Sheldon Taylor's Souls of Black Notes

                                                               In a pivotal scene (episode 4: The Racket) from Vinyl , HBO's short-lived (and must-see) series about the coke-crazed Seventies music industry, record man Richie Finestra's shady contract negotiations with fictional rock band The Nasty Bits is thwarted by gravelly-voiced ex-client Lester Grimes---a Black singer who lost his career (and vocal chords) at the hands of his domineering mobbed-up label bosses.  Lester descends into obscurity for a decade, plunging toilets as a handyman in a South Bronx housing project skeptically observing hip hop's genesis. Swooping in for the big payback, he negotiates a $20,000 advance for the band---as their new manager. Outwitted at his own game, Richie is livid: In what universe do you think these shitpalms pay a Black man twenty percent of their dough?" In the 1970s, big-money rock and pop acts worked exclusively with white promoters and managers in a world Black promote

                                          For those of us who feasted on 80s music, sampling the creative cuisine on the music menu was nothing short of satisfying. Diverse textures of R&B, pop,rock and rap tantalized our taste buds. The roux binding this sonic gumbo together consisted of one key ingredient---Prince Thanks to his restless creativity, he sharpened our musical palates to a well-honed sophisticated edge.  His speed of album releases were dizzying. Rather than giving you time to get the last one straight---Prince ran laps around our musical consumption possibilities, daring us to keep up. In commemoration of the fifth(!) anniversary of his passing---here's a quick run down of the discs that defined a decade.                                                Dirty Mind (1980)   If music is makeup, Dirty Mind's the fresh-faced alternative to R&B's beat face.Void of slick production (see Shalamar or the Jacksons) this record's lean, mean and a voyeur&#

                                                 Life and death are one thread, the same line viewed from different sides. Chinese philosopher Lao Tzu's words shine a reflection of truth that penetrates delusion. It defies all filter. DMX lived that truth every day of his life. During periods of joy his chiseled frame seemed to shoulder that duality effortlessly. During times of pain he often struggled manage his heavy burdens. X is many different things. He's rap's Antwone Fisher locked in a struggle for his divided soul.Turning inward to soothe the soul of his ravaged peace, he emerges with lyrical masterpieces like Slippin.   For some he's the people's champ whose hard-fought success had vindicated faltered rap careers recalling AZ's grandiose lyrics from 1994's Life's A Bitch: I'm destined to live the dream for all my peeps who never made it. For others, he's a welcome detour from hip hop's road to the riches re-routing the music back to