New music from Solange featuring Bilal entitled, “Cosmic Journey.” I fall more and more in love with this song as I listen to it. It doesn’t sound like your average Solange track. Not only did Bilal lend his vocals but he co-wrote the song as well. Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams hits stores on August 26.
[audio http://mymoodismusic.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/11-solange-cosmic-journey-ft-bilal.mp3]
Solange-cosmic-journey-ft-bilal
I’m glad I invested in one of my own. This is sure to grow the Xbox into a media hub. Warner Music Group is now feeding music videos to the Xbox Live Marketplace, part of a continued content partnership with Microsoft. With this agreement, Warner can take advantage of Microsoft’s music platform and provide gamers what they want: music videos from their favorite artists that can be downloaded quickly and easily.
The Marketplace already has a considerable collection of video content, including films and television shows. Other content partners include Paramount Pictures, CBS, TBS, MTV Networks, UFC, NBC, and Warner Bros. Home Entertainment. That collection is designed to complement the gaming experience. Regarding the future, Microsoft promised to “reinvent home entertainment from the inside out” starting this fall, though specifics on the plan were withheld.
As I was listening to the radio this morning, I heard people calling in about how African Americans put a lot of emphasis on clothes, cars, and other possessions, and how hip hop is an influencing factor. Initially I began to get upset. But when I started thinking about it, its true. We put so much emphasis on our prized possessions and into material things, and our youth can’t even read and write.
As a cultural movement, hip-hop manages to get billed as both a positive and negative influence on young people, especially on African American youth. On one hand, there are African American activists, artists and entrepreneurs, such as Russell Simmons, who seek to build a progressive movement among young hip-hop fans. On the other hand, there’s no shortage of critics who don’t agree with the negative portrayals of Black people, especially women, in hip-hop lyrics and videos.
Most hip-hop music portrays African Americans in a negative light through its lyrics touching on tales of black on black violence, alcohol abuse, and drug related crimes. Granted, most of us have lived through or know people who are going through these situations, but do we actually want to re-live those details, or worst, be defined by them? Shouldn’t we want to show how we have overcome? Or how we have progressed?
By no means am I condemning hip-hop. I love it, and often times succumb to the very lyrics that I am writing about. However, it bothers me that we have the leading HIV/AIDS rate in the United States, and how most urban cities and towns have high crime rates. So what do we do?
I am not trying to spark a NEGATIVE debate. But here at MMIM we love music!!! Music is our life. We write about the positive aspects of music, because we don’t like to touch on the negative. But its out there.
We want to hear your opinions. What is the future of our music? And what is the future of our youth who love music just as much as we do and are heavily influenced by it? Where do we go from here?
Yahzarah got her break from singing background for Erykah Badu on Mama’s Gun. She also appeared in the music video for Bag Lady. Yahzarah is a native of Washington DC and a graduate of Duke Ellington School of the Arts. She has opened for Anita Baker, Stevie Wonder, and Musiq to name a few. Her voice is captivating and smooth, once you hear her voice, you just can’t get enough. MMIM had a chance to sit down and talk to Yahzarah, about who she is and her discussed a few upcoming projects. Also check out her performance below.
MMIM: Tell us who is Yahzarah?
Y: Yahzarah is a daughter, Yahzarah is a woman, Yahzarah is an African, Yahzarah is from DC. She is 5’1” and has a whole lot of mouth and a good sense of humor.
MMIM: What does your name mean?
Y: Yah is the first name of my grandmother in Ghana; she died when she was 103 years old. Zarah is the name of Grandmother Sarah’s name flipped in Arabic. I decided to use that name because at the time I was trying to find a voice to say the things that I didn’t have the courage to say as Dana. Dana Williams is my legal name. I’m not “Schizo”, everybody has their alter ego. I just feel like those two women exemplify what I want to be and where I wanted to be at the time, which is strong and stronger – then you get Yahzarah.
MMIM: When did you fall in love with music?
Y: Early. Very early. Some of this is going to sound cliché but my mother always said that I learned whole songs before I could talk. I could sing every verse to “shake, shake, shake, your booty” (laughs). It’s the truth, music is my source. It dictates everything in my life, without music, I am not breathing. And I didn’t know that it was something that moved me and the power until I started singing in church as a child. I told someone that watching music change a person’s heart, changed my life and I like the experiences that I get from being involved with music and performing in front of audiences. But what it does for folks, is really what keeps me doing it. And I think that’s why I am doing it, that why God is allowing it.
MMIM: Who are your musical influences?
Y: Early, it was groups like Commissioned…the Beatles, P-funk. There are so many… Tina Turner, Chaka Khan definitely because she had a certain tone, she was versatile, she was unique.
MMIM: Are you currently working on any projects? Can you tell MMIM what the title of the album is and include any highlights, as well as what your fans can expect this time around?
Y: Right now, I have an EP that will be premiering on iTunes August 27. It’s called the Prelude. My next CD is entitled The Ballad of Purple St. James. I have folks on there that had collaborated with Phonte from Little Brother, Raheem DeVaughn. There are new great emerging producers like Apple Juice Kid and Sol Messiah. So its great music and I’m not just throwing something at you. It’s a long EP; its nine tracks long. And that will be available on iTunes, August 27th and its on Last FM right now. Folks, go out and get that, I’m going to be the most downloaded woman in 2008. Help a sista to put out this good music! I appreciate everything that independent music has given me and even the great people that you meet that are in it, like Gypsy Soul…just the love from all the places and other artists. I couldn’t be doing anything else right now.
MMIM: What producers or artists would you like to work with in the future?
Y: I would like to work with Raphael Saadiq, yeah I can say that immediately. I would like to work with Prince. And also I would like to do a song with Tina Turner or Chaka Khan, that would just totally change my life. Oh, and Bilal Oliver, gotta work with him! That’s just a few, I have a long list but I don’t want to bore you with it.
MMIM: When you are making albums or songs, do you worry about how the music will be received?
Y: Sometimes I don’t care, but I would be a liar to say I don’t care. I think that there has to be a partnership and in some way I have to feed myself and not be a liar. And on the other end, I have to also make it something that is digestible. And I do care that it is digestible. Otherwise, I’m having a good time and I have an objective, I don’t think its a bad thing to have an objective.
MMIM: What do you want people to remember you by if you were to stop making music?
Y: Most importantly, I would like to be known for not only what I sung, but what I shared and what I did and how I lived. And I like for people to know that I was real.
MMIM: What obstacles have you faced trying to pursue your passion in the music industry?
Y: My insecurity. In the early years, it was not knowing my own power. But it was also it was not informing my self and not trusting people in the business aspect. I’m much smarter now.
MMIM: So you would say that its hard to trust people in the music industry?
Y: No, people should be cautious and inform themselves. Period. But you got to be informed, you have to know the business. You have to know about publishing. You should know when you should have an lawyer. And you should never let people challenge your integrity. You should always have a long memory. If it shames God, then you shouldn’t do it.
MMIM: How can your fans reach out to you?
Y: MySpace, definitely. I’m a MySpace addict. www.myspace.com/yahzarah and my website www.purplestjames.com But if you want to get in touch with me and find out what I am doing, always hit me on my MySpace page. And if you email me, I’ll email you back.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JtN6b0T9EJs]
The staff of MMIM would like to thank all of you that came out and showed support at our recent event. My Mood is Music launch party took place this past Thursday at Pure Lounge in Washington DC. If you check under the photo gallery, there are a few pics. If you missed this one, don’t worry, there will be more in the future from MMIM!
Thanks for all of your support!
L to R (Kimrene, Tanyabinspired, Kimesha, Ebonynicole)
This is new music from The Game featuring Lil Wayne, “My Life”. Tell us what you think.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B3qCxynJReE]
This is the new joint from Plies…Watch Dis
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xhyS8Oph35M]
This video premiered on Friday night. This is Cookie Jar featuring The Dream…I think this song is starting to grow on me. Check it out.
The Quilt hits stores September 9th.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vScq5HEx_kA]
This is Solange’s second single “Sandcastle Disco” from her upcoming album Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams. I’m really feeling this song and video. The outfits are different and very creative. Solange even directed the video herself. I’m definitely a fan now. Her album his shelves on August 26th.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DCg6R18reh8]
Keri Hilson’s debut album In A Perfect World has been pushed back to October 7th. The album original release date was September 23. Keri Hilson has been in the background writing songs for Mary J. Blige, Usher and Jennifer Lopez, just to name a few. Today, its rare to find a artist who sings and writes their own material. Hopefully, this is the last delay, but this should be worth the wait.
New track from Lupe Fiasco called “Birds and the Bees.” Not sure if this is from his next (and HOPEFULLY not last) album, but its a nice track.
Can’t you tell its a Kanye produced track?
[audio http://mymoodismusic.files.wordpress.com/2008/08/15-birds-the-bees-prod-kanye-west.mp3]
Lupe Fiasco – Birds and the Bees
Jerry Wexler, the influential Atlantic Records producer who coined the term “rhythm and blues” before helping shape the music into one of the most powerful musical forces of the 1950s all the way to the ‘70s, died this morning at his home in Sarasota, Fla after a long battle with heart disease. He was 91.
Wexler helped a lot of black aspiring artists achieve their goals of sharing their talents with the world. He helped such artists like Aretha Franklin be crowned the “Queen of Soul,” He produced several hits for Wilson Pickett, Ray Charles, and the Drifters and also later, working with rock performers to include Bob Dylan, whose album back in 1979 “Slow Train Coming” earned him his first Grammy.
In those times, if you weren’t Louis Armstrong or the Mills Brothers, the major labels didn’t want to deal with you. They didn’t want to deal with R&B because they didn’t understand it. Jerry had the street toughness to survive in that environment, but he also had such wonderful taste, and a deep appreciation for the artistry of Ray Charles and Solomon Burke.
He loved the music and lived the music. He lived the rhythm and blues. . . His greatest job was being the ears of Atlantic Records’ R&B division.
Wexler’s efforts at Atlantic helped bring black music to the masses, and in so doing, built a significant and lasting bridge between the races.
Kanye West is about to launch a chain of burger restaurants in his hometown Chicago. His company, KW Foods LLC, has purchased the rights to the Fatburger franchise. The company will develop 10 Fatburger fast food establishments in Chicago. The first Fatburger is set to open in September, while a second restaurant will open in January.
This is a smart move. Most stars are now venturing out from their music to dip and dab into other things. Kanye is not only doing something different, he is starting at home.
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ki1mrk--EGE]
Case is back on the scene…You remember Case. “Touch me Tease Me” Case, “Faded Picture” Case. Yes…he’s back. Gracing us after seven-year absence Case is set to release “The Rose Experience”, which will be his 4th album. “The Rose Experience” will be released on his own “Indigo Blue Imprint” label.
This is his new single “Lovely” which I love. Case still holds his distinctive sound; I am looking forward to his album which I know that it will be as Lovely as the last.
