Old School Friday: Yep, I know all the words

This week's Old School Friday is a song that people will be surprised you know. I'm random and don't think I really surprise people anymore. At first I thought Journey, "Don't Stop Believing" then realized that everyone knows that song and I just joined the party late in life.

While I don't know all the words to this one, it was a favorite of my elementary school years. Yes, random I know. But who doesn't love Adam Sandler?



Bonus Songs:
Christina Aguilera before she became super famous. Definitely my favorite song straight through high school, much to the chagrin of my friends.



A good friend was obsessed with this song. There was no choice but for me to learn all the words before my Billy Joel phase sophomore year of college.



For more Old School Friday, rules and how to join in on the fun check out href="http://www.conversationswithmarva.com">"Conversations with Marva"

Don't let the Vanity Stop

Happy Monday!

Old School Friday: Not on You Tube

Its 11: 48. I have twelve minutes left to make Old School Friday work. I peeped from last week that it was no You Tube and I was up for the challenge. I thought long and hard this morning until I came up with David Rudder's Panama. I put it in the You Tube search bar and it didn't come up. Every other song I tried..from rap, to soul to R&B to gospel to obscure reggae existed. For anyone who likes calypso, Rudder is up there with top musicians. Panama is one of his biggest hits and oddly not on You Tube.

Panama - David Rudder

My other options were to go with the theme songs for a few of my favorite shows that were canceled too soon (and actually still arent on You Tube...shocking, I know) . But I had no idea where to find the audio for them online, so we'll just be at a lost.


Edit: How do I always forget this part? For more Old School Friday check out http://www.conversationswithmarva.blogspot.com for links to more OSF and to join in on the fun yourself!

Do the Right Thing: Celebration Continued Part II ---> The Music Part I

It's a twitter music monday yall. Catch my tunes.

Today's extra hot. I was in the emergency room and saw too many heatstroked seniors. Guess that means its time for another installment about Do the Right Thing, set on the hottest day of the year.

Now any die hard Spike Lee fan will tell you about Joe's Bedstuy Barbershop: We Cut Heads, Spike Lee's 1983 thesis and how that launched Spike's career and yada yada yada. That's your Spike Lee fact for the day. Instead I'm going to focus on Spike and music.

The same year Lee was filming his thesis, hiphop was still in its infant stage and rap was forming a personality of sorts. In 1983, Grandmaster Melle Mel (and possibly Grandmaster Flash..there's some sketchiness with the credits) came out with White Lines. The unofficial music video starred Laurence Fishburne and was directed by none other than Spike Lee.

Grandmaster Flash White Lines
Uploaded by papafonk - Watch more music videos, in HD!

Immersed in the politics of the day and all the characteristics of hip hop culture: innovation, rebellion, political dissatisfaction and the excited emergence of a new voice for an underclass, Lee merged his art with hip hop music and Do the Right Thing earned its place in hip hop history.

From directing the Public Enemy video which served as the movie's theme:


to the opening sequence:


to the costuming, language, and of course Radio Raheem and that big ol music box blasting hip hop


Lee incorporated hip hop into his work in a manner that had not been done before, epitomizing it as a form of black expression and often contrasting and comparing it to jazz sensibilities with its own culture of innovation, signifying and protesting.

Do the Right Thing isn't the only movie in which Spike has used the dynamics of music to emphasize his point, but the movie and its writer-director have left a clear mark in the hip hop community inspiring pieces such as
UNI-K.R.E.A.M.


and whatever Jermaine Dupri, Ciara and Nelly cooked up for this.

Nelly ft Jermaine Dupri & Ciara - Stepped On My J's (New)
by foxysoul

Following my Do the Right Thing Tribute?
Part One: Scary Do the Right Thing Muppets

Old School Friday: Chaka Khan Chaka Khan Chaka Khan Chaka Khan

Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan, Chaka Khan Chaka Khan!


Yes, today's Old School Friday celebrates one of the greats. Everytime I hear the name Chaka, beyond thoughts of fantabulous red hair and extreme outfits(which unlike Diana Ross didn't frighten me) I tend to think of my favorite movie soundtrack Waiting to Exhale and her contribution. The judges on American Idol would definitely agree that she made the song her own.



Then I burst into a panic attack at how I can limit myself to solely one other choice. So I thought back to what could be considered a college classic: Through the Wire, and how that song could never be without



I'm not even touching the Rufus days.

When Whitney Houston redid "I'm Every Woman," I wasnt allowed to sing it. Apparently I would have corrupted my 7 year old mind.

Join in on the Old School Friday fun at Conversations with Marva!

My Favorite Scenes: Drawn in Musicians

I was doing some research on new music, and came across this article which discusses cartoons and music in light of comic-con. http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2009/07/toons-and-music-unite-phineas-and-ferb-and-da-jammies.html (One day I need to make it to a convention that honors people obsessed with a pop culture genre to the level of geekdom.)

While reading this I felt validated in my love of Phineas and Ferb. I know for many there will never be harder cartoon rockers than Jem or Josie and the Pussycats. But I have to say, growing up and owning my own green sweater vest, white tee and khaki shorts I thought the Beets of Doug fame were right there with whichever band was in the Top 40. I assure you, you will be singing Ooo Ee oo Killer Tofu for a while after this.




Of course musical legacy in cartoons comes from a variety of areas. Where else can chimpmunks sing and create a Christmas legend...




or would Andre 3000 get to lead a class in music that was super appropriate...




or would there be a social commentary on real musicians? I can't say I know what actually goes on in Aaron McGruder's head, but if you need the full story ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Story_of_Thugnificent)



Really, these cartoons can stand up to California Dreams any day. I'm a little ambivalent at the moment on Da Jammies. In writing it sounds great, but in visual this eerily reminds me of the PJs. Multicultural cartoons are something I harp on a lot. So this could be promising.



We're in desperate need of a funky cartoon that will leave us dancing in the aisles.

Slow July--A Vanity Dark Music Monday

Slow JULY??? Whatever could I mean? After all with all of the Skip Gates hoopla, the craziness in the entertainment world and what not the blogosphere is teeming with issues that are being discussed?

Okay more like I've been a little self absorbed and also issue fatigued. I can't sit and criticize all aspects of black media, because truth be told, I(a very well educated and cultured person) actually don't mind a great deal of it. I also never bought into post-racial America and did live in Cambridge for four years. Thus my impressions of the town, racism and town-gown relations were all set and haven't really changed post the issue that won't die-Skip Gates and James Crowley. Don't worry...I'm not done preaching my gospel of television and early nostalgia. I just needed a little break.

I've also been working at being a good teacher for my SAT kiddies, actually knowing what we're going to discuss, going at RBMVibes business, researching for a media ideas company, as well as mentally preparing myself for the 9-5 that's to come. My dear laptop is also on its last leg. So I disappeared into KimSwaSha(that's the imaginary kingdom ruled by me that I created when I was 8) and worked as well as celebrated the month of July...since after all it is my birthmonth!

With that said, I apologize-especially to STW who emailed me to remind me to write. I have reasons, but no real excuse. I know I have officially gone against my blog resolutions, but I'll try to make it up.

So with all that said..in honor of my twitter account, here's #musicmonday. It's a little vain, but what's vanity but a fair?

HAUL,
The Queen

Old School Friday: Dance for Me!

HEYYYY I'm Back to Old School Friday! I've been missing out on all the fun, but today is one big ol dance party. Now in my senior year of college it turned out that the big dance songs for the majority of the college were Journey "Don't Stop Believin", Neil Diamond "Sweet Caroline" and Lynyrd Skynyrd "Sweet Home Alabama" If you ever want to see preppy New Englanders get all happy jumping up and down, play these songs. Really...this was in 2007, you wouldn't believe it. And I can't front, I love those songs as well. For a modern taste we got down to Madonna "Like a Prayer"

BUT,growing up I was in the very different world of Flatbush, West Indies USA. Since Obama declared this Caribbean Heritage month, here are some of the jams that will get any Caribbean party moving.



This next song, no lie I went to my friends birthday party when I was 9 and the whole family had a choreographed dance to it. My first experience with the Trini party style.



ANDD for good measure, this was on our elementary school Dancing with Richard Simmons to the 80s video we had to watch for class. Everytime I hear this song, I have to do the dance



Join in on the Old School Friday Fun!
Anyone can join in on the OSF fun. Check out the rules here and peep other participants below. HAPPY Old School Friday!

AJ - BklynQueen’86 - Bria - CC Groovy - Chocl8t - Cooper - Shawn - Danielle Vyas - Dee - DP - Fresh and Fab - Hagar’s Daughters - Invisible Woman - John - Keith - Kevin - Kim - LaKeisha - LaShonda - Lil Creole Pimp - Lisa C - Mahogany - Malcolm - Marcus - Martin - MarvalusOne - Mike - Mrs. Grapevine - MsLadyDeborah - Pjazzypar - Pop Art Diva - Quick - Regina - Revvy Rev - Shae-Shae - Sharon - SJP - Staci - Tami - Tha Connoisseur - Thembi - Vérité Parlant - Villager - Vivrant Thang - Wheneva Whateva - Zenobia -

Every Time He Come Around Your City

**Bling Bling**



I know this photo is about a week old now,but I'm just shocked I haven't seen that joke made yet. And yes, I know I am wrong for connecting the president to Cash Money. Who would have known Lil Wayne had such staying power.

Old School Friday: If I Were A Boy

So of course, if I were a boy I'd want to be Theo Huxtable or Dwayne Wayne. Alas, they aren't real ppl. And as much as I love Shad Moss, he is also not my choice out of fear that I'd suffer from short man syndrome. But this was hard, because there are quite a artists I'd emulate if I were a boy. Sean Combs almost made it on, but I spared you. I'm not sure if I'd be funk like Prince, a crooner like Gerald Levert, or rock out like Lenny. And I also didn't include anyone who has passed away...because if I were a boy, I'd like to be alive.

My Boy Choices Pre-1999:
Nas... Yes, even during Snaggle Tooth Era. He tee-totals through different genres of rap, but is always himself and you'd be hard pressed not to find a message through most of his music (note I said most. Oochie Wallie is obviously not included...but that's a perk of being a guy, isn't it?). And while he hasn't diversified his act, is prone to antics like naming his album N*gger, he remains sharp in what he does and is married to Kelis.



Jamie Foxx. This man oozes talent...even when he wasn't a recording artist. Go ahead Wanda!



Sigh, if only Theo's rap career took off:



Join in on the Old School Friday Fun!
Anyone can join in on the OSF fun. Check out the rules here and peep other participants below. HAPPY Old School Friday!

AJ - BklynQueen’86 - Bria - CC Groovy - Chocl8t - Cooper - Shawn - Danielle Vyas - Dee - DP - Fresh and Fab - Hagar’s Daughters - Invisible Woman - John - Keith - Kevin - Kim - LaKeisha - LaShonda - Lil Creole Pimp - Lisa C - Mahogany - Malcolm - Marcus - Martin - MarvalusOne - Mike - Mrs. Grapevine - MsLadyDeborah - Pjazzypar - Pop Art Diva - Quick - Regina - Revvy Rev - Shae-Shae - Sharon - SJP - Staci - Tami - Tha Connoisseur - Thembi - Vérité Parlant - Villager - Vivrant Thang - Wheneva Whateva - Zenobia -

Old School Friday: I Had A Bad Day At Work

I've been there. There's a reason Daniel Powter's "Bad Day" and Janelle Monae's "Lettin Go" were some of the most played songs on my I Tunes list.I believe in indulging my sulky mood, before uplifting myself. And while those would be my picks, they are not Old School. But check out that Janelle Monae, pre-Diddy single. It speaks directly to a bad day at work. As a teenager my go to song was My Reflection by Christina Aguilera for Mulan. To this day, my favorite Disney jam. I could keep going on, but you all may think I have way too many bad days. I don't.

Generally anything reminding me of my long gone youth, be it my elementary school's school song, "This is My Father's World" or a sad Mary J. Blige song that I knew all the words to would get me going, but I'll stay close to the theme and hopefully add something to your arsenal.



The problem with me listening to Bob, is I just don't stop. For my reggae sulky song, I usually go to the Sizzla standby, Dry Cry. Not at all work related and not Old School enough but fun to sing along with when you want to sulk.

Moving on. (Let's imagine I posted the Billy Joel catalog here, starting with Piano Man. Just because, he's fun...and that one Journey song everyone knows)

This is representative. My college roommates called me on my tendency to start playing the nearest gospel song when I thought I was going to go ballistic after some bad club meeting.




I went to Kirk Franklin because we performed him in elementary school. We did Lean on Me and Revolution from the Nu Nation Project. We were no Tia or Tamera. ( This was such a great episode and I will never deny that I watched way too much tv...I should not still know all the episodes of Sister Sister)



Anyone can join in on the OSF fun. Check out the rules here and peep other participants below. HAPPY Old School Friday!

AJ - BklynQueen’86 - Bria - CC Groovy - Chocl8t - Cooper - Shawn - Danielle Vyas - Dee - DP - Fresh and Fab - Hagar’s Daughters - Invisible Woman - John - Keith - Kevin - Kim - LaKeisha - LaShonda - Lil Creole Pimp - Lisa C - Mahogany - Malcolm - Marcus - Martin - MarvalusOne - Mike - Mrs. Grapevine - MsLadyDeborah - Pjazzypar - Pop Art Diva - Quick - Regina - Revvy Rev - Shae-Shae - Sharon - SJP - Staci - Tami - Tha Connoisseur - Thembi - Vérité Parlant - Villager - Vivrant Thang - Wheneva Whateva - Zenobia -

Old School Friday: Baby

This week we bring you songs with "Baby" in the title

The first song is simply named Baby. Besides for laughing at the glorified tackiness of the mid 1990s, it's nice to remember that Brandy had a lot going for her. I still blame her for the loss of many people's hairlines. They did not realize that she got her extensions redone regularly.

And sadly, even back then Sinbad didn't have a job. (Trivia: Which Norwood did Sinbad actually have a sitcom with?)



And simply because I couldn't resist. As disrespectful little kids we would sing this behind ppl on the street.


This can only explain why songs like this rose to popularity later on.

Happy and Joyful Old School Friday

Check out other OSF bloggers:

- Electronic Village - Fresh And Fab - - Kim

- Ms Grapevine -Quick - Vérité Parlant -Marcus LANGFORD

- Cassandra - Kevin - iriegal -Mahogany -Hagar's Daughter - Lisa C

-Chocl8t - DP - Dallassouth - John - The Connoisseur - Kreative Talk

- Regina - MsMarvalus - Clnmike - Vivrant Thing

-AJ - Sharon - RevvyRev - Prof. PC - Invisible Woman

-- Cooper - SJP -Bria - BklynQueen 86 - Hey Shae -

- From the Battlefield - Thembi - D Spot - Malcolm -

-Pop Art Diva - Pjazzypar - MsLadyDeborah -

Old School Friday: Child Singers

Today's Old School Friday is all about the children. And I couldn't help but go to the reggae child singers.

First up is Lil Vicious. He came out at the Martin Luther King Wingate Concerts a few years back because Doug E. Doug was performing and did this same song. His brother was in my sister's class in our small Christian elementary school. Yes it's alright if you shake your head at this little boy singing about "some gal a freak."



And now for more children singing about inappropriate matter, that you just sang along with anyway. This time we go about a decade earlier than Vicious and across the pond to Britain, where Musical Youth covered a song, "Pass the Kutchie" by The Mighty Diamonds, and renamed it "Pass the Dutchie." I'd dare say this is infinitely more popular than the original.



I remember the day it clicked for me that my mother called her soup pot a "dutchie." Oh, synonyms! No joke, Musical Youth has some really good songs. I suggest checking out their catalog. The rest of their songs are more kid friendly as well.


In case you were wondering, child reggae performances are still as relevant today as ever. I present: my senior year of college.




I'm hitting post before I change this into child singers on A Different World and post the episodes with "The Boys," "Immature," and "Kris Kross," or before I post my favorite Brady Bunch Songs.

HAPPY OLD SCHOOL FRIDAY
Anyone can join! Check out other OSF posters and rules here:http://mrsgrapevine.com/old-school-music-meme/

Old School Friday: Songs with Heart

I know, I was gone. I was busy working on a production of FENCES, that went fantabulously well.

Today's Old School Friday Theme is Songs with Heart. I'm assuming this means Heart in the title, or predominately in the lyrics.

For the first time in a while, I've had to think long and hard to even find a song. Forget connections to television.

The first song that pops to mind is Celine Dion, "My Heart Will Go On" I think I may have been the only person that didn't feel moved by the Titanic, but I did love me some Celine Dion. Maybe if I watched it now, I'd feel different. But as an eighth grader getting my hair cornrowed and hit with the brush because I didn't want to look at the blue corpses, thus leading me to squirm too much, it just wasn't doing it for me.



And then, one of my junior high favorites, "Heartbreak Hotel." NOT THE ELVIS version. This Whitney albums was also one of my favorite albums back then. I actually listened to this yesterday while looking for break up songs for www.rbmvibes.com. But in actuality, this could have just been a OSF: Whitney Houston post. *humming "Hearts are often broken, when their words are spoken....."



But for everyone that stick by the originals, I'll include the Elvis version. You'll see that they're very very different songs. Just the same name.



HAPPY OSF Yall!

Post Script. Just thought of another Whitney Classic, "Where do broken hearts go" But I'll respect the OSF rules, and not post it.

Cus Some Things are Worth Repeating

Tell em who my people is, Yall know who my people is.

I've posted this video before, but the giddy side of me felt the need to share this again. Master P and Romeo make me giggle...

Old School Friday: New Edition

First off: Happy Black History Month!
The appropriate new cover/banner will be coming soon.

Okay, down to Old School Friday business. Today we are doing songs by New Edition or members of New Edition. I have a tendency to utilize this group often, and in all actuality one of few popular mainstream songs I can recall knowing at 3 or 4 was Poison. (Another is Iesha by ABC, a Ne-BBD derivative). I had no idea how to pick just two. I'm not even going to do my favorite, "Is This The End?" Before my sister got her best of New Edition CD from one of those Columbia House memberships, I was much more familiar with songs by members of New Edition than New Edition themselves. This was mostly due to TV. So I bring you two songs and their corresponding Family Matters moments, because I was apparently raised by TGIF.







Skip to 7:20 for a typical mini singing moment on Family Matters



Skip to 1:55 for a guest star moment



Goodness, they never stopped: really was their demographic watching TGIF that often?


I actually miss Being Bobby Brown. That ish was hilarious and I have no shame in my tv show choices.
Happy OSF! Check out other participants here: http://www.themarvalusview.com/osf/

Haul,
The Queen

OSF: Remakes

This week Old School Friday is dedicated to remakes. Oh we could take this very very far. Once upon a time I started an IMeem playlist dedicated to this, but didn't get very far. Remakes can either be good (think Whitney Houston and Dolly Parton) or bad (think Mariah Carey remaking her own version of Hero... Why?). Sometimes they're just downright funny.

Remake: MASE, Puff and 112 "JEALOUS GUYS" (1997)


Original Remake: ABC (Another Bad Creation) "JEALOUS GIRL" (1991 I admit to not knowing about this remake until today)


ORIGINAL: New Edition, JEALOUS GIRL (1983)



Undoubtedly, the best remakes ever are always on Sesame Street!

Sounds the Same

Which version did you like the best?

Check out other OSF participants and rules here and HAPPY OLD SCHOOL FRIDAY!

HAUL,
Kim

My President is Black? MICHELLE IS TOO!

Way back when I started blogging, one of my first posts was an acknowledgment of a family hobby-rewriting song lyrics to fit whatever we felt like. So yes, as a recent college grad I penned "Bouncing" the broke girl's version to Jim Jones's "Balling." Unfortunately I'm still Bouncing since I said forget a job and went back to school, but that doesn't mean I have lost my ability to make awful remakes of current rap blockbusters.

I bring you the beginning of my latest opus: "My President is Black....And Michelle is Too." These songs tend to get written on the train, and this one was born as I crossed the Manhattan Bridge two days after the inauguration. I have to print the lyrics to the actual song so I can match the rhyme scheme and include some of Michelle's other traits (i.e....her education, career, overall flyness).

My President is BLACK/ AND so is his BOO/ She's the new "M.O." with a fly hair do/Italian Leather Gloves/ and silk shifts in navy blue/ Forget the Gap we all shop at J. Crew...- Me, expressing my love of Michelle Obama

--Original Version: "My President is Black " Young Jeezy
Remix with Nas
Jay-Z Take

My President is Black-Vanity Dark
In case you haven't realized: I'm kind of a joker and not aspiring to be a real rapper...ever. This also isn't an endorsement of Young Jeezy, even though this song is ridiculously catchy.If someone wants to get me real video editing software, I can get high tech like this dude.





HAUL,
Kim

Old School Friday: Theme Songs

Yes this is the Saturday edition of Old School Friday!
This week's theme was tv theme songs which is right up my alley. But I'm taking myself away and NOT going to do any of my favorite shows, since they get mentioned so often anyway. I've actually been having a lot of tv theme song conversations with friends this week...but that's besides the point.

I'm in a space mood right now, but was never one to watch Star Trek....those weird shaped heads frightened me. Instead two sitcoms focused on the human fascination with space.

Why this show even existed? I'm still yet to understand.
Homeboys in Outer Space


For the longest time when I was little, I was convinced that if I could connect my index fingers perfectly, I could pause time and go about my business. It never happened


And one award show moment that will always stick out for me




Happy Old School Friday! ...on Saturday


*So obviously the greatest theme of my era was The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air. Does anyone remember when they did that One World concert and Will Smith performed the theme song frm that show and everyone in all seven locations knew the song. That's power!


Other OSF Friday participants here: http://www.themarvalusview.com/osf/

HAUL,

Kim

Old School Friday: The Year I Graduated High School

This Friday I have no choice but to break the rules. I graduated H.S. in 2003, so the music may not be that old school. Actually it's a little sad to remember that at my high school prom we got hype to Cam'ron songs. Yes my senior year saw the emergence of Dipset into mainstream music, reggae getting it's millennial shine from Sean Paul and Shaggy, people beefing over Jay-Z vs. Nas....vs. DMX(yea you read correctly), Matchbox 20 and Linkin Park still holding relevance and the best American Idol fight ever: Ruben Studdard vs. Clay Aiken. This also is not to mention the emergence of the R. Kelly scandal and The Chocolate Factory which made everyone believe they could be a Chicago stepper. The Midwest /South also became even bigger on the East Coast with all sorts of names coming out for one dance which Sean P.Diddy Combs ran with, and taught us all how to shake our tailfeather. Of couse, Kirk Franklin emerged with yet another choir under a different name.

I'm defining year by the school year calendar- September 2002-June 2003. For the inspirational joint of that year I present Nas, "I Can." I remember using this in juxtaposition to Fifty Cent lyrics from "In da Club" for a Black History speech I gave at my church. I spoke about having "many black men in the big house, but not undermining the power of Condi and Colin in the White House." To think that we've elected a black president since then is mind boggling.



My senior year did have its share of good movies. I remember having to go to different movietheaters because of lines to see Barbershop and also watching Brown Sugar and wondering whey they didn't just name it Love and Hip Hop. Still one of my fave songs, comes from that soundtrack.




And for a senior year tv clip only I can appreciate: Kim Possible a show that was obviously named after yours truly. Lol.



Happy OSF! Check out other Old School Friday participants here:http://www.themarvalusview.com/osf/

HAUL,
Kim