Archive » Diggin' in the Crates

Quiet Bounce: 'Hey Now,' Carl Thomas Did More Than 'Wish'

 

Ten years ago, Carl Thomas enhanced the Bad Boy Entertainment franchise with the #1 R&B hit single, "I Wish" from his debut LP, Emotional. I invite you to dig further into this album and discover a soulful gem yearning to...

Fave  |  11/04/2009 at 8:00 PM  |  Comments (3)  |  Permalink

When Ledisi Made It 'Rain'

 

It's been a fantastic year for Ledisi with the release of her new album, Turn Me Loose, and upcoming tour with Eric Benet and Mint Condition. But don't get it twisted, she's been setting the music scene on fire for quite...

Fave  |  10/28/2009 at 1:30 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Harlem's Own: Favorite Weekend Songs

 

It's the weekend. You've worked all week, and now it's time to tackle the other jobs that keep you busy, whether it's running errands or performing household chores, or afterward, just relaxing. I find it important to keep a soundtrack...

Harlem  |  10/25/2009 at 12:30 PM  |  Comments (1)  |  Permalink

Quiet Bounce: Before There Was 'Grown & Sexy' There Was Boyz II Men

 

Boyz II Men were four, clean-cut fellas from Philly whose '90s-era R&B ballads set the mood for wholesome, Cliff & Claire Huxtable-type romance. In 1992, while basking in the PG-13 glow of Cooleyhighharmony, they came out of left field with...

Fave  |  10/21/2009 at 8:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

The Curious Case Of Lewis Taylor

 

Some months ago, the planets all aligned in such a way that several friends of mine began speaking of an artist that I had been searching for the past 10 years. It all began when my best friend had a...

ill Mami  |  09/04/2009 at 2:10 PM  |  Comments (23)  |  Permalink

Donut Of The Heart

 

At the risk of sounding patronizing, there are still some people that didn't know "All I Do Is Think Of You" was originally recorded by The Jackson 5. Many in my age group are familiar with Troop's cover, and by...

nOvaMatic  |  06/30/2009 at 11:00 AM  |  Comments (10)  |  Permalink

Sesame Street Taught The ABCs Of Music Appreciation On 'In Harmony'

 

If faced with the unimaginable option of choosing between losing my sense of hearing or sight, I would without hesitation choose lose my eyesight. I bring up this morbid observation because, as an audiophile, there have been times in...

ill Mami  |  06/25/2009 at 2:25 PM  |  Comments (1)  |  Permalink

Looking Back On The Original Bad Girls

 

It goes without saying that my favorite girl group of all time is Total, and after stanning for them for a solid 14 years, I cannot begin to tell you why. That isn't to say they weren't dope, but if...

nOvaMatic  |  06/19/2009 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (26)  |  Permalink

Revisiting Michael Jackson's Golden Years

 

I don't know of too many adult vocalists (male or female) who sound better than Michael Jackson did when he was still in his formative stages. Young Michael's range and phrasing surprise me to this day--just take this early...

Dar  |  02/24/2009 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (16)  |  Permalink

Siik Teaches Us Our ABC's

 

After making Beyoncé's "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" more readily digestible, a lot of folks 'round these parts were checking for Los Angeles area beat freak Siik. For those still not knowing, here's three more remixes to get...

Dar  |  02/12/2009 at 12:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Get in the Christmas Spirit with a Freebie From Kirk Whalum

 

It's beginning to feel a lot like Christmas, and if you haven't caught the spirit yet then maybe Kirk Whalum will help you out. The world-renowned jazz saxophonist is giving his fans a special musical gift in the form...

Butta  |  12/08/2008 at 3:30 PM  |  Leave a Comment  |  Permalink

The Track Salt-N-Pepa Did for Drag Queens Nationwide

 

You know what? I'm not afraid to say that I quite enjoy this song. Who better than Salt-N-Pepa to glam it up in the interest of a little fabulous self-love and fun? "I Am the Body Beautiful" was part of...

nOvaMatic  |  10/23/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

Dilla, Meet Janet. Janet, Dilla

 

The Velvet Rope is almost universally hailed as Janet Jackson's creative zenith. Her self-titled debut, not so much. Today's Diggin' in the Crates takes a look at offerings from both ends of that spectrum, guest-starring the great J Dilla. There's...

nOvaMatic  |  10/14/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (7)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In Jazmine Sullivan's Crates

 

As we prepare for the release of Jazmine Sullivan's debut album, Fearless, next Tuesday, I thought it would be groovy to comb through her crates, and I came across this treasure in my magical iTunes folder. It's no secret that...

Butta  |  09/19/2008 at 2:40 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In Robin Thicke's Crates

 

With all this recent racial drama surrounding Robin Thicke I'm gonna do something radical right now and talk about the man's music. Imagine that! Regardless of what else is going on, his upcoming CD, Something Else, is one of the...

Butta  |  09/05/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In Shanice's Crates

 

With the countdown still a fresh memory as well as a reminder of how much we still love the old school, we've been diggin' in the crates all week, looking for some hidden gems from artists that are due for...

Harlem  |  09/04/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In Syleena Johnson's Crates (On Her Birthday!)

 

Today was originally supposed to be the release date for Syleena Johnson's next musical opus, Chapter 4: Labor Pains, to commemorate both her birthday and the album dropping on the day after Labor Day. Well, plans have changed and...

Butta  |  09/02/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In Eric Benét's Crates

 

As much as we love to look forward here at SoulBounce and talk about what's now and what's next, you should know by now that we love to look back, too. To that end, all this week I'll be diggin'...

Butta  |  09/01/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

(Re)Visit Metropolis

 

With the recent Bad Boy release of Janelle Monae's Metropolis: The Chase Suite (Special Edition) zooming to the top of the iTunes R&B Album list, it seems a bit more possible for us to relax into their uncomfortable pairing. Somewhat....

Ro  |  08/15/2008 at 2:10 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

Mary J. Blige Amongst People's Most Beautiful Ones

 

People's annual list of the 100 Most Beautiful will be hitting newsstands soon but the online version of the mag is giving a sneak peak at some of this year's pretty faces. Imagine my surprise when I saw that...

Butta  |  05/01/2008 at 4:45 PM  |  Comments (3)  |  Permalink

When Jermaine Remixed Chante

 

Is this thing on? Is Polow Da Don so much like Jermaine Dupri that it's completely believable Chante Moore would allow him to paste a lost 2Pac verse on her new album? Maybe. But maybe not! While Polow and JD both cater to the...

nOvaMatic  |  04/03/2008 at 4:35 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

When Roy Davis Jr. and Peven Everett Took House To Church With 'Gabriel'

 

Since SoulBounce is housing it up this week, I'd be remiss if I didn't dig into the crates and pull out another of my favorite house cuts of all time, "Gabriel" by DJ Roy Davis Jr. featuring Peven Everett...

Butta  |  03/27/2008 at 6:57 PM  |  Comments (3)  |  Permalink

'When Love Calls,' Eric Roberson Answers

 

I have been dying to feature this song in a Diggin' in the Crates, and the time has finally come. On the heels of getting Behind the Groove with Eric Roberson, I went into his archives and plucked this...

Butta  |  03/20/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

'Fall In Love' With Sanchez

 

This week's Diggin' in the Crates takes us to the beautiful island paradise of Jamaica, ancestral home to your SoulBounce sistren, ill Mami and myself. Last week iMami made mention of international artists putting their spin on American songs,...

Butta  |  03/13/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Billy Lawrence Wants You To 'Come On'

 

It's Friday, the final day of a very special week of diggin' in the crates. So far, we've unearthed some soundtrack gems from Tammy Lucas (Juice), Caron Wheeler (Mo' Money) and Mona Lisa (Don't Be A Menace...). Today's artist...

Harlem  |  03/07/2008 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (1)  |  Permalink

Can't Be Wasting Mona Lisa's Time

 

This has been a fun week of diggin' in the crates, searching for those soul sistas that have blessed soundtracks over the years, yet have never quite got the same love once they branched out onto solo discs. And while...

Harlem  |  03/06/2008 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In The Crates: La Charanga '76

 

Those of you familiar with international music know that there is just something about American pop music that makes so deserving of it being remade to a better beat. Tracy Chapman's "Sorry," nicely redone by reggae artist Shelly Thunder,...

ill Mami  |  03/05/2008 at 2:00 PM  |  Permalink

Caron Wheeler Says, 'I Adore You'

 

All week long, I'm diggin' in the crates, searching high and low for cuts from talented soul sistas that never quite got the shine they deserved. Yesterday, it was all about the Juice. Today's spotlight is on the 1992...

Harlem  |  03/04/2008 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Tammy Lucas Got The 'Juice'

 

All week long, I'll be diggin' in the crates, coming up with some much-overlooked soundtrack soul. And with it being Women's History Month, the tracks will feature some of the best female artists you may have never heard of,...

Harlem  |  03/03/2008 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (3)  |  Permalink

To Be Young, Gifted And Black

 

With February 2008 coming to an end, we'd like to suggest that people celebrate Black History every day, not only for one month out of the year. Enjoy these tunes--one to soothe and the other to make you groove--from...

Butta  |  02/29/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In The Crates: 'Bustin' Loose' Soundtrack

 

As I was watching Bustin' Loose, featuring Cicely Tyson and Richard Pryor as they transport a rag-tag bunch of troubled kids to a farm from Philadelphia to Washington State, last night on cable, two things dawned on me:This movie...

ill Mami  |  02/28/2008 at 1:20 PM  |  Comments (12)  |  Permalink

'Come Close' To Erykah's 'Light'

 

Not to sound like a cliché, but when Common and Erykah Badu were a couple, they made some very beautiful music together. "Love of My Life (An Ode to Hip Hop)" was their best-known collaboration but our boy J...

Soul Bounce  |  02/26/2008 at 3:19 PM  |  Comments (3)  |  Permalink

'Southern' Roots

 

Sure, the song "Southern Girl" appeared on Rahzel's (of The Roots) 1999 effort Make the Music 2000.  However, anyone who's heard the joint knows that it has Erykah Badu's fingerprints all over it. In fact, I'll go ahead and say...

Harlem  |  02/26/2008 at 1:30 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

When Boyz II Men Made 'Sara Smile' On The Dance Floor

 

Believe it or not, this year Boyz II Men will celebrate twenty years of being together as a group. Originally formed as a quintet in '88, then finding runaway success as a quartet with their 1990 debut, Cooleyhighharmony, and...

Butta  |  02/21/2008 at 4:45 PM  |  Comments (10)  |  Permalink

Jermaine Dupri & Pete Rock Remix Monica

 

Remember the sweet, young, sassy Monica that wasn't singing about "Sideline Hoes"? Good times. Since I use this space to invoke the '90s as often as possible, it'd be irresponsible of me not to dig in the crates for some...

nOvaMatic  |  02/14/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (1)  |  Permalink

Primo Remixes Janet Twice

 

Since posting the Premier remix of "Just" I was reminded that I had some Janet Jackson remixes by him sitting deep in the crates. Although we're used to hearing her remixes by usual suspects like Jermaine Dupri and Timbaland, her...

nOvaMatic  |  02/07/2008 at 4:40 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Rahsaan Patterson Didn't Mean To 'Rock Ya Baby'

 

So last week while I was on a much-needed vacation (and getting some shade both under a palm tree and over here from the HNIC...smooches!), our illustrious Head Bouncer dug all up in and through the crates for five...

Butta  |  01/31/2008 at 5:30 PM  |  Permalink

Dupri Remixes Maxwell

 

Concluding my DITC marathon is this remix of Maxwell's "Lifetime" by Jermaine Dupri. This was commercially released as part of the maxi-single so I didn't have to dig that deep. Thing is, it's been about seven years already and I'm...

nOvaMatic  |  01/25/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Aaliyah & Armand Do It For the DnB Heads

 

After last week's Aaliyah tribute, I found myself not only re-watching Queen of the Damned, but parsing my Aaliyah collection for some gems I could share with the SoulBounce Reader. So I came across Armand Van Helden's Drum 'N Bass...

nOvaMatic  |  01/24/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Brandy Said 'The Boy is Mine' and She Meant It

 

I'm diggin' in the crates all week! Check back here every day at 4pm EST for some re-worked and overlooked gems!Last Friday I posted Will.I.Am's remix of the Michael Jackson/Paul McCartney duet "The Girl is Mine" and how he dumped...

nOvaMatic  |  01/23/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

DITC Bonus: Dwele 'Startin Somethin'

 

Dwele's interpolation of "Wanna Be Startin' Something" wipes the floor with Akon's remake for Thriller 25. I just thought I'd put that out there. Then again, the sound of tires screeching and felines copulating has more artistic integrity and aural...

nOvaMatic  |  01/23/2008 at 1:47 PM  |  Comments (12)  |  Permalink

Do You Know Who Frankie Is?

 

I'm diggin' in the crates every day this week. Try to keep up!Frankie's My Heart Belongs to You was released in the fall of 1997, when Bad Boy Hitman Chucky Thompson launched his own Chucklife imprint under Sony. The entire...

nOvaMatic  |  01/22/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Talib Kweli & Total Don't Wanna Love You

 

I'm diggin' in the crates every day this week at 4pm EST. Be sure to check back to hear some remixed, unreleased and overlooked gems.The first joint in my DITC Marathon is "The Anti-Love Movement" performed by Talib Kweli and...

nOvaMatic  |  01/21/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

112's Love Song To Puffy

 

If you're anything like me, then you may skip through the skits or interludes on a CD to get to the real tracks. That's gotta explain how I missed this gem of an interlude from 112's self-titled debut CD,...

Butta  |  01/18/2008 at 12:30 PM  |  Comments (7)  |  Permalink

Diggin' in the Crates: SWV & Pharrell's Oft-Overlooked Version

 

Here's a version of SWV's "Right Here" that is neither the original, the "Human Nature" remix, or the one you got if you ordered your CD from Columbia House back in the 90s (12 CDs for a penny!). This one...

nOvaMatic  |  01/10/2008 at 12:31 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In the Crates: Uncle Luke Touches Us Inappropriately On Christmas

 

Good thing Butta's out of town, because she adamantly opposes this kind of chicanery on SoulBounce."Santa Claus is coming" takes on a whole new meaning when it's uttered by Luther Campbell. In our final "Diggin' In the Crates" of the...

nOvaMatic  |  12/20/2007 at 1:57 PM  |  Comments (1)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In The Crates: Sting + Diddy + Pras Michel = A Red Light

 

For this week's Diggin' in the Crates, we decided to take it back to '97 when Diddy was all over everything. For The Very Best of Sting & The Police, Diddy recruited long suffering Fugees member Pras and some Full...

nOvaMatic  |  12/13/2007 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In The Crates: Remember When Hootie Tried Neo-Soul?

 

How many of y'all remember when Hootie kicked the Blowfish to the curb, signed with Hidden Beach Recordings and released an album under his government name, Darius Rucker? Yeah, I recall it well and found it a hard pill to...

Butta  |  12/06/2007 at 12:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In the Crates: Total's "Sittin' Home" Remix Should've Been More Major

 

It's the body I keep digging up because I probably have an agenda. If Total came out today, I wouldn't be posting about them on SoulBounce, much less be a fan. But during their brief tenure, they had a style...

nOvaMatic  |  11/29/2007 at 2:56 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In the Crates: Busta Rhymes Enlisted Greg Nice Once, and He Had Dreadlocks Too!

 

Remember maxi-singles, ya'll? For three or four bucks more than a basic $1.99 CD single, you'd get instrumentals, remixes, remix instrumentals and bonus tracks too. Just like vinyl! Busta Rhymes' "Dangerous" was one such single, and on it was this...

nOvaMatic  |  11/15/2007 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In the Crates: A Masterful Nina Simone Remix

 

So I was traipsing through the Soulman's spot recently when a commenter brought up Nina Simone's "See-Line Woman (Remix)" and I thought, "Well, yeah!" It probably doesn't get much more dope than this. (Do I use "dope" too much? Deal.)...

nOvaMatic  |  11/08/2007 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In the Crates: A Remix From Our 'Golden' Girl

 

We had quite a Battle of the Beats last week with the "Golden" showdown. I was convinced that Jill Scott's song was gonna beat the brakes off of the Chrisette Michelle track, but how mistaken was I? Who knew that...

Butta  |  11/01/2007 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

How Time Sorts Things...

 

Normally for our Diggin' in the Crates section we highlight rare, remixed or re-imagined tracks from our favorite artists. But today's edition was posted as a general reminder of what The Black Eyed Peas were before THE CHANGE. No slight...

nOvaMatic  |  10/16/2007 at 6:49 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Don't You Walk Away From Mary When She's Talking to You!

 

During the course of Mary J. Blige's Share My World, a track produced by Bryce Wilson (Groove Theory, Toni Braxton) surfaced called "Don't Walk Away". Not so much the banger that was Jade's, MJB's is earnest and kind of "searchy",...

nOvaMatic  |  10/09/2007 at 7:20 PM  |  Permalink

Ian Friday & Eric Roberson: "Everything (Tea Party Vocal Mix)"

 

After catching SoulBounce fave Eric Roberson perform at the Black Cat last Friday, Butta and I have been sifting through our own personal archives, trying to match each other beat for beat with exclusive, rare, or remixed material from...

nOvaMatic  |  10/02/2007 at 1:17 AM  |  Comments (1)  |  Permalink

Diggin' in the Crates: The Most Important Remix EVAR.

 

Ok, maybe not the most important, but definitely one of the hottest joints to drop during my coming-of-age. BLACKstreet's "Tonight's the Night" remix featuring SWV is right up there as far as mid-90's jeep music goes. The reason this track...

nOvaMatic  |  09/27/2007 at 6:56 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

A Gem Exposed: Valerie Simpson's Debut Still a Revelation

 

To the surprise of many, Valerie Simpson - the petite, micro-braided half of Ashford and Simpson - had a life on vinyl before she started churning out hits with her husband Nick. Having already penned Motown classics for everyone...

S. Flemming (Contributor)  |  09/26/2007 at 6:45 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Diggin' In the Crates: Raze It Up And 'Break 4 Love'

 

"Break 4 Love" by Raze is hands down one of the sexiest house songs ever. Ever. And is it any wonder with one of numerous mixes subtitled "Drop the Panties"? Yeah, the song is like that and like that.This...

Butta  |  09/19/2007 at 12:00 AM  |  Comments (3)  |  Permalink

Diggin' in the Crates: Remembering Jill's Early Dream

 

Before the release of Words and Sounds Vol. 1, Jill Scott contributed to the In Too Deep soundtrack with "Dreamin'." I remember hearing this on WHUR back in the day and not knowing who it was, but digging it's sweet...

nOvaMatic  |  09/17/2007 at 12:31 AM  |  Permalink

Diggin' in the Crates: Maxwell Puts it Down Prince Style

 

Back during the course of the Embrya album, Maxwell recorded a remix to "Matrimony: Maybe You", entitled "Matrimony: Maybe You or Maybe Not", which sounds like a straight carry, far as we're concerned. Whoever said this guy doesn't have a...

nOvaMatic  |  09/11/2007 at 10:34 PM  |  Comments (1)  |  Permalink