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HERBIE HANCOCK- MWANDISHI

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Herbie Hancock Mwandishi (1971) Warner Bros. Records Dateline: Sunday, April 26, 2020 Herbie Hancock’s Mwandishi band is one of the biggest inspiration in developing my art life. With the Mwandishi band, everyone was assigned Swahili names. It was tailored made to fit them as an instrument to the universe. Herbie was named Mwandishi meaning The Composer. Mwandishi was also part of a connection to the homeland. Along with a spiritual connection to home and an elevation to the future. At the time, I was slowly starting my quest for a higher plane. Trying to figure out where to go.  It s a journey that I’m still working on as I'm writing this. Along with me forging my way with my own identity. Being delved heavily into listening to the Mwandishi series, I decided to name myself through my beliefs that I share in my life. Rudo, which means Love in Shona, Amani meaning peace in Swahili and Olukayode meaning happiness in Yoruba. It’s my way of a deeper connection to home...
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EDDIE HARRIS- INSTANT DEATH

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Eddie Harris Instant Death (1972) Atlantic Records Dateline:  Saturday, April 25, 2020 No matter how you feel about sampling, hip hop does a great job at keeping the songs alive. It doesn’t matter if it’s keeping the original song intact or chopping it to the point where it's unrecognizable. You’re hearing the original source when you’re listening through the drum machine and the lyrics. As far as getting fair compensation goes, that’s another topic for another day. I don’t follow the x brought me here trend like they do on the comments section on YouTube but I was introduced to this album through Brand Nubian. For me, I get intrigued by how an artist uses a sample and if it’s creative and inspiring enough to make me want to track down the source and start a relationship with the song. I’m always on a quest to learn something new and when I hear an inspiring art form like sampling, it makes me want to track down the album too. So I can get a full appreciation of ...
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EARTH, WIND & FIRE- FACES

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Earth, Wind & Fire Faces (1980) ARC/Columbia Records Dateline: Saturday, April 25, 2020 Is it blasphemous to pass on an Earth Wind & Fire album while digging? Especially if it's an album during their classic period? I learned over time when crate digs is to not put all of my eggs in one basket because I know that I’ll be broke by the time I leave the store. That's just how my mind works.  If I had my way, I would be most of the vinyls I choose.  It's hard to make final cuts, like a coach on the last day of exhibition games.  Still, it’s Earth Wind & Fire. It’s one of the rites of passage. Just like Prince, The Beatles, Miles. You can’t leave the store without buying at least one album. I think I was banking on seeing Faces again when I went digging. Or maybe it was the unrecognizable songs in my mind. that I didn't buy it Whatever my reasons was (no pun intended) Faces was no never mind to me. Then, I decided to listen to the whole album o...
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ICE CUBE- KILL AT WILL

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Ice Cube Kill at Will (1990) Priority Records Dateline: Saturday, April 25, 2020 I’m on my Rick Pitino right now. Straight Outta Compton Ice Cube is not walking through that door. Amerikkka’s Most Wanted Ice Cube’s not walking through that door. Boyz N The Hood Ice Cube’s not walking through that door. And if he does, he’s gonna turn around in make another Are We There Yet? I’m not mad at Cube at all. He's done really well for himself since he left N.W.A.  Which reminds me, I have to remind myself to catch the Big3 games on TV when the season starts.  I really enjoyed Are We There Yet like the next person? Just like I enjoyed Eddie Murphy in Dr. Dolittle and Daddy Day Care. It showed a different layer to them. Granted, I still dig Cube and Eddie when they’re at their edgiest. Now, it’s just a different kind of edge.  Loved Cube in Fist Fight .  I heard Eddie brought his old magic in the Dolemite movie.  I didn't get a chance to see it yet....
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3RD BASS- THE CACTUS ALBUM

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3rd Bass The Cactus Album (1989) Def Jam Recordings/Columbia Records Dateline: April 25, 2020 This is one of my favorite albums of all time. Here's a little trivia.  My Dad got his nickname from 3rd Bass. My Dad’s nickname was Pete. That’s what everyone in the family called him. How did he got that nickname is a mystery to me because his name is not Peter. At any rate, when 3rd Bass became popular we all called Dad Pete Nice, after Prime Minister Pete Nice, one of the MC’s in 3rd Bass and that stuck with him until the day that he went home. You know who 3rd Bass reminds me of ?  The Dave Chappelle Show because both of them were around for about two years and faded away into a mystery in the sunset. With us wanting to know when are they coming back. I wonder if they stay around a little longer, how would they fare in the hip hop climate of the day?  They probably would have been pitted against the Beastie Boys the whole time because that’s what the media...
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THE JETS

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THE JETS (1985) MCA Records Dateline: April 25, 2020 The Jets will always have a special place in my heart. Because it takes me back to a time when things were simple. Some things of my childhood I don’t remember but the things I do remember is connected through music. The Jets was one of my childhood memories growing up in the 80s that I do remember, along with the Purple Rain, Whitney Houston and the David Hasselhoff posters that were hanging from my sister's wall.  Listening to Crush On You and You’ve Got It All is one beautiful medley of what life was like back in the day. Like I said before, I don’t long to go back to whatever people called the glory days. It was a cool experience, whatever I remember of it. Sometimes, I can’t help but to think of how hip life was like when I was a kid. Especially with dealing with the bullshit of now. Waking up watching Pee Wee’s Playhouse and The Muppet Babies on Saturday morning. Soul Train in the afternoon. Riding around...
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PHAROAH SANDERS- KARMA

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Pharoah Sanders Karma (1969) Impulse! Records/ABC Records Dateline: April 25, 2020 I was introduced to Pharoah through John Coltrane. He was featured on the Om album playing Tenor Sax. The first time I heard his saxophone, I asked, WTF is this?? It sounds like his sax is the equivalent to the Maggot Brain cover. It was in agony and begging for help.  Or it sounded like that he was pissed off and ready to start a riot. If you haven’t tried it, I challenge you to play Om in the dark. You will be freaked out easily and it took me a little while to recover the first time I've done it. At the time, I didn’t get Pharoah. I didn’t get Om either. I just thought it was all disjointed noise, not going nowhere. Like the saying goes, you’re ignorant to what you don’t get. It took a long while and a quest for inner spirituality to finally get Pharoah and Om. Pharoah taught me that it’s not all about noise. Well, the Bomb Squad taught me that too. It’s about a quest to reach a...
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