Nneka: Reppin' Africa

In the sea of new music that is on the horizon this winter/spring (Sade, Erykah Badu, Nicki Minaj are all skedded to drop) comes the Afro-beat/hip-hop/soulfulness of Nneka.
Since Lauren Hill is still AWOL we've had a few activist-musicians step into the void, Nigerian-German singer-songwriter Nneka is the freshest face. Her music -- to American ears -- offers a world perspective (with a lens focused on the Niger Delta) on the pillages of the rich class and corruption so familiar to the USA.
Not since a singer named Marley have we had such an innocent, wrenching voice proclaim the injustices of people of color. It is a welcome respite from the barbiefication that is currently enveloping the U.S. music scene.
On the music scene since 2003, Nneka finally got some shine with 2008's "No Longer at Ease," which made some noise in Europe. Now, she's back with "Concrete Jungle," worldwind mix of boom bap, keyboards and conga drums.
While more folksy than Badu but more political than say, a Tracy Chapman, Nneka's album is full of heart, or should I say Heartbeat.
If you want "bling bling" or "get money," then go elsewhere. If you want the truth, then you want Nneka.

J-Rice "Best I Ever Had" (Drake)

Nicki Minaj: Hotter Than July

It is turning into a very good month for rapper Nicki Minaj, the female emcee in Lil Wayne's Young Money outfit. She's been burning up hot spots around the South with intimate performances that speak to her lyrical prowess as well as her sex appeal. Lil Kim comparisons not withstanding, this is Nicki's time.
But with the fall approaching, the hip-hop industry is churning toward a trifecta not seen in recent years as mega-weights Jay-Z, 50 Cent, and now, Lil Wayne all plan to drop albums in September.
Handicapping each contender is their eager-to-be released mixtapes that fans will gobble up on sight, which makes Nicki Minaj's profile even brighter -- and more crucial -- as she'll no doubt trade deliveries with the Codeine-sipping miser Weezy F. Baby herself.
If Nicki can deliver the momentum -- and even more fem fans to the movement -- look for Wayne to catapult her career next to his. But this summer is just as important for Nicki: She still doesn't have a label yet; her set "Beam Me Up Scotty," while good is understandably rough around the edges.
This is her summer: If she can't muster the pressure, she'll slide behind Drake and possibly whoever else is up and coming on the Young Money label.
Can she heat it up?

Vibe Magazine ends with a thud

Vibe had me at hello.
The sudden closure of the magazine yesterday struck me because it was never allowed to say 'goodbye.'
I remember when the magazine debuted in the early 1990s as a slick, long treasure trove of urban cultural hotness.
Vibe's claim to fame back in the day was its mixture of "hard" news journalism (courtesy of Jessie Washington, where is he?) and entertainment glam: photo shoots, music pieces and breaking new artists.
Its finest moment was also its most controversial. Kevin Powell's piece on who shot Tupac garnered the magazine praise outside of its circles. Of course Tupac Shakur was an interviewer's dream. He'd go off on tangents, name names, and didn't mind do-do-ing on the biggest names in hip-hop at the time: Puff Daddy and the Notorious B.I.G.
Alas, but Vibe lost its way shortly after that. Hip-hop became a bigger focus as a slew of rap magazines launched in the mid to late 1990s. Vibe became just another "rap rag" although it always thought of itself as more.
Hopefully we can see the "vibe" in another manifestation next time.

Hilarious: "Seniors Sing the Latest Hip Hop"

I am seriously considering booking them for a night in front of family and friends.