Sheldon Taylor's Souls of Black Notes

The Jacksons represent a rich tradition of an elusive legacy of communal Black creativity lost to many since Black music became fixated with the solo act. Unfairly dismissed in light of  brother Michael’s massive success---the older siblings endured unfair ridicule for years. A rrivin on the scene in '69 filling the Black teen idol void left vacant since the demise of Frankie Lymon and the Teenagers--- the Jackson Five were a youthful version of their heroes James Brown, the Delfonics and Sly and the Family Stone.   Dynamic front man Michael and brother Marlon attracted the adolescent crowd, Budding young musicians were drawn to Tito and Jermaine’s onstage musical sensibilities. Older brother Jackie (and Jermaine) provided a sex appeal balancing out their "bubblegum"image. More than a group, the J-5 were a franchise. Their youthful take on black cultural expression mesmerized mainstream audiences . The  J-5 would help spearhead a new movement where soul music c...

 After Eric B and Rakim dropped their landmark debut Paid In Full in ’87, they signed the first million dollar record rap contract a year later, promptly releasing their second straight classic, Follow The Leader . Rakim would raise the bar for hip hop lyricism boasting "rhyme displays that went on for days and days" with so much substance he proclaimed that they were "deeper than X-rays". The group's momentum was cut short due to a family tragedy that saw Rakim take a brief hiatus from the music business. Re-emerging from his self-imposed exile, Rakim joined forces with legendary Queens producer Paul C, the architect behind a slew of rap underground classics. Paul's stock was rising when he was tragically murdered under mysterious circumstances in July of '89. The fruits of their labor would survive with  In The Ghetto , the second single from Eric B and Rakim's third album, Let The Rhythm Hit'em. Ghetto fused breakbeats from R&B t...