It's Time for a Nü Revolution

What it is, folks?  Long time no blog, and so much has happened!  I got to rock and roll with a hardcore notable, break bread with a jazz bass god, and talk in length about all things music with folks akin to the Queen of Sheba... well, kind of.  I'll talk to you now about the latter event.

Some time around 1998, I was introduced to a French-speaking set of soul (and actual) sisters that went by the name Les Nubians.  Hint: both Ss are silent, so it's pronounced "Lay New-bee-YEN."  I was a lot younger at that time, and toilet humor was my forte.  So, while I used to jokingly refer to them as The Lesbians (sorry, I still chuckle as I type), I really dug their debut lp, Princesses Nubiennes.  I gave the joint nuff burn on my radio show, even though I didn't understand a word of what they were saying!  The breakout single, "Makeda," was about the Queen of Sheba, and her spirit, which lives within them.  Tré cool.

Les Nubs dropped another full-length, One Step Forward, half a decade later that was still great, but received far less exposure.  Well, third time's the charm, as they go for the hat trick with this month's release.  Their vibe is none less spiritual and positive, but more hyped than the chill/lounge vibe found on "Makeda."  I was able to chat at length with Hélène about the album, her and sister Célia's love of music, their childhood in the war-torn African nation of Chad, and much more.  The product of that discussion was picked up by Okayplayer.com.  You can peep the Les Nubians interview here.  Images, of course, by my mellow, Scotty Stewart.

The nü album, Nü Revolution, is on some truly inspirational, uplifting, get-inside-your-spirit type vibe.  It's breezy and refreshing.  It translates the vibe felt when these two ladies walk into a room.  The photo studio Scotty shot them in maintained an aura of positivity throughout the length of the shoot that is somewhat hard to explain.  I'm glad that they made this job easier by creating music to represent that.  Here's the title cut:

Les Nubians - Nü Revolution

Another banger off of the lp features Eric Roberson.  I'm a partial fan of this dude.  I've heard tunes of his I really liked, and others, the complete opposite.  I'm glad I'm on the really-like fence with him on this track, as he kicks the williebobo in the club.

Les Nubians - Déjà Vu (Already You) f. Eric Roberson

I mentioned earlier that the Grammy-nominated debut release featured a breakout single, "Makeda."  Well, the follow-up to that was a cover of another African queen's tune.  Les Nubians covered the Sade classic, "Sweetest Taboo," putting a twist on it by singing in their native tongue, and changing the focus from that of a lover to their love of music.  ?uesto and the boys freaq'd the remix, with the Top 5 candidate, Tariq Trotter, dropping a hot eight bars... plus a hidden treat from the debut.  Check:

Les Nubians - Tabou (The Roots rmx)

Of course, there is the first joint that got me reintroduced to the sisters a couple months back.  Here is the remix of the tune they put out on an EP version of Nü, which dropped late last year:

Les Nubians - Veuillez Veiller Sur Vos Rêves (J. Period rmx) f. John Banzaï

The song's title translates literally to "Please be sure to protect or watch over your dreams," but the figurative, loose translation they went with is: Do not let your dreams fall asleep.  I love that concept, as no matter our age, we always have to have dreams.  We are truly sleeping on ourselves if we allow them to become tarnished.  Let's wake up our sleepy dreams, and make them come true!  Hélène did.  Here's what she had to say about that:

I think that one of my dreams was, I wanted to travel.  One of my dreams was, like, okay, when I grow up, I will be flying a lot.  I will be traveling a lot.  I'll be speaking other languages.  I'll be able, like, to meet the whole world.  And that was, like, a very important, y'know, thing to me; to travel.  And, wow!  I guess I cherished my dream [laughs] because, it's working!  I'm traveling.  I'm on planes.  [laughs]  I mean, I had the real opportunity to meet all those different cultures around the world, and in such a beautiful manner, which is in music.  I think that I really fulfilled this one, this dream.

This is really good music, y'all.  Good to the point that I'm actually urging everyone to cop this disc, and get it in your life.  It's truly time for a Nü Revolution, one in which C-rap does not dominate.  We need soldiers in this fight, armed with the goodness this joint is providing.  Live love.  Peace.

The MF'n Life, eh?

No, I didn't select this title so that I could drop F-bombs on the low.  I'm talking aboot the bombshell firecracker Canuck that goes by the name Melanie Fiona.  She's sexy as hell, can sing her @$$ off, and if she could recite verbatim Rev. Brown's sermon from the Sexual Chocolate scene of Coming To America, she'd be half as dope as my wife is (I love you, baby).

Anyway, I linked up with her dope @$$ last year, on the brink of her burgeoning popularity... circa August 2009.  This was quite a bit earlier than her debut release, The Bridge, dropped in the States; just before "It Kills Me" hit the airwaves, but just after "Give It To Me Right" had her catching ears of neck-rollin' pigeons from T-Dot to Texas.  I saw her tear the stage down at Water Street Music Hall here in Rochester, which gave me good reason to dub her a modern-day Anna Mae Bullock.  Melanie, showing a glimpse of her GT background, performed what would become my favorite from the release, that I'll share here:

Melanie Fiona - "Ay Yo"

She also performed...

Tell 'Em Chali Sent Ya

I was re-reading my Faithful/Priceless post, and noticed that towards the end, I mentioned a late night out, as me and Scotty had just wrapped another interview/shoot.  That was on 9.15.  Well, the fruits of our labor have finally seen the light of day!

Yes, I take some of the blame for it being two and a half months before publication, but not all of it.  I admit I was struggling getting this piece completed.  Usually when I write, the piece will simply fall into place as I move it along.  For some reason, though, I had a block whenever I sat down to attempt banging this one out.

It would be six weeks from the time that I interviewed former underground Hip Hop set Jurassic 5 notable Chali 2na before I submitted the completed work!

tunes available after the jump...

Faithful... Priceless...

I'm the youngest of three children, two girls and a boy.  I've always had a special relationship with my parents' first born child, as we were both connected through our love of the arts.  When we were young, it was our love of Hip Hop music and culture that fascinated us.  Now, we have both realized our love of the written word.

My big sis, whom I've always playfully nicknamed Supa D, was what we will call "lost" for awhile.  She has now found herself, and is enjoying the world of self-discovery.  She has decided to share it with the world (wide web) via her blog: A Bed-Stuy Mommy's Diary.  It's insightful, delightful, and full of things I've never known about my sister.  I'm enjoying finding out about her with y'all.  Be sure to check her out.

While finding out more about my sibling, I was just thinking about loyalty.  It is so rewarding to be loyal to someone/thing that equally reciprocates the sentiment.  Being faithful is truly priceless.  I've been faithfully loyal to all of my family members, and continue to do so, as my family is growing.  The image posted above was captured by our father, of whom I am a namesake.  I can only attempt being loyal to his memory.

I have not been as loyal to myself in expressing my love of the arts as I was when my radio show was on the air.  I recently mentioned to someone that...

Uncle jayt'ree + Chuckie D. = OKP

Big news: the piece that me and my main man Scotty Stewart completed most recently is now posted on okayplayer.  Scotty described my excitement best when he said, "Call me when you leave work and get in the car so you can scream like a woman."  And I did.  I've had articles, stories, and reviews published before in print and online, but OKP is a big look for me!

Chatting with the man that...

It's ya Uncle jaythreeoh on the blog tip!

So, even though I was dumb ahead of my time on the radio tip for almost 14 years, I'm sooo far behind the times on creating my online presence.  I don't even have a Facebook page!   But, I have an excuse though: FB is the devil.

Anyway, I'm putting this up here, in the hopes that I will be updating it on a more regular basis.  My most recent thing to update is the fact that a few weeks ago, me and my mans Scotty Stewart (photog extraordinaire) went to Buffalo to get an exclusive with CHUCK D. of PUBLIC ENEMY! Yes, it was supafresh to share a booth in the back of the lobby restaurant of the Adam's Mark hotel.

I chopped it up with the big homie for like a half, and...