Making of I'ma Fight Back Right Now

Saw this on twitter- a little video with some behind the scenes pics of the "I'ma Fight Back Right Now" video shoot.  In case you missed it, this song was released as a single and as part of the new free AD album Standing at the Crossroads. 

A Review of Standing At The Crossroads

If you've been looking in vain for an "independent" review of the new AD album, i.e. not a biased one like mine (and what would you expect from me?) then look no further.  Here's a link to a review done by Patrick A Reed on the website Depth of Field.  In my opinion his review nails it, plus in this posting he nails the new Public Enemy album as well, and there are reviews to works by Beetnix and Kendra Reed included.  If you're not interested in those, the AD review is at the bottom.  Here are a couple of choice quotes:

In fact, in describing this, their newest record, “top-quality work” sounds far too clinical and cold.  These 13 songs are full of life and energy, a spirited collection of headnodding backbeats, irresistible hooks, and free-flowing raps.  It’s positive politicizing, swinging reflections on an ever-shifting world, full-on funky goodtime music.

And this really says it all about the album I think:

The rest of the record follows in much the same spirit: upbeat, lively, bluesy, a mix of voices that creates a giant tapestry of good vibrations.  Reggae, gospel, bhangra, afro-beat, boom-bap – it’s all here, textures jumbled up and reassembled into a giant multicultural party.

Dionne Farris "I Know"

True story- I had no clue that Dionne Farris, often referred to as the "haunting voice" of "Tennessee", sang the 90s hit and VH1 mainstay "I Know."  I've heard that song a thousand times but never put two and two together until the Unsung episode aired.  Yikes!  Anyway, here's the video in case you somehow missed it in the 90s, this thing was everywhere back then and made it all the way to number one on the pop charts.

Living Remix Contest Winner Announced

As you may or may not have been aware, AD had a contest to remix their single "Living."  It recently came to an end, to peep the winner as well as the five runner-ups go here.  I think the violin one is pretty cool too.

Answering a Request

Had a request the other day for a couple of songs that had fallen off of the mystical world of the Internets, so I'd like to fill that today.  As a reminder, if you find any links that aren't working and you'd like the songs that formerly pointed to, just let me know and I will try to get them up again.  As a further reminder I do not share anything that is still available for sell in the USA because I kind of like having a balance in my checking account- as small as it may be!

Without further adieu, here are a couple of cuts from the Japanese release of Hoopla that didn't make it over the ocean to the US.  Damn that TSA!

I'm Just an M.C.  
It Takes a Village to Raise a Child

Making of Raga in Coolangatta Video

This is an exclusive video on the making of the "Raga in Coolangatta" video that Speech posted on his facebook account, so if you missed it there, check it out here:

Speech's Response to Unsung

Here's a video response by Speech to the recent Unsung episode.  I didn't personally think that this was necessary, but I can kind of understand why Speech felt it was.  Some cool tidbits here not necessarily related to the show- for example, apparently on stage at the Grammy's they receive prop awards.  For some reason weird little trivia items like that entertain me.  Anyway, here's his brief response, mainly covering the issues with Dionne Farris.



As far as Speech, I saw some crazily negative things said about him on Twitter.  I don't know him at all, but all I can say is that he has been unbelievably supportive of this site and has done a couple of nice things for me that he didn't have to do.  Yes, this site promotes his music, but you'd be surprised how little that often matters to some "celebrities."  And everyone around him that I have dealt with either from the group or Vagabond records has been nothing but pure class, and I can't imagine those kinds of people would put up with it if he wasn't the real deal.  Were there problems with the group, especially in the early days?  Of course.  Find me a group where there wasn't!  And that's my two pennies.....  :)

Raga in Coolangatta Video

Timed to coincide with their appearance on Unsung, here's the second video from the free AD album Standing at the Crossroads.  Check it out!

Ebony on "Three Years" Anniversary

Great piece, nuff said, read it here.

Arrested Development Unsung Episode!

In case you missed it, like me, click here for the episode, and it's completely commercial free.  I'm about to watch it right now.  Enjoy!  I will have more thoughts later.

Couple of Living Remixes

Check them out, a few unsanctioned remixes of "Living":

I dig the vibe of this one. 


Here's another.  Not bad, I like the first one better right now:

Unsung Tonight!

The Arrested Development episode of Unsung is on tonight, make sure you check it out if you get TV One.  Warning- judging from the liner notes of the new album it sounds like Speech might get thrown under the bus a bit....

And here's a behind the scenes clip courtesy of Eshe:

Sandhya Raga

If you liked the song "Raga in Coolangatta" from the new AD album and you've got 11 minutes to kill, then check the following video.  As I said in my review of the album, Kel Arroyo has proven time and time again he knows much more about music than me, and he's the one that sent this my way.  Check it out.  As an aside, I always thought the Beatles use of the sitar was overrated (to me it was a distraction rather than an innovation when they did it, it just never fit their music in my opinion), so give credit to AD for outdoing the Beatles in my eyes.  ;)

Standing at the Crossroads Review

My first thought upon taking in the new AD album Standing at the Crossroads was "score another one for the old guys."

At one point in time, it was nearly impossible for a rap artist to have a sustained career in the genre.  Even legends like Run-DMC struggled to stick around despite multiple comebacks.  Yet the careers of acts such as KRS-ONE, Public Enemy, and even say Jay-Z have proven that you can have a lengthy career in hip hop.  And recent albums over the last month or so by Nas with Life is Good, Public Enemy with Most of My Heroes Still Don't Appear on No Stamp, and Masta Ace with Ma Doom: Son of Yvonne have proven, once again and emphatically, that not only can veteran rap artists have a career, but they can remain artistically viable- not just viable, but they can remain at the peak of the artform.  If Chuck D lost some his flow he's lost none of his firepower or message, and Masta Ace may be using recycled beats by MF Doom, but since he's making those beats his own, I question whether that even matters.  (Doesn't hurt that I hadn't heard any of the beats going in I suppose.)

And Arrested Development can give away an album for free, and rather than it coming across as a glorified mixtape, we instead get an almost wholly original work of art that if I had paid for I wouldn't have felt slighted in the least.

Oh sure, there are a couple of songs we've heard before.  "Living" is the single that's been kicking around for a minute though it still sounds fresh, and "I'ma Fight Right Back Now" was released as a Speech single last year.  (It's personally not one of my favorites, but I understand it's inclusion.)  But other than that, we've got brand new songs, plus liner notes to boot.  I love liner notes, and these are superb, with each song broken down in detail along with full lyrics.

A Couple of Tidbits

First off, if you haven't downloaded the new AD album Standing At The Crossroads for FREE yet, make sure you do so below.  I will have more thoughts later as I'm still taking it in, but it is a legitimate album, not a mixtape.  (Though I wouldn't complain about a free AD mixtape, don't get me wrong!)

Secondly, the next single from album per the AD Twitter site will be "Raga in Coolangatta" which will include a video release.  Sounds good to me!  For whatever reason I've never warmed to Twitter but maybe I should pop in more than once a month or so since that is where a lot of news breaks these days....

Also, here's a fairly recent interview with Speech from one of his hometown papers that I should've posted a month or so ago.  Hat tip to Kel Arroyo for both of the above tidibits!

And lastly here's an older interview from 2010 with a website called Baller Status, which sounds to me like a great site to cover AD.  But honestly this is a good one because it's with Eshe and One Love, and they don't always have the opportunity to be heard from in that kind of forum.