1. Mighty Peace Makers
2. Go-Go Lorenzo - You Can Dance
3. Mass Extension - Happy Feet
4. Rare Essence - Body Moves
5. Experience Unlimited - Ooh La La La
6. Class Band - Welcome to the Go-Go
7. Pumpblenders - Loveboat (live)
8. Trouble Funk - Double Trouble (live)
9. Trouble Funk - Trouble Funk Express
10. Experience Unlimited - Take the Picture (Pose)
11. Rare Essence - Dance to the Drummer’s Beat (live 1983)
12. Chance Band (live)
This video was on a promo cd I got from her a few years ago. Glad that it made its way to the internets. It’s funny how things come back around. King mentions Sylk City in the vid and last year he brought it back and I hear that they go hard again like the old days.
I damn near had a spiritual moment the last time she rocked in DC. Her command of her band, her material and her voice… I really felt like I was witnessing something akin to what our parents experienced watching Chaka, Tina or Gladys in their primes. Part of it is that Alma affirms that the musical traditions we cherish are being maintained, developed and pushed forward.
When Alma sings you just feel HAPPY. Maybe it’s because she’s so happy. Even if she just jumps up in the middle of a P.A. to belt out a couple with the DJ, she’s FEELING it. Her joy is contagious, virulent even. It’s like she has jumper cables for your soul.
Sometimes I get antsy waiting for the egregiously overdue solo album but there are still a bunch of her collabos floating around that I have yet to acquire and there are always new ones popping up out of nowhere. (Jungle Love? Word?!?)
BTW, if you missed Twilight when it dropped, please get caught up.
Another freestyle situation. Finally got in a lot of the new goodies that have been piling up in the lab. And my new baby is also making her first appearance.
1. Daru Beats - Gratefull feat. Deenahea (DNA)
2. Kissey Asplund & Suff Daddy (feat. Bless 1) - 99bottles
3. Erik Rico - Making Love
4. Nickodemus (Wonderwheel Records) exclusive joint
5. Coultrain - Green
6. Nicolay & Kay - I’ve Seen Rivers
7. Mr. Windmill & Jay.Soul - Hugo Hovenkampp
8. Trevor Lovey’s - Elevate Your Mind
9. The RH Factor - For Fun (SoulFeast Vocal Remix of “Common Freestyle” feat. Omar)
10. Reel People - Outta Love feat. Omar
11. Ave.To - Cuz Of You
12. Chris Barker - Breakin Bread edit
13. Demetrius Price - No Holdin’ Back
14. Moodyman - Black Mahogani
15. Amp Fiddler - I’m Doing Fine (live)*
16. Exchange Bureau - The End of Me & You feat. Salah Obeid
As if it weren’t crazy enough last time, this time OSUNLADE’s in the mix.
BLACK ROCK CITY: IMAGES BY OSUNLADE
(photos from Burning Man)
Art Opening Reception
Friday-May 2nd, 6pm-10pm Dissident Display Gallery
416 H Street. NE Washington, DC
rsvp: launchpaddesign@hotmail.com
Note**
exhibit attendees will receive a $10
discount stamp for the exclusive post-party…
AFTERBURN
featuring: OSUNLADE
DJ MANDRILL
Adrian Loving / DJ Damone / Stylus / FLX
DJ Iwah / Jahsonic / Chris Burns
9pm-5am
$20 includes one drink ticket
411 New York Ave. NE
warehouse loft studio
(alley entrance) near Maurice Electric Co.
4th and Penn St.
(Florida Ave. warehouse district)
rsvp: launchpaddesign@hotmail.com
No push button dj’ing with explosions and gun shots all over everything. No safety net (the only safety net being the ability to improvise when something goes wrong… and something ALWAYS goes wrong on stage).
And I don’t mean a rap group with a turntablist who does his battle routine in the middle of the show. I’ll take the good ones over most modern day hip-hop shows but it’s not an integrated experience.
A DJ + an MC + a band + dancers. Hella rare in 2008. You definitely don’t need all of those ingredients but the most important part is actually putting some thought into it at the very least. Some personality & charisma go a long way.
Why do people pay money to see bammas walk back and forth across the stage shouting over each other and hardly engaging with the audience except to berate them or bully them? Is that supposed to be entertaining?
No wonder I rarely go to hip-hop shows anymore. And with record sales in the toilet, EVERYBODY has to tour these days, so the quotient of crap shows is shooting upwards.
And the “shows” that aren’t outright belligerent are really pep rallies. Most times if you hear that an act rocked their show, it wasn’t because their performance was particularly engaging. It’s because they have hits and everyone was excited to be in the same room with their favorite rappers yelling the lyrics at the top of their lungs. It’s a karaoke party. Admittedly, that can be fun sometimes (like the last time I saw A Tribe Called Quest) but in general I need a much more substantial experience for my concert dollars.
I told Aunt Viv that it was going to be egregious. And it was, although it could have been worse. I got a late start and didn’t get to hit up Red Onion or CD Warehouse.
But it was a lovely day. I had just given Stealth a spring overhaul and was prepared to 2-wheel it across the city, filling my bag with an afternoon of digging and running errands.
Som was the first stop. The dollar bins were on fire, cuz!!!! Here’s the haul:
DJ Hut was next. They’ve been going hard since their triumphant return, stocking a bigger variety of interesting bits as well as more dj equipment and accessories. I came away with some heavy bangers.
The Greatest Hits of GAMM (CD)
J-Dilla - Jay Love Japan (CD)
GOOD GOD! Heavy Funk Covers of James Brown From All Over The World 1968 - 1974 (CD) The Rebirth - Love Issue (12″) let the stannery continue!!!
Alexander O’Neal feat. Bianca Lindgren - Saturday Love remixes (12″) cruuuucial!!!
Amerie - That’s What U R, DJ Leo & Guy Robin House rmx (12″)
Piranhahead & Diviniti - Music (12″)
Yam Who? - Wanna Make Luv 2 Ya/Buzz Reaction (12″)
Tony Allen - Kilode Reworks by Waajeed (12″)
I was running out of time by this point (late for a date!) but I had to dip in to Melody. They had huge bins of freebies and deep discounts but I didn’t have time to dig. They’re usually my source for DVD crack when I want to support the home team instead of the chain stores. Sadly, they didn’t have the Celia Cruz jont that’s at the top of my list now (bammas was CRANKIN’). I still came up on some staples.
Marvin Gaye - Live in ‘76 (DVD)
Erykah Badu - New Amerykah (CD)
Pete Rock - NY’s Finest (CD)
