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  • » Name: aliya ewing
  • » Location: Boston/ Hartford/ Vegas
  • » Member Since: 04/13/07
  • » Bio: I am a writer and a mother (not in that order). Big fan of art in various forms. Firm believer that nothing beats Ciroc vodka and good conversation. (i've loved ciroc for yrs...WAY b4 Diddy's ads)
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Rants and Raves From Yours Truly…

Viewing Posts Tagged "George Benson"   View All

RAISING THE MUSICAL REVOLUTION


April 15, 2007 | Tags: Little Brother, Al green, Esthero, Wu-Tang Clan, Prince, Dorothy Ashby, House Shoes, J Dilla, Nicolay, Thievery Corporation, Les McCann, Amy Winehouse, Gil Scott Heron, BlackStar, The Soft Machine, Marvin Gaye, Doris Day, The Roots, Roy Ayers, A Tribe Called Quest, Archie Bell and the Drells, Common, Oiling Boiling, The Chi-Lites, EPMD, Didiers Sound Spectrum, George Benson, De La Soul, David Axelrod, Sly and the Family Stone, The Lyman Woodard Orchestra, George Clinton, Sade, Donald Bryd, Mary J. Blige, Teddy Pendergrass, Nia, The O'Jays, Earth Wind and Fire, Madvillain, Slopfunkdust

When I was about 4 months pregnant with my son  I became infatuated with his future.What will he look like? Will he have his father’s big-ass head ? Will he be Mr. Corporate America or an artist?  The shy type or a ladies man? Who knows…but I knew that regardless, he would be okay in life.

That is, as long as his taste in music was tight.

I’m a firm believer that you can tell much about a person by his/her taste in music. And as I watched my 9-year-old cousin David dance in front of the t.v while fumbling and mumbling his way through the words to E-40’s “You and Dat Monkey”, I realized that despite his fantastic upbringing and private schooling…he was in grave danger.

I immediately sat in front of my computer to create an eclectic play list of my favorite music: Al green, Esthero, Wu-Tang Clan, Prince, Dorothy Ashby, Loungin’ Vol 1 by House Shoes, a slew of J Dilla, Slopfunkdust and Nicolay beats, Thievery Corporation, Les McCann, Amy Winehouse, Gil Scott Heron, BlackStar, The Soft Machine, Little Brother, Marvin Gaye, Madvillain, Doris Day, The Roots, Roy Ayers, A Tribe Called Quest, Archie Bell and the Drells, Common, Oiling Boiling, The Chi-Lites, EPMD, Didiers Sound Spectrum, George Benson, De La Soul, David Axelrod, Sly and the Family Stone, The Lyman Woodard Orchestra, George Clinton, Sade, Donald Bryd, the list went on for endless hours.  I then proceeded to lay on my back for at least an hour every day with my speakers ontop of my growing belly so that my unborn son and I could bond over my musical autobiography. He kicked and squirmed to the bass resonating through my body and I wondered when I was done if any child could rival my son’s impeccable taste in music.

Enter Nia: a 4-year-old YouTube Phenomenon who sings everything from “Backstabbers” by The O’Jays to cuts off of Earth Wind and Fire’s 1975 album “Gratitude”.  Don’t believe me? See for yourself:



HA! *smile*

Now, in all fairness it has to be said that in addition to finagling Nia’s singing into t.v appearances, an on-stage performace with Earth Wind and Fire, and a commercial for Mary J. Blige's latest album; I REALLY hope Nia’s mother is also encouraging her to memorize her school work just like she’s memorized Teddy Pendergrass’ “Only You”.  However, kudos to Mamma Nia for giving her child a fantastic foundation for a proper musical collection on her iPod. I predict that Nia will grow to understand (that is, if she doesn’t already) that good music is good music and it knows no genre.  And hopefully one day, Nia and my now 10-week-old son Alexander, backed with an army of young good-music lovers will lead us out of this current age of creative darkness and into a golden age of true lyricists, bangin beats, properly used samples, singers that aren't just products of studio tweaking, and a respect for the music of the past that has shaped our Hip Hop culture  in positive ways.

But I’m hoping I won’t have to wait that long.


The views and opinions expressed in this blog are those of the writer and not necessarily those of HipHopDX.com or Cheri Media Group.

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