Ckc4's Blog

Korea’s got SeOUL

Koreans are a very interesting race of people. Apart from being very prideful and hot-headed, there are many other factors that seperate Koreans from other Asian people…. Music is one of those seperating factors. Korea is known to be arguably the biggest influencers in Asian entertainment. Koreans a notable for setting unique trends in fashion, music and style in general. Korean hip hop is very notable throughout Asia. Korean hip-hop is very reminiscent of old-school hip-hop music, although a lot of groups are falling victim to the big trend of rap music nowadays. However, Korean hip hop is known to have a throwback/soulful sound. Some good artists you should check out are: Drunken Tiger, Dynamic Duo, Epik High, Double K, Supreme Team, Dok2 and Leessang. Here’s one track from Dynamic Duo and Supreme Team that is a good example of Korean hip hop.
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5 of my favorite Neo-soul Artists

Well, as I promised, here are the five neo-soul artists who are legendary to me:

5. Angela Johnson

Talk about deep music, Angela Johnson has the perfect balance of voice and message.  Her songs are emotional, her lyrics are relatable and her delivery demands respect of the listener.  In my opinion, one of the, if not the, most underrated singers period.  People need to listen to this incredible artist.  Some notable songs include: “Cry,” “They Don’t Know” and “Home Away from Home.”

4. Erykah Badu

Ms. Badu = Controversial, Charisma, Expressive, Unique.  Without these four qualities, Erykah Badu just wouldn’t be… well, just wouldn’t be Erykah Badu.  Ms. Badu’s music is real and has an explicit message.  Some of her songs are a bit comical, other songs are serious and yet all of her songs have a deep message embedded.  Some good songs from Erykah Badu include: “Love of My Life,” “Window Seat,” “Next Lifetime” and “Tyrone.”

3. Jill Scott

Jill Scott is just beautiful.  Her face is beautiful, her personality is beautiful and her music is gorgeous.  If Jill Scott couldn’t sing, her music would still be off the hook simply because of her lyrical abilities.  However, the good lord decided to give Jill Scott the full package and gave her the gift of a soulful voice.  In addition to soulful, I’d say jazzy fits her as well.  Whenever you take a walk down a park on a sunny day, turn on Jill Scott’s music and the whole scenery will look like a movie scene.  Some notable tracks from Jill Scott: “Golden,” “A Long Walk” and “Hate On Me.”

2. Lauryn Hill:

I’ve heard that “genuises have abnormal tendencies.”  Beethoven was a crazy and angry man, Einstein never wore socks and the list goes on.  Lauryn Hill, well, she definitely does have strange tendencies, and she is a genius in her own right.  Popularizing Neo-soul and reggae during the 90′s and early 2000′s, Ms. Hill is an incredibly accomplished singer and rapper.  Unfortunately, she’s been out of the picture for a while due to personal issues.  However, her loyal fans, including me, are waiting for the day she comes back strong and does what she does best, make that real music. Some notable songs from Lauryn Hill include: “Doo Wop,” “Everything is Everything,” and “Killing Me Softly.”

1. Donny Hathaway

Donny Hathaway.  That’s all that needs to be said.  No need for introduction, the name speaks for itself.  Although Mr. Hathaway’s life tragically came to an end when he was only thirty, his works will never be forgotten.  The way Mr. Hathaway could interpret a song..Incredible.  Mr. Hathway was also a pioneer of the neo-soul sub-genre.  What James Brown and Sam Cooke were for the original soul music style, Donny Hathaway was for neo-soul.  One of the greatest musicians and vocalists to ever live.  Some notable tracks from Donny Hathaway include: “A Song for You,” “For All We Know,” “Someday We’ll All Be Free,” “This Christmas,” ”Where is the Love (duet with Roberta Flack)” and “The Closer I get to You (duet with Roberta Flack).”

Neo-Soul…Mainstream R&B’s underappreciated older brother

Have you ever walked into a coffee shop, like a starbucks, and heard the music playing?  Usually, it’s some kind of a cross between jazz, R&B and poetry.  Blend those three elements together and what comes out? Neo Soul.  Neo Soul is a sub-genre of R&B/Soul music and probably the most underrated and underappreciated.  Bboy Crazy Legs, a legendary pioneer of hip-hop and break dancing, once spoke of the elements of hip-hop.  He said “B-boying is the bastard child of hip hop, Graffiti is the black sheep, DJing is the obedient child that always does what it’s told, and rap is the spoiled brat that is actually the youngest of the four.”  In the exact same way, Neo-Soul is the oldest and the most underappreciated child of Soul Music.  The mainstream R&B is, in essence, the younger spoiled brat.  The music of Neo-Soul is deeply intellectual, political and just plain soothing…it’s real art.  Just listen to the message on a track from Jill Scott or Erykah Badu and you’ll understand.  If you have a chance, check out the artists of Neo-Soul.  On my next post, I will list 5 of my all-time favorite Neo-Soul artists.  In the mean-time, here is one song that is exemplary of Neo-Soul:

Brown Eyed Soul back with amazing force

Finally back! After a seemingly long three years, Brown Eyed Soul has come back with a vengeance.  The groups was put on hold due to lead vocalist, Yoo Naul’s, mandatory time serving in the Korean military.  The group has a released a single album which contains two songs: Bi Kyuh Jool Ggeh (I will move) and Blowing My Mind.  The sound of the group has solidified as well.  Although Brown Eyed Soul has always stayed true to their style, the sound in this new album shows real maturation as well as a solid statement regarding the group’s integrity.  Both songs consist of a real band.  I have always adored music with a brass section, and in this album, I was more than satisfied with the use of brass.  Both songs are complemented with solid brass arrangements.  Blowing My Mind is a bit more uptempo and uses congas.  The song is a cross between old school DC go-go, with the feel of a Stylistics and the vocals of the Temptations.  The other track, Bi Kyuh Jool Ggeh has the emotional feel of a Debarge and Boyz II Men, with the instrumentation of a Lenny Williams style throwback.  Overall, the single album may contain two songs, but in this case, quality knocks out quantity. (Below is the music video to “Bi Kyuh Jool Ggeh.)

4men’s “Voice of Autumn”

Although this R&B group’s name suggests a quintet, the group is actually only a trio. 4men is a group who has really climbed to the top. 4men’s first effort was released in 1998. The group faced many hardships and complications. During the past 12 years, the group dropped three different members and the three who have stuck around, now make the 4men. Only recently has 4men received the credit they are due. In the past, only true fans and loyal followers knew who the group was. However, nowadays, the group is becoming more and more well known for their talent. Their latest album, “Voice of Autumn,” is really an album worth buying. The tracks a filled with deep and emotional songs. Listeners don’t really have to understand the lyrics, the feel of the song is enough to make listeners understand what the song is portraying. Overall, this album has exceeded my expectations. Check this group out. Some notable songs from this group include; “Baby Baby.” Some good songs from this album include: “사랑 사랑 사랑 (Love Love Love),” “못해 (I can’t do it),” and “똑똑똑 (knock knock knock).”

Usher’s Raymond vs. Raymond, a dissapointment

I may be different from a lot of music listeners because I do not hate change. Yes, there are times when change is too drastic and causes a complete transformation in style or integrity, but I can appreciate slow change that is natural. I guess instead of change, maturation would be a better suited word. Well, in the case of Raymond vs. Raymond, my final verdict is…dissapointment. Don’t get me wrong, although I have not really liked every single song from Usher, I do like and appreciate a lot of his work. Usher’s 6th studio album, in my very own opinion, was a lot of hype for another CD of songs that sound just like the music being played on the mainstream radio today. To Usher’s defense, there are a few songs that I thought were not bad. “Papers,” “There Goes My Baby” and “Foolin Around” were three decent songs on the album that I wouldn’t mind listening to. One word can describe the remaining songs…repetitive. Usher is thirty one years old and has been in the R&B game since 1994. It has been 16 years since Usher’s debut and the content and style of the music has remained the same. I was honestly a little hopeful for a more slow-jam and soulful oriented album because Usher’s last studio effort was very good. On the end of Usher’s last album was an incredible song entitled, “Here I Stand,” which took me by total surprise and led me to believe Usher would be leaning towards that style of music. However, I searched track after track for a song that even resembled “Here I Stand” and could not find one. I feel Usher still has some more growing to do, because he is getting older and the content of his music is still the same now as it was 16 years ago. You need proof? Listen to the track “Lil Freak” off this latest album. This whole ranting may be my own selfish desire, but hey, this is my honest opinion. If you have the time, listen to his new album and tell me what you think. Below is a video of “Papers,” which is a decent song on the album.
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