Sheldon Taylor's Souls of Black Notes

                            "No ideas original/there's nothing new under the sun                                     it's not what you do/but how its done"                                                        ---Nas (2002)                                                                         A video surfaced on Facebook featuring hoop god LeBron James at a party rapping word to word to Atlanta rapper Doe Boy's Walk Down . The ominous synth sounds, Eazy E/Dr. Dre name checks and lyrical cadence are ...

"Part of rap's adhesive is the seamless transition, the sense of continuum, eternity, living with the beat forever"     Barry Michael Cooper: Spin Magazine( 1986) Harlem scribe Barry Michael Cooper's synopsis of rap music circa' 86 could also describe the eternal staying power of two of the greatest hip hop records ever recorded. In 1985, rap music was evolving at the speed of light. Just six years removed from the Sugar Hill/Enjoy simulated breakbeat jams a la Rapper's Delight, hip hop music was emerging with newer sounds and styles that were beating older ones into submission.  Every year since 1979, a series of game-changing records nudged rap towards a nascent cottage industry that was a throwback to rock-and roll/R&B's early days (dubious contracts included). Indie labels run by Blacks, Jews and ethnic whites put out a slew of 12inch rap singles in rapid succession. These imprints had colorful names like Tommy Boy, De...

                                                                   Earth Wind and Fire: Gratitude: (1975)                      1975 was Earth Wind and Fire's year. In March, they released breakthrough chart topper That's The Way of the World. 30 days later, it sold a million copies. Embarking on a triumphant tour in support  of the album, EWF sprinted past other funky contenders in the race for 70s R&B supremacy and emerged victorious. Eight months later, they dropped Gratitude--- a four-record double album of live performances with a couple new studio tracks thrown in for good measure. Gratitude captured the band in its arena-rocking album element. The crowd roared with approval at Philip Bailey's soaring vocals on Reasons and the band's drivin...

I can remember being captivated by the music as earlier as seven or eight. It started with me being intrigued by the record's blue logo with the map of Detroit or the yellow and brown Tamla imprint. The 45s and albums were always in the house. I wasn't allowed to touch them and rightfully so. As kids we trashed my mother's extensive record collection that went back to fifties. We didn't know better. As a music lover looking back, I deserved to kicked out the house or beat within an inch of my life. By the time I really got into music, t he Motown classic hits were nearly fifteen or twenty years old. The music and songwriting qualit always resonated with me. I remained  fascinated by their contemporary staying power. Motown survived many industry highs and lows, specifically skewed perceptions of its key figures. As a kid, I witnessed Black America's stiff-armed ambivalence of Diana Ross. In the 70s she was our Beyonce. In the Eighties she cast as the backs...