there's nothing i love more than the discovery of a new artist who brings with them a much needed cleansing breath of fresh air. and in the face of the epidemic that is the re-birth of the vocoder (somewhere Roger Troutum is like, 'um, HELLO?
REMEMBER ME???), fresh air is exactly what is required. ok, wait. i lied. there is something i love more, and that is the discovery of a new [or new to me]
afropolitan artist.
i've been waxing poetic about Kenna since i first heard his 2003 album 'The Sacred Cow', which floored me with it's totally and completely blatant non-categorizationability. his very N.E.R.D infused sound was the definition of thinking outside the box and i began singing his praises far and wide to any and all that would listen.
with his next album, 'Make Sure They See My Face' (2007), he finally started to get the recognition he deserved. the tracks i cannot get enough of are 'Hell Bent', 'Free Time', and 'Say Goodbye to Love'.
and for about two weeks now, i have been captivated by the pure light that is singer/songwriter Wayna. Her rendition of Minnie Ripperton's 'Loving You' is captivating and the comparison to all the soul queens--both past and present--is inevitable.
i personally find her sound too unique to start comparing her to anyone. she's a storyteller who effortlessly combines classic soul, jazz, funk, blues, and hip hop and the result is incomparable. here are three of my favorite tracks from Higher Ground:
Daydream
Mr. Duracell
My Love
soul food: the afropolitan Grammy edition
