Music
Never Can Say Goodbye
Michael Jackson and his brothers were the most visible promise of our post-Civil Rights generation. Yet, in the ensuing decades, Michael became a Rorschach test for American society, as well as a symbol for the self-inflicted crucifixion of the Black body.
By Esther Iverem
Jun 30, 2009,
12:18
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Music
Conjuring Michael
(The “uncut-before-u-git-the-academic-ish” mix). I will shed a tear sometime soon, not for the man who breathed his last breath today, but for that young boy that helped to define the me that I be. That young boy was special and it’s that young boy that I choose to remember today.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Jun 30, 2009,
12:26
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Music
They Wrote The Songs...
BLACK MUSIC MONTH 2009--Chicago Soul Connection:
The rich legacy of Jerry Butler’s Songwriters Workshop
By Mark Anthony Neal
Jun 17, 2009,
12:41
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Music
Why Can’t I Touch You?
BLACK MUSIC MONTH 2009: Remembering Ronnie Dyson, the talented singer who died in 1990 as, at best, an afterthought and, at worst, totally forgotten. What happened?
By Mark Anthony Neal
Jun 9, 2009,
12:08
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Music
Should Black Radio Die?
Radio One’s “Save Black Radio” campaign misses the mark.
By Mark Anthony Neal
May 15, 2009,
00:16
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Music
Celebrating the Queen
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| Aretha Franklin sings at Barack Obama's inauguration. |
Celebrating the birthday of the Queen of Soul, Aretha Franklin.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Apr 1, 2009,
10:38
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Music
Rhythm and Beatdown?
Chris Brown's alleged attack on girlfriend and fellow r&b and pop star Rihanna Fenty, has brought the issue of domestic abuse to the forefront.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Feb 25, 2009,
10:14
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Music
The Forgotten Revolution
When Berry Gordy founded Motown Records 50 years ago, it was little more than an All-American hustle. But Motown has become, arguably, the most well known Black brand of the 20th century.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Feb 12, 2009,
11:57
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Music
MAN's 2008 Playlist
Marvin Sapp--"Never Would Have Made It" (from Thirsty)--with 24-hour Gospel stations populating the FM airwaves, Yolanda Adams hosting a very popular morning drive-time show for a Radio One station near you, and the Black Church's "gospel of prosperity" catching the attention of advertisers, Marvin Sapp's breakthrough hit "Never Would Have Made It" makes perfect sense. See what else made the list.
Feb 12, 2009,
11:33
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Music
Man Enough: Levi Stubbs
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| Remembering Levi Stubbs of the Four Tops (bottom left). |
Remembering Levi Stubbs, the long-time lead singer of The Four Tops who died in October.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Nov 25, 2008,
11:06
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Music
Makeba, the Great
For generations, this glorious, talented African woman shared voices of South Africa with millions.
By Mumia Abu-Jamal
Nov 25, 2008,
10:47
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Music
Just-Past 11:00pm Playlist
Obama, Obama! The Just-Past 11:00pm playlist from November 4, 2008.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Nov 21, 2008,
11:50
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Music
Saadiq--New Classic Soul
On his third solo release, The Way I See It, Raphael Saadiq reprises a sweet, gritty, soulful sound and accomplishes what most artists riding the current trend of retro soul only attempt.
By Natalie Maxwell
Oct 24, 2008,
13:13
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Music
A Love Supreme?
Mark Anthony Neal explores and links the legacy of John Coltrane, with Lil Wayne and the "post-trauma blues."
Oct 8, 2008,
07:11
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Music
Up-and-Coming R&B Diva
Solange Knowles's Sol-Angel and The Hadley Street Dreams realize what Keys's As I Am only hinted at: a fully blown Black pop that is in conversation with its 1960s predecessors like Dionne Warwick, Barbara Lewis and The Shirelles.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Oct 2, 2008,
08:21
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Music
R&B's Forgotton Era, P2
In the late 1970's, two little-known recording industry veterans created labels out of the ashes of failed projects, kept Black radio afloat and primed the success of contemporary artists like Mary J. Blige.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Sep 10, 2008,
10:00
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Music
R&B's Forgotten Era, P1
As a practice, R&B music--the more formal corporate product of the post-1970s era--has been given short shrift by the critical intelligentsia.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Aug 11, 2008,
12:17
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Music
The Roots, Janet and Lenny
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| The Roots |
The Roots raise their level on Rising Down. Janet Jackson's Discipline is a superficial mess. And Lenny Kravitz seems to have fun on his passionate project, It Is Time For A Love Revolution.
By Anthony Harding
Jun 11, 2008,
13:45
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Music
Gnarls Barkley's Odd Mix
The new Gnarls Barkley joint, The Odd Couple, has "an intensely wacky vibe" and is similar to the group's debut album, St. Elsewhere.
By Anthony Harding.
Apr 28, 2008,
23:42
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Music
Hip Hop's Hidden Gems
Hip-hop fans looking for creative work from Q-Tip and Talib Kweli have had to look extra hard to find it. And Nas' Greatest Hits is a hit.
By Anthony Harding
Apr 22, 2008,
12:32
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Music
Jeff's 'Magnificent' Effort
Jazzy Jeff's The Return of the Magnificent is saturated with solid rhymes and beats, with flares of brilliance.
By Anthony Harding
Apr 15, 2008,
09:37
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Music
Friendship of Ideas
Relationships furthered the genius of Black writers, thinkers and artists, in part, because all involved were generous with their time and their opinions--a generosity that is at times missing among the generation of hip-hop and post-hip-hop thinkers.
By Mark Anthony Neal
Feb 28, 2008,
17:07
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Music
The Power of Black Music
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| credit: robertcasumbal.com |
For some people, music, the "right" music, can transform one's way of looking at the world, and even change lives.
By Mumia Abu-Jamal
Jan 8, 2008,
08:43
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Music
The SB Best of 2007 Mixtape
Jill Scott, Rahsaan Patterson, Pharoahe Monch, 4Hero and Stephanie McKay are among the artists on Mark Anthony Neal's 2007 Mixtape. Find out who made MAN's cut--and who didn't.
Dec 31, 2007,
15:59
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