If I'm A Slave, Then I'm A Slave To The Rhythm

You know that I'd probably love to talk shit for a minute or two, but I've got more links than Mr. T has in his entire jewelry collection. With that said, let us proceed...

I discovered a lot of excellent posts on music blogs this week, but one of my absolute favorites was featured on Soul Shower. The theme was Otis Redding songs covered by artists of the female persuasion. Download Patti Drew's take on "Hard To Handle", and the Ann Peebles version of "Respect". If you love me at all---and I mean, how could you not?---be sure to check out "Good To Me". That song explains everything about why I just can't get me enough Irma Thomas:
http://soulshower.blogspot.com/2006/04/ladies-do-otis.html.

Many people merely associated the song "Respect" with Aretha Franklin, failing to realize that Otis wrote (and recorded his own version of) the track. In much the same way, Aretha popularized "Until You Come Back To Me (That's What I'm Gonna Do)", despite the fact that it was written by the legendary Stevie Wonder. Stevie's version of the song is equally wonderful, and luckily for you, it's available for download at Funky 16 Corners: http://funky16corners.blogspot.com/2006/04/stevie-wonder-until-you-come-back-to.html.

So Cynical is hosting yet another track from Stepfather, the latest effort from People Under The Stairs---"More Than You Know":
http://spaces.msn.com/socynicalsohipsofullof/Blog/cns!AE5DFBAC704449AD!847.entry.

Miblog Weighs A Ton is featuring a couple of classic tracks by the group Pleasure---"Thoughts of Old Flames" and "Reality". As an added bonus, Nordy added a few mp3s that contain a sample of those songs. "It's Supposed To Bubble" by UGK and Questionmark Asylum's "Hey Lookaway" both contain elements of "Thoughts Of Old Flames", while a sample of "Reality" can be easily detected in De La Soul's "Church" ( a 9th Wonder production):
http://miblogweighsaton.blogspot.com/2006/04/pleasure-pt-1.html.

If you haven't seen Immortal Technique's video for "4th Branch", I implore you to check it here. Thankfully, it's saturated with revolutionary political content---and I would have expected nothing less:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4QAFnw3vmg&search=immortal%20technique.

I know that I must have at least a handful of Murs fans hangin' out in cyberspace, so this one's for you. Download "Bad Man" and "Silly Girl" at So Much Silence:
http://somuchsilence.blogspot.com/2006/04/murs-murrays-revenge.html.
Then, head over to Caffeine-Headache to cop "Dark Skin White Girls" and "L.A.":http://www.caffeine-headache.net/weblog/2006/04/murs_murrays_revenge.html.

Also at Caffeine-Headache, you can download a couple more joints from The Coup's Pick A Bigger Weapon LP---"Laugh/Love/Fuck" and "I Just Wanna Lay Around All Day". After copping all these free mp3s, you'd better be planning to buy this shit, or Boots Riley is going to kick my stupid ass: http://www.caffeine-headache.net/weblog/2006/04/the_coup_pick_a_bigger_weapon.html.
Before that happens, I must give props to O-Dub at Soul Sides for posting some older Coup tracks. Download "I Ain't the Nigga (Original mix)", "Dig It! (remix)", "Fuck A Perm (LP mix)", and a remix of one of my personal favorites---"Takin' These": http://soul-sides.com/2006/04/coup-stiill-diggin-it.html.

The Sole Life recently posted a track I used to keep on heavy rotation---"A.V.E.R.A.G.E. " by Kazi (produced by Madlib). I remember coming across this joint on a Fat Beats compilation, and imagining that this cat might actually become a force to be reckoned with in the indie hip-hop universe. Not so, my friends. His musical offerings have been somewhat scarce ever since, and in my opinion, he's done nothing to even remotely parellel the level he achieved on that particular track. Despite this fact, nothing can do a damn thing to tarnish my admiration for this joint, so props to Boogs for putting it out there. Included in the same post is another excellent track---"Mission Impossible" by Kali Wild:
http://solelife.blogspot.com/2006/04/all-hail-ox.html.

Hilarious video advertising for an imaginary musical compilation---Folk Songs Of The Far Right. There's just no valid excuse for sleeping on musical gems like "Papa's Got A Brand New Bagdhad"...is there? :
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bFFJMf6ddWQ&search=the%20coup.

Without really knowing what the fuck this is, I've become addicted to it. Apparently, I:Cube and RZA got all techno with each other on a joint called "Can You Deal With That?". Then, Dave at 33/45 screwed it down (not in the biblical sense), and the end product is what's been callin' me back like crack ever since. Download my latest drug of choice here:
http://threethreefourfive.blogspot.com/2006/04/deal-with-this.html.

More justification for my shameless promotion of the Soul Sisters/Funky Divas: Download the mp3 for the Lyn Collins version of "Mr. Big Stuff" at The Stepfather Of Soul. I recently posted a link to fellow Sister Vicki Anderson's "answer" to the Jean Knight version, but this rendition is every bit as necessary, as Lyn puts her own lil' funky spin on things: http://stepfatherofsoul.blogspot.com/2006/04/mr-big-stuff-revisited.html.

Speaking of Vicki Anderson, peep this classic footage of her performing "Yesterday" (The Beatles) in 1971 at the Olympia Theatre:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uIy6Rq31Y9Q&search=vicki%20anderson.

I find myself having sort of mixed feelings about Kelis, and I have a healthy dose of skepticism when it comes to a lot of contemporary R&B joints. I've already expressed my viewpoint on P Diddy, which is far from favorable. And yet, despite the fact that this track contains all three of those elements , I still can't help fuckin' with "About To Hate Me"---download it now at lemon-red:
http://www.lemon-red.org/blog/2006/04/27/233/.

If you still have love for MF Doom's ex-homeboy MF Grimm, you can download "Watch Out" at Straight Bangin':
http://straightbangin.blogspot.com/2006/04/kareem-jacket.html.

Silence Is A Rhythm, Too just posted two songs entitled "Let's Stay Together". One is by Al Green, while the other can be attributed to Cee-Lo Green and Pharrell. The similarity between these joints doesn't go much further than sharing a name, except that both are quality tracks:
http://siart.blogspot.com/2006/04/funky-friday-lets-stay-together-same.html.

Another stellar Sample Wednesday at Palms Out Sounds---this week featuring songs sampled in Mos Def joints. Download songs by Gil Scott-Heron, Fela Kuti, David Axelrod, Aretha Franklin, Minnie Riperton, and more: http://palmsout.blogspot.com/2006/04/sample-wednesday-7-mos-def.html.

While we're talkin' Minnie Riperton, she's another female soul/R&B artist who's had an influence on hip-hop. Besides Mos Def, her songs have also been sampled by/for Eminem, Pete Rock, Slum Village, No I.D., The Pharcyde, Tupac, ATCQ, Freeway, J-88, Sadat X, and many other fine artists. This list is far from exhaustive, and her music will undoubtedly be influential for many more decades to come. Go here to learn more about her legacy: http://www.soulwalking.co.uk/Minnie%20Riperton.html.
Download two of her songs at Pardon My Freedom---"Reasons" and "Everytime He Comes Around": http://pardonmyfreedom.blogspot.com/2006/04/chosen-one.html.

Undoubtedly, Mom taught you that expressing your artistic vision on walls is an immoral and punishable offense. As it turns out, though, this can be quite a viable art form:
http://ueba.com.br/html/Wallpainting-Art.

I've always loved the music on this joint---download the instrumental to Cormega's "American Beauty" at Spliff Huxtable:
http://www.spliffhuxtable.com/?p=199.

Clockwork recently posted a nice selection of mp3s. Amongst other joints, you can cop "Doobie Ashtray" (Devin The Dude), "Doin' My Job" (T.I.), and "Impeach The President" (DJ Green Lantern/Saigon/dead prez/Immortal Technique):
http://yourmansandnem.blogspot.com/2006/04/two-turntables-microphone.html.

Part 3 of the Five Deez series has been posted at Ear Fuzz:
http://www.earfuzz.com/2006/04/five-deez-pt-3-kommunicator-induce.html. Also at the Fuzz, you can download a couple of tracks by The Emotions---"Blind Alley" and "If You Think It". Many are aware that RZA utilized the latter on "Verbal Intercourse", but in general, this group has been sampled on a ridiculous number of hip-hop joints. If you question their impact, just ask Brand Nubian, EPMD, Redman, Gang Starr, ODB, Ice Cube, and a zillion other artists who've enjoyed the fruits of their musical labor:
http://www.earfuzz.com/2006/04/no-emotion-untouched.html.

Download a wonderfully eclectic mix of tracks at Feed Me Good Tunes---"Song Of Innocence" (David Axelrod), "The Needle's Eye" (Gil Scott-Heron), "624 (Part 1)" (Fat Jon + Nujabes), "Brownsville (YNQ remix)" (DJ Rels aka Madlib), and some other stuff that I don't personally care for as much:
http://feedmegoodtunes.blogspot.com/2006/04/10-songs-for-10-celebrations.html.

If you haven't been witness to the reggaefication of Pink Floyd's Dark Side Of The Moon LP, you can now cop all of the songs on the album, as conceived by the Easy Star All-Stars. If the thought fails to nauseate you, get your download on (courtesy of The Late Greats): http://staergetaleht.blogspot.com/2006/04/party-tunes-for-tuesday-four.html.

I am neither a big fan, nor a hater of Natalie Cole's music. I appreciated a lot of her early stuff, but like so many artists, she lost herself in the 1980s. Anyway, I've always dug her song "Annie Mae" (released in 1977), which you can currently download at Feel It: http://darcysfeelit.blogspot.com/2006/04/hard-wired.html#links.

Well, this post is coming to an end, and I guess it's time to explain the whole NWA thing. If you're a hip-hop fan, then you know all about clean versions---recordings that edit out curse words and "objectionable" content for the benefit of MTV, Wal-Mart, Clear Channel, and fanatical religious types. Have you ever wondered what would happen if the opposite process was applied to your favorite recording---explicit content in, and everything else out? At Binky The Doormat, you can download a version of Straight Outta Compton in which only the expletives remain: http://binkythedoormat.wordpress.com/2006/04/26/nwa-straight-outta-compton-explicit-content-only/.

By way of a parting shot: "Yo...turn off the radio."---Ice Cube