Archive » Rewind

This page contains 115 entries posted under the "Rewind" category.

SoulBounce's Class Of 1992: TLC 'Ooooooohhh... On The TLC Tip'

As an impressionable child of the '90s, TLC were sort of my Chopin "Awakening" moment -- well, minus the extra-marital affair and the "walking-in-the-ocean" deal -- but something about these three women sparked femininity and the fight for individualism within...

AudioDiva | 02/02/2012 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1992: CeCe Peniston 'Finally'

Of all the euphoric jams about that light-bulb moment of love, nothing beats "Finally." Once the garbled scatting comes in with CeCe Peniston gushing about some "coca brown skinned and curly black haired" Adonis, you're unabashedly hooked. Plus you wish...

AudioDiva | 01/26/2012 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1992: Various Artists 'Juice: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack'

When Ernest Dickerson's film Juice and its soundtrack hit the streets, hip -hop heads were familiar with one 2Pac the emcee, but completely unprepared for Tupac Shakur, the actor. His performance as Bishop stood out way beyond the rapper-turned-actor deliveries...

Reg Jones | 01/19/2012 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1992: R. Kelly & Public Announcement 'Born Into The 90's'

I saw R. Kelly in concert before I actually paid attention to his songs. At the time I wasn't interested in most male R&B singers unless their name was Michael Jackson, so adding another one to my list wasn't at...

D-Money | 01/12/2012 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: A Tribe Called Quest 'The Low End Theory'

It's only fitting that we close out our Class of 1991 series with a question for the ages: Which is A Tribe Called Quest's best album, The Low End Theory or Midnight Marauders? Both have their strong points and classic...

D-Money | 12/30/2011 at 9:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Mint Condition 'Meant To Be Mint'

This year marked a milestone for the group Mint Condition with it being their 20th anniversary in the recording industry. In 1991, they released their debut album, Meant to be Mint, that would set in motion the public's 20-year love...

Butta | 12/30/2011 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Karyn White 'Ritual Of Love'

"Superwoman" was the feminist fist pump heard 'round the world in 1988 and in turn made sure that all eyes and ears would be locked to the voice behind such a proclamation. Karyn White was that voice who with a...

AudioDiva | 12/28/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Vanessa Williams 'The Comfort Zone'

Before she became a household name and face through Ugly Betty's "Wilhemina Slater," the Emmy, GRAMMY, and Tony Nominated, Vanessa L. Williams had quite the impressive string of successes in music, film, and theatre respectively. She also had the hearts...

Reg Jones | 12/27/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Mariah Carey 'Emotions'

Success is a double-edged sword. Triumph not only makes most artists household names, it also ups the ante for their next effort significantly. It's a lesson that Mariah Carey learned in 1991 when she tackled the sophomore slump with her...

D-Money | 12/26/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

From The Vault: D'Angelo Live At The North Sea Jazz Festival On The Voodoo Tour

With anticipation for D'Angelo's return to the stage next month in Europe at code red epidemic thirst level proportions, how would it feel to get your hands on a live recording of one of his shows from the Voodoo Tour?...

Butta | 12/26/2011 at 6:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Prince & The New Power Generation 'Diamond And Pearls'

When Prince's single "Gett Off" dropped in the summer of 1991 I was around eight, so a lot of the sexual overtones went straight over my head. Luckily for me, Prince's video for "Gett Off" cleared up any misconceptions that...

D-Money | 12/23/2011 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Various Artists 'Music From The Five Heartbeats'

The 1991 black soundtrack era was quickly becoming a profitable vehicle for record labels to promote new artists and capitalize on majors who weren't signed to their own label. It was getting so profitable that the films were sometimes secondary...

Reg Jones | 12/22/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Will Downing 'A Dream Fulfilled'

Class. Authenticity. Energy. Intelligence...Okay, okay, so it sounds like I'm one of those smiley lovelorn babblers trying to explain their perfect mate in a Match.com commercial, but it's really the criteria that I seek in a male singer, that is....

AudioDiva | 12/21/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Public Enemy 'Apocalypse 91...The Enemy Strikes Black'

Public Enemy was and is a force of nature, forever emblazoned in the minds of hip hop fans of all generations. Even younger rap enthusiasts can rattle off the iconic sound bites PE created: "Public Enemy #1." "Prophets of Rage."...

Ms. Krista | 12/20/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: DJ Quik 'Quik Is The Name'

For a brief blissful time, DJ Quik's platinum-selling album, Quik is the Name, was the soundtrack for Friday night bid whist and chicken wing parties with my college friends. To this day, when I hear the bass line drop for...

Ms. Krista | 12/19/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Lenny Kravitz 'Mama Said'

I have a confession to make. I was waaaay late on the Lenny Kravitz bandwagon. When his sophomore album, Mama Said, was originally released, I turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to it. All I had known about...

Ivory | 12/16/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Black Sheep 'A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing'

There are countless instances when the best songs on an album are often the ones released as singles. Looking back on Black Sheep's 1991 debut album, A Wolf In Sheep's Clothing, this was definitely the case. The crazy thing was...

Butta | 12/15/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Crystal Waters 'Surprise'

La da dee la da da, la da dee la da da... And with that refrain Crystal Waters managed to captivate (and slightly annoy) the music listening population back in the early '90s. For five-year-old me, "Gypsy Woman (She's Homeless)"...

AudioDiva | 12/14/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Stevie Wonder 'Music From The Movie Jungle Fever'

Every child believes their dad is a superhero. He's the strongest, fastest, biggest man in the whole wide world...until you beat him at something or find out you're stronger than he is. No one wants to see their superhero age....

Reg Jones | 12/13/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Gang Starr 'Step In The Arena'

Generally, your first album is considered the starting point of what could be a great career. However, we've seen many careers that didn't pop until after their second outing -- most notably Nirvana and Public Enemy. Gang Starr also proved...

Ms. Krista | 12/12/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Jodeci 'Forever My Lady'

In 1991, the popular R&B landscape was undergoing a massive overhaul, especially on the group front. It was no longer just the music our parents listened to, thanks to artists such as Guy, New Edition and Boyz II Men. R&B...

Ivory | 12/09/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class of 1991: Naughty By Nature 'Naughty By Nature'

Before Naughty By Nature, hip hop was a pretty different place, and its artists a little more one-note. Your beats were menacing or they were lighthearted; your subject matter political or party-oriented. Then three boys from East Orange, New Jersey...

Remi | 12/08/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Shanice 'Inner Child'

Shanice Lorraine Wilson-Knox, better known simply as Shanice, was always destined to become famous. Her star shone brightly from an early age, appearing alongside musical legend Ella Fitzgerald in a commercial for KFC, becoming one of the Kids Incorporated alongside...

SoulUK | 12/07/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Various Artists 'Music From The Motion Picture Boyz N The Hood'

The summer of 1991 provided quite a bit of education on African-America for those actually paying any attention. If you can look past the entertainment, rap music, and burgeoning black film directors finally getting regular runs in major film productions...

Reg Jones | 12/06/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Cypress Hill 'Cypress Hill'

My first reaction when I heard "How I Could Just Kill a Man" the first single from Cypress Hill's self-titled debut album, on Yo! MTV Raps was one of shock and awe. Instantly, I knew it was like nothing the world...

Ms. Krista | 12/05/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Luther Vandross 'Power Of Love'

You know how you can tell that your favorite artist has made it? If all you have to do is say his or her first name and everybody knows who you're talking about. Aretha. Stevie. Michael. And then there was...

Ivory | 12/04/2011 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Keith Washington 'Make Time For Love'

Moving to Washington, DC in 1990 introduced me to many things, and one of the most endearing besides Ben's Chili Bowl and mambo sauce has been the Quiet Storm on WHUR, the radio station that first introduced the late-night slow...

Butta | 12/03/2011 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Boyz II Men 'Cooleyhighharmony'

I can say in all honesty that Boyz II Men were the first R&B group that I stanned for. True story. Not the Jackson 5. Not Kool & The Gang. Not even New Edition. But Boyz II Men in all of...

Butta | 12/01/2011 at 9:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Phyllis Hyman 'Prime Of My Life'

When you're hurting, there is truly nothing like the healing power of music. I learned this in latter half of 1991 from none other than Phyllis Hyman and her album Prime of My Life thanks to an old flame who...

Butta | 11/30/2011 at 9:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Main Source 'Breaking Atoms'

Main Source's Breaking Atoms has always had a mystique among hip hop connoisseurs that I've never completely understood. Since Main Source only released one album I always questioned whether it was more coveted than classic. During the '90s, when it...

Ms. Krista | 11/29/2011 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Lisa Fischer 'So Intense'

Back in 2008, I got to scratch off on my "Things-To-Do-Before-I-Croak" list to catch Tina Turner during her 50th anniversary concert tour. While Ms. Legs strutted off stage to take a breather (the woman is in her 70s, okay?) none...

AudioDiva | 11/28/2011 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: BeBe & CeCe Winans 'Different Lifestyles'

It's odd how some albums or songs find us. How we get thrown into situations, meet certain people who lead us to discover sounds that we would've never thought to tune into. It may sound like I'm about to spin...

AudioDiva | 11/27/2011 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Various Artists 'Music From The Motion Picture New Jack City'

1991 was a landmark year for black film. That year saw the release of several films that have gone on to classic status, including The Five Heartbeats, Boyz n the Hood, Hangin' with the Homeboyz, and Straight Out of Brooklyn....

D-Money | 11/26/2011 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: The Brand New Heavies 'The Brand New Heavies'

While in the United States the late '80s and early '90s saw hip hop, and it's younger, more soulful sibling New Jack Swing at the forefront of Black music, in the UK it was acid jazz that had the ear...

SoulUK | 11/25/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Queen Latifah 'Nature Of A Sista'

What do you do for an encore? Queen Latifah's second album, Nature of a Sista, begs that question like no other. I mean how do you top a classic debut album like All Hail the Queen, which produced four hit...

Ms. Krista | 11/24/2011 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Gerald Levert 'Private Line'

As my mom, dad, uncles and aunts loved the O'Jays, I felt it my civic (colored) duty to love LeVert. From their Bloodline debut and "Pop, Pop, Pop (Goes My Mind)" as their first hit single, to me they seemed...

Reg Jones | 11/23/2011 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: De La Soul 'De La Soul Is Dead'

De La Soul's 1991 album, De La Soul Is Dead, does three things that have become a lost art in hip hop: takes a stand, tells stories, and has fun. It is remarkable that this album was born out of...

Ms. Krista | 11/22/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Tevin Campbell 'T.E.V.I.N.'

Speaking of Tevin Campbell often brings up either a nostalgia for the time when the then teenager ruled the charts or, unfortunately, snickers about his solicitation arrest and subsequent fall from grace. While Tevin's career was pretty much derailed by...

D-Money | 11/21/2011 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Sounds Of Blackness 'The Evolution Of Gospel'

Before Kirk Franklin brought the gospel to the clubs with "Stomp," Jimmy Jam, Terry Lewis, and the Sounds of Blackness brought Jesus to the jump offs. Capitalizing on the big-voiced dance queen divas craze that Martha Wash and Loleatta Holloway...

Reg Jones | 11/20/2011 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Color Me Badd 'C.M.B.'

The summer of 1991 found me as a geeky, socially awkward teen whose primary escapes were through music and mushy romance novels. Lost in those two worlds, I would sit and daydream of the day I'd be swept off my...

Ivory | 11/19/2011 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: 2Pac '2Pacalypse Now'

This week I watched the documentary Marathon Boy, about a six-year-old distance running prodigy in India named Bhudia Singh. I couldn't help but see the corollary between the life of this boy and that of Tupac Shakur. Initially, there is...

Ms. Krista | 11/18/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Jody Watley 'Affairs Of The Heart'

Do people still say "fierce"? Or have we placed the word into a retirement home for inactive overused words since 2011 rolled around? Whatever, I'm still using it, because whenever I look at Miss Jody Watley, the word comes immediately...

AudioDiva | 11/17/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Alexander O'Neal 'All True Man'

In 1991, where live music was dead outside of jazz, and R&B was looking a lot more like pap music, the leading man was as rare a find as two-parent households in a post-Reaganomic Black America. Alexander O'Neal, with only...

Reg Jones | 11/16/2011 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Michael Jackson 'Dangerous'

As an addition to Michael Jackson's commercial catalog, Dangerous was doomed from the jump. As the first product delivered under Jackson's record-setting $65-million contract with Sony, it was meant to restore him to juggernaut form after the relatively disappointing sales...

Remi | 11/15/2011 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1991: Heavy D And The Boyz 'Peaceful Journey'

Welcome to the commencement of SoulBounce's Class of 1991 series where we'll be taking a nostalgic look back at selected albums that turned 20 years old this year. After the success of last year's Class of 1990, we had to...

Butta | 11/14/2011 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

African Artists Show Us That 'To Be Young, Gifted And Black' Is Where It's At

This past weekend while searching far and wide for new Afrobeat music, I happened across this, an update on a classic Nina Simone song by African artists. As part of a campaign for South African-based music station Channel O a...

ChrisAlexander | 04/05/2011 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Whitney Houston 'I'm Your Baby Tonight'

How fitting that our Class of 1990 series ends with the incomparable Whitney Houston. While not quite yet the Queen of Pop and the best-selling and award-winning female entertainer of all time that she is lauded as being today, Whitney...

Moon | 12/10/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: A Tribe Called Quest 'People's Instinctive Travels And The Paths Of Rhythm'

I don't know about y'all, but I had a good time when I started college in 1990. Maybe a little too good of a time failing out of my pre-medicine program and all, but that's beside the point. My undergraduate...

Butta | 12/09/2010 at 10:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Lalah Hathaway 'Lalah Hathaway'

What could an 18-year-old possibly know about love? Well, if you were this 18-year-old, as I was in the summer of 1990, then you couldn't tell me that I hadn't fallen in it the previous summer with a fine-as-wine college...

Butta | 12/08/2010 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Digital Underground 'Sex Packets'

Digital Underground changed the game when they emerged on the scene in 1990. Actually, let's back up a bit. I distinctly remember "Doowutchyalike" getting myself and my eighth grade cohorts all the way hype on many a Saturday morning when it...

ill Mami | 12/07/2010 at 7:00 PM | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Madonna 'The Immaculate Collection'

That The Immaculate Collection is the biggest selling compilation album by a solo artist OF ALL TIME is no big surprise when you factor in the consummate icon that is Madonna Louise Ciccone. That even her greatest hits album would...

huny | 12/06/2010 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Soul II Soul 'Vol II: 1990 - A New Decade'

In 1990, Soul II Soul was still riding high off the success of their massive debut album, 1989's Club Classics Vol. One. Heads, and I was one of them, flocked to the record with its mix of soul, funk and...

Butta | 12/03/2010 at 9:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Ice Cube 'AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted'

For those of us in the know, Ice Cube was once not such a lovable, affable actor as he has been portrayed in some of his recent movie roles. For those of us who were of age in 1990 and...

ill Mami | 12/02/2010 at 6:00 PM | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Brand Nubian 'One For All'

My fondest memory of Brand Nubian's One For All comes courtesy of an exchange I had with a good friend of mine who was schooled in the knowledge of the Nation of Gods and Earths. One day while walking home...

ill Mami | 12/01/2010 at 7:00 PM | Permalink

Happy Birthday, Janelle Monáe!

I first discovered the wonder of Janelle Monáe in 2006 via MySpace. Her first release, "Lettin' Go," a song about fearlessness and freedom from Big Boi's Got Purp? Vol. 2 compilation, won me over instantly. It was particularly timely for...

ChrisAlexander | 12/01/2010 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Boogie Down Productions 'Edutainment'

Boogie Down Productions was a staple of my high school years. Most of the kids I grew up with adored, respected, and gave much props to Bronx, New York's Kris Parker aka KRS-One. It's funny to think that people in my age...

ill Mami | 11/30/2010 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: George Michael 'Listen Without Prejudice Vol. I'

When your debut solo album spawns six top-five singles and nabs you an arm full of awards, how do you follow-up that type of success? Well, if you're George Michael, you go left. After enjoying a dizzying ride to the...

Ivory | 11/29/2010 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Black Box 'Dreamland'

1990 was the best of times and the worst of times for Martha Wash. Sure, she was getting work thanks to her phenomenal voice, which first came to prominence as a background vocalist for disco diva Sylvester in the late...

Butta | 11/26/2010 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Oleta Adams 'Circle Of One'

I'm fairly certain that I stumbled upon Oleta Adams' sophomore album Circle Of One after hearing that one of my favorite bands of the '80s, Tears For Fears, had plucked her from relative obscurity after hearing her sing in a...

ill Mami | 11/25/2010 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Tony! Toni! Toné! 'The Revival'

With each passing year of a child's life, astounding changes and advancements are made in their lives. Consider that in the span of four short years, the typical high school aged child will go from childhood to adolescence to almost...

ill Mami | 11/24/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Teena Marie 'Ivory'

In 1988, I was a freshman in high school and a fast fan of Mary Christine Brockert, known more commonly by her stage name, Teena Marie. Really, I had been a fan of hers since the early '80s when I was...

Moon | 11/23/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Salt-N-Pepa 'Blacks' Magic'

I cannot believe how young I was when Salt-N-Pepa's Blacks' Magic was released. How is it possible that "Let's Talk About Sex" was my jam in middle school--and my parents didn't freak? What's more, two years later, at 13, TLC...

huny | 11/22/2010 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Ralph Tresvant 'Ralph Tresvant'

During the New Edition diaspora of the late 1980s, which saw the successful solo ventures of Johnny Gill and Bobby Brown, Ralph Tresvant also decided to make a solo run. He was perfect as the lead singer of New Edition,...

Ro | 11/19/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Public Enemy 'Fear Of A Black Planet'

"Fight the Power" from Public Enemy's 1990 platinum album, Fear of a Black Planet, is easily one of the most important songs in hip hop, representing the raw, intense and powerful nature of public outcry through music. While the song debuted in...

Moon | 11/18/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Prince 'Graffiti Bridge'

After making the movie Purple Rain, Prince shoulda probably just quit while he was ahead on the film tip. Not saying that his subsequent theatrical releases didn't have their entertaining moments, but nothing could quite possibly measure up to the...

Butta | 11/17/2010 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Pebbles 'Always'

Confession time: Pebbles was my first. The very first artist that I wanted to BE, that is. She was gorgeous with that metric ton of curly hair, tight black everything, a constant red lip. And she was all brazen attitude...

huny | 11/16/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Mariah Carey 'Mariah Carey'

In 1990, the summer before my senior year in high school, I was attending a summer program at the University of Maryland, chilling one day in my dorm room, flipping through the radio stations as I tried to find something...

Moon | 11/15/2010 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: LL Cool J 'Mama Said Knock You Out'

After a five-year rise to fame that began in 1985 with Radio, lots of ladies were loving cool James. Many, that is, except this pre-pubescent lady here who didn't really get into LL Cool J like that until his Mr....

Ro | 11/12/2010 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Keith Sweat 'I'll Give All My Love To You'

If you were to ask me anything about Keith Sweat today, I'd likely swear to the high heavens that I had never been a fan of anything beyond Make It Last Forever. My mom, on the other hand, has loved...

Ivory | 11/11/2010 at 7:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Johnny Gill 'Johnny Gill'

Johnny Gill's self-titled album arrived on the scene in 1990 at the perfect time. Fortunately for Johnny, Wesley Snipes had nearly singlehandedly brought chocolate-hued brothers back onto the to-do lists of sistas who fantasized about them. Additionally, despite the fact...

ill Mami | 11/10/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Hi-Five 'Hi-Five'

I have so many happy memories of Hi-Five during the summer of 1990. Without a doubt, everytime I think of the song "I Like The Way (The Kissing Game)," I immediately think of myself singing rather badly and loudly with...

ill Mami | 11/09/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Guy 'The Future'

I wasn't kidding last when I stated that I once got into a fight over Guy's The Future. My cousin, as delusional as she was into believing that she could just leave for college and leave her CD of this...

ill Mami | 11/08/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: En Vogue 'Born To Sing'

In 1990, I was a geeky teenaged thickum struggling to fit into a world that was less than welcoming. Holding myself against society's standards, I wasn't light enough, thin enough or cute enough (in hindsight, surely the jheri curl that...

Ivory | 11/05/2010 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Deee-Lite 'World Clique'

This Class of 1990 series is near and dear to my heart because I'm actually a member of that class, having graduated from high school and started college in that year. Growing up in South Florida pre-Internet age, BET and...

Butta | 11/04/2010 at 8:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: C+C Music Factory 'Gonna Make You Sweat'

My relationship with the music of 1990 is a vague one: I was seven years old. After wrapping my mind around that for a while and really trying to parse through the music of my childhood, most of it came...

Ro | 11/03/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Bell Biv Devoe 'Poison'

New Edition had their share of major success in their heyday, even way past their end-of-puberty expiration date. Bobby Brown was a certified superstar, although his voice couldn't hold any weight compared to Ralph Tresvant's. As a child, after hearing...

ill Mami | 11/02/2010 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Class Of 1990: Anita Baker 'Compositions'

Welcome to the first installment of SoulBounce's Class of 1990. This series is meant to highlight those albums that served as the soundtracks to our lives some 20 years ago. I know it seems like not so long ago that...

ill Mami | 11/01/2010 at 5:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Feminist Song Case Study #4: Kina's 'Girl From the Gutter'

Pulling off a great retributive song is more difficult that it may seem. There are many songs that are angry and vitriolic, and they're great but are often devoid of a stronger message than "go to hell" or "I'm better...

Ro | 04/30/2010 at 1:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Feminist Song Case Study #3: TLC's 'Hat 2 Da Back'

Although keeping these studies within the 21st century was an unspoken goal, when serendipity enters the equation they can dip into the more distant past. So, when I heard Chilli acknowledge she considers TLC feminist in a recent interview promoting...

Ro | 04/19/2010 at 12:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Feminist Song Case Study #2: 'Bag Lady' By Erykah Badu

Erykah Badu exudes self-assuredness and has built a career of evading the typical traps of celebrity, all while becoming a superstar. Coolly baiting our collective breath for years between new albums and consistently flipping two Soulquarian birds at the music...

Ro | 03/30/2010 at 11:45 PM | Comments () | Permalink

When Erykah Took 'Tyrone' To The Studio

I don't know what I was doing at the time, but I somehow managed to miss Erykah Badu on tour when she hit the circuit after Baduizm dropped. Despite my personal FAIL, I got to experience the next best thing...

Butta | 03/30/2010 at 4:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Badu's Best Video Moments

Unless you were trapped underneath a rock this past weekend, then you likely have either seen, or at least heard about Erykah Badu's latest video that had the internet-world buzzing, "Window Seat." Though seemingly simplistic in nature, the video has...

Ivory | 03/30/2010 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Jill Scott's Best Live Collabos

Jill Scott is fierceness all by her lonesome, but every now and then again she will partner with someone who will complement the Jilly from Philly style we dig on so much. While it would be all too easy to...

Moon | 03/19/2010 at 4:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Feminist Song Case Study #1: 'Thickness' By Jill Scott

While bouncing around some websites, I noticed that some had compiled lists of feminist* songs. But the closest that these lists came to the types of music we feature here were Aretha Franklin and Destiny's Child. While these women have...

Ro | 03/19/2010 at 12:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Essential Sade

When the group Sade burst onto the scene in 1984 they brought something different to the table. Fronted by the breathtaking beauty Helen Folasade Adu, their music was a fusion of Jazz, Pop and Soul the likes which we had...

SoulBounce | 03/11/2010 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

SoulBounce's Top 5 Whitney Duets

She's a movement by herself, but she's a force when she sings together with other artists as well. No review of Whitney Houston's body of work would be complete with acknowledging her duets. She has sung many over the course...

SoulBounce | 03/03/2010 at 3:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Remember The Time: 'Whitney Houston' At 25

"We Are The World" wasn't the only thing to turn 25 this year. Another hallmark recording hit that milestone on Valentine's Day of this year, when Whitney Houston's eponymous debut logged in a quarter of a century. With all of...

Harlem | 03/03/2010 at 12:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Hurry & Watch These Prince Rehearsal Videos Before King Purple Shuts Them Down!

Thanks to the folks at The Daily Swarm, we can all enjoy, albeit temporarily, Prince's rehearsal videos from 1984. Coincidentally, that also happens to be the same year that I declared to The Creator that I wanted to grow up...

ill Mami | 02/15/2010 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Where Is Everyone From Biggie's 'One More Chance' Video Now?

The temperature is cooling, leaves are falling and the morning air has become extra crispy. Without warning, autumn has slipped in right under our noses and makes us wonder: Where did the summer go? The heat can be uncomfortable,...

Fave | 10/01/2009 at 1:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

'The Electric Company' To Get Shock Of Hip Hop Energy

Twenty-eight years after its premiere on PBS as part of the Childrens' Television Workshop, the beloved The Electric Company will be receiving a makeover of sorts. In an effort to remain contemporary, TEC will have elements of Hip Hop infused...

ill Mami | 01/13/2009 at 1:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Happy Birthday, Dizzy Gillespie!

Like many a youth whose childhood does not provide the unconditional love they expect from a parent, in this case his father, John Birks "Dizzy" Gillespie took to getting into trouble and often found himself fighting his peers to tame...

ill Mami | 10/21/2008 at 6:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Finding Comfort In Sesame Street

It's so hard to say goodbye to yesterday isn't it? It's so hard to see icons that your parents loved and whose love you inherited pass on just as much. For those of you still reeling from the announcement of...

ill Mami | 10/18/2008 at 3:05 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Happy Birthday, John Coltrane

John William Coltrane, or "Trane," as he was better known, is considered one of the leading saxaphonists and composers of his time, in what turned out to be a time cut way too short by liver cancer at the age...

Harlem | 09/23/2008 at 4:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Revisiting Some of Our Favorite Soulful Moments From Black Sitcoms

One thing I miss about Black sitcoms are those episodes where the main cast would just let their hair down and celebrate our music. It was key to the show's cultural fidelity to reference the songs we love--a wink, a...

nOvaMatic | 08/16/2008 at 12:54 PM | Comments () | Permalink

When 'Hey Love' Was the Party Starter!

Remember back in the day when people used to watch commercials? Yeah, me neither. That's right up there with receiving albums through the mail, and paying for shipping and handling. Ancient, right? Well so is this clip that was sent...

Harlem | 08/14/2008 at 1:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Isaac Hayes: Never Can Say Goodbye

It's happening far too often now. We're losing extraordinary people who have contributed extraordinarily to our lives at too fast a pace. This past weekend, we lost a multi-faceted talent in Isaac Hayes, and more than with any of the...

Harlem | 08/11/2008 at 4:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Stevie Wonder and His Afro Rock Out on Sesame Street

The coolest thing I came across today as I was shaking down the Internet for news is something that isn't news. It's a clip of Stevie Wonder performing "Superstition" on Sesame Street some 35 years ago. It's over six minutes...

nOvaMatic | 08/03/2008 at 12:51 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Happy Birthday, Gladys Knight

There's a lyric in one of Gladys Knight and the Pips' songs--1973's "The Best Thing That Happened to Me"--that makes me smile each time I hear it. It's the line where Gladys sings about how, even when times were hard,...

Harlem | 05/28/2008 at 3:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Loose Ends: Where Are They Now?

The things we do for our readers.Recently, a SoulBounce visitor emailed us to inquire if we could track down some of our favorite old school soul artists to bring their fans up-to-date. Many artists were mentioned, but it was Loose...

ill Mami | 05/15/2008 at 2:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Happy Birthday, Stevie Wonder

How do you say 'happy birthday' to a man who actually wrote a "Happy Birthday" song? How do you put into words the impact he's had on R&B and soul music history? How do you pay all due respect to...

Harlem | 05/13/2008 at 12:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Leon Ware's Influence on Marvin Gaye

Last night on PBS, "Marvin Gaye: What's Going On" aired as part of its American Masters series. The documentary focused on Marvin's life, especially his emergence as a politically conscious soul singer. Gaye, a multi-instrumentalist and composer, often arranged and...

ill Mami | 05/08/2008 at 3:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Happy Birthday, Angela Bofill

Today, May 2nd, is the birthday of the diva known to many as Angelita de la Noche (Little Angel of the Night). We know her best as Angela Bofill, the professionally trained Latina soul singer whose powerful, distinctive voice gave...

Harlem | 05/02/2008 at 4:05 PM | Comments () | Permalink

When Gang Starr Let Everybody Know Their 'Steez'

As you all know by now, we're doing the damn thing, counting down our favorite soul/R&B songs over the next few months. But don't fret. That doesn't mean we've forgotten about the hip-hop that shaped our lives. In fact, over...

Harlem | 04/09/2008 at 12:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Happy Birthday, Marvin

If the definition of soul music is literal in that it comes directly from the soul, then the personification of that music has to be Marvin Pentz Gay, Jr., better known to the world as Marvin Gaye.It's never only...

Harlem | 04/02/2008 at 12:15 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Rewind: InI

I have been reminiscing about my college years lately, namely the music that provided the soundtrack to my life back then. In those days, I was an unapologetic backpacker, tramping around the sidewalks, attempting to escape to the world within...

ill Mami | 03/27/2008 at 12:11 PM | Permalink

'Come On & Go With' Teddy On His Birthday

March 26 is truly a special day. Not only is it Diana Ross' birthday, but someone else's dear to my heart: Teddy Pendergrass. He was my first love. I first saw Teddy P in Dallas with my parents at a concert that...

ill Mami | 03/26/2008 at 3:30 PM | Comments () | Permalink

When Ms. Ross Was Truly The Lady Boss

As you can probably tell, I've been in a nostalgic mood lately, using Women's History Month as my own personal tribute to my R&B lady loves. Well, I'd be remiss if I continued to do these without acknowledging the one...

Harlem | 03/26/2008 at 12:10 PM | Comments () | Permalink

When 'Crack Logic' Hit You All At Once

This week, in honor of Women's History Month, we've been featuring some of our favorite female artists in flashback videos. There's no way we could end the week without featuring one of the most infamous video clips in the history...

Harlem | 03/21/2008 at 3:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

When Mimi Still Had Visions of Love

She's everywhere these days, discussing her lack of self-esteem and her need for a famous partner. So in order to stop my right eye from twitching and remembering how much of a fan I am, today's tribute to Women's...

Harlem | 03/20/2008 at 3:00 PM | Comments () | Permalink

Before There Was Supersize, There Was 'Make It Big'

Tuesday's Morning Soul comments thread became a Wham! stan confessional of sorts, including your female SoulBounce editors waxing poetic about how Wham! was the best thing at the time since jelly bracelets. So what is it about Wham! that resonates so...

ill Mami | 03/20/2008 at 11:00 AM | Comments () | Permalink