 Today in The Purple Room we celebrated Black musical families, in celebration of Black History Month. For the whole hour, we focused on musicians who came from a musical lineage and those who made music with their brothers, sisters, parents, kids, and cousins. See the bottom of this page for a full playlist Originally aired on Feb 24, 2024 on CJSR fm 88.5 Bobby & Madison McFerrin I opened the doors with father-daughter team Bobby and Madison McFerrin with their song Run, and yes, that’s the same Bobby McFerrin you’re thinking of. Bobby is a masterful vocalist known best for creatively layering his vocals to create backdrops for his compositions. In 2022, he received a Lifetime Achievement Award at the Grammys, alongside Nile Rogers, The Supremes, Slick Rick, and Ma Rainey. And his daughter Madison has fallen very close to his tree. To hear how Madison has built off of the foundation Bobby provided, check out Stay Away From Me from her 2023 album I Hope You Can Forgive Me and pay close attention to the beautiful background harmonies she layers throughout the song – it’s very reminiscent of her dad’s work. The Brothers Johnson George and Louis Johnson are two brothers from Los Angeles who were extremely influenced by the Funk and Disco scenes in the early 1970s. By 1975, they were working with some of the most established Black musicians at the time, including Billy Preston and Quincy Jones, and by ‘76, The Brothers Johnson were ballin’. That year, they released their debut album Look Out for #1 which featured some of the group’s most well-known tracks. Check out the raw talent of the Brothers Johnson on Thunder Thumbs and Lightnin' Licks and I’ll Be Good To You which was remade in 1989 by Quincy Jones, with vocals courtesy of Chaka Khan and Ray Charles. Nas & Olu Dara Another blood-related duo that’s created significant work together is Queensbridge rapper Nas and his father, Olu Dara. In 2004, Nas recorded Bridging the Gap with Dara for his album Street’s Disciple and it instantly became a Hip-Hop classic, infusing Dara’s blues influence as an accent to Nas’s exceptional talent for writing reflective and personal narrative. Bridging the Gap is not just a collaboration song; it’s a narrative of their relationship — their journeys as artists and the interdependence and inspiration they’ve had on each other. But it wasn’t the first time they collaborated -- are you familiar with Jungle Jay, from Olu Dara’s own 1998 album, In the World: From Natchez to New York? It’s an abstract piece, in comparison to Bridging the Gap, and shows another level of connection between the father-son musicians. Fela Kuti & Sons And if we’re speaking of family bonds, it’s hard not to mention the Kuti family, which has been speaking its political truth since the 1960s. In 1969, Fela Kuti was turned on to the Black Panthers through Sandra Izsadore, an American Black-rights activist who introduced him to written works by Angela Davis, Malcolm X, Huey P. Newton, Stokley Carmichael, H. Rap Brown and other revolutionary thinkers. In an interview with the New York Times, Fela credited Izsadore with inspiring his philosophy of Blackism and it had such an impact that even today, that spirit lives on in his children’s music. Listen to African Dreams by one of Fela’s sons, Seun Kuti, featuring Black Thought. And for another taste of Fela’s reach, check out a remake of his song Water No Get Enemy from the Red Hot & Riot album, a compilation dedicated to Fela with the proceeds benefiting AIDS awareness and research. his version of Water No Get Enemy features another of Fela’s sons, Femi, alongside D’Angelo, Macy Gray, Nile Rogers, and Roy Hargrove. KMD / MF DOOM And as a testament to brotherly love, I closed the doors this week with Daniel and Dingilizwe Dumile, two brothers New York who first broke in the ‘80s and ‘90s Hip-Hop group, KMD. KMD had a couple hot singles - Peachfuzz, most notably, and Nitty Gritty, which had a remix that featured a very young Busta Rhymes. But when Dingilizwe (aka DJ Subroc) died in 1993 only months before they were set to release their second studio album, KMD disbanded, and Daniel (aka Zev Love X) stepped away from the mic. He reappeared years later with a new flow, new insights, a new name – MF DOOM (all caps, always) – and the Dr. Doom mask that he became known for. What followed was a verbal release of one of the most creative minds the Hip-Hop world has ever seen. Check out Madvillainy, MF DOOM’s collaboration with super producer and triple-threat Madlib, and KMD’s debut album, Mr. Hood for a taste of what they’re all about. Peace from The Purple Room. ~ Shantu The Purple Room Playlist for Feb 24, 2024Madison & Bobby McFerrin
Run Madison McFerrin Please Don’t Leave Me Now The Isley Brothers Fight the Power The Isley Brothers Take Inventory The Brothers Johnson Thunder Thumbs & Lightning Licks The Brothers Johnson I’ll Be Good to You Nas & Olu Dara Bridging the Gap Olu Dara & Nas Jungle Jay Seun Kuti & Black Thought African Dreams Femi Kuti f/ D’Angelo, Nike Rogers, Macy Gray, Roy Hargrove Water No Get Enemy MF DOOM Curls KMD Figure of Speech Comments are closed.
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The Purple RoomThe Purple Room is an NCRA award-winning hour of music by Black musicians from across the African diaspora—all genres, all eras. It airs every Saturday at 2pm MT, and replays on Sundays at 11am on CJSR FM 88.5. Archives
November 2024
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