Crackers and Jam revisited

Last weekend I found myself around a piano with a few of my favourite people and some hot chocolate. I'm thinking its been a year since our last 'Crackers and Jam'...

Last year went something like this:

Somewhere between the valley of Kingston and the peaks of The Blue Mountains sits Craig Hill. In a living room where a cloud rolling through your window is normal and cell phone reception isn’t, my friend 'Emz' hosts a final jam session before heading off the island.  

...Cellos, violins, the company of music professors… I was feeling a bit out of my depth. With so much talent in one room it was much more a mini concert than a jam, but after so much more wine than crackers I worked something out with Djenee at the piano, Kamardo on Bass, and Songo on drums. My time now... At one point I made the mistake of saying "play anything lemme sing". When they put together Isley Brothers - Between the sheets I got help fumbling over some lyrics for a while before remixing it into Big Poppa and everyone joined in. Classic!

Was a great night. Biggup to Emz, friends and fam, lets do that again soon.

...And that we did. Images soon...

In my element - Corrine Bailey Rae

In my element - Adele

Four Women (Nina Simone) by Kelly Price Marsha Ambrosius, Jill Scott, Ledisi

Jill Scott, Ledisi, Marsha Ambrosius and Kelly Price brought the house down as they musically embodied “Aunt Sarah,” “Safronia,” “Sweet Thing” and “Peaches.”

“Four Women” first appeared on Nina Simone’s 1966 album, “Wild Is the Wind” and addresses stereotypes of African-American women.  Talib Kweli and Hi-Tek recorded a song inspired by this called “Four Women” on their debut album Train Of Thought.

I usually end up impressed and disappointed all at once to see a tribute/cover at an awards show. Worse with how Divas of no relation tend to be miss matched with each other and the song. Need I go further and say award shows nowadays aren't what they used to be. Well I was done having a Jill Scott night already (she could put me to bed anytime, ehem), Sunday dinner had me slipping into a food induced coma so I was nice, and then out of nowhere...Four women just got owned. 

Don't get it twisted though, were talking Nina Simone here, this is how its done, grab a blanket...

Not all black and white

Make love not war

"Its just the Stanley Cup babe, its not that serious"

Nuff respect to Alex for finding this image, powerful.

You'd think that people in love have a responsibility during a riot. See I'm a dreamer so I'd imagine that when a peaceful protest gets out of control - don't get me wrong that's not what this was, I got True TV and I seen them hockey fans turn over cars and destroy streets brrrr! - people should turn up the peace tho eh. imagine full on make out sessions just breaking out in the streets to quell the unrest. I could see single people tryna smash windows to loot and tripping over lovers rolling on the pavement. they could get sudden pangs of loneliness, put down the TV and try to hook up with someone to get down on the floor like when your in the club and your favourite dance song comes on. Riot police could hose everyone down and hand out rum spiked bag juice like carnival. I bet those big trucks have great stereo systems. 

Don't get me wrong, I don't belittle good causes for social unrest, or the dangers and damage that can ensue either way. But you have something called riot/crowd behaviour which has often nothing to do with the initial cause, just what happens in large groups of people. All I'm saying is some anti riot behaviour in a crowd would be great. Hug it out man. Make love not war...hmmm... I'm getting flashes of the last scene of the movie Perfume.

Do what you can...

Style you wan' style me

I see you watching my style...

I bet you'd wanna have me dressed in sum' fresh

Says Kabaka Pyramid:

"White supremacy is an inferiority complex"
Kabaka Pyramid

Esperanza Spalding

Jazz Bassist, singer and Best New Artist Grammy winner

Pree Jamaica @ Verse - The Art of Rhyming

Pree Jamaica writes...

On the night of July 26, the amphitheatre of the Edna Manley College of the Visual and Performing Arts (EMCVPA) was transformed into the Colosseum for a few hours, as Jamaican hip-hop gladiators Kabaka Pyramid, Five Steez and SHAQ The MC put in solid work at the event titled “Verse – The Art of Rhyming”, which was staged by the Poetry Society of Jamaica in partnership with Manifesto Jamaica.

Unlike the gladiatorial contests of old that pitted combatants against each other, this occasion united three of the island’s elite MCs, who demonstrated the power of rhyme and cast the spotlight on the nexus between poetry and hip-hop.

Their words, sharp and piercing like swords, cut through the night air and elicited positive responses from the appreciable crowd. Steez blasted militant and thought-provoking rhymes like a lyrical Che Guevara in his prime. Kabaka, rocking a military green cap a la Fidel Castro, was in his element as he unleashed bars of fire with assured and understated ease. SHAQ was as smooth at it gets, delivering poignant hooks and getting his message across with slick wordplay and a cool flow.

Much kudos to the Poetry Society of Jamaica and Manifesto Jamaica for giving hip-hop in Jamaica a much needed avenue of expression.

So you want to be a Rockstar - Sabrina Dacos