Recent posts: Breaking Bits

While perusing through the stacked lineup for Bull City’s 5^thAnnual Art of Cool Fest earlier this fall, my eyes immediately stopped at one name. Dwele. Universally known for hailing from the historic Midwestern music metropolis of Detroit, he respectfully pays homage to the greats that came before but blazed his own action-packed melodic trail since his demo debut ‘The Rize’ in 2000. His career’s gone fascinating places, linking up with Raphael Saadiq, Eric Roberson, Slum Village, Common, Phife, Raheem Devaughn, DJ Quik and Kanye.

Returning for its 5th year, the Art of Cool Fest brought the perfect combo of hip-hop heat and smooth soul back to NC’s beloved Bull City. Fans were treated to monumental moments like DJ sets by 9th Wonder and Spinderella, a live set by Q-Boro’s own Nas and a surprise last minute reunion of Little Brother as music coming from The Armory and The Bulls Athletic Park speakers blasted sentimental favs. Also in search of R&B band bops, we made sure to race around town to catch Dwele, Erykah Badu, Young Bull, Maxwell and Anthony Hamilton throughout the worthwhile action-packed weekend.

Keep your eyes locked for info for next year’s fest HERE!

Now that 2017 is a wrap, it’s time to give props to the artists and bands that caught my attention and never let go. The projects that stood out among the rest. The projects that kept me coming back.

Peep the #CarlitasCuts list below and my fav song off each project! If you like what you hear, go buy it!

Prince-“Purple Rain Deluxe (Expanded Edition)”

Gwen Bunn- “Safe Travels”

Rapsody- “Laila’s Wisdom”

Miguel- “War & Leisure”

H.E.R- “H.E.R”

Adelitas Way- “Notorious”

R.LUM.R- “AFTERIMAGE”

Sadistik- “Altars”

Daniel Caesar- “Freudian”

Hurray For The Riff Raff- “The Navigator”

Kesha- “Rainbow”

Bomba Estéreo- “Ayo”

Mega Ran- “Extra Credit”

La Pingos Orquesta- “Peregrino”

The Doppelgangaz- “Dopp Hopp”

Emily Estefan- “Take Whatever You Want”

Sabrina Claudio- “About Time”

DJ Colette- “Retrospective”

Valerie June- “The Order of Time”

Suzi Analogue- “Zonez: Vol 3: The World Unwinds But The Sounds Hold Me Tight”

Goldlink- “At What Cost”

Various Artists- “Insecure (Music from the HBO Original Series), Season 2”

La Misa Negra- “La Misa Negra”

Björk – “Utopia”

Chris Stapleton- “From A Room: Volume 1”

Prophets of Rage- “Prophets of Rage”

Ozuna- “Odisea”

Nai Palm- “Needle Paw”

Joey DeFrancesco and The People- “Project Freedom”

Willow- “The 1st”

Takashi Tsuzuki- “It’s Not Fair”

Dua Lipa- “Dua Lipa (Deluxe)”

Ambrose Akinmusire- “A Rift in Decorum-Live at The Village Vanguard”

As many 90’s classic albums continue to hit the critical 25th Anniversary mark, genre purists cannot forget to commemorate 1992’s ‘The Chronic’. Released December 15, 1992, the monstrous solo album from future legend Dr. Dre bore its enduring mark into a crowded landmark year and introduced a new wave of East Coast impressionable hip-hop listeners, perhaps too young to know N.W.A., to the trademark West Coast P-Funk homage-paying Death Row Records sound for the first time. If an album perfectly encapsulated a time and place with its vivid corresponding videos, this would be at the top of the list. ‘The Chronic’, combined with the searing ‘Deep Cover’ soundtrack title-track released earlier in ‘92, introduced the world to Snoop Dogg, another future legend in his own right, provided a remarkable 1-2 punch, leaving their stamps on hip-hop history for all eternity.

When delving further into the credits for these enduring pieces of music, one key collaborator’s name, who contributed basslines you cannot get out of the head years later, stuck out from the rest. Prepping to attend this year’s MoogFest, I purposely sought out producer and musician Colin Wolfe to discuss these two projects with Dr. Dre and discovered an extensive and impressive discography highlighting another fruitful partnership with legendary ATL producer Dallas Austin. Rifling through Colin’s prominent laundry list of credits as composer, producer or bass musician, he’s worked with artists like Monica, TLC, Michael Jackson, Outkast, Aretha Franklin, Erick Sermon, Janet Jackson and George Clinton to name a few.

On a particularly hot and muggy day in Durham, NC, I sat down with Colin Wolfe who shared insightful and funny anecdotes (including an unexpected MJ pet Bubbles The Chimp story) and behind the scenes tidbits of working in two powerhouse creative compounds which shaped the history of hip-hop and R&B during their “golden eras”. Peep the interview clips below!

As I bid farewell to the first half of 2017 and seek music to replenish our soul summer song playlists, one album automatically getting the add is Cody’s ChesnuTT’s latest effort ‘My Love Divine Degree’. Continuing in his introspective and social commentary combination trademark style, Cody’s new full-length focuses on conscious culture and the Black family structure. Collaborating with Raphael Saadiq on a few tracks, broad influences meld like a spiritual union at the intersection of soul and folk, while occasionally dabbling in electronica and reggae.

I chatted with Cody at SXSW a while ago about this new album, working with The Roots, attending The MTV VMAs, a chance encounter with Pharrell and being in Dave Chappelle’s Block Party movie. Surprisingly, we also touched upon his time at working at Death Row Records, the legendary label founded by Dr. Dre, The D.O.C. and Suge Knight. Peep the interview soundclips below and get the album HERE!

On a day guaranteed to include the gamut of emotions, Prince fans all over the world will stop to pay tribute to the one and only. When considering crucial musicians contributing to Prince’s legacy, one cannot help but mention NPG and 3rdEyeGirl member Ida Nielsen. As we all know, Prince didn’t just pick anyone to share stages or record music; it required a combo of on-point skill of your instrument(s), adaptability to creative genius change and possession of personal fly style to be down. A formal student at The Royal Danish Academy of Music and an informal student of the funk ultimately led her down the Purple path.

Based in her native Denmark, when I saw on the schedule to appear at 2017’s NAMM Show, I couldn’t pass up the opportunity to hear Ida play her Sandberg signature bass (get more info here) and to connect about a myriad of random things ( i.e. set lists, learning hundreds of songs, impromptu shows, the Purple Army) I’d always wanted to ask. Prepping for the chat and already familiar with her work in 3rdEyeGirl, I also delved into her dope solo discography (available here).

Amid the roaring noise of thousands of instruments being played at the same time and the chaos of a music conference, we miraculously found a quiet spot (perhaps with divine intervention from above). Peep our interview soundclips below and don’t miss her at The Celebration at Paisley Park this weekend or on her European tour!

As we begin to wrap up a quarter chapter of 2017, it’s time to look ahead to potential dope releases to come. On my wishlist of groups I hope blesses the world soon with their latest effort is LA-based R&b/jazz trio Moonchild. Sonically introduced to this threesome at Stevie Wonder’s House Full of Toys benefit a few years ago, our paths crossed again at Durham’s Art of Cool Festival again. Purchasing their DJ Jazzy Jeff and James Poyser remixed single of “The Truth” recently, of which the proceeds supported the ACLU, made me more hyped for new MC music.

In this week’s version of #TBT, peep the interview soundclips from 2015 and 2016’s Art of Cool Fests where I ask Moonchild about playing with Stevie, getting cosigns by Jill Scott, 9th Wonder and Jazzy Jeff and grateful fans who share that they’ve used Moonchild’s music for “sexy time” below! To cop more Moonchild music, visit their Bandcamp site HERE!

Follow them on Facebook HERE and Twitter HERE!