NNeka - The Uncomfortable Truth

The next Lauryn Hill? Love the Nigerian strongstress. The Uncomfortable Truth EP out now!

Her mixtape with J. Period is available HERE

Daily Throwback: Lucy Pearl "Dance Tonight"

This song takes me back. If you haven't heard of the short-lived Lucy Pearl, it was a group formed in 1999 as the brainchild of former Tony! Toni! Toné! member Raphael Saadiq and D'Angelo, both of which are in my top ten for neo-soul singers. However, D'Angelo backed out of the group due to scheduling conflicts. The other members of Lucy Pearl were Dawn Robinson of En Vogue and Ali Shaheed Muhammad ,formerly of A Tribe Called Quest.

This was their biggest hit.

Erykah Badu & Pharoahe Monch "The Healer" Remix

The Healer is my favorite song off her newest album, and this is a slightly remixed version, simply adding a verse by Pharoahe Monch. The refrain is amazing, listing the names of God in various languages (note I didn't say religions intentionally, just languages because whatever God or god or the prime-mover is, he or she or it is universal).

Humdililah, Allah, Jehovah,
Yahweh, Dios, Ma'at, Jah,
Rastafari, Fire, Dance, Sex, Music, Hip Hop.
It's bigger than religion, Hip Hop.
It's bigger than my n!ggas, Hip Hop.
It's bigger than the government.

Here she is explaining the inspiration for the song, produced by Madlib. Damn, she is beautiful.

Daily Throwback: Erykah Badu "On & On"

Erykah Badu is undoubtedly one of my two favorite female singers (Lauryn Hill being the other one, and only making the distinction because I have so many). I could write chapters on her soulful style, strong black-woman persona, earthiness, story-telling, etc. She's even a damn good actress. If you haven't seen her in Cider House Rules, you should get out and rent it (original book was written by John Irving, an Exeter grad).

Damn it, while I'm at it I'll just throw up a Lauryn Hill throwback too.