restored my faith in her. Can't wait for the album to drop October 5th.

Faith Evans feat. Raekwon: "Everyday Struggle"

Rapper/actor Mos Def and singer Goapele are joining forces in the name of science for an innovative presentation on Sunday, September 5th at the Chabot Space & Science Center in Oakland, California. Goapele will be on hand to handle hosting duties at the I.S.I.S. Science & Culture Festival, where NASA will unveil its first-ever holographic presentation featuring holographic images of Mos and astronaut Leland Melvin. The purpose of the free event is to encourage youth to embrace "Science, Math & Discovery." Check out the video below for a sneak peak at the project and to find out why Dante feels it's important.

• Mary J. Blige has partnered up with NASA to get more girls into science. As a former science nerd, this is awesome news. [BE]
• Two Oscar-nominated screenwriters will pen the Antoine Fuqua-directed Tupac biopic. [HHW]
• Rihanna's wax figure at Madame Tussauds in Washington, DC is scarily accurate. [CL]
• That shapeless gray dress Lauryn Hill wore at Rock the Bells NYC was straight off the runway. [LBS]