I know there’s a flood of artists paying their respects to Michael Jackson right now, ranging from touching to creative to regrettable. That flood will only increase to a tsunami as time goes on, but seriously, this one right here is among the best I’ve heard. Nick’s vocal study of some of MJ’s most beloved melodies and harmonies is elegant, poignant and expertly executed.
If you’re not hip to young Nicholas, you can play catch-up here and here.
Jamil and I were feverishly preparing for this non-stop from the time we got the heartbreaking news. In his words:
“Preparing for this gig was like getting ready to preach your daddy’s funeral.”
So many of you were looking for something that could help you manage the grief and we needed you there to help us manage ours. The turnout overpowered any possibility of ventilation but you all hung in there. The funk of 40,000 years for real!
Here’s our entire MJ memorial service that ran to almost 5 hours total.
Not just a perfectly crafted and executed song, but a real sentiment for all of us born in the ’70s. Even as we watched him deteriorate before our eyes - physically and spiritually - we just figured one day he’d turn into a swirl of dust and vanish like in the vid for “Remember The Time.”
I don’t yet have the words but my virtual and real worlds are populated with those who speak for me.
All I could do yesterday when I finally broke away from the Twitter wake was head to the designated gathering spot for times when things of black import go down (U Street) and try to process with friends.
Shortly after, the real obsession began. I greeted the sun this morning without sleep, having spent the entire night whipping my Michael Jackson discography into shape. I did the same for James Brown, for Dilla. As we are essentially musical evangelists, it’s a DJ’s sacred duty in times like these to canonize our musical heroes output and feed it back to the faithful in a way that maximizes the boost to the spirit.
We’re going to be ministering to the flock for a long time on this one. Please do it with verve, creativity and an avoidance of cliche. So many of our icons are plagued by personal demons, the way to balance it out is to expose as much of the beauty as possible. And since Michael’s catalog is so deep, there’s epic beauty beyond the obvious hits.
I’ll have to return to this, it’s just too much to absorb now. Download these, then holla at me and the homie Jahsonic at Marvin on Monday.
6/25/09 - Soul Controllers & LSP remember the King of Pop on Decipher
(89.3 FM WPFW, Washington DC)
You missed it and you’re kicking yourself. You were there and you want to relive it. You need the perfect soundtrack to your outdoor summer gathering. You’re welcome.
A recent jaunt across the Atlantic yielded some nicely accomplished missions, stronger alliances and much needed R&R. I even engaged in a bit of tourism that was absent from previous trips.
In between kicking it with the crew and watching Man. U take their medicine in the Champions League final, I managed to rally the troops and have a studio session, the results of which I’m pretty excited about.
Then we all went to Alicante, Spain and spent a staggering amount of time blasting music by the pool, scaring European white folks on the beach with our unrestrained mirth, BBQ’ing and concocting every permutation in the pantheon of adult beverages. Big up Ayra & Ira and the Pancake Gallery for hooking it up!
But about that tune… Working on getting that to the people as soon as possible. Watch this space.
