Everything I Do Gonna Be Funky

'Sup, soul kids?

I've recently enjoyed several days of doing absolutely nothing meaningful or productive, unless you count shopping for a fly pair of sunglasses like the ones pictured above. However, much to my hungover dismay, the time has finally come to defy inertia and roll my unambitious ass off the comfy couch...

Not surprisingly then, there's no particular theme or cohesiveness happening with today's musical selections. That sort of thing would have required forethought and organization, which are alien concepts to a brain that's recently enjoyed a brief vacation from highly evolved mental processes of any kind.

Unwind, loosen up, and meditate on these random acts of auditory love and kindness...

Be easy.

"What You See You Can't Get"---Pam Kellum (zShare)

"What You See You Can't Get"---Pam Kellum (savefile)

Little seems to be documented about Pam Kellum, possibly owing to the fact that she's essentially a no hit wonder. As usual, the lack of recognition and sales doesn't seem to correlate with her level of talent and potential appeal for funk and soul enthusiasts. This cut is yet another rare gem, sealed away in the vaults of obscurity until it was unearthed and revisited for Body & Soul 's Absolute Funk 3 compilation in November of 2006.

"What You See You Can't Get" was written and produced by Alexander Patton, and was originally released in 1972 (A&B 7171). It was a sort of "answer song" to a more prominent single by The Dramatics that had been released the year prior, "Whatcha See Is Whatcha Get" (Volt 4058).

Not unlike other Souled On favorites such as Vicki Anderson, Betty Davis, and Yvonne Fair, Kellum dishes out a fair share of sassiness in her delivery on the track. She belts out the tune with an air of self-assuredness and assumes a won't-get-fooled-again attitude, stepping across the not-so-fine line between feminine bravado and genuine feminist soul power with a truly confident swagger. Although I'm a sucker for a good love song any day of the week, I find it kinda disappointing when female vocalists imply that they're going to stand by their men even if they do something heinous like impregnate the next door neighbor's dog. I prefer strong women who have a backbone and teeth...and I mean that both literally and figuratively.

If you like diva-driven funk...or chicks with teeth...be sure to check this out.


"One, Two"---The Cool Kids (zShare)

"One, Two"---The Cool Kids (savefile)

In keeping with today's total relaxation ethos, I present a joint that may seem somewhat out of synch with my usual taste in music. Since I'm the sort of pretentious asshole who uses a name like Scholar as an alias, it's probably not all that shocking that my taste in hip hop can sometimes be way too cerebral for my own good. That said, if I set all pseudo-intellectual posturing aside, sometimes I just wanna shake it 'til I break it...nah'mean? Who better to snap me out of my humdrum state of rap elitism than a duo who calls themselves something utterly ridiculous like The Cool Kids?

For those of us who actually lived through the '80s, The Cool Kids' music may be an all-too-familiar rehashing of a time when leg warmers, Jheri curls, spandex shorts, door knocker earrings, and Motorola pagers somehow made heads feel fresh to death. I ain't gonna lie...it's been some days since I wore tight pants and/or pimped out a bicycle, so most of the time I can't relate much to what these dudes are saying. However, in all fairness, the fact that I've never been affiliated with a gang, cooked crack, or murdered anyone hasn't stopped my head from nodding in agreement with The Clipse, Mobb Deep, or NWA. If these cats would rather ride bikes than shoot people, I ain't really mad at 'em for that.

The truth is, these guys are so...ummm...insufferably dorky that hating on them is literally child's play. Couple that with the fact that every hipster asshole in America has decided that they're the next big thing, and you have the perfect recipe for something disastrous that I generally wouldn't fuck with in a million years. Perhaps that explains why I've deemed it necessary to listen to this Chi-Town duo on the sly for the past several months, waiting for my homies to leave so I can bust out my copy of Totally Flossed Out without having to endure any of their finger-pointing or unyielding ridicule.

It's true...I don't have any intellectually based justification for listening to a couple of goofy young'uns who refer to themselves as the "new black version of The Beastie Boys". Any half-witted, sharp-tongued critic could have a field day with their simplistic lyricism and recycled brand of so-called originality, which is why so-and-so at such-and-such.com may have already advised you against bothering to give these guys a listen.

I'm not calling out anyone in particular, but is it possible that many of us who seek to defend hip hop as a viable art form sometimes forget to just let loose and have fun with a record? These days, it seems like fun should be on the side of a milk carton with everything else that's mysteriously missing from our lives. Aren't we taking ourselves and the music that we love a little too seriously if we're overlooking the fundamental appeal of everything we hear by dissecting and attempting to devalue every aspect of its potential worth? If things had been this way back in the day, 40,000 bloggers would have weighed in on the artistic merit of Biz Markie spittin' rhymes about pickin' boogers. How stupid is that?

I'm as guilty of scrutinizing the hell out of everything as the next armchair critic, but here's a thought for anyone who finds themselves stuck in an overly analytical mindset: simplify. It's okay to go back to the basics once in a while. Hip hop started out in the park, children...not in a classroom at Yale or on the pages of Mr. Basement Blogger's thesaurus. Intellectualize it all you want, but you're missing out on a whole spectrum of the genre if you can't bring any of your records to a party. Have no shame if you wanna bust out your shell-toed Adidas and get retarded with someone like The Cool Kids every once in a while. It's all good, homeskillet...

The Bake Sale EP became officially available on iTunes as of last week. If you heard their Totally Flossed Out EP in '07, you will recognize all of these joints except for a few. The retail version of The Bake Sale is slated to drop in stores on June 10th. There are also several bonus cuts floating around the internets in case you silly asses start jonesin' for another fix before their full-length comes out later this year.

"Uphill Peace Of Mind"---Carol Grimes (zShare)

"Uphill Peace Of Mind"---Carol Grimes (savefile)

It's virtually impossible to encapsulate singer/songwriter Carol Grimes' illustrious career within the space of a mere paragraph or two. She is often categorized as a British soul legend, but in truth, she is every bit as accomplished in genres such as the blues, funk, folk, jazz, Big Band, progressive rock and world music.

Grimes got her start by literally singing in the streets of London, working with various musicians until she formed her first group, The Race. The band played clubs, colleges, and blues festivals, giving Grimes the golden opportunity to work alongside the likes of Howlin' Wolf, Cream, The Yardbirds, Buddy Guy, and Freddie King.

Her earliest recording was with the British blues/prog rock outfit Delivery, who she joined forces with in 1969. Afterwards, she toured the blues circuit with The London Boogie Band, in addition to releasing an LP in 1972 with a group called Uncle Dog (Old Hat; Signpost SG 4253). In 1974 she began her foray into solo artistry with Warm Blood, the first album to ever be released on Virgin Records' Caroline subsidiary.

"Uphill Peace Of Mind" was released on her subsequent solo effort, a self-titled LP that's also sometimes known as the Memphis Album. The record chronicled her U.S. trip to Memphis, working with various local session musicians and the Memphis Horns section. This was her opportunity to fully delve into the realm of soul and R&B by exploring the music of artists such as Booker T and Isaac Hayes. "Uphill Piece Of Mind" was written by Frederick Knight, and has also been covered by Kid Dynamite (see the Supplementalz section for more on this) and Yvonne Elliman.

Grimes' powerful vocals and ability to fuse rock, folk, soul, and the blues into her artistic palette has often drawn stylistic comparisons to Janis Joplin. While that analogy may resonate on some levels, Grimes was never quite as histrionic or tragic a figure as Joplin. Despite these and other apparent discrepancies, some writers continue to examine Grimes' artistic evolution as a means of presuming the musical pathway Joplin may have followed if not for her untimely demise.

Although she's shifted her musical perspective countless times over the course of her career, Grimes is still recording and touring to this very day, so if you appreciate this, please take a moment to dig deeper.


"Just Say Goodbye"---Esther Phillips (zShare)

"Just Say Goodbye"---Esther Phillips (savefile)

A couple of weeks ago, I was away at a terribly boring conference for my job. After spending a couple of long days with a faceless array of self-important idiots in suits, I broke free for a while and found this dope little spot called Square Records. If you ever have cause to be in Akron, OH, you'll definitely want to pay these guys a visit. I got very dusty in there, lucking up on two Esther albums I'd been digging for, a Paul Robeson LP in mint condition, a quirky record with Haitian Voodoo chants, and a stack of rare 45s.

When I returned home, Esther was spinning on my turntable before I had even unpacked my toothbrush. Over the span of the next several days, I listened to every one of her albums, CDs, and mp3s in my collection. Although I've written about her on several different occasions, I have what you might consider an ongoing love affair with her music. Whenever I submerge myself in her material for any length of time, I inevitably feel compelled to share something else from her prodigious discography.

This time, I emerged wondering why I'd never featured "Just Say Goodbye", a single from her Esther Phillips Sings LP. For some reason, I cringe when writers abusively misuse the word "sublime" to describe every record that they have a degree of affection for, but in this case it sincerely applies. To my ears, it exemplifies sonic perfection in every way, shape, and form. If I haven't persuaded you to fall in love with her yet, I can only hope that this one does the trick.

"Benevolent Smile"---Nomak (zShare)

"Benevolent Smile"---Nomak (savefile)

For those of you who are worried that I may have lost my mind with that whole Cool Kids thing earlier in the post, this should assure you that my taste hasn't changed as drastically as you may think.

I've been checkin' for Nomak for a couple of years now, and honestly I've only neglected to feature his work because I still don't know much about him. All I know is that he's a Japanese producer who makes some lovely jazz-influenced beats, with layers of gorgeous melodies that make for an engaging 3 a.m. listen. This track is from his Combine LP, but I definitely wouldn't stop there if you decide to further explore his work. Consider this jazz-hop at its absolute finest.

Dig deeper...


"Sister Aretha"---Memphis Black (zShare)

"Sister Aretha"---Memphis Black (savefile)

A short while ago, I received an e-mail from a reader who wanted to know if I owned any albums by "that guy Memphis Black". I would never disrespect anyone who took the time to write me, but we did share a pretty good laugh about this after I explained that Memphis Black isn't really a person.

Memphis Black was actually the brainchild of German producer Siegfried E. Loch, who conjured up the idea to record a soul album in Germany featuring some heavy Hammond funk and soul music. The Memphis Black studio project featured the lively and creative instrumentation of organist Ingfried Hoffmann and his band. The synthesis of Hoffman's Hammond originals with several classic American soul tunes culminated in a truly cross-continental homage to the genre.

Soul Club has been reissued since it's original release in 1969. The album continues to be highly revered amongst savvy soul collectors and DJs/producers in search of groovy-ass instrumental breaks.


"I Want You (She's So Heavy)"---Eddie Hazel (zShare)

"I Want You (She's So Heavy)"---Eddie Hazel (savefile)

After enjoying success with their first hit record in 1967 ("(I Wanna') Testify"), George Clinton was trying to assemble a backing band to go on tour with The Parliaments. He first recruited Billy "Bass" Nelson, who suggested inviting his friend Eddie Hazel, a young guitar virtuoso who was also a longtime friend. Hazel was only 17 at the time and couldn't go without his mother's consent, which she finally granted after a bit of persuasion from Clinton and Nelson. While they were on the road, Hazel befriended Tiki Fulwood, who would ultimately replace The Parliaments' current drummer. Contractual issues and other line-up changes ensued (including the addition of Tawl Ross and Bernie Worrell), resulting in the evolutionary shift from The Parliaments to Funkadelic.

The difference in personnel had a tremendous impact on the group's stylistic approach, as they transitioned from their original doo-wop sound into the realm of tripped out psychedelic funk rock. Young Eddie Hazel unquestionably played a significant role in this transformation. Although he was clearly influenced by Jimi Hendrix, Hazel's integration of a very heavy funk element into his guitar work morphed into its own pioneering sound.

For the most part, Hazel's greatest period of influence and achievements can be found on the first three Funkadelic LPs; their self-titled debut, Free Your Mind...And Your Ass Will Follow, and Maggot Brain. After the release of these acclaimed recordings, friction between Hazel and Clinton saw the former playing a far less vital role in the group's subsequent endeavors. Clinton took issue with Hazel and Fulwood's substance abuse, and reportedly withheld their pay to prevent them from spending all of their earnings on drugs. Consequently, Hazel's impact was comparatively minimal on Maggot Brain's successor, the America Eats Its Young LP. Hazel began working with The Temptations and was briefly imprisoned, but he returned from exile to co-write tracks with George Clinton for the Standing On The Verge Of Getting It On LP in 1974.

A few years later, Hazel's working relationship with the ensemble was strained virtually to the point of nonexistence, but Clinton aided him in an opportunity to do a solo record on Warner Brothers, Games, Dames, And Guitar Thangs. Many of the songs were written by Clinton and Bootsy Collins, with backing vocals provided by the Brides Of Funkenstein. "I Want You (She's So Heavy)" is a blistering cover of a Beatles song, exemplifying Eddie Hazel's exceptionally raw and organic virtuosity.

In subsequent years Hazel continued to work with Clinton, but these instances were infrequent and comparatively insignificant. Sadly, the legendary funk guitarist passed away from internal bleeding and liver damage in 1992. Three collections of unreleased recordings have been released posthumously: The Jams From the Heart EP in 1994 (which Rhino Records later added to its rerelease of Game, Dames and Guitar Thangs), 2000's Rest in P and 2006's Eddie Hazel At Home.

Cop A Feel (Catch A Vibe On What's New And Poppin' In The Music Universe):

I've been getting truckloads of promotional material and music from independent artists for the longest now, and although I will never stop featuring the classics, I feel obliged to lend some much-needed support to those who are doin' their thing in '08 as well. Perhaps I'll think of a less unfortunate title for this subsection eventually, but for now, Cop A Feel it is...


"Englewood (Necessary Growth)"---Radius (zShare)

"Englewood (Necessary Growth)"---Radius (savefile)

Radius is a sample-based producer from Chicago who is currently on the Souled On radar as an exceptionally promising and talented up-and-coming beatsmith. His uniquely expressive style has already garnered comparisons to an array of established greats, from DJ Shadow to J Dilla, as well as earning him some much deserved press in publications such as Remix Magazine.

It's apparent from listening to his work that Radius genuinely puts his heart and soul into his music. He describes the creative process he went through while crafting the beats for his Neighborhood Suicide LP as follows: "Neighborhood Suicide started in late 2006 and early 2007, the winter season… I was tired of Chicago, but only because I felt I couldn't make anything work out here. I needed fresh air. I started working on a project that I felt reflected the way I was feeling, down and out but happy, free and expressive too, like I knew that if I could be heard I would feel better and I felt I would/could have people that would support my sound. I was also working on a lot of more break-heavy, experimental, more layered and zone out /journey tracks, as I'd like to call them."

Provoking material from an authentic artist...you won't want to sleep on this one.

Dig deeper:

Radius' Website (Download his Radiushead mix for free)

Radius via MySpace

Radius' Label's Website (The Secret Life Of Sound) (featuring a free download of Radius' Hoodicide exclusive beat mix)


"Time Traveller"---Plantlife (zShare) (Edit: now in mp3 format)

"Time Traveller"---Plantlife (savefile)

My girl Jessica at Giant Step was good enough to allow me to offer a download of this joint from Plantlife's new Time Traveller CD. Singer/songwriter Jack Splash, producer Panda One, and the remainder of the Plantlife crew have followed up their curiously titled debut album, The Return of Jack Splash, with a gritty, fuzzy, bizarro, electro-infused mish mash of hip hop, soul, disco and funk. Let me tell you...it's a gross understatement to say that their sophomore LP promises to take its listeners on a most interesting journey through the parallels of space and time.

When I first sat down to review my advance copy of this CD, the genius behind it didn't immediately occur to me. While I was genuinely impressed by the eclectic futuristic soundscapes blended with funky retro vibes, at times it sounded somewhat discordant and off-kilter to my virgin ears. However, upon repeated listens, my respect for this project has grown immensely.

Truth be told, some of the most astonishingly creative music I've ever heard has required a degree of familiarity before I could fully appreciate its worth (think Sun Ra, Quasimoto, Funkadelic, and some of Prince's less commercial material). While it's far too early to forecast what the longstanding impact of Time Traveller will be, I can assure you that it's one of the least formulaic and predictable records I've heard so far this year. This is a treasure in waiting for the musically adventurous and anyone who's game for being aurally transported back to the future.

Dig Deeper:

Plantlife via MySpace

Plantlife via Giant Step

Fundamental Supplementalz:

Bonus mp3 (zShare only):

Uphill Peace Of Mind"---Kid Dynamite

This is a little extra for my sample-heads and crate diggas---a rendition of "Uphill Peace Of Mind" that's been sampled on joints by Dr. Dre, Ultramagnetic MC's, Redman, and more.

Esther performing (well...ummm...more like lip-synching) "Just Say Goodbye":


Word From Your Moms:

"Art hurts. Art urges voyages - and it is easier to stay at home."---Gwendolyn Brooks