Music You Should Know: Platinum Pied Pipers

The Platinum Pied Pipers (or PPP, as they prefer to be called) are a Detroit-based duo consisting of writers/producers/musicians Waajeed and Saadiq. They came to prominence with a collaboration with Dwele called “Ridin’ High” in 2003 before releasing their debut album in 2005. Abundance is their sophomore album and one of the year’s best releases. [...]

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The Perfect Circle was a Bay Area funk band that only produced one album, but it is a monster! Produced by underground legend George Semper, songs like “Spread The News,” Jungle Disco,” “For Your Funkification,” and “The Hands Of Time” are the definition of indie funk and have been anthologized on Funky Jams and Inner [...]

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With all of the problems in the world today, this tune from Marvin Gaye is as relevant now as when it was originally recorded. The song was recorded in 1972, when Gaye was working with the Mizell brothers (producers of Donald Byrd, Bobbi Humphrey, and other jazz-funk artists). Sessions for an upcoming album with the [...]

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I came across an interesting editorial from Andreas Hale, the former Executive Editor of Music at BET.com. Hale had established his reputation via HipHopDX, a site that caters to a definition of hip-hop that is more independent and non-commercial than what is generally promoted in the mass media. It was a surprise to many when [...]

Continue reading about The fallacy of “changing the system from the inside” »

Earlier this week, an article in the Wall Street Journal pointed out the rising age of the jazz audience and asked if the genre was dead. I understood what the author was trying to say, but I am always amused when a style or artform is rumored to be on its deathbed. It seems that [...]

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