 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  We have traditionally used music as a political device and a cultural soapbox. It’s a beacon that attracts like-minded individuals and spreads messages to expand our awareness and sense of community. And through the dust of the ongoing human rights struggle that started long before the Scramble for Africa, some anthems have emerged in the music world, and that’s what we dug into this week in The Purple Room. Bob Marley & The Wailers Bob Marley speaks directly to the people. His unifying messages of One Love and Redemption may have taken the front seat in the mainstream, but his revolutionary spirit was always present. Crazy Baldheads, for example, is literally about removing colonizers from Jamaica. Check out his album Rastaman Vibration for more of the Marley you won’t hear on top-40 radio. Marvin Gaye Marvin Gaye blends soulful harmonies with political prowess so well that when you hear Inner City Blues or What’s Going On, it’s easy to forget that he’s talking about racial and economic divides, drug abuse, physical abuse, and the Vietnam war. You’re The Man is not as subtle or as well disguised. Maybe that’s why the track was quickly shelved and pulled from rotation in 1972. But eventually, You’re the Man did see the light of day. It re-released as the title track for Marvin’s fourth posthumous album in 2019, 35 years after his death. The song served as a reminder of Marvin’s role as a trojan horse to discuss his observations and concerns of the time. In this track, Marvin calls out candidates in the US’s 1972 election and the issue of unfair taxation - Marvin himself was facing significant problems with back taxes at the time. Tupac Shakur In 2000, four years after Tupac Shakur died, an album featuring songs based on Tupac’s poetry was released. The Rose That Grew From Concrete featured other politically minded personalities like Dead Prez, Nikki Giovanni, Sonia Sanchez, Russel Simmons, and Babatunde Olatunji, and it followed the narrative of many of Shakur’s songs – spirituality, women’s rights, men’s emotional hunger and the commitment of the Black Panther Party. Tupac was famously born in the bloodline of the Black Panthers. His mother, Afeni Shakur, was a section leader for the Harlem chapter of the party, and her activism influenced the political and social lyrics of her son’s music. Paris Speaking of Panthers, Paris is a rapper, activist, and a former Nation of Islam member inspired by the Black Panther party. His albums followed a consistent revolutionary mindset, especially his debut, The Devil Made Me Do It. Curtis Mayfield The Civil Rights movement of the 1950s and ‘60s produced a significant shift in music. Curtis Mayfield, the former lead singer of the Impressions, showed that revolutionary spirit with songs like People Get Ready and Keep On Pushing. When he went solo, that spirit amplified, and he even began collaborating with the Black Panthers’ R&B band, The Lumpen. Check out the Joe Malenda rework of Move On Up, originally from Curtis Mayfield’s self-titled debut solo album from 1970. Peace from The Purple Room ~ Shantu The Purple Room Playlist for Feb 10, 2024Steel Pulse
Worth His Weight in Gold - Steel Pulse Pete Rock Rootz, Reggae, Kulcha Bob Marley & The Wailers Crazy Baldheads Hugh Masekela Colonial Man The Last Poets Black Is (Chant) Billy Paul Am I Black Enough for You Damu the Fudgemunk So Many Of Us (Instrumental) Marvin Gaye You’re the Man (Pts. 1 & 2) Public Enemy Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos Lauryn Hill Freedom Time Mos Def Can U C the Pride in the Panther (Tupac poem) Paris Ebony Curtis Mayfield Move On Up |
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
September 2024
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