::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: THE 58th GRAMMY NOMINATIONS ARE OUT AND HERE'S WHAT WE LIKE BEST!

::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: THE 58th GRAMMY NOMINATIONS ARE OUT AND HERE'S WHAT WE LIKE BEST!
By Daniel Harris



Headphone Junkies, it's that time again! The 58th Grammy's are upon us and earlier this month, the Grammy nominees were announced. The list of nominees are a testament to one overwhelming fact: we were blessed with some amazing music!

Between the last Grammy period until now, we've seen the return of two music legends, another artist showed us exactly why he is the future of music and an up and coming talent showed us why her career is headed for a very long and very successful run.

We are here for The Grammys! The list of nominees is full of gems, here's just a few of our favorites.

D'Angelo Came Back and Nabbed 3 Nods!
Perhaps the biggest moment in music came nearly a year ago this month. After 14 years of promises and teases and Questlove leak, (but we didn't hear that from him) D'Angelo graced us with an ingenious and important piece of work. Black Messiah truly redefined the scope of possibilities funk, soul and r&b. For his amazing efforts, D'Angelo has gained 3 nominations including Record of The Year and Best R&B Album.

Tori Kelly For Best New Artist, Please!
This nomination just proves what all headphone junkies already know: Tori Kelly is amazing! While Kelly has been on true music lovers' radar since 2004, she has definitely come into her own during the past few years. Since 2010, the nation really got to see a young hopeful begin her journey in the industry. Now, with 3 albums under her belt (1 LP and 2 EPs), Tori is now getting the full recognition that she deserves. Her nomination for Best New Artist is a sign that fans still appreciate real music!

Real Bars Are Back!
Let's be honest, the past 10 years of "Hip Hop" have seen a major decline in the one element that is key to its survival: BARS! A quick look at the rap categories sees artists like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar  and Dr. Dre all nominated. As true Headphone Junkies, we know that you've listened to 2014 Forest Hill Drive, Compton and To Pimp A Butterfly extensively. Given the trajectory of Hip Hop during the past 10 years, you also understand how great it is to see artists who are committed to creating music nominated in categories like Best Rap Album, Best Rap Performance and Best Rap Song.

Kendrick Is The Future Of Music. (All Facts!)
I write this realizing that this statement may be redundant to some but it's a statement that needs to be said. Since Kendrick hit the scene (before Good Kid, Madd City) music lovers all over could tell this kid was something special. After being snubbed a couple of years ago, Kendrick leads all nominees with 11 nominations including Album Of The Year, Song of The Year and Best Rap Album. That in and of itself is a major accomplishment. Listening to To Pimp A Butterfly, you can hear the level of detail, time and effort that went into its creation and it is easy to see that all 11 nominations were well deserved.

Check out the complete list of nominees. The 58th Grammy's will air February 15th on CBS. Tell us what you think about this year's nominations. Comment below or hit us up on Twitter or Instagram!

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::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: TOP 5 MUSIC COLLECTIVES

::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: TOP 5 MUSIC COLLECTIVES
by George Kilpatrick

Music Collectives have historically guided and influenced the direction of music. We have seen some of the greatest records in modern history because of the collaboration of artist within a collective. A music collective is a group of musicians who collaborate over time to perform, record, or produce music We will be discussing 5 of the greatest music collectives to ever do it.

Parliament-Funkadelic

Originating in Plainfield, New Jersey, Parliament-Funkadelic is a funk, soul, and rock music collective. The collective began in late 1950s and have been performing ever since.  Parliament under the direction of George Clinton consists of many different permutations and arrangements but consistently produces music that makes you move and groove.  They have consistently produced quality music and one of their most notable songs is “Atomic Dog," one of the most sampled songs in hip-hop. Their over 50 year career as been marked by constant reinvention and radical thought. Parliament was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of fame in 1997 and was the largest group ever inducted; this honor is emblematic of their influence and their contributions to the music industry.

Wu-Tang Clan

Beginning in the early 90s, Wu-Tang Clan is considered one of the greatest rap groups and music collectives of all time. Hailing from New York City Wu-Tang consists of  Ol’ DirtyBastad, RZA, GZA, Method Man, Raekwon, Ghostface Killah, Inspectah Deck, U-God, Masta Killa and Cappadonna. Wu-Tang is a hardcore hip-hop group whose unique sounds have reached many different generations of music lovers. Wu-Tang’s success it’s marked by their influence on many of rap’s greatest artists and music makers.  The leader of Wu-Tang, RZA pioneered many production technique and sound-scaping styles that would effect generations to come. Kanye West and Nas were both inspired by Wu-Tang’s music and did some collaborative work with them.

Soulquarians

The roster of this music collective reads like a who’s who among iconic soul music  and hip-hop artists. Consisting of Bilal, James Posyer, D’Angelo, Common, J Dilla, ?uestlove, Erykah Badu, Talib Kweli, and Q-tip the Soulquarians are a history making group who for 6 years got together to make some of the greatest soul music we’ve heard. Timeless albums like D’Angelo’s “Voodoo,” Erykah Badu’s "Mama’s Gun," Common’s “Electric Circus” and The Roots’ “Phrenology” were all products of their time together. What we saw with the Soulquarians was a return to the old school as they studied greats like Prince and Stevie Wonder and worked to capture the same musical magic that is captured on their iconic records. They studied for months before releasing any music and the outcome was legendary. The Soulquarian’s recorded their projects at the historic Electric Lady studios and truly channeled the innovative spirit of the late Jimi Hendrix.

Black Hippy

The first set of modern day juggernauts to grace our list, black hippy is a collective based out of the West Coast consisting of Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, Schoolboy Q, and Jay Rock. Black hippy formed when each of these artists was signed to Top Dawg Entertainment in 2009 and they have been making good music ever since.  They have yet to release a collaborative project but each artist respectively has released solo projects to critical acclaim. As a collective they support each other and often feature on each other’s tracks. The exciting thing about Black Hippy is that they are just getting started and have taken the industry by storm.  Kendrick just won a Grammy for his hit single "i," Ab Soul will soon be releasing an album, Jay Rock is working on his sophomore album and Schoolboy Q is working on his next album. We are looking forward to the music that they will be releasing.

A$AP Mob

 A$AP Mob is a collective of rappers, producers, video directors, visual artists and fashion designers who share a similar interest in music. Founded by the late A$AP Yams in 2006, this New York based collective is highlighted by rappers A$ap Rocky, A$AP Ferg, and producer A$AP Ty Beats. A$AP Mob first made waves in the music scene when their video for A$AP Rocky’s single “Pe$o” earned them millions of views on YouTube. They continued to produce hits and were marked by their unique sound and iconic fashion choices. In  2011 A$AP Rocky signed a deal with Sony Music Entertainment which provided a provision to help fund the growing work of A$AP Mob. Since that deal A$AP Mob has consistently been touring and in 2015 A$AP Rocky released a #1 album. However January of 2015 the founder and leader of A$AP Mob, A$AP Yams passed away of a suspected drug overdose.

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::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN HIP HOP

::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: THE ROLE OF WOMEN IN HIP HOP
by Dereck Rodriguez

Music serves as a catalyst of experience and awareness. Each piece of music is the cultural, spiritual, shadow of the people. This intimate marriage of sound and sentence presents the identity and soul of the people. Hip Hop not only serves as a medium to communicate the complexities of black life but also to reconcile relationship between blacks and white supremacy. 

Unlike other contemporary form of music, Hip Hop is a culture of its own. Hip Hop was a primary mode of deciphering and expressing the crippling state of black communities due to the crack epidemic, depleted neighborhoods and a severe lack of employment opportunities. In its early years, Hip Hop engaged topics relevant to the complexities of black life along with party music expressing a joy and zeal for life itself. There was freedom in content and execution. It is this passion of life and love that informed the culture of Hip Hop.

Women within Hip Hop serve the same role women have served in all movements concerning the welfare of black people. Women serve as the guiding force to establish clarity and direction of the movement as a whole. Acts such as The Sequence and MC Sha Rock offered innovative funk rhythms coupled with dynamic singing and catchy wordplay that helped guide the sound of Hip Hop. Founder of Sugar Hill Records, Sylvia Robinson, aided in progressing the music with finding the band Sugar Hill Gang.   

During the 70s and late 80s there was variety of artistic and lyrical approach to rap music. Ranging from themes concerning black nationalism,  inner city life, dancing, and partying. There were no limits on what the music could sound like. Artists such as Salt N’ Pepa appealed to the party scene with their sexually empowering approach to the music. "Push It" was a defining song of the dance music scene. 

On the other hand Queen Latifah focused on discussing black empowerment. "U.N.I.T.Y" addressed the lack of unity within the black community and its crippling affects on black people. Rappers during Hip Hop's "Golden Era" seldom used derogatory words such as “Bitch” because of the presence of rappers like Queen Latifah. 

During the late 1990s, rap began to transform and become less socially aware and empowering.   Rappers such as Lil Kim, Foxy Brown, and Trina willfully projected a sexualized image of women. Male chauvinistic validation along with female MC approval created a further desire to sexualized black women. The sexual objectification of women became ingrained in the culture of Hip-Hop thus, the music we hear today.

Black Women have always been the guiding force of the black community. There needs to be unity and cohesion among the black family unit in order to sustain progression among the black race.    When this intimate connection is compromised only confusion and estrangement from the self can exist. Black women and men must exist as proponents of each other’s success and spiritual welfare.  

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::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: FREEDOM AIN'T FREE

::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: FREEDOM AIN'T FREE
by Dereck Rodriguez and Gypsy Soul

Independence Day is a holiday commemorating the separation of the Thirteen colonies from Britian.  This independence translated into the genocide of African people and the subsequent invasive approach to foreign affairs. Freedom was never intended for the black race. It would be another 92 years before all Africans in America would be independent of chattel slavery but not the searing blade of American democracy.

We must understand, these supposed “humanitarian” principals, in which our founding fathers bestowed upon this country, propagates a distorted imagination of humanity exclusive to Europeans. This freedom and equality they speak of would never exist without the economic and global influence of slavery. While heavy footed on their pursuit of equality , their feet rang happily on our necks.

 In black communities there is a myriad of shindigs, cookouts, parties, and block parties coupled on such occasions, such as the Forth of July. Seldom do you not hear fireworks or something of the lot glowing at night along with community activity. So why do we celebrate a freedom assigned only for white Americans?

As a people of love countless times in history, to maintain our humanity, we had to maintain  our love for ourselves and life to combat the belief of African inferiority. On many occasions African people have repurposed what would otherwise be reminders of enslavement. For instance, Soul Food has become a celebrated and ritualized aspect of Black American culture despite its origin as a poor quality of food exclusive to enslaved Africans. What would otherwise be a symbol of dehumanization and oppression has been elevated to a cultural staple.  

The need to repurpose traumatic experiences validates the humanity of the oppressed and in turn perpetuates this humanity through the medium of love. This explains the emphasis on events centered on community such as cookouts and block parties. These activities embody the spirit of African customs and traditions. Love and communalism is the foundation of how most African communities engage reality. African culture roots itself in the need to exist in tandem with all that lives to promote balance and harmony in life.

This playlist arises out of the need to remember what freedom is all about. Today, as many Americans celebrate the separation from British rule, lets us not forget that even in the "Land of the Free" many Black and Brown people are not subject to those proclaimed freedoms. In 2015 the need to assert #BlackLivesMatter only speaks to the absence of freedom, justice, and equality. Yes, you can make this your Independence Day soundtrack and hopefully the music will evoke conversation, action, and ideas on how to move forward, how to effectively fight and win the freedoms people are lacking right now. Art, true art should reflect the times, so enjoy these songs as the hot summer continues on and hopefully this playlist will be the foundation for the soundtrack of this modern day revolution.

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::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: "COMING HOME" BY LEON BRIDGES

::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: COMING HOME BY LEON BRIDGES
"Style, technique, retro grooves- nobody's making soul like Leon."
by Nicole Queen

25 year old, Leon Bridges has managed to bring the sounds of the legendary Chess Records to 2015. The Fort-Worth, TX native is not shy about embracing the roots of sweet soul revival in his new album Coming Home, released under Columbia Records.

Bridges, who has no problem displaying his love for the past exhibited it effortlessly on every track. If you close your eyes and listen you can feel yourself being taken thru the emotions of this album; happiness, sadness, love and gratitude, to name a few.

A story is told from the first track "Coming Home" (which was top 10 most viral tracks on Spotify) to the last record "River." "River," which happens to be my favorite track on the album, gives the feeling of a Sunday morning gospel song equipped with a fresh start and forgiveness. Now, it’s not to say that everyone will appreciate the authenticity of the real R&B blues on this album. One thing is certain; you cannot turn a deaf ear to real instruments, real musical arrangements, real vocals and lastly real music.

Filled with much talent, I am expecting much more from Leon Bridges. Although, he is just starting out with Coming Home, he leaves enough evidence in this album that he will only get better.

Coming Home is available now on iTunes and Amazon.

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::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: TOP 10 ALBUMS OF 2015...SO FAR

::HEADPHONE JUNKIE:: TO 10 ALBUMS OF 2015...SO FAR
Written by Nicole Queen

As we reach the end of June, we began to close out the first two quarters of album releases. This has been a busy 1^st half of 2015, with over 200+ albums releasing in just the first six months. If given the opportunity, I would choose a top 30 but I have to narrow it down to a top 10 of the year thus far. Now, let me give this disclaimer: these albums are in NO particular order and are simply my OWN opinion. If you can relate, thank you! If you cannot, I hope that you will dive into these artists and give them a listen. Now, let's hop into it!

1. Kendrick Lamar: To Pimp A Butterfly

To Pimp A Butterfly was released March 15, 2015 and was probably one of the highly anticipated albums of the year.  Say what you want but, Kendrick has revived conscious rap and brought it back into the mainstream. He has simply made it cool again. Kendrick produced a social statement that pushed the limits of artistry, religion and race, just to name a few. This entire album also revived the sweet soul feel of FUNK, this entire album is laced with soul beats and it simply cannot get any better than that. This generation needed an album to this caliber, a ture soulful album in Hip-Hop.

Favorite Track: You Ain’t Gotta Lie(MommaSaid)

2. Allen Stone: Radius

Allen Stone’s album Radius was released May 26, 2015. The grizzly face white Maxwell from  Chewelaw, Washington is nothing but SOUL.  I was just recently introduced to him and had the opportunity to see him live, I was automatically sold. His presence on stage matches his presence of his musical tracks; both pure genius. This album is conducted with instruments and raw vocals this is the way REAL R&B/Soul should be.

Favorite Track: The Wire

3. Raheem Devaughn: Sex, Love and Passion

Released February 17, 2015, the love king has picked up where he left off. This album has incorporated the listener to be able to travel back to the future with an uncanny touch of 90s R&B throughout the album. Tastefully Devaughn delivers passion, lust, soul and love thru each track; I can honestly say this album has me left wanting more.

Favorite Track: Temperature Rising

4. Charlie Wilson: Forever Charlie

Many know Charlie Wilson as the lead singer of the Gap Band or to the newer generation simply as “Uncle Charlie”.  Forever Charlie released January 27, 2015 is the 7^th solo album from Wilson, keeping in mind that I am a young buck but Uncle Charlie carries something for everyone on this album. Throughout this album you can catch nostalgic melodies ring thru this album with some remnants of the Gap Band hidden in the tracks. Love songs mixed with funk and soul has always been Wilson’s specialty and he does not fall short of showing this on this album. Forever Charlie  is a true statement, I will forever rock with Charlie as long as he continues to deliver like this.

Favorite Track: Infectious ft. Snoop Dogg

5. Drake: If You're Reading This, It's Too Late

This album was released February 13, 2015 (my actual birthday!) and it came as a surprise to listeners across the world.  In ordinary Drake fashion this album displayed an equal balance of “Turn up” jams and “Draking & Driving” (cursing the city with your latest ex on your mind) jams. As stated earlier there was virtually no promotion but Drake was able to reach over 500,000 the first week of album sales. Drake has been consistent with songs that can grow on you right away and I possibly believe this could be his best project thus far.

Favorite Track: Legend

6. Hiatus Kaiyote: Choose Your Weapon

Choose Your Weapon was released May 4, 2015 by the four-piece band from down under. Surprisingly, I got introduced to this band kind of late but late is better than never. Hiatus Kayote brings an original sound; they are something I’ve never heard before. Their mixture of R&B, soul and funk is combined so tastefully on every track throughout this album. Lead singer Nai Palm voice alone will melt your ears, you can trace her voice almost reminiscent to Bille Holiday or India Aire. This band is so ahead of their time, hints to why they made the list.

Favorite Track: Shaolin Monk Motherfunk

7. WILDCARD Jodeci: The Past, The Present, The Future

Released March 31, 2015, I am deeming this album my wildcard. The world has not had a Jodeci album since 1995 but they made a worthy return this year. Let’s first start with saying modern R&B owes these guys everything. This album is no surprise to longtime Jodeci fans like me. This album fights right in with their three previous albums produced by this collective group.

Favorite Track: Sho Out

8. Jazmine Sullivan: Reality Show

Jazmine Sullivan released Reality Show on January 13,2015 and has shown that she still has it after a three year hiatus. This album does indeed match the title, Sullivan takes you on a ride portraying different characters throughout this album. As you already know Sullivan's voice is a power house and with the mix of killer melodies and foundations you will be without a doubt hooked to each song. Many of us have been longing for something from Jazmine for a long time. I'm glad she's back to satisfy that hunger.

Favorite Track: Let It Burn

9. Tamia: Love Life

Tamia’s Love Life is her 6^th studio album and on this album she is dropping gems. I am not married (yet) but throughout this album she makes marriage sound sexy! Just as Tamia’s vocals her beats correspond to the sweetness of her voice. Tamia proudly creates anthems for monogamy and I am completely for sold off of this album.

Favorite Track: Lipstick

10. Snarky Puppy: Sylva

Versatility! How can I emphasize this word enough? This fusion band displays this ever so easily. Sylva, is the 9^th album released by Snarky Puppy and this band is all about physically taking you on a ride with their melodic grooves. This album satisfies on a conceptual, visceral, emotional and musical level.

 

Favorite Track: Flight

   

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