Sheldon Taylor's Souls of Black Notes

Nas is the Miles Davis of hip hop. Point blank. Emphatic Wyntonisms aside, Nasir Jones and the brooding jazz master's careers unite them as unlikely kindred spirits. It was no coincidence that both recorded for Columbia Records crafting their signature masterpieces Illmatic and Kind of Blue. They were the offspring of influential parental figures who rejected traditional academia in favor of self-study and confident self-expression. They later transferred that independence toward their work fueling the evolution of their musical formulas in the face of criticism from purists.                                                               Davis’ creative inspirations were cultivated through relationships with idols and contemporaries Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, and Thelonius Monk while Nas basked in distant admiration...

LL Cool J’s Authentic has inspired mixed reviews since its release. Hip hop junkies might question the high profile collaborations and think Snoop Dog, Nelly and Michael Jackson but a closer listen reveals some of the ingredients that made LL the GOAT still remain. Revisiting the conceptual period where singles like Bad and Back Seat coexisted with Go Cut Creator Go and Crossroads , Authentic’s genius is in its creative approach. Bypassing the need to squeeze into skinny jean hip hop swag or trade coke rap lines to beats from rap’s hottest producers, L enlists a group of stars and newcomers for a record that plays like an impromptu jam session. He unearths R&B diva Alicia Myers, pulls in Eddie Van Halen and Earth Wind and Fire and rocks out with Chuc...