On a silky summer night, I see faintly in the distance the silhouettes of two Black cats in a celebratory saunter down the Champs-Elysees...one of them hoisting a statuette overhead. The beautiful young lady accompanying me turns abruptly to a policeman and asks, "Who are those two guys?" At a different moment in time, he may have said, "James Baldwin and Richard Wright." But, this is 2013, so he dryly replies, "Just two 'Niggas in Paris'."
Yeah, Kanye and Jay-Z clothed themselves with some serious swagger in LA the other night after winning the Grammy for their song "Niggas in Paris." Deservedly so! "Big ups" also to Kelly Clarkson, The Black Keys, Beyonce, Adelle, Fun & Janelle Monae, Mumford & Sons, and all the other winners. But, my mind is transfixed by two Philadelphia centered groups which, while both nominated, suffered different fates.
The Roots are the quintessential hip-hip/neo-soul band representing the tip of the spear in "conscious" musical artistry.Their latest album was nominated for "Best Rap Album," and lost to Drake. "Undun" is a concept piece telling the story of a young brother torn between the voice of his better angels and the seductive sounds of life hustlin' in "dem streets." Faced with such a dilemma, he simply cannot outlast the "unforgiving minute," or resist the moment of temptation...and ultimately chooses a life of crime. It's a brilliant album full of brutal insights, mind-bending beats, and lyrical flow like fiya!! It poignantly reminds us of the words of the great Norman Cousins, "Death is not the greatest loss in life. The greatest loss is what dies inside us while we live."
In my humble opinion, "Undun" should have won the Grammy.
Robert Glasper is a native of Houston, Texas and grew up playing piano in the church. Once he graduated from Elkins High School, he attended the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music in New York where he met and began to collaborate with neo-soul singer, Bilal. His jazz group, The Robert Glasper Experiment, was nominated for the album "Black Radio" and won the Grammy in the "Best R&B Album" category.
"Black Radio" is a smorgasbord of musical delights melding jazz, hip-hop, neo-soul, and R&B. Imagine being invited into a luxurious New York penthouse only to be met by the Center City "Rat Pack," Sly and the Family Stone 2.0, Thelonius Monk's avatar, and the spirits of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughn, Marvin Gaye and Gil Scott Heron. That's what happens on this album. Glasper collaborates with the likes of Erykah Badu, Lupe Fiasco, Layla Hathaway, Ledisi, Mos Def, and spins a mesmerizingly memorable musical web featuring Meshell Ndegeocello entitled "The Consequences of Jealousy." He does this while creating a sound that is beyond categorization. Glasper describes his music as "experiments with space, rhythm and chord textures"; a music that's easy to rap over. I describe it as amazingly smooth with enough swag to make your head nod and your tongue wag.
So, while I'm "Undun" by the fact that The Roots didn't win the Grammy, I won't hate. Glasper warns us of "the consequences of jealousy." Meanwhile, enjoy this cut from "Black Radio." It features Musiq Soulchild and Chrisette Michele singing "Ah Yeah"....just in time for Valentine's Day.
Los Angeles has suffered so much drama lately. Last year, Whitney Houston...this year Christopher Dorner. But, come what may, keep your hearts CLEAN and SERENE....relax, and say, "Ah, Yeah."
Until we rendezvous...
Peace!!
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