house of jaz
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Double-Dose of Dope:: Emily King [LIVE]
July 27.11
Freakum Flashback
I’m not sure when it happened. There was a time when I looked forward to Friday nights and the “club” scene. I’d plot on my outfit for the night (usually of the freakum dress persuasion), pair it with my fiercest get’em girl pumps, and I’d meet up with my girls to some club/lounge in D.C. We’d rock and sway to the 5–10 song rotation of radio hits, alternate floors, take pics, and try to maintain the “my feet don’t hurt” strut at 2 in the morning.
Same place, different vibe…
I am so happy those days are gone (and so are my feet). I look forward to Fridays, but for different reasons now. I have standing appointments with this Unplugged series at the Park in D.C. My friends know that it takes a LOT to get me there, but whenever the lineup matches what’s playing in my playlist, I’m THERE! Long gone are the days of buying Friday night freakums and torturing myself in a pair of my sky high pumps. I’ve opted for a functional flat, a flirty ensemble, mixed company, and LIVE (free) music.
Walk in her shoes…
It’s been a while since we’ve heard new music from Emily King, and perhaps it’s because she was living, growing, and writing DOPE music. I’ve been following her on Twitter, hoping to see signs of new projects, and alas it’s finally here! She recently released an EP, Seven, and it was definitely worth the wait. She was the spotlight artist recently, and I managed to capture some footage of her performances. Here are two of my favorite songs from the EP. Check them out, and please get your copy!!
This is the most focused I’ve been on all things regarding ME in a long time; I’m loving every bit of it! There are a few things that I find myself hesitating to confront head on, but I know that it’s only a matter of time before I have to. I’m consciously working on being proactive instead of reactive. Today’s post is dedicated to those who know what they have to do. You can’t keep runnin! This is a video I recorded from the wonderful 6th annual “DC Loves Dilla” event. The band and Pharcyde KILLED it!! I heart musicianship even though I can’t play an instrument to save my life. Enjoy the video, think about some things you need to work on, and bust a move.
MUSICAL[MOOD]:: The Pharcyde: Runnin
July 20.11
Reflection[Internal]:: Feature at Bohemian Caverns
July 10.11
::One of my friends rocking my #hoj buttons with FREESTYLE! This Way (Levi Stephens) painting in the background::
I know I haven’t posted in a while. I’d like to avoid using any cliches that refer to me being “on my grind” or “making moves”, but I have been in a state of reflection. I must admit, I’m still high from my show at Bohemian Caverns. It felt awesome to have my family front row center, to hear chants of my friends and colleagues, to be able to share my heart with everyone in the form of spoken word, and to have my art as the backdrop.
It still baffles me how I’ve been able to conjure words to articulate the mumbles of my heart; it baffles me even more to know that I (a “part-time poet”) know enough people who WANT to hear my words and see my work. To everyone who traveled to see me and cheered me on in spirit, THANK YOU and STAY TUNED!
Just[LISTEN]:: Jill Scott: The Light Of The Sun
June 21.11
For the love of GOOD music, you NEED to have this album in your possession.
MUSICAL[MOOD]:: Ebahim: In My Heart, I am Zebrahim (Sessions with Hazel)
June 20.11
- Zero
- Zoning
- Zoology
- Zenith
- Zizzle
- Zilch
- Pakistan ft. Aaron Hardin
- Beautifullest Thing
- Smelly Cat
It’s a rainy almost summer day here in the DMV, and it has me in a very chill mellow mood (word to Bob Marley). I stumbled upon the featured project on my favorite musical crack site, This Is Real Music, and instantly recognized the name from one of my previous posts, Double-Dose of Dope:: Mara Hruby x Ebrahim ft. Aaron Hardin. In My Heart, I am Zebrahim (Sessions with Hazel), is a nice compilation of interpretations (vocal doodles, if you will) of the Brown Sugar soul singer, D’Angelo (it would be lovely to hear a new project from him!) and Dilla’s production of The Pharcyde’s Runnin. I love the way he builds each song, slowly progressing from beatboxing to the introduction of each instrument. It’s nice to get audible “peak” at what goes into composing a song. iDig.
As you should know by now, I am also a sucker for a nice, clever, and clean cover design. Kudos to Corbin Portillo for designing this.
Sneak[Peak]:: Jill Scott: The Light Of The Sun
June 15.11
Yesterday, I stumbled upon the full tracklist of Jill Scott’s upcoming release, The Light Of The Sun. I wasn’t sure what to expect from Jilly, but I will say that I’ve been listening to it nonstop. I am absolutely loving the whole vibe of this new project. The overall composition of this album seems to be a cipher between studio time and her stream of consciousness in producing each song. The instrumentation, her vocalizing, and the potency and vulnerability of her lyrics put you in a trance. Each word seems to be deliberate and perfectly placed. I have a few favorites, but this is indeed the first album in a long time that I haven’t had a desire to skip. I’m looking forward to the release and writing to these tracks.
If you’d like to listen, click here.
MUSICAL[MOOD]:: Common: The Light
June 13.11
Happy Monday!! This weekend, I had the opportunity to reflect on a lot in my life. I’ve been finalizing some details for my upcoming set at Wednesday Night Verses (June 29), got to spend time celebrating the accomplishments of extended family, learned some great artistic insight from an artist at Eastern Market, and I got to FINALLY start working on my vision board (which is long overdue). I started reflecting on the things that I really want. As the vision board comes together, I’ve decided to meditate only on the things that I would like to come into fruition. This morning, this song popped up. Who wouldn’t want a love sampled over Bobby Caldwell?! Enjoy your day. Pay something positive forward. *Besos*
One day, I’ll have a really awesome high quality camera that will capture these moments, but I couldn’t let another Wednesday Night Verses go by without you all seeing one of the MANY reasons why I go and help out faithfully. Lucky for me, the sound quality is just fine (thank you, iPhone). Washington D.C. has so many talented artistic and musical individuals, but there are a select few who move me almost instantly. Lyndre is one of them. If you like what you hear, make sure you come to her feature at Bohemian Caverns on June 15th!!
June 9.11
MUSICAL[MOOD]:: Tom Chase: OTKL (Ode To Kendrick Lamar—The Heart Pt. 3)
June 7.11
I was given this track over the Twitternets yesterday, and it’s been in rotation ever since. St. Joe Louis’s Tom Chase takes to one of The Roots’ tracks from the How I Got Over album and makes it his own (much like he did with Jay Electronica’s Exhibit C). I appreciate so much about this. It’s raw, sincere, and honest (just how I like my music and art). Take a moment to check out this track and other posts featuring the members of St. Joe Louis. If you dig, download the track here.
