Maybe there’s a thread? Idk. Just saw this on IG and it reminded me that D’angelo has two of the greatest albums of all time. I’ll add those two and songs in the key of life to this post as essential listens. Please add anything you would consider essential and shine light on the new school. Must Listen Albums- Songs In The Key Of Life- Stevie Wonder Black Messiah- D’angelo Voodoo- D’angelo Brown Sugar- D’angelo Blonde- Frank Ocean Channel Orange- Frank Ocean Malibu- Anderson Paak Mamas Gun- Erykah Badu First Born Second- Bilal
Nicholas Payton (multi-talented composer, arranger, producer) is a passionate proponent of the notion of "Black American Music" and I dare say that is the thing you're really after ;) There's a straight through line, and the labels are really just tags for particular windows of time. You want the thread for James, Prince, Michael, Louis, Herbie, Miles, and... Tip.
The whole album is fantastic, but this version of Weird Fishes is one of my favorite songs of the year
Jodeci probably deserves its own thread. Al green does as well. Keith sweat Case I know there are more, just the first that come to mind.
I love Hiatus Kaiyote. Discovered them a few years ago and since then Choose Your Weapon album has been in constant rotation. Building a Ladder is my favorite song on the album too.
I’ve had the pleasure of seeing them twice, once on their first full tour of the US and again on their CYW tour. I’m still smitten. Met Nai and the band too. Bunch of smelly hippies but got damn they sunk their claws in me. Nai beat breast cancer a couple years back too. I love them all and dig all their individual release stuff too.
I don’t have much interest myself in the subject matter at hand, but will plug KEXP whenever I can, because it’s the best radio station in the biz. They archive episodes for two weeks and you can check out their DJs stuff on this particular genre here: https://www.kexp.org/shows/sunday-soul/
How has no one mentioned the genius of Raphael Saadiq?????? He was the shit with Tony! Toni! Tone! And his solo shit is next level and Q-Tip solo shit is easy on the ears too