You know, I’ve always been kind of underwhelmed with Beyonce. Not to discount her singing ability as well as her talent as a performer, I just think her vocal range sits in lower octaves than what I really enjoy listening to. Some further research into the topic (me googling: y u no like beyonce??) leads me to the Wikipedia List of of mezzo-sopranos in non classical music. Artists that stand out on the list are Janet, Whitney, Mary J Blige. Now if I were to continue to be critical of Beyonce for her vocal range, then I should be just as critical about those three, but I’m not. I’m going to chalk it up to the eras in which those artists were popular, and they made music that was fitting for the time – Atleast for Mary J and Whitney. Janet on this list kinda throws me off.. she sings in a pretty high octave no? I don’t feel right placing Beyonce and Janet in the same vocal range. Or maybe because Janet usually sings on the higher end of her scales. Again, not to say I dislike her. Countdown is crazy next level. I guess I just don’t like the ballads.

Either way I’ve totally derailed multiple trains of thought. Party is a genuinely fun track and it might be hard to improve the summerness of the original, but I felt this one was nice and chill. As per usual. The original is Kero One.

I’ve already spoken about my love for Brandy a few times, so i’ll forgo the usual chatter. What I can talk about is Apollo Brown, who is pretty damn swell and worth checking out if you haven’t already. The whole album is full of loopy goodness that is strictly laid back listening. The og beat is bridge through time.

I was kinda in a funk, couldn’t come up with anything/feeling pretty musically uninspired for months. No doubt a product of my own doing, since I’ve been listening to a lot of 60′s jazz, Philip Glass, and juke – not the usual fare. But the Mayer Hawthorne track came up in a mix and then it somehow clicked while I was driving, so I got home and knocked it out the park asap. I’m hoping it brings in some summer vibe to get me going again. Sidenote: I remember this coming on while I was at a CVS and it’s definitely hard to not sing along to it. The adlib parts near the end are the biz.

A DL link from the soundcloud link I posted in the previous entry. After checking jade’s wiki minaj, it’s really weird that they weren’t more popular – like SWV levels. They had 2 albums and some real solid charters, what stopped them?? In comparison, SWV had 3 albums, the 3rd being on the tippy tip of mid 90s r&b, but to be fair SWV did have like way more hits though. Whatever, I still like their tracks. Also, music videos need to go back to girls wearing jerseys and baggy jeans and fitteds and basically hood ass shit. The OG is Ike’s Mood by Visioneers.

Not much to say here, except I miss Lauryn Hill. Her rendition of His Eye On The Sparrow in Sister Act 2 will always get me faklempt. Talk amongst yourselves. I was reminded of this track just recently, and I forgot how she shines so hard on it. Chorus, adlibs, lyrical content plus delivery. It’s just kind of messed up that her reputation and negative press have overshadowed her abilities as a musician. Her absence from the industry probably didn’t help the fact either. She’s crazy talented, just emphasis on the crazy. Beat is Tsutchie – Two Tears.

Amel Larrieux is really really really really pretty. That’s all. The self titled Groove Theory cd is pretty good on that 90′s tip, and I definitely remember taping Tell Me off the radio a bunch, but I really like a lot of Amel’s solo stuff. Like, are you foreal? Blows my mind. PLUS she’s one of those girls who can hit whistle register, which is a pretty neat fact in itself. OG beat is Blackstar – Thieves in The Night.

My obsession with 90′s girl groups goes hard. As far as three member groups go, I’d say they were more popular than Total – probably more accessible, having been on All That and having more of a pg-13 branding, but both groups are a far cry from SWV or TLC. They also made it to the three album mark, albeit the third and final release was late in the game (2003) and wasn’t all that popular. Total finished off with two, the last one being released in 98. Still, I think 702 was a really solid group; they were surely talented and produced by great people, but they were squarely in the realm of mid-upper mid r&b stardom. To get to TLC levels they would have needed to be on a label that was aspiring for huge success, which would coincidentally be the label that TLC was on, LaFace. It’s a trip though, 702 was on Michael Bivins’ offshoot label Biv ten which was attached to Motown. You’d think that with the success of Boyz II Men, Michael Bivins could work the same magic.

It’s really interesting to follow the popular acts in the 90s and to see the labels they were on, and the people behind said labels. LaFace being LA Reid and Babyface of The Deele fame. Teddy Riley signed SWV to RCA, and I shouldn’t even have to speak on what Teddy did for 90′s r&b. I can’t think of a reason why anyone outside of the industry would actually care about these things, other than just to know, really. Idle hands and wikipedia are a disastrous combination. I DIGRESS. The OG beat is Pharcyde – Y (Jay Dee remix).

Another artist I’m guilty for not knowing enough about. Oddly enough, I first heard this song as a bmore remix before hearing the og. Teedra is another one of those artists that didn’t get enough shine, maybe mispromoted, or just under the radar. I don’t know if it’s something to complain about, though – It’s always nice to just stumble upon good music. A quick perusing of her wiki reveals she has two kids, twins, and the baby daddy be RAS KASS?? Cool I suppose? Anyway, I really like Be Your Girl but I will shamefully admit that’s honestly the only track of hers that I know. The og beat on this blend is by One Self.

August 29, 1958 – June 25, 2009. MJ on Dela.

Whenever I’m making blends I usually try the acapella on a ton of different things. Some work, some don’t work, and I’ll end up picking one to put on the site. Usually though I’ll have one or two extra of the same song that I’ve put on a different beat that I feel might not be as strong as the other one, but still worth making, or I’ll just try the acapella out on something else much later on and find that it sounds great as well. Here are a bunch of them that have had good reception by yall. To be honest I enjoy some of these more than the pt i.. haw. I have some other part ii’s that i’ll save for a ‘the part deux.. part deux’ post. (ho ho get it.) originals: m-flo, nujabes, blackstar, foreign exchange, dilla, dj jazzy jeff.