Eddie Rockerz VibeZ

The influence of Frank Ocean, Drake & The Weekend are apparent, but Johnny Rain carries his own when it comes to the beats he uses. All of the instrumentals are produced & played by himself which is a rare feat in today’s industry. With such a load of talent, this rising artist is definitely going to make his mark & become a household name in the near future. OneLove

After years of being assaulted & numbed by inconsequential & vapid commercial rap music, we get a whiff of fresh air from an up & coming 19 year old rapper from the ATL – Raury. Yeah, he comes off sounding like Andre 3000 – the influence is quite obvious – but he is forgiven. His lyricism is what is needed at this moment in our polluted stream of consciousness. Give me his – I seen the news and seen the lies They kill our kind The system’s blind, the system’s blind yeah So peel your eyes, don’t close your mind Cause human kind must grow benign or slowly die, extinction There’s truth and lies in death and life The masses cry, but heaven smiles, always The trees they grow The leaves belong to mother nature Not to man to legalize it, yeah And take back Rick Ross’ whack-ass- Put Molly all in her champagne, she ain’t even know it I took her home and I enjoyed that, she ain’t even know it Got a hundr...

OneLove

Brilliant soul…

I just need to know that I did the very best I could and that I was true to myself. ~Lenny Kravitz

Do not call her a R&B artist because Janelle Monáe cannot be categorized into one genre. She stirs a big ol’ pot of sound with influences from everywhere- from Prince to Fela Kuti to 2PAC. It’s almost impossible to categorize her as anything, really. Even her look is edgy. I like this as we humans are so quick to put people in our comfy lil boxes. May her eclecticism catch fire and burn these lame ass, unoriginal artists on our airwaves in desperate need of imagination & awareness. OneLove

This brother is goes deep… .real deep. Take a song like his smash hit, “Down Here In Hell (With You)” where he says- I love the battle lines The battle lines we draw when crossin’ the mud Ooh, I love it when we fight Standin’ on the verge of breakin’ up or makin’ love What would I do if we were perfect? Where would I go for disappointment? Love without pain would leave me Wonderin’ why I stay? This puts love in its proper dimension, meaning it gets complicated & it aint all about romantic evenings & hot sex. He stands out in our current field of Great Pretenders. Or take a song like “Old Hat” from his current album, “The Fun Rises, The Fun Sets” which is subconsciously inspired by how “modern technology has taken away some of the things that we should probably hold dear. Things that have lasted for thousands of years like integrity, patience, intuition, instinc...

In honor of the incredible body of work by legendary R&B producers Jimmy Jam /Terry Lewis, I made this playlist featuring my favorite cuts they wrote/produced for various artists. These maestros crafted #1 hits for damn near everybody stretching from the early 80’s to the present and have created some of the best R&B/Pop music of our time.

OneLove

Classic lady, classic sound…Timeless! OneLove

Play that funky music white boy!

For a Child Love is the answer to a child Just as hope is the answer to us all But it’s there at the beginning That we learn to hope at all And God help us if we don’t Tell me where is this place From which there’s no return What can we know of another road From the one that we made With our anger and our rage We dare not go where there is no hope Not even for a child If dreams fly over the rainbow Truth lies waiting for us all If siren’s voices cloud our reason Can we still resist their call ’cause God help us if we don’t For so many people livin’ their whole lives Waiting to be saved For so many children taking that short trip From the cradle to the grave….. ….so powerful…. OneLove From the cradle to the grave…..

TLC! Nuff said–these ladies were the shit back in the day! Their music will never grow old to me. We miss you Left Eye! OneLove

British soul singer Daley sings like an old-school playa…He has that Marvin Gaye / Ronnie Dyson sound that really impresses me as there are not too many white boys that can sing with this kind of soul & conviction. His debut CD, Days & Nights, is really chilled and has a good feel to it. And yes, the opening track “Look Up” was produced by super-producer, Pharrell (his sound is instantly recognizable). That duet with Marsha Ambrosius, “Alone Together”, is Quiet Storm material that is definitely Grammy-worthy. I added a few more songs from his impressive EP, Alone Together.  OneLove

When I first heard this lady;s voice, my first thought was “Billie Holliday reincarnated!” Her voice haunts you much like Lady Day’s, & those eyes….them there eyes!….will cast a spell on ya! OneLove

https://open.spotify.com/playlist/5gqWWJQbaSsCgBABlJuKOk?si=38180ce38da24ae4 When I first heard Youssou N’Dour’s voice on the song, “Bamako”. many years ago, I was hooked and it ignited an interest in the mystifying world of Wolof culture in particular and mysticism in general. That song, with its hypnotic conga drums and Youssou’s soaring, distinctive tenor dancing along in syncopation, had me longing for a continent I had yet to visit…and it also had me longing for a deeper, more embodied spiritual life. I think I may have stumbled upon Sufism through reading Youssou’s background in this album’s (The Lion) liner notes, and to this day, I still enjoy the timeless wisdom the Sufi mystics have blessed Mankind with. Here are some of my favorite Youssou jams for your appreciation. OneLove

“Earth…. Wind….. & Fire”…..When I was a teenager, just saying those words gave me chills as I mocked being a DJ announcing the entrance of Earth, Wind & Fire to a craving audience awaiting a funked-up lift-off from their mundane reality. This group stands alone–very few bands compare to the magical blend of jazz, funk, soul, African polyrhythms, rock, disco, big band and gospel that they stirred up with such style, energy, imagination and mastery. One of the qualities of timeless music is the freshness of the sound regardless of time and space.  The selections on this playlist are classics that will stand the test of time ’til our Maker has had enough of us and calls us all Home. “We live in a negative society. Most people can’t see beauty and love. I see our music as medicine.”~ Maurice White RIP to founder Maurice White whose shining star will never be forgotten OneLove

Eric Roberson, anyone ever heard of him? No? Yeah, that’s typical. I could run down a whole list of artists who are just bad-ass & chances are, not many will know them either. Artists like Eric Roberson are indeed known by other artists, but outside of close-knit artistic circles & a small cult following, he is unknown. Listening to this playlist, you have to scratch your head and wonder “Why didn’t this song..and this song…..not make it on to radio?” To answer that question, one has to delve into the sordid details of payola laws which have not stopped people from paying or compensating others for playing their music ( good artticle in Forbes about this). In any case, check out some of my favorite cuts by this remarkable artist. Not included is one of my faves called “Dealing” with the great Lalah Hathaway…. OneLove

This brother is a time-traveler. He entered the 21st century straight out of 1950 in some type of Time Machine and draws us all into that period. Even his video for “Lisa Sawyer” is  in black & white! Color TV did not come around until the 50s which makes his throwback vibe more convincing.The fact that his Coming Home  debuted at No. 1 on Billboard’s R&B/hip-hop charts & has sold out shows all over the place signifies to me that people are yearning for something different. Too much Chris Brown & Justin Bieber leaves people wanting escape & Leon Bridges seems to be filling that void. It’s going to be quite interesting to see how long he can sustain this retro vibe & how he reinvents himself when the novelty fades away. With his talent, I am sure he’ll be fine.   OneLove

  There are some CDs you can play over & over and never get tired of like ALL of Bob Marley’s work, Earth Wind & Fire’s “I Am” & “All ‘n’ All”, The Commodores Greatest Hits, The Bee Gees Greatest Hits, Branford Marsalis’ “I Heard You Twice The First Time”, Miles Davis’ “Kind of Blue” and Steel Pulse’s ” True Democracy”,  to name a few of my favorites which I will probably play until Jah calls me home. Add to this list Taj Weekes & Adowa’s roots reggae classic, “Deidem”. Being a big fan of roots reggae in the vein of The Abyssinians,  I-Wayne & Luciano, the sound of Taj Weekes & Adowa  easily secures itself into the deep & rich legacy of conscious reggae’s uplifting vibration. Adowa’s deft musicianship coupled with Taj’s haunting, poetically poi...

This woman’s voice can turn a calloused soul to quivering gel. I always felt that she has not been given the limelight she so richly deserves. How a Taylor Swift can get so much attention while voices like Joss’s get pushed to the sidelines is just pure, unadulterated bullshit. This woman can sang ! And for the soul/R&B purists out there, don’t get it twisted – Joss Stone being white says nothing about her depth & fire – she delivers !! Her soulful, husky voice is both eloquent and vulnerable which is downright spell-binding. No wonder some folks in the press have called her the ‘ white Aretha Franklin’ of soul ‘. I put togther my favorite cuts to include a few from her latest release, “Water For Your Soul”.  OneLove

When I read about Janet’s comeback, I had some doubts about the impact it would have on the pop landscape. After all, she is now 49 years old and her last two albums received  lukewarm responses. Not being a vocal powerhouse, I wondered if her charisma, mystery and performance could weather the Beyonces, Ciaras & Tinashes of the current era. Let me just say, Janet pretty much buried her competition with this release. She comes back as beautiful as ever. Though her message is less take-control-of-your-destiny-ladies as it was in Control & Rhythm Nation, and more a cool & reflective sojourner, the effect remains equally persuasive & aurally ecstatic. No, Janet cannot blow like Jennifer Hudson, but she doesn’t have to—her scintillating soul is revealed regardless.Sometimes soul is a gift, and sometimes it’s earned. Janet Jackson has earned hers. Yeah, she’s pushing 50 & the market orients toward youth culture, but...

When it comes to smooth, soulful, lyrically-rich melodies, very few bands could compare to The Commodores. Their distinctive sound (pre-1985) still stands the test of time & truth be told, they sound better than most of the bands on radio today. As the best-selling male act at Motown (1975-1985), they set the bar quite high & it’s a shame that the era of the “Supergroup” is over (or was it overtaken by modern technology which can program any instrument & enhance any weak vocals via sound editing?) Thank goodness for bands like Mint Condition & The Roots  that continue to make real, live music rooted in the Golden Era of soul/funk. I read some time ago that Lionel Richie expressed an interest in reuniting The Commodores as he feared that within the next ten years no one will care or remember their impressive body of work. This fear is all too real as exemplified by a contestant on American Idol who nonchalantly admitted that he never...

OneLove

Her voice..her beauty..her spirit…my goodness!

 

Whoa! What a voice! This young & multi-talented chanteuse is making waves with her laid-back, sweet soulfulness and bridled power which are instantly felt. Being from the islands, I had to find out if this London-based artist had Caribbean roots like so many other artists in the UK, and lo & behold, she does! According to The Guardian, Lianne La Havas was born and raised in South London to a Greek father and a Jamaican mother. Her mother exposed her early to the music of Eryka Badu, Jill Scott, India Arie & Nina Simone, but it was Lauryn Hill who had the biggest impact..& it is quite evident in her sound! I got the chance to see her perform at the Baltimore Sound Stage and I was blown away by her stage presence, a voice that pierced my soul & a smile that overpowered the spotlight…. Her new CD “Blood” is classic and I included a few cuts in this mix, OneLove

 

  Until the philosophy which hold one race superior And another Inferior Is finally And permanently Discredited And abandoned – Everywhere is war – Me say war. That until there no longer First class and second class citizens of any nation Until the colour of a man’s skin Is of no more significance than the colour of his eyes – Me say war. That until the basic human rights Are equally guaranteed to all, Without regard to race – Dis a war. ~Bob Marley In light of the utter mess in the world right now, Bob’s words ring truer than ever. Great to see that his sons picked up his musical & philosophical mantle to help us navigate through this present darkness with their vibes & insights……. OneLove

When I first heard the music of Lizz Wright, one word that kept popping up in my head was, “beatific”. There is something “other-worldly” about this woman’s voice. It’s easy to compare her soulful & folksy style to Tracy Chapman, Cassandra Wilson or Tuck & Patty, but Lizz Wright has this power of whispering a song, if that makes any sense. You feel as if she’s singing especially to you in the most sincere way. I’ve listened quite closely to all of her CDs– Salt, Dreaming Wide Awake–but “The Orchard”, is by far the most intimate, sparingly melodic and adventurous. It’s as if she got tired of pretending to live up to what was expected and just let everything hang loose and easy. And our ears and hearts are so much more rewarded by this free-spirited musical wanderer. OneLove

Modern blues phenomenon Gary Clark Jr is a phenomenon. Every generation has its chosen one and right now, this is Clark’s time. I never got into Blues music as I always found it too melancholic, but Clark incorporates rock, Hip Hop, reggae and R&B elements into his sound which makes it thoroughly enjoyable & elevating. I selected my favorite cuts from his latest release, ‘The Story Of Sonny Boy Slim’ & his last release ‘Blak & Blu’. Do yourself a favor and fully listen to both albums as tastes/preferenses are highly subjective as you already know. OneLove

This lady can do no wrong in my eyes! OneLove

Gil Scott Heron  

  . . . When I saw The Whispers in concert last year (with the legendary Al Green as the headliner), the crowd at the Verizon Center went crazy when they strutted on stage to the beat of “And The Beat Goes On”. Their sharp, synchronous moves and soulful harmonies kept us all in the zone from start to finish! After 45 years in the business, these brothers still got it ! I selected some of my favorite cuts from their impressive body of work which I hope you enjoy as much as I do.  OneLove :::MME:::

Third World   As a teenager, Bob Marley, Steel Pulse & Third World loomed larger than life. They provided the musical,spiritual & political foundation for many of us in the Caribbean in a time of flux & agitation. Although Third World was not as lyrically explosive as Marley or Steel Pulse, their tight harmonies, powerful, inventive arrangements & deep historical consciousness helped cultivate a critical dynamic within/amongst us . When their first big hit “96 In the Shade” dropped, we knew the historical reference was to P aul   Bogle , a Caribbean hero who rebelled against the murderous white settler minority. The founder of the group, Stephen “Cat” Coore , is pretty much a one-man band having mastered a number of instruments to include the cello which he introduced to reggae music. The masterful blend of conscious reggae and R&B which characterizes the sound of Thi...

   

OneLove ::: M M E :::

Add caption A Tribe Called Quest is arguably the greatest Hip Hop group to ever rock a mic. Wikipedia has a good write-up on this iconic group, and their recently released documentary entitled Beats, Rhymes & Life: The Travels of A Tribe Called Quest . ( produced by Michael Rappaport) is something for any serious fan to add to their collection w hen the DVD comes out. Commercial rap music has become overly materialistic, predictable and oftentimes ridiculously irresponsible which makes some of us long for the good old days of quality rap which made us dance, think & agitate (sometimes all at the same time!) . ATCQ did that, and their music sounds just as fresh today as it did over a decade ago. Above are some of my favorite Q-Tip/Tribe Called Quest jams which, in my opinion, sounds better than the garbage I’m hearing on the commercial airwaves. Track# 2 (“Description of a Fool” ) is a Groove Armada acoustic remix of the original ...

. The Masterminds – Leon Huff (l): pianist, songwriter, producer and co-founder of Philadelphia International Records: Thom  Bell (c): Philadelphia-based pianist, arranger, songwriter and producer Kenny Gamble (r): singer, songwriter, producer and co-founder of Philadelphia International Records The Philadelphia Sound pretty much ruled a good part of the 70s. The sound was revolutionary in that you had the traditional soul vocal stylings within a lush canvass of funky rhythms & sweeping, bad-ass strings & other exotic instrumentation. That sound defined a generation & became a forerunner not only for disco music (remember The Trammps “Disco Inferno”? – that was a Philadelphia International classic), but also of smooth jazz (Gerald Albright, Kirk Whalum & Will Downing are but a few of the purveyors of the Philly groove) & was deeply influential on pop vocal arrangements & R&B rhythms (especially on the horn/string se...

 

When I first heard UB40 on the radio in the beautiful island of St. Lucia during an annual visit, I remember being impressed that a British-based band was able to play our music so well. They weren’t as “ roots ” as Steel Pulse or The Abyssinians (my preference), but their sound definitely had/has its place in the pantheon of infectiously catchy pop-reggae music. With 25 years in the business & 70 million albums sold, UB40 has solidified itself in music history. What they lack in socially & politically relevant material they make up for in delivering some of the most memorable tracks touching on themes of heartache, breakups & reconciliation. Let’s take a trip down memory lane, shall we…. OneLove http://static.extension.fm/exfm.js

  What more can be said about The Bee Gees that hasn’t already been said? These brothers are badass so I’ll leave it at that. Growing up with unformatted radio stations in the Caribbean allowed (& still allows) many of us to appreciate all types of music from Jim Reeves to L.T.D, from BonesThugs&Harmony to Peter Tosh, from Abba to Mighty Arrow. You will hear it all in a day. As teens, we absorbed various selections of the Bee Gees on the radio while getting ready for the day & no fete was complete without a jam by the Gibb brothers. Of course, Saturday Night Fever blew everyone away & The Bee Gees fan base grew exponentially. They pretty much became legendary with that vintage soundtrack. I remember getting into arguments with my classmates over who would become ‘more legendary’, The Bee Gees or Earth, Wind & Fire. Being a HUGE EWF fan, I would argue that The Bee Gees couldn’t touch ’em, but deep inside I knew t...

<!– You just have to be impressed with Seal’s massive body of work. He was initially known for being a House music artist in the early ’90s, but he later experimented with a fusion of soul, folk, pop, dance, and rock & successfully carved out a a niche in the pop music world as a songwriter of exceptional talent . His personal biography is equally as eclectic as the music he crafted: The son of Nigerian and Brazilian parents (he also has Caribbean roots),  he was raised in England & graduated with an architectural degree, but worked various jobs in London, from electrical engineering to clothing design, before venturing into music. I included some of my favorite cuts from his latest CD, Soul II , on this playlist which I hope you enjoy…Have a great weekend!! OneLove