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November Playlist


Ok sorry for the tardiness....Happy November!! The month is half over and I'm still not exactly sure how I'd categorize this month. It's been a bit of a random 14 days. But random is a word I've often used to describe myself, so it's all good. :)

Musically I've discovered some new stuff that I'd love to share with you. Impromptu trips to Rasuptin's are always exciting. In a recent trip, I got a neo-soul CLASSIC- Maxwell's 1996 debut album, Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite. I can't believe I'd never owned it. For those who've heard it, I've had 3 songs in constant rotation- besides his amazing singles "Ascensi
on (Don't Ever Wonder)" and "Sumthin' Sumthin'", I've also been insanely playing "Suite Lady." That song has about 5 e
xtremely random, hilarious moments. That coupled with the definitively '90's bass line makes for a great song.

But for the new stuff...the 2 new albums that I picked up were Choklate by Choklate and Pink Elephant by N'Dambi.

Choklate is a soul singer from Seattle, WA. Yes- Seattle! I've been back and forth to Seattle for the past 10 years and never knew they had good music! But she is definitely a diamond in the roughness known as the Seattle music scene. I had been playing her song "Dedicated to Music" for quite some time, and finally decided to buy the whole album. I'm glad I did!! Although listening to the complete album does reveal that this girl has an
inconsistent, but noticeable lisp (lol), this girl has major vocals. And her songs cover a little bit of everything. Love from many different perspectives. Her love for God. Her love for music. She even has a song called "Firewater" about the frustration of having to share your liquor with your friends when they stop by your house unexpectedly (love for her drank- lol). The majority of the album is produced by Seattle-based producers Vitamin D and Jake One (who provides the SICKEST beats for "Incredible" and "Long Way"). I believe this is her first album (released in 2006). She has a new album called "To Whom It May Concern" that was released earlier this year. I'll definitely ha
ve to check that one out next.

READ MORE ABOUT CHOKLATE AT HER WEB SITE: www.choklatemusic.com

Next up is N'Dambi. She used to be a background singer for none other than the Queen of Neo-Soul herself, Ms. Erykah Badu. N'Dambi's style is very different than Choklate's. There's some funk, rock, blues, jazz, soul...basically a touch of everything. But it's good music. She's been in the game for a while, but this is her latest release. One of my favorite songs is "The World Is A Beat," which touches on how many music execs are only concerned about the beat of the song, not its content. She sings, "It's ok, it don't have to be great-Just make it hot, so we can get paid..." This album is all over the place-kind of
like Ledisi's new album Turn Me Loose.

Oh, I also stumbled upon a Bay Area artist named Martin Luther. I've heard a lot about him but never checked out any of his songs. I just started playing Rebel Soul Music, but i'm diggin' it so far. I'll let you know how it goes.

So with all that being said, here's my November playlist...Enjoy!

1) "Incredible" by Choklate from Choklate

2) "Testify" by Common from Be

3) "Pretty Baby" by Eric Benet from Hurricane- (the live instruments in this song are AMAZING...especially towards the end. Honestly, one of the only songs that make me want to CRY from its beauty)

4) "Master Teacher" by Erykah Badu from New Amerykah, Pt. 1 (4th World War)

5) "Tell Me" by Groove Theory from Groove Theory (YES from 1995) (I'm sorry, but this is another classic that has been getting heavy play on my iPod. You gotta love Amel Larrieux!)

6) "Sunstar" by Jesse Boykins III from The Beauty Created (I'm not sure if this has been on a previous playlist, but if so, that means you REALLY need to check it out. Lol. I'm a sucker for a clean, pure love song)

7) "Them Changes" by Ledisi from Turn Me Loose

8) "L.I.E." by N'Dambi from Pink Elephant

9) "Loverman" by Robin Thicke from Something Else (One word for this song: sexy)

10) "Hey Now" by Carl Thomas from Emotional

HEY SPEAKING OF "SEXY", PLEASE STAY TUNED FOR DECEMBER'S EDITION. THE THEME WILL BE "SEXY, BUT NOT SLUTTY." LOL. I GOT SOME GREAT ONES FOR THAT. I'M SURE ROBIN THICKE WILL BE BACK ON THAT LIST. HE'S GREAT AT THAT. Peace to you all.

Album of the month:
Choklate by Choklate (2008)




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