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You may be the reason D’Angelo hasn’t given us more music

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You may be one in every of the explanation why D’Angelo stopped performing. Yes you. If you might be of the age where you were a fan of his legendary song and video “Untitled (What It’s Like)” got here out. Let me explain. It’s a warning for Black Music Month.

D’Angelo was one in every of the most talented musical geniuses the culture had seen in many years. His first album from 1995 “Brown sugar” has proven himself to be a brilliant soul singer and writer in the classical tradition. He made us wait five years for his second album “Voodoo” but it surely was amazing and showed an enormous growth in his skills as a author and creator. This was partly because he went to Questlove School. They called it the University of Soul Music. I heard about all this when I wrote an enormous article in Rolling Stone about D’Angelo. The two worked on “Voodoo” for years, and a part of that work included studying the legends. They sat and watched videos of individuals they called Yoda characters: James Brown, Prince, Stevie Wonder, George Clinton, Marvin Gaye, Fela Kuti, Aretha Franklin, Nina Simone, Al Green, Sly, Hendrix and more .

The purpose of all of it was to coach myself to create the best music possible. When I interviewed D’Angelo and Questlove for a Rolling Stone article, they said they saw themselves as at war for the way forward for music. They wanted “Voodoo” to alter R&B and free it from business constraints. They believed this album could have an effect on the future and took this chance extremely seriously.

Meanwhile, D’Angelo had a superb younger brother who managed him, the late Dominik Trenier. Dom was a visionary and knew D’Angelo needed an unforgettable video, so Dom got here up with a video by which D’Angelo would be as naked as television would allow. From the top of your braids all the way all the way down to below your navel, which would not be rated X. This can be done in a single long, beautiful shot that may be fascinating and powerful. It would cement D’Angelo’s position as the biggest lover of the generation and dominate the attention economy.

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This would be a comeback of sorts, as D was a bit off form on his debut album. He told me he’s a chubby kid who lost 35 kilos in ninth grade, but gained loads while on the Brown Sugar tour since it’s really hard to eat, sleep well, and exercise if you’re on the road. So he didn’t exhibit his body like that once they were promoting “Brown Sugar.” But in the years between “Brown Sugar” and “Voodoo,” D worked with a trainer, went to the gym, sparred, ran and push-ups, and stuck to a careful weight loss program to develop his sick body.

But when it got here time to shoot the music video, D’Angelo didn’t need to do it. He was scared. Would it change the way people perceived him? He desired to be seen as a transformational musician. Would that help? But Dom was very persuasive and D trusted him. So despite his extreme reluctance, D went on the market and shot the music video for “Untitled (How Does It Feel).”

In the video, D is standing with no clothes that we will see. He is bathed in beautiful light and slowly turns around as the camera captures his gorgeous, sculpted body. It’s one long take, and it’s as gripping as Dom imagined it to be. The film quickly became a cult classic. For some time, that was all everyone in black culture was talking about. This generated enormous interest in D’Angelo and helped him sell many records.

But it also modified the way many individuals viewed him. In the case of Brown Sugar, the dominant narrative was that of a superb prodigy taking on the mantle of Gaye, Green and Curtis Mayfield. After the “Untitled” music video, the narrative became wow, D’Angelo is so hot. After years of working on his craft and delving into the heart of soul music, people weren’t listening to the music, just observing his chest. He would go to live shows and wish to indicate people what a fantastic pianist and singer he was and the way great his songs were, but the audience would shout, “Take it off! Take it off!” They desired to see his chest. The movie made them consider him as a sex symbol and that is exactly what they did. And each time he took off his shirt, as was demanded at show after show, a solid wall of screams went up, yeah loud that you may barely hear him singing.

He wasn’t seen as the soul legend he desired to be. He was a sex god. And he didn’t prefer it. He felt rejected. He told me, “I don’t want this to turn into something where this is what it’s all about. I don’t want it to distract from the music.” Sometimes people threw dollar bills. He said it embarrassed him. He wasn’t a stripper, but they treated him like one. Questlove said: “He doesn’t want (to take his shirt off). We do all these preparations to ensure a balanced performance, and he comes out and is treated the way women are treated every day – like a piece of meat.” D said, “Being on stage, attempting to make music, and individuals are like, ‘Take it off.’ I’m not a stripper. I’m on the market doing something I strongly consider in.”

It’s rare for a star to be so at odds together with his audience and so upset with how they react to him. D was right to be nervous about the movie. It modified the way people perceived him, which actually had an impact on him. It would be 14 years before he returned together with his third album, Black Messiah, and I used to be told that one in every of the reasons he stopped performing, and why it took so long to record one other album, was because the whole experience had hurt him a lot.


This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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Kendrick Lamar Releases Surprise Album ‘GNX’; group chats are going crazy

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Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com

There are few things more exciting than receiving an infinite barrage of text messages at the very same time in numerous group chats. This normally implies that something vital has happened in popular culture. Well, the exact same thing happened about noon on November 22, within the yr of our Lord two thousand and twenty-four. Kendrick Lamar Duckworth, higher often called Kendrick Lamar, released the album “GNX”, nod towards Buick Grand National Regal GNXa rare muscle automobile released in 1987 – which also happens to be the yr Kendrick was born.

“GNX” is coming to the tip of what has been a banner yr for Kendrick Lamar. From epic diss records geared toward Drake, to creating the largest song of his profession (and a Drake diss track) on “Not Like Us”, to the “Pop Out” concert streaming live to tell the tale Amazon Prime, Kendrick won this yr. He even received seven Grammy nominations, mostly for “Not Like Us.” And this victory will proceed in the brand new yr. In September, it was announced that Kendrick would stay Super Bowl 2025 headliner will happen in New Orleans. This announcement sparked some controversy and comments from several New Orleans legends similar to Juvenile and most notably Lil Wayne, who felt disrespected; Kendrick immediately refers to this topic within the opening song of the album (all stylized in lower case), “wacced out murals”.

The thing is, Kendrick didn’t sleep for many of 2024. And then, while the remaining of us were minding our own business, listening to other albums that had just dropped, like Ice Cube’s “Man Down,” I began receiving text after text… and I knew that would only mean that something vital happened.

At this point in my life (and possibly even yours), Kendrick Lamar releases are a drop-everything-and-listen event. I immediately went to the streaming service, launched “GNX” and pressed “Play”.

I need to admit that the primary time I heard the album I used to be a bit confused. Kendrick has probably never been more popular or famous; if there was ever a time to drag a Kanye West and release his own version of “My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy” – an album largely produced as Kanye’s best and most representative of Kanye’s greatness – now could be the time. “GNX” has a far more modern West Coast vibe and is certainly more for his die-hard fans than anyone who just began gaining attention due to his beef with Drake. Maybe that was the purpose; possibly not.

Kendrick Lamar, Kendrick Lamar GNX, GNX, GNX album, K-Dot, K-Dot GNX, theGrio.com
Photo: Dave Free

Either way, I can imagine that folks whose favorite lines are “OV-Ho” won’t be immediately thrilled. I wasn’t immediately blown away (though very amused by how sensitive Kendrick is to what people say about him on social media, well, everyone), but as is all the time the case with Kendrick albums, repeated listens are likely to correct any immediate monotony that I even have about his projects. For example, now that I’ve listened to it just a few times, I can not wait to listen to black college bands playing “tv off” style, which seems like a cousin of “Not Like Us.” The Shoot, Bayou Classic, which also takes place yearly in New Orleans on Thanksgiving Day, stands out as the first time we hear a band playing “TV off.”

Since the album didn’t come out long enough to be reviewed, group chats and social media were abuzz with immediate reactions. This is the a part of music releases I really like, where everyone seems to be listening to the identical thing, offering premature takes that will not even delay the following day. I’m not different; I’m sure I’ll say something about this album that can sound silly by Monday. Shoot, I can have already done it. But that is what happens when great artists release music. We spend time with others after which we refer to them, analyze them, criticize them, praise them, destroy them and let all our prejudices fly free. Love it.

It’s value noting that certainly one of Drake’s diss tracks that did not appear during last summer’s fracas was titled “The Heart Part 6,” and was an apparent try to usurp Kendrick’s pre-album practice of removing a non-album song titled “The Heart.” Well, Kendrick has a song on his recent album called, you guessed it, “The Heart, Pt. 6,” which I feel will probably be released soon Drake. Good job, Kenny.

Argue.


Panama Jackson theGrio.com

This article was originally published on : thegrio.com
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New music this week: Tyla, Lola Brooke, Coco Jones and more – Essence

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Happy Friday, people! Whether you are drinking a warm beverage or preparing for a fun-filled weekend, this week’s latest music releases set the tone. From sensual R&B melodies to powerful hip-hop anthems, these songs have something for everybody.

Coco Jones leads the pack along with her seasonal album, and Tyla offers a heartfelt change of tone with “Tears.” Miguel’s smooth “Always Time” and Jorja Smith’s tender “Stay Another Day” showcase R&B at its finest, while Lola Brooke and Killer Mike turn up the warmth on “Go To Yo Head” and “Warryn’s Groove,” respectively. Today’s list also includes music from Eric Bellinger, Coi Leray, Blxst and more.

Below you possibly can read our list of latest products.

This article was originally published on : www.essence.com
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Serena Williams is cutting short divorce talks for a second time after the couple reunited and put months of rumors to rest

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Serena Williams and her husband Alexis Ohanian are still doing well despite months of unconfirmed divorce rumors.

On November 17, Williams and the Reddit co-founder took a walk down memory lane and tested one another by asking questions on themselves and their family in a recent promotional ad. The couple ate a few of their favorite meals and meanwhile checked their glucose levels using Hello Lingo, a glucose monitoring device.

Nearly five minutes into the recording, Williams tested her husband’s memory by asking, “Who said I love you first?”

Ohanian, who shares two daughters, Olimpia and Adira, with the tennis legend, responds quickly by saying, “Mmm,” before writing his answer on the board.

Serena Williams and Alexis Ohanian recall who said “I love you” first amid divorce rumors. (Photo: Steve Granitz/FilmMagic)

“It’s like ‘The Newlywed Game,'” Williams said, writing down her answer, referring to the mid-Nineteen Sixties show “The Newlywed Game,” which tested couples who had been married for lower than two years to see if how much they learn about their relationship. amplifier.

Both Williams and Ohanian turn the board over to reveal their answers and, quite shockingly, they received two different answers. Ohanian wrote that Williams said it first, but Williams claims it was Ohanian.

“Come now. Are you going to lie about this? he declared to Williams, who responded with a laugh: “I said I would be honest.”

“That’s not an honest answer,” Ohanian continued. “I still keep in mind that phone call. Oh, you realize I felt the same, but you certainly said it first.

Williams joked: “My glucose levels were high. I ate some ice cream, my glucose level was too high. Then I tell this guy and I feel like saying things I would not normally say. The moment ended with Williams replaying how she told Ohanian those three special words.

Of course, there was no shortage of reactions from fans who showed their love for the couple and how well they interact of their normal element.

One YouTube commenter he wrote“It’s great to see Serena and Alexis in this normal environment, they are so lovely and have great charisma. I love them even more now and I feel great chemistry between them.”

Someone else said: “I liked this part. They seem to really like each other.”

However, as rumors swirled about problems of their marriage, one fan was confused by the video shared on Instagram.

“I thought I read that they got divorced?” he wrote one person in Williams’ comment section.

Someone else also addressed the rumors, writing: “Where are the haters who said divorce was imminent? Sometimes people will be crazy. Seriously, how are you going to even start assuming things like that about people you have never met?

This summer, fans began speculating that Williams and her seven-year marriage to Ohanian were in trouble after they noticed she hadn’t posted from him on her social media pages in some time.

Moreover, Ohanian was noticeably absent from the June premiere of the documentary “In the Arena: Serena Williams” and was also absent from her side at the Met Gala in May.

But they got back together this summer after they attended the Paris Olympics with their daughter Olympia in July.

Among the many viral moments spent with the Ohanian family, she organizes: umbrella for his wife and the European commentator – who didn’t realize he was her husband – and called Ohanian Serena’s “umbrella holder”.

The tech guru reacted to the moment hilariously by snapping a photo of himself holding an umbrella over himself and his daughter.

Ohanian joked, “I am also a personal Olympia umbrella owner. Sidebar: You all set the bar too low for me and celebrity daddies only get flowers for *admitting* they have kids.”

The proud dad is probably also Adira’s personal umbrella holder.


This article was originally published on : atlantablackstar.com
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