Before the controversy about R. Kelly and alleged underage marriages, before Dame Dash, before Romeo Must Die and Queen of the Damned, and before the tragedy that saddened the world–Aaliyah was a fly Detroit girl whose debut single gave me my first Friday feel-good tune. I had no girls to pick up (I was 12), I had noContinue reading “Friday Feel-Good Tune: “Back and Forth” (Aaliyah)”
Category Archives: music
Friday Feel-Good Tune: “Count to Five”
Happy Friday, everyone! I realize that I bombard myself with many “Why So Serious?” topics throughout the week. No one likes a Debbie Downer, though, and I have to make a conscious effort to feel, write, and spread joy in my day. Today’s earlier blog post was too heavy to carry into the weekend. WithContinue reading “Friday Feel-Good Tune: “Count to Five””
The Best R&B You Probably Never Heard in 2013
A few weeks, back, I wrote about the comatose state of R&B music these days. It was lucky enough to be Freshly Pressed, which inspired a dynamic conversation in the comments section about the evolution of R&B in particular and music in general. I gained a broader perspective discussing and thinking more about the topic. MyContinue reading “The Best R&B You Probably Never Heard in 2013”
R&B Isn’t Dead, But It’s Comatose
Watching Good Morning America last week, I saw will.i.am and Kelly Clarkson announce the American Music Award nominees for 2013. I should not have been surprised when head shots of Miguel, Robin Thicke, and Justin Timberlake popped up on the screen. But I was, and I tried to shrug the unnameable disappointment off. R&B/soul is my favoriteContinue reading “R&B Isn’t Dead, But It’s Comatose”
Jealousy and Other ‘Female Traits’
“Males shouldn’t be jealous; that’s a female trait” —Jay-Z It’s not hard to tell that ‘a female trait,’ by Shawn Carter’s reckoning, is not something that a male would want to have. Simple psychology would’ve told him that men experience jealousy, too. Despite the fact that rappers (and their verses) are made of 15% truth,Continue reading “Jealousy and Other ‘Female Traits’”
dara t. mathis 