Elevation, music, sound, the diaspora, justice, art/creation, history and the future, the world around me . . .
Folks who want to transform the world into a more beautiful, just, and peaceful place and who live their lives accordingly.
“Great Black Music: Ancient To The Futureâ€. For some prime examples, check out RISE . Also:. . . 4 Hero; A Race Of Angels; Damon Aaron; Abstract Rude; Aceyalone; Adaawe; Patrick Adams; Francisco Aguabella; Vicki Anderson; African Music Machine; Alcione; Lorez Alexandria; Joey Altruda; Los Amigos Invisibles; Ammon Contact; Antibalas; Archie Whitewater; Arrested Development; Mulatu Astatke; Aswad; David Axelrod; Roy Ayers; Eric B. & Rakim; B. T. Express; Erykah Badu; Hank Ballard; Banda Black Rio; Darrell Banks; Ray Barretto; Joe Bataan; The Beatles; The Beginning Of The End; Jorge Ben; Big Black; Biz Markie; Blackbyrds; Black Eyed Peas; Black Sheep; Black Star; Sonny Black; Don Blackmon; Blk Sonshine; Eddie Bo; Bohannon; Luis Bonfa; Boogie Down Productions; Brand New Heavies; Brand Nubian; Breakestra; Breakwater; King Britt; The Brothers Johnson; James Brown; Tom Brown; Bugz In The Attic; Busta Rhymes; Bobby Byrd; Cameo; Chakachas; Cody ChesnuTT; Chic; Chico Buarque; Chocolate Butterfly; Chubb Rock; Jimmy Cliff; George Clinton; Lynn Collins; Willie Colon; The Commodores; Common; Con Funk Shun; Sam Cook; Carl Craig; Celia Cruz; Joe Cuba; Cymande; D'Angelo; Oscar D'Leon; Da Lata; Martinho Da Vila; Dabrye; Daedalus; Daktaris; Betty Davis; De La Soul; Claude Debussy; Ani DeFranco; Dengue Fever; William DeVaughn; Manu Dibango; Kenny Dixon Jr.; Lee Dorsey; Patti Drew; Dwele; Dyke & The Blazers; Earth, Wind & Fire; Elijah Emmanuel & The Revelations; EPMD; ESG; Samia Farah; Fatback Band; Faze-O; Faure; Dee Felice Trio; Amp Fiddler; Fishbone; The Five Stairsteps; King Floyd; Flying Lotus; Aretha Franklin; Fanny Franklin; Freestyle Fellowship; Doug E. Fresh; Funkadelic; The Fuzz; GB; Gangstarr; The Gap Band; Marvin Gaye; Gilberto Gil; Astrud Gilberto; Bebel Gilberto; Joao Gilberto; Grandmaster Flash; Greasy Beats; Al Green; Grizzly Bear; Grupo Folklorico De Cuba; Harlem River Drive; Donny Hathaway; Isaac Hayes; Leon Haywood; The Headhunters; Heatwave; Jimi Hendrix; Kim Hill; Honey Cone; Al Hudson; Ronnie Hudson & The Soul Partners; Humble Soul; Bobbi Humphrey; Leroy Hutson; Ile Aiye; The Impressions; Inner City; Weldon Irvine; The Isley Brothers; The Jackson Five; Mahalia Jackson; The JB's; Jneiro Jarel; Jay Dee; Jeru The Damaja; Tom Jobim; Seu Jorge; Jump With Joey; Joi; Rickie Lee Jones; The Jungle Brothers; Jurassic 5; Eddie Kendricks; Chaka Khan; Angelique Kidjo; Albert King; B.B. King; KMD; Gladys Knight & The Pips; Frankie Knuckles; KRS-1; Fela Anikulapo-Kuti; Femi Kuti; Kyoto Jazz Massive; L.L. Kool J; LaBelle; Betty LaVette; Queen Latifah; Hector Lavoe; Leaders Of The New School; Led Zeppelin; Little Beaver; Little Sister; Israel "Cachao" Lopez; La Lupe; El Lupo; Madlib; Tim Maia; Main Source; Mandrill; Mango Bang; C.K. Mann; Manzell; Bob Marley; Damien "Jr. Gong" Marley; Masters At Work; Maxayn; Curtis Mayfield; Maze; Frank McComb; Medusa & Feline Science; Harold Melvin & The Bluenotes; Sergio Mendes; The Meters; MFSB; M.I.A.; Mighty Ryders; Joni Mitchell; DJ Mitsu; Moodymann; Katia Moraes; Mos Def; Los Muñequitos de Matanzas; Ali Shaheed Muhammad; Georgia Anne Muldrow; Junior Murvin; Najite; New York - S.O.H.O., Nice & Smooth; The Nite-Liters; Nobody; The Nonce; Les Nubians; Myca Nyne; The O'Jays; Ocho; Ohio Players; Olatunji; Olodum; Oneness Of Juju; Organized Confusion; Orgone; Os Mutantes; Johnny Osbourne; Osibisa; Count Ossie And The Mystic Revelation of Rastafari; Osunlade; Shuggie Otis; Ozomatli; Johnny Pacheco; Pal Joey; Eddie Palmieri; Parliament; Dawn Penn; Lee "Scratch" Perry; Pharcyde; The Pharoahs; Esther Phillips; Wilson Pickett; Chris Pierce; Platinum Pied Pipers; Pleasure; Poor Righteous Teachers; Baden Powell; Prefuse 73; DJ Premier; Prince; Public Enemy; Tito Puente; Q-Tip; RAMP; Ras G; The Rebirth; Otis Redding; Revolutionaires; Minnie Ripperton; Ripple; Roberto Roena; Smokey Robinson; Pete Rock & C.L. Smooth; The Roots; Roots Locks; Willie Rosario; Diana Ross; Rotary Connection; Run D.M.C.; Patrice Rushen; Lady Sa'; Sa-Ra Creative Partners; Sach; Sacred; Sade; Pancho Sanchez; Mongo Santamaria; Santana; Erik Satie; The Scientist; Jill Scott; Ann Sexton; Marlena Shaw; Side Effect; Nina Simone; Sister Carol; Sister Nancy; The Skatalites; Skull Snaps; Slave; Slick Rick; Sly & The Family Stone; Sly & Robbie; Sy Smith; Jimi Solanke; The Soulful Strings; Souls Of Mischief; Steve Spacek; Melvin Sparks; Steely Dan; Sugarhill Gang; Bill Summers; T-Love; John Tejada; The Temptations; Theodore; Cal Tjader; Mia Doi Todd; Toots & The Maytals; Peter Tosh; Toyan; Tribe Called Quest; King Tubby; U-Roy; U.M.C.'s; Caetano Veloso; Very Be Careful; Hector Villalobos; Waberi; War; Bunny Wailer; Leon Ware; Grover Washington, Jr.; Johnny "Guitar" Watson; The Watts 103rd Street Rhythm Band; Kanye West; The Whatnauts; Barry White; K.C. White; Marva Whitney; Kevin T. Williams; Saul Williams; Stevie Wonder; Wood, Brass & Steel; Bernard Wright; Betty Wright; Wu-Tang Clan; Yambu; Yesterday's New Quintet; The Yohimbe Brothers; Zapp; Tom Ze; Zuco 103 . . .
Seldom get a chance to see 'em anymore
no thank you
. . . A People's History of the United States; The Alchemist; As Serious As Your Life; The Autobiography of Malcolm X; The Autobiography of Miles Davis; Blues People; The Book: On the Taboo Against Knowing Who You Are; Can't Stop, Won't Stop; The Dark Tree: Jazz And The Community Arts In Los Angeles; Divine Inspiration; Goodbye, Sweetwater; The Invisible Man; Native Son; The Prophet; Siddhartha; Songs Of The Unsung: The Musical And Social Journey Of Horace Tapscott; Space Is The Place: The Lives And Times Of Sun Ra; Their Eyes Were Watching God; + all the Easy Rawlins joints . . .
My pops, Alice and John Coltrane, Siddhartha Gautama, Horace Tapscott . . .