A Journey Through Music

Sy Smith’s journey in music is a testament to her versatility and dedication. With a career spanning over two decades, she has seamlessly navigated through various roles – from a backing vocalist for legendary artists like Whitney Houston, Brandy and Meshell Ndegeocello, to establishing herself as a formidable solo artist and collaborator with the likes of The Foreign Exchange. Her ability to infuse soul, jazz, R&B, and electronic elements into her music has set her apart as a true innovator.

Her discography is a rich tapestry of sound, with each album reflecting her growth as an artist. Starting with her debut album “Psykosoul” in 2001, Sy Smith has consistently pushed the boundaries of neo-soul. Her later works, such as “The Syberspace Social,” “Sometimes A Rose Will Grow in Concrete,” and her latest album “Until We Meet Again,” showcase her evolution, both lyrically and sonically, as she explores themes of love, self-discovery, and social consciousness.

The February 2025 Spotlight

This February, Sy Smith’s contribution to neo-soul is celebrated not just for her past achievements but for her current and ongoing influence. Her recent projects continue to captivate audiences, blending soulful melodies with contemporary beats and poignant lyrics. Her latest album, ” Until We Meet Again,” released earlier this year, has received critical acclaim for its innovative approach and heartfelt compositions.

“Until We Meet Again” is a true treat that speaks to us on so many levels. The collection of carefully chosen tracks presents us with a soulful sonic journey that touches on our life journeys with relevancy and poignancy. I gravitate towards the poignancy of “Why Do You Keep Calling Me,” the multi-genre energy of “Slide,” the absolute gift represented in the drumming of Sheila E and the heavenly harmonies in “Masterclass,” the storytelling vibe of the Summer of ’93 (telling the story of the immense talents sharing their collective potential at Howard University), and of course, the tributes of “Until We Meet Again” – a celebratory testimony to the memories of the ones she/we has/have lost but have not forgotten.  It’s simply a dope album!

Live Performances and Community Engagement

Sy Smith is also renowned for her electrifying live performances. Her stage presence is magnetic, drawing audiences into her world with every note. Whether performing at intimate venues or grand festivals, Sy’s ability to connect with her audience is unparalleled. This month, as the Neo Soul Cypher artist of the month, she is set to grace several stages, bringing her unique sound and infectious energy to fans across the country. I can attest to Sy’s unique power to energize a crowd with her infectious energy that is highlighted by her unparalleled notes, engaging personality and ability to “read the room.” 

Beyond her musical talents, Sy Smith is a dedicated advocate for arts education and community engagement. She often participates in workshops and mentorship programs, inspiring the next generation of musicians. Her commitment to giving back to the community underscores her role not just as an artist but as a cultural ambassador.

A Legacy of Innovation

As we celebrate Sy Smith as the Neo Soul Cypher artist of the month for February 2025, we acknowledge her unwavering dedication to her craft and her continuous efforts to push the boundaries of neo-soul. and other genres. Her ability to blend the old with the new, her powerful vocal delivery, and her innovative spirit make her a true luminary.

Sy Smith’s legacy is one of evolution, inspiration, and excellence. She remains a beacon of creativity in the neo-soul community and beyond, constantly reminding us of the genre’s rich past while guiding it toward a vibrant future. As we listen to her music and witness her performances this month, we celebrate an artist who truly embodies the heart and soul of neo-soul.

For more updates on Sy Smith and her upcoming performances, follow her on social media and stay tuned to Neo Soul Cypher for exclusive interviews and behind-the-scenes content. Also, see her in my Dallas, Texas as we at Neo Soul Cypher partner with Sy to bring her to the Kessler Theatre on Friday, March 28th.  Be there at 7:00 pm and be ready for the energy, the vibe and the unmatched talent!

Sa-Roc! Sa-Roc is Hip-Hop – bars, beats and a message all combined to create an experience that is familiar but not familiar enough. What do you mean Neo Soul 1? Well I mean that Sa-Roc rocks the Mic while stimulating the mind, and while that’s a familiar dynamic on the continuum of Hip-Hop, it is not present enough in Hip-Hop served up today.  Sa-Roc came to this a little later than most, but I believe that she simmered a bit before her pot of Hip-Hop stew was exactly right. She dropped some gems in the past with albums like Journey of the Starseed in 2013 (Check out “Starseed” and “Nation Time”), Nebuchannezer in 2014 (Check out “The Who”, “Maximum Frequency,” and “True Mastery”), Extraterrestial in 2015 (Check out “We Comin” and “Shadows Approaching”).  These jointz are highly recommended, but the latest gem might just be the best.  With Sharecroppers Daughter 2020, Sa-Roc culminates the dynamic word play, annunciation and dope beats, with themes that are relevant, real and righteous.  When she hits us with, “this is a portrait of America that Norman couldn’t master, a crack [rock well]-suited for the capture” on “Rockwell’s America,” she and Styles P make us think, they give us history, sociology and a current events update, all while holding sway on the Mic like they’re rockin the house party and making everybody sweat as they dance to the beats. Yes the Sa-Roc experience is a unique one, one that is reminiscent of one of my favorite groups – The Roots, and thankfully the super lyricist Sa-Roc matches wits with those of super dope lyricist Black Thought from The Roots.  On the track “The Black Renaissance,” Sa-Roc spits that, “And me and Thought together, portrait of your worst fears / The darkness come to light when two Leviathans is fraternizin” – well yes that is some next nevel ish!!  Another super dope track is “Forever,” where her flow is simply ridiculous, bouncing back and forth between bar patterns, slowing down, speeding up, while telling us her life story.  One defined by overcoming body image issues, and strengthening herself as she uses her rap verses as therapy and growth, to the point where she is now confident in her look and sound.  Bottom line, Sa-Roc is a next level lyricist who is sayin somethin! She’s not mumbling her words to hide her inability to rhyme, she’s not over-exaggerating her sex appeal, she’s not underlining the virtue of a designer drug our pain killer. Yet and still she’s entertaining, she’s rockin the Mic like a true MC letting us all know she’s dope, but way bigger than dope.

Sa-Roc Music:
1. Forever – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NZ8YYjSwrNc
2. Black Renaissance (feat. Black Thought)  –https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=z7xtpOPkojA
3. Tink Desk (home edition) Performance – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k51uMl8rhp0
4. Goddess Gang – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rxTBeiCwzCo
5. The Who (feat. David Banner) – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MsaPikRQ22s

Frequently an artist is dubbed as having an iconic sound or “unique” style simply due to a slight derivation from typical phrasing or intonation; rare is it that these labels are applicable. Kem is an artist who wears these descriptions perfectly.  His voice is reminiscent of one of the smoothest crooners in black music history, Al Jarreau. Kem’s voice glides over songs like a liquid torrent cresting before and after the beat, sudden changes in pitch, so perfect that you got the sensation of a roller coaster’s drop. His runs are both fluid and yet staccato. But as the kids say, “it’s the voice for me.” 

The first time I heard Kem, I assumed his sound was about as organic as an iMac. It was too different, notes tinged by what felt like flakes of metal to my ear, the timbre of it leaving the impression of Roger Troutman’s talkbox. Yet I was an instant fan. I believed him a master of the technology; it sounded “real.” So imagine my shock when I learned it was that this sound came from someone’s vocal cords, exclusively, fully replicable live without the benefit of a microphone. His sound was unique and iconic.

Kem is a brilliant songwriter, storyteller, and mood setter. His slow groove ballads and romantic sound are the kind of music that can take a shared drink, to a slow drag to the break of dawn.  His debut album Kem features the forever ode, Love Calls. The lyrics growl, mewl, and urge the listener to capitulate to the indomitable force that is love, “There’s nowhere to hide, yeah, when love is callin’ your name.” His sophomore effort features I Can’t Stop Loving You which served as the anchor for this platinum which reached the #1 slot on the R&B Billboard charts and secured him a Billboard Music Award as R&B Single of the Year.

Kem has now released 6 studio albums. Of note, his fourth, What Christmas Means, featuring Ledisi and the Detroit Gospel Choir, is one to put in the post-Turkey Day rotation.   

As for now, as the temperature heats up outside, if you want to get things cooking indoors, pop on this Kem NeoSoulCypher playlist and enjoy dulcet tones, slow jams and let him serenade you share the Promise to Love.   

(Spotify) NeoSoulCypher’s Kem Playlist

(Deezer) NeoSoulCypher’s Kem Playlist

(Tidal) NeoSoulCypher’s Kem Playlist

(YouTube) NeoSoulCypher’s Kem Playlist

Ok, here we are – Part 4 of our journey with the Native Tongue family.  A Tribe Called Quest is probably the most well-known and is the best-selling member of the Native Tongue collective. They helped create a lyrical, tonal and musical dynamic that allowed Rap to maintain its b-boy aesthetic without bowing down to gangsterism. The Tribe, along with their Native Togue crew, gave hope to us who loved Hip Hop culture, but did not want to have to buy into some of the trap doors along the path of gangsta bravado and beefs.  We could “Keep it Real” and not have to kill. 

With their first album,  the 1990 “Instinctive Travel and the Paths of Rhythm,” A Tribe hit us with clever word-play and jazzy beats to create a relaxed vibe that was smooth yet hard hitting.  My favorites are “Bonita Applebaum” and “Can I Kick It.” We knew they represented something different, yet progressive – with the fusion of hip-hop, jazz and sophisticated production and engineering. In 1991, we got “Low End Theory” and yes I got, jointz for days, with “Scenario,” “Butter”, “Check the Rhime, “ Vibes and Stuff,” and “Buggin Out.”  Q-Tip was the highlight of the first album, but Phife Dawg did the thing on “Low End Theory”, with lines like, “I’m just a short brother, dark skin face, weigh a buck-fifty, 36 waist hair is crazy curly, flip like Mr. Furley, To this day I still believe that no MC can serve me,” from “Vibes and Stuff,” Phife proved he should not be underestimated. Two years later, “Midnight Maruaders,” “looted our ears” and we were treated with one of the best Rap albums of all time. “Award Tour” was super dope, and got the most play, but let’s be clear tracks 8-13 on this album (“Electric Relaxation,” “Clap Your Hands,” “Oh My God,” “Keep it Rollin,” “The Chase, Pt.2,” and “Lyrics to Go”), in my mind, are the dopest series of tracks ever to follow back to back on a Rap album.  Only “Paid in Full” and “The Score” can rival this series of back to back bangas. “Beats, Rhymes and Life,” “The Love Movement” and “We Got It from Here … Thank You 4 Your Service” round out the 6 albums from The Tribe.  They are all full with tracks that are truly memorable. 

The Tribe is one of the most influential groups in hip-hip history and their sound, approach and success set the stage for the styles of many rappers to come (i.e., The Fugees, Common, Talib Kweli, Mos Def, The Pharcyde, Busta Rhymes) and even other genres (i.e., Neo Soul).  Themes like date rape, the East Coast v. West Coast rap beef, STD’s, sheisty industry types and more were tackled successfully by Q-Tip (Kamaal Ibn John Fareed), Phife Dawg (Malik Izaak Taylor), Ali Shaheed Muhammad and Jarobi (Jarobi White) (first and las album). We unfortunately lost Phife Dawg in 2016 to his diabetes, but we got his last contributions in “We Got It from Here … Thank You 4 Your Service” and his posthumous solo album “Forever” is due out later this year.  The Tribe is a truly groundbreaking group and part of my Top Five of all time.  Here are my Top 5 Tracks from The Tribe.  

Check out my Top 5 from A Tribe Called Quest:

1. “Electric Relaxation”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WHRnvjCkTsw
2. “Check the Rhime” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1QWEPdgS3As
3. “Scenario”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q6TLWqn82J4
4. “Can I Kick It”: https://neosoulcypher.com/best-cougar-dating-app/
5. “Keep It Rollin”: speed dating denver 2025

#Classic Hip Hop

#ATribeCalledQuest

#ElectricRelaxation

#ChecktheRhime

#CanIKickIt

#Scenario

#NeoSoulCypher

#Q-Tip

#PhifeDawg

As I stated in the bi sexual dating site, Maxwell is one of the four Neo-Soul pillars. Maxwell’s languid liquid runs, and effortless expressive range is the actual living definition of ‘the cool side of the pillow’. His debut album Maxwell’s Urban Hang Suite is genre-defining and, along with Brown Sugar (also released in 1995), inextricably linked him and D’Angelo as the male vanguards of this smooth new sound. The patient pleadings of Whenever Wherever Whatever, rising falsetto of Sumthin’ Sumthin, and driving percussive kick drum of …Til the Cops Come Knockin are quintessential sheet shakers. While the aforementioned tracks channel Prince, the classic Ascension (Don’t Ever Wonder) is a veritable ode to Frankie Beverly.

In 1996 Maxwell coupled with Sade minus the lead singer herself (yes the Band is called Sade as well) performing under the name Sweetback for the insta-classic Softly Softly.  Fortunate from the Life soundtrack and Fire We Make from Alicia Keys Girl on Fire round out his non-album hits.

The experimental Embrya was his sophomore debut. Maxwell strains the conventions of R&B and further pushes the NeoSoul sound with round fat basslines, expressive runs, and feral growls that show off his Baptist upbringing and layered production.  Now, his third album features two of his most iconic cuts, Lifetime is peak Maxwell, lyrical depth, vocals reflecting the texture of the meaning of the words, and a driving kick drum that supports the calm groove punctuating the song’s vocals. This Woman’s Work is a “cover”, but just like Luther’s House Is Not A Home, Whitney’s I Will Always Love You and Donnie’s A Song For You, this remake supplants the original. The falsetto displayed in the live recording of this seminal Maxwell work was the birth child of a generation of NeoSoul artist, from Bilal to Eric Benet. The surprise of the album is the foot-stomping, spirit-filled, hand-clapping gospel groove Gotta Get:Closer. This cheeky bit of shock sees Maxwell interpolate https://neosoulcypher.com/dating-app-photoshoot/; unpacking this song is dissertation-worthy stuff, so I’ll stick to my lane and move to the next album.

Maxwell’s fourth album, coming fourteen years after his debut, demonstrates an artist comfortable in his sound, in the genre he helped to define through his work, and ready to demonstrate that he was and is still the king of the castle of his creation. Fistful of Tears’ melancholic chords, remonstrative chorus and energetic groove would be the pinnacle for many artists, but BLACKsummers’night contains the classic funked-out track Badhabits and the baby boom-inducing Prettywings (as a former brass player, can we give it up one time for the horn section on this track please).

His brilliance continued on display in the second installment of the ostensible trilogy titled blackSUMMER’Snight.  Lake by the Ocean became an instant classic and resulting in his third Grammy. More importantly, twenty years after winning his first, it was his sixth Soul Train Music Award—two decades of excellence.

So put the kids to sleep, turn the phone on silent and check out our NeoSoulCypher’s Maxwell Essential’s playlist.

(Spotify) NeoSoulCypher’s Maxwell Essentials

(Tidal) NeoSoulCypher’s Maxwell Essentials

(YouTube Music) NeoSoulCypher’s Maxwell Essentials

(Deezer) NeoSoulCypher’s Maxwell Essentials

If you prefer your playlist shaken not stirred, your sheet shaking mix from the playlist 2theMax can be found here.

“De La Soul from the soul, black medallions, no gold” (from the song “Buddy”) – that says it all, it was a branding message. De La Soul represented something different than the gold chains and track suits that were almost the uniform for rap artists in the late 1980’s.  They projected a clever nerdy approach rather than the always hard and often gangsta approach of many artists of the day. They also helped birth the focus on afro-centricity with songs like “Me, Myself and I” and “Ghetto Thang,” along with their Native Tongue compatriots.  De La Soul were billed as the hippies of hip-hop when they released their first album “Three Feet High and Rising” in 1989, yet they never really embraced that whole image.  This is part of the reason that they came with “De La Soul is Dead” in their 1991 follow up album. De La made you feel good, while grooving to their multi-layered samples and jazz fused tracks, while making you think and oftentimes laugh at the same time.  That’s why I consider De La Soul one of the most talented and influential groups of hip-hop.  With songs like “Me, Myself and I,” I was jamming and felt good about it, without having to excuse the message in the song.  The members of the De La are Kelvin Mercer (Posdnuos), David Jude Jolicoeur (Trugoy) and Vincent Mason (Maseo).  They hit us with 4 classic albums from ’89 through the 90’s starting with “Three Feet High and Rising,” De La Soul is Dead,” “Buhloone Mindstate” and “Stakes is High,” with hit songs throughout.  Unfortunately, due to the shenanigans at their old label, most of their classic songs are not available on digital platforms – a true shame for us and them! Nevertheless, here are my Top 5.

Check out my Top 5 from the De La Soul:

1. “Me, Myself and I”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8-9mY-JACM
2. “Buddy” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SWIfqPLFnis
3. “A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Tu-qDHSSZo
4. “Ring Ring Ring (Hey Ha)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6-JOVXZePQk
5. “Stakes is High”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tzOOCnkUlnA

#Classic Hip Hop

#DeLaSoul

#MeMyselfandI

#Buddy

#ARollerSkatingJamNamedSaturdays

The Jungle Brothers helped usher in a new phase in Rap music.  Releasing “Straight out the Jungle” in 1988, the Jungle Brothers helped usher in the “Golden Era” of Hip-Hop in addition to being the initial members of the Native Tongue Family that we discussed in our last article highlighting the Black Sheep.  The Golden Era refers to the high moment in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s where MC’s and DJ’s, primarily from the NYC Metropolitan area , made groundbreaking strides, including use of samples, new rap lyrical patterns and use of different instrumentation.  From Big Daddy Kane, to Cool G Rap, to the Ultramagnetic MC’s, to KRS-One, to Chuck D, to MC Light, to all of the Native Tongues, there was a proliferation of vibrant, unique and dope tracks, albums and performances. The Jungle Brothers personified this, fusing jazz and even House music into their Hip-Hop.  They helped open a lane that the rest of the Native Tongue Family exploited.  DeLaSoul, A Tribe Called Quest and even the Black Sheep brought their unique approaches and wound up selling more records and becoming more well known than the JB’s, but no one can deny that the Jungle Brothers cleared the way with their style, fresh approach and dope songs. The members of the JB’s are Michael Small (Mike Gee), Nathaniel Hall (Afrika Baby Bam), and Sammy Burwell (DJ Sammy B).  When they came out with “Jimbrowski” we all knew this was some new ish. I could not stop playing the tape, cause I couldn’t figure out which song I liked the best.  Was it “Straight Out the Jungle”, “I’ll House You”, “The Promo” or “Because I Got It Like That”? And we didn’t have to wait long to get another dose of the JB’s.  They released the “Done by the Forces of Nature” album in 1989, and I had another favorite track – “J Beez Comin Through”.  Ok, I’m down with the classic JB’s, but I highly recommend checking out the JB albums throughout the years.

Check out my Top 5 from the Jungle Brothers:

1. “I’ll House You”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R7_1Xb5Uc8U
2. “The Promo” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c0LlYnokkEQ
3. “Straight Out the Jungle”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0wVNPWWZIw
4. “J Beez Comin Through”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o2m7YrqQWPY
5. “Jimbrowski”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bx5uJU7QjCA

#Classic Hip Hop

#JungleBrothers

#I’llHouseYou

#Jimbrowski

The Black Sheep were dope to me. As the “Black Sheep” of the Native Tongue family they played on their unique position as the comical/tongue-in-cheek/devilishly clever members of the collective that included the “Jungle Brothers,” “De La Soul,” “A Tribe Called Quest,” “Queen Latifah,” “Monie Love” and “Chi-Ali.” Others like “Fu-Schnickens,” “The Beatnuts,” “Brand Nubian,” and later artists like “Mos Def,” “Common” and “The Pharcyde” became the logical heirs of the Native Tongue.  Overwhelmingly, the Native Tongue represented positivity, Afro-centricity and a clear movement away from the gansgta, gun-toting, violent lyrics of groups like N.W.A.   One of my favorite cuts on the Black Sheep’s first album, “A Wolfe in Sheep’s Clothing” was a parody of the absurdity of the self-indulgent lyrics in gangsta rap. The track –  “U Mean I’m Not” sees like a blueprint for “CB-4” – the Chris Rock movie with the same inspired parody of gangsta rap.   The album spawned two of the biggest hits of the early 90’s – cuts that still get it started today. With “Flavor of the Month” and “The Choice is Yours,” Black Sheep became clear standouts in Hip-Hop.  I suggest that it is not an exaggeration to say that these two tracks are foundational to the genre.  “Dres” and “Mista Lawnge” were the M.C.’s who spit with confidence, intelligence and lyrical skill beyond their years, and the production was dope with complex and layered samples to go with the boom bat. Some may argue that Black Sheep stands for “B.S.” with their overall positivity and lyrical licks against violence and sexism (tracks like “L.A.S.M.”, “Black With N.V. (No Vision)” and “U Mean I’m Not”), that seem at odds with their repeated reference to “hoes” and over the top sexual allusions.  I  think it can be said they were aiming for tongue-in-cheek while trying to play it both ways.  In the end, the Black Sheep might say something like, “you can get with this, or you can get with that.” 

Check out my Top 5 from the Black Sheep:

1. “The Choice Is Yours (Revisted)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K9F5xcpjDMU
2. “Flavor of the Month” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F01fzPwBwc4
3. “Strobelite Honey”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A_JtkSmw808
4. “U Mean I’m Not”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hblAppO67Ig
5. “Black With N.V. (No Vision)”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-J8EwAGteVc

#Classic Hip Hop

#BlackSheep

#Dres

#MistaLawnge

#YouCanGetWithThis,YouCanGetWithThat

Goapele is that smooth, sultry, on that political tip ish.  I got hooked on Goapele in the early 2000’s when she released “Even Closer.” I still think this album is one of the finest blends of Neo-Soul and Hip-Hop, with some true bangas like “Romantic (feat. Soulive)”, “The Daze (feat. Zion I & Casual)” and “Ease Your Mind (feat. Pep Love)”.  These Neo Soul – Hip-Hop collabos were exactly what I was looking for at the time; however, “It Takes More,” “Catch-22” and “Closer” are simply Neo Soul with a Hip-Hop beat at its best.  Of course I still bang this album some 20 years later.  Goapele didn’t leave her heavy hitters to the early 2000’s. On her 2011 “Break of Dawn” album, “Play” takes us back to the sultry and funky feel of tracks like “Romantic,” and “Undertow” captures the emotional pull of tracks like “Closer.” In 2017 the “Dreamseeker” EP brought the Goapele that I loved up to date, with the sultry, sophisticated yet down right “basic” “Secret” – a track that sets the mood like few others, while alluding to a Hip-Hop R&B song with one of the dopest beats ever.  In “Secret” Goapele says, “I can’t let you know, I got a secret,” and then asks, “Are You Responsible.”  In the timeless “Are You That Somebody”, Timbaland constructs quite possibly the dopest Hip-Hop beat ever and then throws in the baby crying to take it over the top! On this track, Aaliyah goes on to ask, “If I let this go, Are You Responsible?”  So, 2017 Goapele takes us back to 1998 Aaliyah with Timbaland and kills it.  Other notables from “Dreamseeker” include “Power” and the “As Bright as Sun” (interlude)” that is ripe to be made into a full-length track. Goapele is yet another gift from the Bay Area to treasure.  

Check out my Top 5 from the Goapele:

1.     Catch-22 – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zaUQkFvKSzA

2.     Secret – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q15gwzTd9Zs

3.     Romantic – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dC6xZ6LuycY

4.     It Takes More – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hO5cAHqk_ic

5.     Undertow – https://vimeo.com/61292836

Question of the Week: Who does Goapele most remind you of as a music artist?

#Goapele

#Neo-Soul

#Neo-Soul and Hip-Hop

#Aaliyah

#Timbaland

Whodini was the sound of a generation.  In 1983 Whodini helped to usher in the national presence of Hip-Hop.  Before Whodini and Run-DMC, Hip-Hop was more of a regional phenomenon. With the release of  “Whodini” the group set a trailblazing path.  They were the originators of the blending of Hip-Hop and R&B, and with tracks like “The Haunted House of Rock” and “Magic’s Wand” – on ode to Mr. Magic – the NYC D.J. that helped pioneer  Hip-Hop on the radio, they lit up the scene.  When Whodini hit us with “Friends,” “Freaks Come Out at Night” and “Five Minutes of Funk” off of the “Escape” album, I was hooked.  It is hard to relay just how potent these songs were in elevating Rap and Hip-Hop.  They really helped reach those that considered Rap a fad, and they helped establish this genre as another foundational American original. Whodini lyrics were always in the pocket and the creativity they brought to their tracks literally helped diversify and change the game. Who can top, “We like to be with some because their funny, others come around when they need some money.” We unfortunately loss “Ecstasy” a.k.a. John Fletcher this past December, 2020, one of the two rappers in the group, but we still have the legacy of Whodini who helped launch the first major wave of Hip-Hop. 

Check out my Top 5 from the Whodini:

1.     “Friends” (a live performance) : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tECCvdWEweA

2.     “Haunted House of Rock” : https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bgK8aex4wHA

3.     “Freak Come Out at Night” (with some cameos): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FxwrLLlQwBw

4.     “Five Minutes of Funk”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kwbtgcAo20k

5.      “Funky Beat”: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WaVIPfN5HPg

Question of the Week:  What’s your favorite Whodini song?

#Classic Hip Hop

#Whodini

#Friends

#RIP Ecstasy

#Jalil.Whodini

#Grandmasterdee