Whats Buzzing in the Streets – Page 81

My Way: The 20th Anniversary

For an album that’s so short, it’s heavy legacy is what makes it hard to forget. After his 1994 self titled debut album, Usher returns three years later with a sophomore album that’s way more mature and helped sky rocket Usher’s career to another level. On September 16th, 1997, Usher his second album “My Way.” With only three singles released, the album was a commercial success for Usher. The album starts off with a bit of a dancy but R&B joint, which also happens to be the first single off the album, “You Make Me Wanna…” The song is about a girl who says and does all the right things to him that convinces him to want to leave his girlfriend who he is in a relationship with and start something new with her instead. The music video is just as classic. Usher and the other guy dancers with the chairs and different rooms with the shiny metallic outfits and Usher being himself in front of the camera and singing. The next song “Just Like Me” is the one of the only hip hop/R&B track on the album with a guest appearance from Lil’ Kim. The next song “Nice And Slow” is the first slow song on the album and the second single released on the album. A song about slow loving with his love interest and Kimora Lee Simmons plays as the love interest in the video. She gets kidnapped and held in hostage until Usher comes swooping in and saving her. The fourth song, “Slow Jam” features Monica and I personally felt like it should’ve been a single like the other three. “Come Back” is more uptempo hip hop groove kind of song. The album title track itself “My Way” is easily one of the best songs on the album. It’s the final single from the album and the music video is easily a top 5 greatest Usher music video. The whole carnival theme, the dancing, even Tyrese guest stars in the video. The next song “I Will” is my top favorite on the album. It’s no surprise that Teddy Riley did that joint because it has the same style of vocals as the remix to Mary J. Blige’s “My Love.” So smooth but the beat has a heavy bass that thumps when it plays. The next song transitions in at the end with “Bedtime.” Another slow love song. A Babyface joint this time and finally, the album ends with “One Day You’ll Be Mine.” It’s the most slept on song on the album. Don’t hear people really bringing this song up in Usher conversations that much. All in all the album is classic from start to finish. Usher is definitely one of my favorite singers. Never a flat note or a off key moment in a Usher song. Never. Completely flawless and clear, slick, there’s a sort of a shine in Usher’s voice like a squeaky clean wood floor after waxing it. With a waxy clean wood floor, you can definitely slide and glide just like Usher does in his videos listening to him.

The World’s Greatest Entertainer: The Legacy of Doug E. Fresh

Doug E. Fresh is one of hip hop’s greatest entertainers to ever lived. With such an amazingly and dope ability to beatbox, he still kills at every show he attends. He definitely lives up to his name the “Human Beatbox.” I was fortunate to see him live twice. The first time was at a Krush Groove reunion show at B.B. Kings on 42nd Street back in 2012 I think it was and the second time was recently back in May during Bronx Week uptown, here in the Bronx. Of course, when Doug E. shows up, Slick Rick is not too far behind. Literally, it was the one of the greatest hip hop shows I’ve ever been too. Performing hit after hit, beatboxing non stop, straight for like 5 minutes as he keeps his energy to continue killing it on the mic, Doug E. definitely holds it down and puts on a great show. Never a dull moment. The history of Doug E. Fresh starts back in 1984 when he began as a solo artist on Enjoy Records. Shortly after that, he teamed up with two DJ’s Barry Bee and Chill Will and a newcomer MC who goes by MC Ricky D, later becoming Slick Rick, and together they are the Get Fresh Crew. A year later, “The Show” and “La Di Da Di” was released. Both joints are to be considered hip hop’s earliest classics. Later on, Slick Rick eventually left the crew to pursue a solo career with Def Jam and released “The Great Adventures of Slick Rick”, which is a top 10 hip hop album for me personally and Doug E. and the rest of the crew released two albums back to back. 1986’s “Oh, My God!” and 1988’s “The World’s Greatest Entertainer.” Both albums are written to be hip hop classics and they’re both are out of print and are rare to find nowadays. It would be great to actually find it. Not giving up hope. Another main single from Doug E. is “Keep Risin’ To The Top.” One of my all time favorites and samples from Keni Burke’s song with a similar title. Another personal favorite of mine. Doug E. then returns in 1992 after a hiatus to release “Doin’ What I Gotta Do.” It didn’t have the same success as his first two albums but it did release a single called “Bustin’ Out (On Funk).” A year later, Doug E. comes back with “I-ight (Alright)” and “Freaks” with Lil’ Vicious. In 1995, Doug E. reunites with Slick Rick for a joint album called “Play” with the single “Where’s Da Party At?”, which is also a favorite. With only a list of maybe 10 big hits since the 80’s, Doug E. Fresh still continues and manages to kill shows like he did back then. Never a dull moment at a Doug E. show, it’s impossible. I’m just glad to able to witness greatness not once, but twice and they were both moments I’ll never forget.

Hip Hop and…… Me

I fell in Love with Hip Hop in 1985. I was only six years old. My mother took me and my brother to see the movie Krush Groove. The person who has inspired me the most in Hip Hop is Mr. Shawn Corey Carter better known as Jay Z. Jay Z makes music that I as well as others that live in urban communities can relate to. I hear verses and be like oh hell yeah. He’s talking to or about me. Jay Z raps about the struggle, about loyalty, family, hurt, pain and fears and those are things that all human beings can identify with. Hov raps about hustling but kept it real about the negative aspect of the game. He didn’t glorify it. He admitted that he did it. He also made it clear to the world that this was something that he felt he had to do. He proved to society how poverty is directly correlated with crime. He also proved given the right opportunity that anyone can change. Jay Z encourages through his music. He advises his listeners to educate themselves and stay informed. Jay Z really is dope. He brought Michael Jackson out in Summer Jam. He had Oprah Winfrey come to Marcy Projects in Brooklyn, New York. He also has a close personal relationship with former president Barak Obama. He is a musical genius. He fused Hip Hop and Broadway with his hit Hard Knock Life. Today Hip Hop is changing. These mumble rappers are popping mollys, perks and Xanz. They’re drinking lean and partying like rock stars. Everybody is wearing designer clothes, chasing bags, hustling and bagging hotties and thotties. It’s sad because I think about how young and impressionable I was at six years old and fell in love with Hip Hop. I pray for Hip Hop every single day. I ask God to send some really dope artist that will bring substance back to Hip Hop. Bring back artist that are active in the communities. Give us artist that will give back by helping others. Let there be more teachers, leaders, advocates, and activist in Hip Hop. Let all of Hip Hop unite and become a mighty driving force in the world. People tend to forget that Hip Hop is the biggest and strongest culture in the world. It us the only culture the units every race, color and religion. I thank my mom for introducing me to hip hop. I love hip hop and I always will.

Written by Regina Alston

Bobby: The 25th Anniversary

After the release of his breakout hit smash second album “Don’t Be Cruel”, Bobby comes back four years later with an album that’s on another level of uptempo, dance and new jack swing tracks that can definitely get a party started. 25 years ago on August 25th, 1992, Bobby Brown released his third self titled album “Bobby.” With six singles released from this fourteen track album, the songs are all topics mostly about relationships and love but with a groove that keeps you on the dance floor nonstop. A much older and wiser Bobby musically and shows a much more softer, emotional and a lover boy side mixed with that same hype and crazy energy that has a bit of a hip hop influenced attitude with backup dancers in alleys and basketball courts. Snapbacks with gore tex boots and baggy jeans, this was the image that was far from his shiny suits and gumby days as the young rockstar from Boston and breaking away from his group New Edition. This album is my personal favorite from Bobby. This album gives you that nonstop fun and good feeling with an even longer track listing than “Don’t Be Cruel” and the success of the album is continues with a remix album that was released a year later with a heavier hip hop sound than new jack swing. It was more raw, more street, more dancing and more grittier than the original tracks but it’s also a great body of work. This album is also Bobby’s most underrated. It’s his best work to date. No doubt. After all these years, there is no denying that Bobby was the Chris Brown, the Usher, he is what we see in these recent R&B cats before they came along. His impact and influence is like no other.

Release Some Tension: The 20th Anniversary

After two successful albums, SWV returns right away with a third album that was completely different. Their 1992 debut album “It’s About Time” showcased them as the “around the way” girls with the golden voices bopping their heads and dancing in baggy clothes with long nails from The Bronx and Brooklyn. Their sound was new jack swing and heavy New York hip hop boombap with a combination of their soothing and beautiful voices on a love song with a little bit of rapping and playfulness that represented how strong their bond was as sisters who have finally made it out the hood. Four years later, their 1996 sophomore album “New Beginning” was a more softer side of the group. Way more ballads and left their home girl looks for the more feminine look in high heels and fur coats and then a year later, right after, on August 13th, 1997, the group released their third album “Release Some Tension.” This album was more of a combination of the two previous albums before because there are both hip hop vibes and love ballads at the same time. The only difference is that this album had way more collaborations and features than the other two. All of the guest appearances were hip hop. Diddy, Foxy Brown, Redman, Lil’ Cease, Missy Elliott, Lil’ Kim, E-40 and Snoop Dogg all appeared on the album. All of the singles released were a hit and definitely a banger, the entire album is a masterpiece to me personally. “Can We” originally appears on the soundtrack to the “Booty Call” movie starring Jamie Foxx, Tommy Davidson, Tamala Jones and Vivica Fox. “Someone” features a small rap from Diddy and is sampled from Biggie’s “10 Crack Commandments.” “Lose My Cool” is a very cool song featuring Redman. It’s funny because he sings along towards the end of the song which gave it a more “homey” feel to the track and of course Redman is being himself and could do no wrong and the final single “Rain” balances the album’s singles out with a slow ballad. The music video guest stars Tyrese. Besides the singles, the title track song and “When U Cry” are my top favorites on the album. It’s a classic that’s under appreciated to me. It holds a special place to me when it comes to girl group albums because I grew up on it so I know the album very well. It’s an album I grew up hearing all the time. 20 years later, I still appreciate this album like I did as a kid. Very nostalgic, takes me back to when I was 3. Happy to be here to see this joint turn 20 and to see Coko, Lelee and Taj still doing their thing. They’re a legendary girl group, a top 5 girl group for me personally.

Reflections of Hip Hop

When Hip Hop was born I was only 6 years old living in Marlboro projects in Brooklyn New York. As I got older, I would write rhymes and perform at the skating rink. When I was feeling down I could always count on Hip Hop to lift me up. I would go to all the shows and sneak backstage to meet my favorite artists. In Brooklyn, In the 70’s we we’re listening to James Brown, MFSB, Chic, and other soulful artists before Rappers Delight hit the world by storm in 79′. After that it quickly became a “Domino effect“, everybody wanted in. The rest is history. The first Hip Hop song I fell in love with was Planet Rock, I got lost in those drums. I played it over and over and my mom use to scream at me “Iris, turn that sh** down!!!!” I remember like it was yesterday. The first years of Hip Hop were the best years of my life with park jams, skate jams and parties. Hip Hop brought everyone together and formed a bond that can never be broken. After 44 years Hip Hop is still in my blood and always will be. I can go on and on but I’ll leave it as “Long Live Hip Hop!!!!”

The Love of My Life: An Ode to Hip Hop

Dear Hip Hop,

I was 17 years old, it was the beginning of my senior year in high school. At that time I was young, naive, afraid, a coward, very insecure, I had no sense of direction or understanding, I was in the darkest place of my life and I was going through a lot of shit, fighting every single day to get to a new place, trying to figure out who I was. The only thing that got me through those tough times was music. I grew up on music, I breathed, walked, talked, ate, and slept music, that’s all I know more than anything else. I was a heavy music fan and lover, especially hip hop and R&B. During the beginning of my senior year, a very close friend of mine introduced me to a place I never knew existed. This place was a place filled with MC’s, not rappers, MC’s/poets, DJ’s, breakdancers, producers and graffiti artists, this was a place that had the perfect hip hop scene. Noticed how I said MC’s and not “rappers” is because they actually tore the place down with their incredible talent and had so much control and respect on the mic. At this time, I started getting to know everyone and everyone was cool and amazingly talented. I had been exposed to hip hop growing up but this was it for me, this sealed the deal for me. That’s when I finally understood what hip hop culture was all about. It was about unity, having fun, being peaceful, conscious, expressing your experiences and stories through art in order to reach a certain audience that reflected our environment and it definitely started to leave a huge influence on me and it showed in my attitude and my appearance. I can’t forget to mention that this place I was introduced to was an underground, low key spot here in the South Bronx on East 149th Street right around the corner from White Castle before they got rid of it. Ever since then, hip hop took a huge effect and toll on me. I started to dress differently, my mindset is different, my outlook on life is different and slowly but surely my life is beginning to change and get better, I was seeing the light. I went from the R&B Ne-Yo and Bruno Mars look in argyle sweater vests and Prada shoes to the Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Run-D.M.C., Kid N’ Play, Wu-Tang Clan look with the high top fade, Doc Marten boots, overalls, gold rope chain, baggy jeans and hoodies and Timberland boots. Everything about me was different, my look, my walk, talk, style, attitude and I was getting stopped in the middle of the street getting complimented and respected for it. Fast forward to now in 2017, I’m 23 years old, I know exactly who I am and where I’m going and I definitely can’t forget where I come from. Being from the South Bronx, I feel it is my responsibility to keep this culture alive but that sounds “old”, “not relevant”, “corny” and “stuck in the old days” to those who don’t care about this culture or understand it. Thank you DJ Kool Herc for creating the greatest soundtrack of my life. Thank you Run-D.M.C. for teaching me how to rock a fresh pair of Adidas, thank you Big Daddy Kane for teaching me how not to be a half stepper and to have a high top whose rule, thank you LL for teaching me how to appreciate our “around-the-way” girls and not to call them out their names for having long nails, extensions in their hair, and bamboo earrings with at least 2 pair, thank you A Tribe Called Quest for teaching me self righteousness and teaching me that I can definitely “kick it” too, thank you Kid N’ Play for teaching me what a real house party looks like, and thank you Mary J. Blige for giving us R&B singers a place in the hip hop community. We may not have a dope rhyme to spit but we are just as down too. Hip hop may not be the same and it’s always gonna evolve and Black music is Black music and it’s all good but everyday I try not to get too salty about her hanging out with the Trappers……. *Shrugs* Thank you hip hop for being the love of my life. Peace and One Love.

Just Dance: The Story of Keith Irving

It was probably a little more than a year ago when I had this guy. This guy ended up being more than just a homie I met at school through mutual friends. Me and him were always compared to each other throughout the school, even our professors were asking us if we knew each other. We’re both skinny, black guys from The Bronx who attend Hostos Community College, we both love hip hop, our favorite hip hop group is A Tribe Called Quest, we both wear glasses, except mine are fashion, his are prescription, and we both dress 90’s hip hop vintage. What made this guy stand out to me the most though is his dancing. He’s hands down one of the illest dancers I’ve ever seen and met. His name is Keith Irving aka The Abstract and he’s a 20 year old dancer. His nickname is an influence from the MC himself, Q-Tip. Keith has been dancing since he was 12 years old. His major influences are Michael Jackson, Chris Brown, Fik-Shun, Kid The Wiz, and an Korean popper named HOAN. He considers his dancing style to be diverse. He can do more than just one style of dancing. I was even fortunate enough to join Keith in a dance routine when we were both hired as dancers for an old school themed birthday party back in February. It was a great night and we took over the dance floor. Song after song, we danced and even knew the routines to the songs based off the videos we remember watching as a kid. Keith is also in a dancing group called “New Kings On The Block.” You can check out Keith’s dancing on his Instagram account @abstract.__ Homeboy for Legit skills for real. So rare to see dope dancers from The Bronx doing more than just your typical popular kids dance at a family cookout. This is Michael Jackson kinda shit we’re talking about here, that B-Boy, 1980’s Kinda shit. That kinda shit that keeps your attention, wanting more. This dude is the absolute truth for real!

Jadakiss takes over the Bronx

“SummerStage”? Well, over 7,000 park goers and residents from the Bronx can. Sunday, August 6th, 2017 in Tremont park in the Bronx, the weather was mellow, the people was eager. Originally, the concert was suppose to take place in Crotona park at the Amphitheatre in the Bronx, but was moved to a bigger stage a few blocks down the street. Signs were posted “Jadakiss concert moved to Tremont west Crotona park.” People scurried and packed up their chairs and ran over to the other side of the park.

It was old timers day and everybody was there – old, young, family and friends. This was the day every year when people got together from different states or different boroughs. They came from everywhere just to see one another. Crotona park was packed. At 4pm, park goers got the word that the Jadakiss concert was being moved to the Tremont. Why? The Amphitheatre that was going to hold the concert wasn’t big enough to handle the massive crowd. It was already 4pm on the west side of Tremont of Crotona park – a packed crowd of about 5,000 was already there. Jadakiss was not even on stage so it made sense that they moved the concert to the other side of the park especially with all the cookouts and parties that was happening on the other side of Crotona Park. The crowd was still gathering, the DJ spun music for the crowd to dance and cheer to the music. The concert started a little after 6pm. A 14 year old rapper from the Bronx took the stage and turned the crowd on. He was the opening act. Now, the crowd needed some exercise – a local workout group call Bartendaz came on stage to explain how important physical fitness was.

Jadakiss got on stage and the crowd went wild. The rapper brung out his special guest to perform BlackJunior M.A.F.I.A performed some of his greatest hits. The mini concert was like being at Madison Square Garden. Jadakiss began performing his top hits. The crowd rapped along with him. This was a great day for the Bronx Thanks to SummerStage.

SUMMERSTAGE 2017: Jadakiss

Summerstage had yet another incredible and dope show. Jadakiss with guests Lil’ Cease, Black Thought and Tek from Smif-N-Wessun. A scattered crowd that quickly turned into a frenzy with hip hop and hardcore Jadakiss fans bum rush to the front with excitement and their phones in their hands as Jadakiss approaches the stage and his raspy voice is clear and loud on the mic. DJ Technician on the 1’s and 2’s, gives us a medley of old school hip hop classics back to back as he spins, reminisces on the glory days of hip hop. Lots of energy and excitement, everyone has their phones out, going live for Facebook, recording for the Gram and getting as many pics as possible. Jada gives us a lineup of his hits including “Why” and “We Gon’ Make It.” Lil’ Cease then comes out and does his version of “Crush On You”, Black Rob comes out and does his classic “Whoa!” and Tek comes out to do gives us a classic or two as well. Can’t forget about the over excitement after the show of the people hopping over fences and banging on the car windows as the legends make their exit. Another incredible and exciting show for the people. The Bronx always knows how to represent. After all, Jada did say that The Bronx and Yonkers are cousins, well Yesterday let us know that Jada is definitely that cool cousin who when he comes to town, it’s a frenzy.