We've Moved, Come To The New Site
Sunday, January 22, 2006This url is no longer valid for HoneySoul.com.
Please update your bookmarks to http://honeysoul.com for the All New HoneySoul.com
Sista Stars
Saturday, January 14, 2006Over at myspace I spotlight those who have inspired me with a feature called "MySpace Stars." I wanted to share my current stars over here as well since these sistas are some of the baddest, boldest and best bloggers around.
Fresh - She's about to take over the world so you should find out who your new leader will be. Her blog is Crunk & Disorderly (warning, it's addictive). No one does it like her. She gives you her straight-up, hilarious take on all our favorite pop culture peeps. Her tagline: Because other pop culture sites still do not care about black people. (myspace)
Angelique - Sassy, Sophisticated, and Sexy. Add savvy to that list. She is talented in many areas from design to writing to fashion and more. Check out her page and tell me she doesn't live up to her name. Her journal covers pop culture, music and whatever the hell she wants. She got it like that. Check out Saucy Dame Delux. Her tagline: Life is a Boxing Ring. Momma Said Knock You Out. (myspace)
Butta - Infused with a personality that's as bright as her smile, she already tells you what's up with the name of her blog It's Like Butta Baby. Get her funny take on the world and how we're living in it. She's saying what we're all thinking and makes us laugh out loud. Her tagline: Butta on everything, anything, and sometimes even nothing. (myspace)
To quote one of my stars "some say blogging is overrated but they just ain't doing it right!" These ladies are doing it right.
New Weekly Show on projectVIBE
Monday, January 09, 2006Happy Monday Fam,
I'm excited to announce the latest news. I will now be doing a weekly show on projectVIBE radio every Thursday from 3-4pm CST. Read more here.
As you can see I will be in the company of some great DJ's so make sure you check them out. The name of my show is Soul 2 Soul and besides my weekly music mixes you will even be getting some of my interviews there as well. This show will be a mixture of whatever I want to put together (yall know I love that). Think of it as the Friday Freestyle only with me talking over it and you'll be getting it earlier. So the Friday Freestyle is now called Soul 2 Soul. I'm still trying to coordinate the exact day I will make it available on the site because I want my fam here to get the shows first. I'm also working on turning the show into a podcast. If you're not familiar with podcasting, basically it's a way to subscribe to a downloadable program. Like I said, I'm working on it and it is working on my nerves. Apparently saying "abracadabra, you're a podcast" doesn't work, LOL. I'll try to get that figured out (there ya go Gabbie).
There is a soul movement out here and we are all a part of it. Of course you can always find music here 24/7. projectVIBE is always on point and now you get some extra vibes with the new DJ line up. Don't forget about Ohsokool's Sugagtreats on Mondays 8pm - 12am EST, Bobby Phats Groove on Tuesday 3:30 - 5:30pm CST(although I think it's being pre-empted tomorrow), and o.s.u.m's On the Strength Thursdays 2 - 6am EST. Let's keep spreading the SOUL.
sweetened by Honey at 08:00 AM |The Conflict About Diamonds
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
Good morning fam. If you've wondered what a conflict diamond was or wanted to get more information, check this out.
Bling: Consequences and Repercussions tackles the issues behind Hip Hop's obsession with diamonds and the continued illegal diamond trade in Africa.
This documentary short form was directed, produced, and edited by Kareem Edouard and is narrated by Chuck D. It will be released as a feature length documentary in Fall 2006.
WARNING: The documentary contains scenes of a violent and graphic nature that some viewers may find disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.
Watch Bling: Consequences and Repercussions
Knowledge is Power!
sweetened by Honey at 10:00 AM |Happy New Years
Friday, December 30, 2005Happy New Years everyone. I'm still on vacation but I'm getting a little work done too. I will have a few new things for you in the New Year. I'll keep you posted. I did update the videos a few days ago and the singles in the Listening Booth just now. So tell me what you like and what you don't. Have a safe, fun celebration. I'll see you next year.
sweetened by Honey at 01:11 PM |Download The Groove Radio Show
Wednesday, December 21, 2005My appearance on The Groove radio show is now available for download. There are 2 parts (58 mins each).
The Groove 12/20/05, pt. 1
Ohsokool drop
George Clinton ft Prince - Paradigm
Prince - She's Always in My Hair
Lauryn Hill - Lost One
The Roots - Meltin' Pot
Dwele drop
The New Sector Movement ft. Dwele - The Sun (Remix)
DJ Mitsu The Beats and Dwele - Right Here
Floetry - Closer
Mos Def - Umi Says (Zero7Remix)
Esthero - Superheroes
Darien Brockington drop
Darien Brockington - A Night Like This
total time: 58:22
[download pt. 1]
The Groove 12/20/05, pt. 2
Darien Brockington - Can We Fall In Love Again
Raheem Devaughn - You
V ft. Jill Scott - Born Again
Eric Roberson - I Dare U To Stay
N'Dambi ft. Keite Young - If We Were Alone
Anthony Hamilton - Southern Stuff
Jonz - Pro-Vide
Ramel - Back In The Day
Mint Condition - Fallin Apart
Zo - Star Of the Story (remix)
Donny Hathaway - This Christmas
total time: 58:25
[download pt. 2]
While that's downloading for you I thought I would give everyone a quick run down of yesterday and some behind the scenes info.
First of all the day before the show I selected 83 songs I wanted to play. I had to make sure they were clean versions. I never realized how many songs I had with cussing until now,lol. Narrowed it down to 53 that night and the morning of the show finally got it down to 35 songs. I ended up only being able to play 21 of those.
I arrived at the studio about 15 minutes before the show started. Bobby lead me into the studio and I asked how we should do this (I had the songs on 2 CD's I burned). True to his laid back form he said "we will do it however you want to do it." That set the tone and he did his set up in the studio. I have to say I was completely fascinated watching him do whatever he was doing with the sound system, the boards. During the whole show he did not miss 1 beat, 1 cue, 1 segue, not a thing. It ran so smoothly. He's a true professional and a nice guy to boot.
I told him what order I wanted the songs in and the show started. Ohsokool's radio drop was cued and segued right into the George Clinton song. I was feeling that song and we were both bobbin' our heads. We have been pretty comfortable with each other since meeting at the Dwele concert so it was just real chill in the studio, just like I was at home. The song was about to end and he said we would get on the mic then. I put on the headphones and right at that moment, I got butterflies. Dag, can yall believe that? I really was pretty relaxed before that point (or so I thought). To me my voice sounded a little shaky but I was good after that first segment. I guess I had to make sure the mic didn't bite or something, lol. Butterflies gone after that. By the time we got to the second hour I felt like I had been doing this all my life.
I met some really cool people like Kasey, another DJ from the SOS radio show. Even though she didn't like the Dwele show a few weeks back I still liked her very much, lol. Next came Craig who is a friend of Bobby's and a writer for the Houston Press. Cool guy. He's interviewed alot of great folks and had a bag full of old LP's that was drool worthy. He's the guy Bobby introduced on air about 45 minutes into the show. He was kinda offbeat (as you could tell). During Raheem Devaughn's song he started doing this little dance and I asked if I should move my chair over because he was really feeling that song, lol. He said it made him feel all moist so that's where that came in if you hear that at the end of the show.
During some of the songs he was telling me all these stories about Bobby back in the day. Funny stuff. During the whole show it was just so much fun. It was like sitting around in your house shooting the breeze, laughing and talkin ish with your friends (with some good music playing in the background). I hope you enjoy the show, I know I did. Bobby Phats is definitely fam now so please support him by checking out his show every Tuesday from 3:30 - 5:30pm at kpft.org.
Write him @ bobbyphats at gmail.com and let him know what you thought of this show.
sweetened by Honey at 05:42 PM |Mint Condition concert in Houston
What a great week. I will be posting about the radio show later but I had to mention the Mint Condition concert here last Sunday. Let me thank Lis and bow at her powerful feet, hehehe, for helping making my dream come true. I got to meet (smile at, talk to and put my arm around) the incredible Stokley Williams. I love my life, lol. Definitely a highlight of my year. The show was off the hook despite them being on a stage barely big enough for two people, let alone a whole band but they played like they were in a huge auditorium. I'd also like to thank their road manager for going above and beyond and personally calling me to make sure I stayed for the show and rectified a situation that had absolutely nothing to do with him or the band. Let's just say I didn't like the venue. But anywho. Mint is the best live band ever. Stokely's voice is just an amazing instrument and he, Odell, Ricky, Lawrence, Jeffrey and Chris are outstanding musicians. If you have the opportunity to check them out, don't miss it.
sweetened by Honey at 09:30 AM |It's On Today!
Tuesday, December 20, 2005The Groove, 90.1FM, KPFT 3:30 - 5:30pm central time. Listen live.
No hints at the playlist, you'll have to listen to find out but I will tell you it is all over the place. I may start it out uptempo, maybe some old school thrown in and of course I have to smooth it out at some point. Could be some hip hop, some r&b or maybe some jazz, lots of soul for sure. I'm not even sure at this point but this will be what I think radio should sound like. I hope two hours is enough, LOL
Infinite amounts of love to Bobby Phats for letting me do my thing. Bobby's email
sweetened by Honey at 08:00 AM |
Honey Gets into The Groove
Thursday, December 15, 2005I am so excited! The day is almost here. In case you missed it, I will be hosting a very special edition of the Houston radio show called "The Groove" with Bobby Phats. The date is next Tuesday, Dec. 20th from 3:30 - 5:30pm CST on 90.1FM KPFT. You can listen live here.
Listen to what my man Bobby had to say about it on his show last Tuesday. Bobby's promo
sweetened by Honey at 09:30 AM |HoneySoul & Bobby Phats in The Groove on Houston Radio
Monday, December 05, 2005As I mentioned in the previous post, I met a DJ named Bobby Phats at the Dwele concert. Bobby has been hosting his own soul radio show here in Houston called The Groove for the past five years on 90.1FM, kpft, Tuesdays from 3:30 - 5:30pm. He asked me if I would like to host a HoneySoul episode of The Groove. That's right, a whole show of nothing but the music I choose. To quote Dwele "is my mind trippin...or am I pimpin?" LOL
Bobby will be running the boards and hosting along with me. He is so cool for real. How did Houston's voice of Soul know about Honey Soul? Turns out he has visited the site and recognized another music fanatic when he saw one. This is such a great opportunity. Thank you Bobby! This will be the first time I have been in a studio and on the radio live. I'm just too hyped. This is an experience I will cherish.
I'll keep everyone posted and let you know exactly when I'll be on. I hope you will support me by listening and tuning in online. If you know me I will probably be giggling through the entire thing but it's not about me trying to sound like a seasoned radio host. It's about what we've all been doing here...spreading the vibe of the best music/artists in the world and having fun! The day after will be fun too because we will be talking about it here, the good the bad and the ugly, lol. I'm so excited! Stay tuned.
sweetened by Honey at 01:20 AM |Dwele Concert in Houston
I attended Dwele's concert last week in Houston. To those new readers, to say I am a Dwele fan is not quite accurate and a bit of an understatement (the regular readers are laughing right now). Hush yall, but anyway, I love Dwele, ok? I was coming down with a cold so not feeling my best but the hospitality of my fellow Houstonians and the VIP treatment thanks to Dwele, his mgmt. and his label changed that. Thank you all! Much love to you for enhancing the experience for me.
At the beginning of the evening I was talking with two very sweet ladies when the one asked me "Are you Honey from Honeysoul.com?" She said she recognized my voice. How funny and cool is that? We hung out during the concert and a bit after (well except for the time I was up near the stage dancing and pretending like I was Dwele's backup singer and singing all his songs word for word, lol). I have to admit that I did feel like a bit of celebrity (without all the ego-tripping) when a few more people recognized me. I guess my Dwele love is known all over the world now, lol. Seriously, I was really taken aback. It's a little strange when people you don't know, know you. It's an unbelievably good feeling when folks just want to show you love or show appreciation for what you do. One guy said he was a musician but I cannot remember his name, sorry. Another was a local DJ named Bobby Phats which was really cool! More about that on another post.
Back to the show. The first act was a rapper named Realness. He wasn't bad but I can't say I was really feeling him. The next act was a Houston group called Savvi. Two brothers rapping with a band and background singers. I dug their show. Next was the man of the hour although I think he performed more like an hour and a half (including the encore). My memory gets a bit fuzzy for details at this point because I was awestruck by just how incredible a live performer Dwele is. From the moment he walked, or should I say strolled onto the stage it was pure magic. His voice was in top form and his band was on point.
Here are some of the song highlights I remember. Him performing "Without You" which floored me. He sounded ten times better than the record if that's possible and the guitar player gave an incredible solo performance. I also remember Dwele doing Pimps Dream, Subject, Truth, Weekend Love, Down Jimmy, My People, Holla, and Flapjacks which tore the house down! Houston showed him so much love. His band was amazing. He had one male background singer who was great. Dwele played keyboards on some songs. He asked a guy from the audience to get onstage and beatbox with the band. He had a lot of audience participation. He explained the different greetings between Houston "whatitdew?" and Detroit "whatupdoe?" He gave us a little insight into "Flapjacks." Think round and fluffy. He had the women about to faint. He had the fella's noddin their heads. In his encore he performed A.N.G.E.L and that song alone was worth me draggin my butt out of bed fighting a cold (not that I was going to miss it anyway). It was the best show ever, I kid you not. Dwele delivered! After the show I had the pleasure of hanging out with Dwele and he is a very nice, humble and sweet gentleman. I am so glad I had this opportunity. I will never forget it.
sweetened by Honey at 12:00 AM |Happy Thanksgiving
Wednesday, November 23, 2005There will be no Friday Freestyle because of the holiday but I hope you can find something new on the blog to hold your musical interests or maybe revisit some of your old favorites. I am thankful that you choose to make this blog a part of your lives and you join me in sharing the love of music. I am especially thankful that I now count many of you as my friends. I wish you and your family of loved ones a very joyful time of gathering this holiday.
Happy Thanksgiving!
sweetened by Honey at 06:03 PM |Floetry Say No
Sunday, November 20, 2005I am sure you all know how much I love music. What you may not know is that it goes even deeper than you could have imagined. There is something about me that I haven't told you. Are you a Floetry fan? Well you may not be after this. It's time the truth came out.
(if your sense of humor is a bit challenged, you may not want to continue)
(click cover)
how it all began | song similarities
sweetened by Honey at 11:32 PM |Gratitude
Wednesday, November 16, 2005A very special thank you to Detroit producer, musician Zo! who helped me find a rare Rubix/Jonz record he did the beat for and produced back in 2002. If you don't know who Zo! is, check out his site. He's got some dope remixes on his latest CD RE:Definition.
Speaking of dope. I have found more inspiration for my inner DJ trying to get out. My girl Fathom DJ is bad to the bone! Check out her site with sample mixes. We may be working on something together in the future..if I ever earn my stripes or pay my dues or whatever you do, LOL.
Big thanks to the crunk and disorderly but always Fresh one for the really sweet comments on myspace. I appreciate it girl. Thanks to all my blog/myspace folks who made me feel welcome there like Lis, Butta, Aplomb, Angelique, Angie, Silawn, Starski, Yung S.K., Redstar, and Ramel. I see ya Todd :)
Thank you so much to JamSmukz who has given me some valuable information and support. Thanks for the really cool musical exchange.
Thank you Jah_Luv as always for pointing me in the direction of some good music. Mp3.com is streaming a 3-track sampler from Digable Planets.
Anthony Hamilton's new song "Can't Let Go" is now playing in the Listening Booth. I cannot wait for his new CD.
Finally, if you're wondering what happened to the interviews here's the big mystery. Ok, there isn't one, lol. I just took a break to give my attention to other things. There are more interviews coming up shortly although I will probably do them every few weeks instead of weekly. Thanks for being patient.
sweetened by Honey at 07:29 PM |Message From Darien Brockington
Tuesday, November 08, 2005One of our favorite artists Darien Brockington stopped by honeysoul.com this weekend and left the following message:
I never once thought to slow down and say sumthin on here..lol. ah duh? I just wanted you to know that this was one of the best interviews I've ever had. You made me feel so comfortable. Maybe itz because you cool like that and we share the same b-day! LOL..Nah seriously..you're meant to do this! Anyway, keep doing ya thing. LatazOh yeah...Thanks everybody for the love and support. There's no me without you!
Darien Brockington
Just to let you know, I am always bragging about you, the loyal soul music listeners who visit this site. You all are just so diverse, knowledgeable and passionate about music and I want you to know that I personally made sure Darien knew about all of your comments. Yep, all those things you said, I couldn't wait to tell him. He is overwhelmed by your kindness and your support.
If you listened to the audio interview then you know that Darien at one time was working at a bank. He told me I could share his latest news with you all. Darien is now touring as a background singer for Jaheim. He's learning and working within his craft and headed for major things. But we already knew that didn't we?
Thank you all for helping honeysoul become a bridge between us, soul music lovers and those whose life passion is to provide it for us, the artist. Continue to support those artists you love with your words, your actions and your dollars, you do make a difference. I can't wait to brag about you some more.
sweetened by Honey at 08:28 AM |My Best Friend Gizmo
Monday, November 07, 2005I debated whether to post this or not. I'm dealing with some personal pain. I decided to mention this because it really is affecting me and I felt that I needed to acknowledge my love for my best friend. My little pekingese Gizmo, who would have been 16 years old in January, passed away Saturday night in his sleep. He had a long, good life and his heart just gave out. Now anyone who knows me knows how much I loved that little dog. He really was my spoiled little child. He was my baby. So if my posting or answering comments, emails, or responding to anyone is a little erratic or non existent (which I don't think it will be but if it is) then you know what's going on. I'm coping. I'll deal. Life goes on.
With Love,
Vonnie
edit 11/08
I would like to thank everyone for the kind words, the compassion and the love. You really have helped me alot and I am forever grateful. I am doing much better though I still have my moments. I do cherish my time with Gizmo and my memories. I'm getting back on track here and it's great to have my music to help comfort me as well. But what helps the most is your thoughtful words, your offers to talk, your understanding and just knowing that we share some common experiences and feelings. I just wanted you all to know what your compassion meant to me. Love you all.
D Brock B-Day, More Dwele, Gabbie on TV
Tuesday, September 27, 2005Happy Belated Birthday to one of my favorite singers and a very cool guy to talk to, D. Brock aka Darien Brockington. I just found out he's a Virgo whose birthday happens to be on the same date as mine, Sept. 14. How cool is that! Make sure you check out the new songs he's updated on his site. Darien's EP will be in stores soon.
Speaking of my favorite singers and cool guys to talk to, look for another interview from Dwele, coming up on the site soon. He'll be discussing his new album, Some Kinda which will be released Oct. 4 and answering some of your questions. Dwele also makes an appearance on the new Big Tone CD, The Drought. Listen to a Big Tone podcast mixtape by DJ Houseshoes featuring song snippets here.
Gabbie McGee, who has been featured on the site will make a television appearance on TBS' Storyline on Saturday, October 29 at 9:30 am. She'll do two live performances and an exclusive interview. Congrats Gabbie and Happy Belated Birthday. I told yall she was one to watch.
The "Video Soul" section has been updated with 7 8 new videos from Mint Condition, Missy Elliott, Keke Wyatt, John Legend, Slum Village, Jaheim, Styles P and Morcheeba so make sure you check those out.
edited 9/27, 12:40pm
added Mint Condition video thanks to Lis who was at the video shoot...was she in the video? hmmmmmm lol
New Releases have been updated.
sweetened by Honey at 12:00 AM |Rita: Hit & Miss
Saturday, September 24, 2005Hurricane Rita hit the Gulf Coast early Saturday morning but our area missed a direct hit. Unfortunately areas to the East of us like Beaumont, TX and Lake Charles, LA took the brunt of Rita's force. The most we had to deal with was high winds and short power outages and again in both cases we were lucky. About 600,000 were reported without electricity and estimates were set at possibly a week to restore power.
After Katrina it was better to be safe than sorry but I think alot of our news coverage created some panic forcing folks to flee through impossibly crowded highways that became more like parking lots with traffic moving at impossibly slow paces (for instance, 8 hours to travel 10 miles). Add to that gas shortages (correction, no gas to be found) and it really was an impossible situation. We were far enough inland that we weren't concerned with storm surges so after watching the coverage of the packed freeways and reports of Rita changing directions, we decided to hunker down and wait it out. All is well.
Thank you to everyone who left comments and sent emails expressing their concern. I felt the love. It's appreciated and returned.
sweetened by Honey at 04:42 PM |Katrina's cousin Rita is on her way
Wednesday, September 21, 2005Katrina's cousin, Hurricane Rita has started moving rapidly in the Gulf Coast. They have started a mandatory evacuation of Galveston and Rita is expected to hit us in the Galveston/Houston area on Friday or Saturday as a Category 4 with winds in excess of 130 mph. We are preparing our home and our "just in case" evacuation so I'll be out of touch until probably next week depending on it's course. Keep good thoughts and keep our area in your prayers.
sweetened by Honey at 12:46 AM |The Questions, The Answers
Sunday, September 18, 2005Thank you to everyone again who left me birthday greetings. My birthday was made all the more better from your good thoughts and well wishes. I also asked for your questions. You asked and I answered.
Why did you start this blog?
For the love of the music. An unexpected benefit is that it's opened a lot of doors for me and connected me with some great people.
Are you in the music industry?
I'm not now nor have I ever been employed in the music industry.
How do you get your interviews?
By asking the artists directly. I also have connections with friends who are in the industry or sometimes the artist or their label/publicist will contact me.
You used to be a radio DJ right?
No, although I could see myself doing that and I think I would be good at it and it would be fun.
Who else helps you with the site?
Lis designed the site but I do everything else (updating/posting etc) myself. Sometimes people will send me music or links to music etc. (thank you for that)
What countries would you like to travel that you haven't already?
I would love to go to Brazil, The U.K., South Africa.
Can you remember the song, singer/songwriter, group, or musician that when you heard it, you fell in love with the ART of music?
Well I don't remember this but I have been told when I was about 3 I was in the back seat of our family's car and I started singing a song called "I Know I'm In Love" by Chee Chee and Peppy (anyone remember that one, lol) and continued to sing it for hours, LOL. But my earliest recollections were listening to my dad play. He was a musician who played quite a few instruments and I was fascinated by the sounds. I also remember my mom listening to Minnie Riperton, Al Green and Marvin Gaye and falling in love with music. Of course Prince was probably the first artist I became obsessive about.
You have been married to your husband for 16 years. That's a long time. What's the secret(s) to a successful marriage?
The secret is...there is no secret. Of course marriage is an individual thing but what has worked for us is besides love, loyalty and respect is open communication and compromise.
Keep your individuality. Being married does not mean to us "becoming one." Respect and appreciate each other's differences. Plus, it may sound strange but we actually like each other. The honeymoon doesn't last forever so you better have something to fall back on, like genuine friendship. Also, leave other folks out of your marriage.
How did you meet your husband and how did he sweep you off your feet?
We met at a concert in a small club. His vibe was just different that any man I'd ever met. I dont know if I was swept off my feet. Falling in love was slow and steady. I think that's what sustains us. We've got a great foundation built on love and realistic expectations.
What word or words best describes you?
Passionate
Of all the music that’s out today, what suits YOU the most? What you vibin to in your car?
I'm definitely a chill/slow jam/mellow soul kinda girl. In my car now I have a CD I burned with tracks from Prince, Maxwell, and a few top secret joints from Dwele...shhhhhhh, LOL
Who inspires you and what is the favorite dish you like to cook?
My husband, the memory of my parents, the people who write and say I love the site inspire me. I'm a southern girl so I'll have to say gumbo is my favorite food to prepare if I have the time but I make a pretty good Baked Ginger Salmon that takes about 15 minutes. Oh yeah and my husband likes the way I make him grilled cheese sandwiches, LOL.
It's My Birthday!!!
Wednesday, September 14, 2005Today is my 37th birthday!
me in 1968
click for me today
As you can see, my eyebrows finally grew in but the chipmunk cheeks never went away, lol. Happy Birthday to all my fellow Virgos..with ya nitpicking, detailed oriented, emotional, wonderful selves.
Instead of telling you stuff about me that you don't wanna hear, I'll answer your questions. If you've got some burning questions you've always wondered about me and you don't see the answers in the "about me" section, ask them in comments or email me and I'll post the answers this weekend.
sweetened by Honey at 05:00 AM |Happy Birthday KB and all you Leos
Sunday, August 21, 2005I'd like to wish a very Happy Birthday to my buddy KB who celebrated a birthday a few days ago. By reading their blogs, I discovered there are a lot of August babies, including Diva, Dayrell, Butta, and Hypothetically Speaking. Happy birthday to all of them and all you Leo babies reading this...now make way for us Virgos!
Just a Moment...for Artist Greggy
Tuesday, August 02, 2005I wanted to take just a moment to send my prayers to one of my fellow bloggers, Artist Greggy. He experienced a tragedy that resulted in injuries to himself and his daughter and unfortunately the death of his wife. If you would like more details or to leave your condolences, please visit his site.
Thanks Lis for informing me.
sweetened by Honey at 10:38 AM |Who's Next on Soul 2 Soul?
Friday, July 29, 2005
Will I break out into song? Will we ever stop giggling? Find out next week...
sweetened by Honey at 03:35 PM |Coming Soon: Soul 2 Soul
Tuesday, July 19, 2005 sweetened by Honey at 12:00 AM |I Get By With A Little Help From...
Friday, July 15, 2005My friends...
EJ - Go EJ, it's ya birfday! The Moon Man has reached another milestone...and he gives us the present, music. Go wish him a Happy Birthday.
Lis - Double "Mint" Twins? Stokley and EJ..seperated at birth? Hmmm, you decide.
KB - Return of the (Music) Mack. He went and retired on us like Jay-Z. He returns with some sounds of summer. Will he slam the mic, walk away, never to return again? Let's hope not.
Great things coming up on the site within the coming weeks. It's great to enjoy the music of your favorite artists but when you get an insight into what they're thinking, their stories, and their motivation, that just adds another layer. I hope you will find that to be the case as well. Posting next week will be VERY light but I'll make up for it with upcoming musical goodies.
Thanks to Sy Smith for commenting on my review of her "The Syberspace Social" CD. How cool is that?
A special thank you to Kool. Give a girl a mix and she'll listen for a day. Show a girl how to mix/edit and she'll mix forever, LOL.
No Friday Freestyle today but you know I had to still hit you off with some soul. BBE's Galactic Soul. I've included many songs from this compilation on past radio.blogs. It's also one of their favorites. This is a great one to add to your music collection.
[Listen to Galactic Soul]
1. DJ Spinna - Galactic Soul
2. Will.I.Am - Swing By My Way
3. Four Tet Feat. Guilty Simpson - As Serious As Your Life (Jay Dee Remix)
4. The Plant Life - When She Smiles (She Lights The Sky)
5. Cee-Lo - Living Again
6. Nadirah Shakoor - Touched My Soul
7. DJ Jazzy Jeff Feat. Jill Scott - We Live In Philly (TV Track)
8. Ali Shaheed Muhammad - All Right
9. Roy Ayers - I Am Your Mind (Part 2)
10. The Rebirth - This Journey In
11. DJ Jazzy Jeff feat. Raheem, V and Ero - For Da Love Of Da Game (DJ Jazzy Jeff Remix)
12. Linn And Freddie - L I N N
13. Lizz Fields - I Gotta Go (DJ Spinna Remix)
14. The Foreign Exchange - Nics Groove (Electric Bounce Rock Skate Mix)
15. N8E - Brainstorm
16. D Nell - 20 20 (Main Mix)
True Music Fans, TMF is here
Monday, July 11, 2005The phenomenal Lis has completed her Mint Condition site, The Mint Factory (TMF). Everything you ever wanted to know about one of the best bands in the world can be found here.
BET Awards Recap
Wednesday, June 29, 2005First, If you missed it, the BET Awards will be re-broadcast Thursday Friday night at 7:30pm ET and ten thousand more times over the next year (you know BET).
Second, check out the coverage here and here.
Third, here is my quick take on the show. Will and Jada did a good job, they're a cute couple and had a couple of cute bits. I really liked those "Mr. & Mrs. Smith" bites. I love the Fugees (ok, I could do without Wyclef and Pras). Lauryn's performance was good but not great. Also, didn't they keep promo'ing the big "Lauryn Hill exclusive performance" during the show? What happened? No more Lauryn.
Missy Elliott's performance was good...but not good enough for Fatman Scoop to take off his shirt. Latifah bringing out the "Set It Off" girls was funny. Destiny's Child lap dance performance was titillating. I think Jay-Z will be having a talk with Terrence Howard soon and the look on Magic's face when Michelle put her boney little leg over his shoulder was priceless.
Gladys Knight's was the best vocal performance of the night. Omarion gave the best dance performance. Loved Stevie Wonder getting his dance on. Those were just some of my highlights. What were yours?
sweetened by Honey at 09:26 AM |
Good News, Bad News
Friday, June 10, 2005Let's start with the bad news first. I wasn't able to put together a Friday Freestyle radio.blog today. I may throw some crazy music and video links on the blog sometimes, but yall know I have to take my time with the radio.blogs or they don't turn out well in my opinion. Anyway, I had (and still have) some other projects that needed to be finished. I'll leave last week's radio.blog up until next Friday. Maybe that's not bad news if you liked that one.
The good news...some of the old radio.blogs are back up! Now if you are still reading this and didn't just go directly to the Radio Blogs link, lol, let me explain. I really hated that I had to take those down in the first place but I have already explained why that was necessary. I really wanted to share that music with you again, plus I was missing them myself, so I got more bandwidth. Happy days are here again! *it's your birfday, get busy..* *tear the roof off we gonna tear the roof..* *drop it like it's hot...* Ehhhhh...I'm just a "little" excited about it, LOL.
I will not be putting back all the radio.blogs because #1) I want to keep it fresh and keep it moving and... #2) because I actually deleted some of those suckers instead of storing the converted files somewhere LOL. When you are trying to plug up a bandwidth hole quickly, you don't always think rationally. The ones that are up now are ones I managed to save once the light bulb came on in my head. In fairness, I won't leave all of them up indefinitely like I did before. I will be replacing them with newer ones I complete or just taking them down when I feel they have been up long enough. Just call me Mrs. Brown because it's my prerogative. Uhhhh, on second thought...naw Whitney, that one's all yours babygirl. Now that would be some bad news, LOL. Thanks for sticking with me through the radio.blog drought :-)
Head over to EJ's to listen to a very soulful radio.blog in tribute to our friend Todd for his birthday (this past Wednesday). Listen for yours truly on one of the interludes and when you are thinking...what the hell is she talking about..keep in mind that the "Todd connection" was cute when I thought it up in my head, LOL. Also stop by Todd's to wish him a Happy Belated Birthday.
I would like to thank Shelia Goss for including me in her June Newsletter for Black Music Month. Shelia's book The Invisible Husband was on the June Essence Magazine Best Seller's List.
sweetened by Honey at 07:56 AM |Finally It's Over!
Saturday, June 04, 2005I'd like to thank those who supported me and those who offered to help me in my time of need...when I was hooked on that darn R. Kelly mess, LOL. Some of yall talked about me and ridiculed me...but that's alright. I knew I had a problem and at least I was willing to admit it. Now I am strong enough to seek help...now that Part 5 finally came out, LOL.
In case anyone missed it, R Kelly's Trapped In The Closet Pt. 5 came out Friday. You can hear it in the Listening Booth or download the full series here. Finally I can stop hanging out in seedy places waiting for my next fix and I can get this craziness out of my head...uhhhhh they aren't making 5 videos to go along with it are they? *breaking out in a cold sweat*
Speaking of things that just don't make sense...Corey Clark..yep the one of American Idol scandal, is supposed to appear on Soul Train today. Check your local listings for showtime.
They've done it again. The much anticipated Raheem Devaughn Love Experience that was scheduled to be released this Tuesday, June 7th has been pushed back to June 21st according to Amazon and June 28th according to his website. *sigh*
I was checking Upcoming Releases (because I'm a music freak and get excited about things like that) and noticed that the album cover art has been updated for Eric Benet's and Anthony Hamilton's upcoming CD's. You can find the tracklistings there as well.
Site Changes
Tuesday, May 31, 2005I wanted to address an issue with my radio.blogs. Some of you may have noticed that I have taken down some of them. Yes, I hear your collective groans. Believe me, this has not made me happy either. I feel like some of my children have left home, LOL.
The bottom line is that because of a major increase in traffic/site visitors, 75% of my bandwidth for the monthly billing cycle was used up in just under two weeks. After scaling down everything I could think of including removing some of the old images from old posts I had to face the reality that the majority of my bandwidth (95%) was being taken up by the radio.blogs.
Obviously I will have to make some changes but in the short-term, I had a few choices. I could either stop doing any new radio blogs for a few weeks (I don't know if I could restrain myself that long) and monitor the number of radio.blogs I do monthly, or I could just take down some of the older radio.blogs..some which have been available for as long as 6 months. The latter seemed to be the best temporary solution. I'll continue to watch the bandwidth meter and adjust accordingly.
I apologize if this change has affected anyone. Please let me stress, I've only cut down on the number of archived radio.blogs. I have not stop doing them and there are still some available on the site. NEW ones are being planned and in addition to links I provide for full CD listening parties and videos, the music still goes on. My motto still stands....Music is for Sharing...uhhhh...until my bandwidth runs out, LOL
sweetened by Honey at 10:52 AM |Thank You OhsoKool
Sunday, May 08, 2005I am forever indebted to OhsoKool who helped me get my music back. With his help I was able to retrieve mostly all of my lost music files! You would have thought I won the lottery with the way I was jumping up and down. Yayyyyy (more happy dancing). I guess he felt sorry for me. I was so pitiful yall. I didn't know what to do. I thought about posting my "misery without music" journal. You know...like...day 26 without my music "woooo is me" LOL. Aren't we all glad we avoided that.
Just saying thank you could never express my gratitude so I thought I would put it out there in the blogosphere as well. Thank you Kool! By the way, you can check out his Sugatreats radio show with the lovely Ms Kiastar on Mondays, 8pm - midnight on 90.3FM WHCR. This Monday's special guests are Martin Luther, Nemiss & The Beatminerz. I'm looking forward to that one.
sweetened by Honey at 03:05 PM |The Day I Lost My Music
Friday, May 06, 2005May 6, 2005, will be forever known as the worst day of music loving, blogging life. Ok, not my real life because I have had plenty of days to top that but to a girl who loves music the way I do, it's pretty devastating.
I just lost 20GB of music from an external hard drive. That makes me want to cry, I'm literally nauseous. I bought a 200GB Maxtor external hard drive because my other one (100GB) was filling up. Didn't you know I was a music feind? Anyway, luckily the contents of that hard drive are safe. I also have alot of things on CD but everything I have downloaded, purchased from iTunes in the last 3 weeks is gone! Yep, all my brand new music is no more. I just turned on the computer this morning and poof...no music. I called tech support for Maxtor and after verifying things like how I turned it off, was it listed in the device manager etc, all I got was "it happens". Dah hell...give me something more than that. Give me a moment...I just teared up again, lol. Yes, I'm laughing (sort of) because if I didn't I would lose my mind. And if anyone say's to me "it's only music" I swear I will find your address, knock on your door and slap you...hard! Ok, I'm only joking. Yall see how this is affecting me, a sista is not usually this salty.
Ironically I had planned a radio blog today entitled "Lost In The Music"...at least the "lost" and the "music" parts are accurate, LOL. So anyway, I'm sad, I'm dejected, I'm mad as hell but none of that will bring back my music but venting helped a little bit. I'm lying, I'm still angry. Maxtor sucks! Oh yeah...please back up your hard drives. I feel better now that I actually said something useful.
sweetened by Honey at 11:17 AM |Audio Post
Saturday, April 30, 2005It's about that time...
Bits and Pieces
Monday, April 25, 2005Hope everyone had a great weekend. Just wanted to drop some bits and pieces here before my next post...another listening party or two....yayyy, LOL.
If you enjoyed the Mint Condition CD preview, please pick up the CD on Tuesday (4/26). The first 200,000 copies will include a free DVD with live performances and band interviews. They will be available at Best Buy and Target for $12 but you may want to call ahead or check your local retailers to see if they will be available at other locations.
Saturday, I tried to catch the pre-release of the Mint Condition CD/DVD that's available in some cities at Best Buy but it wasn't available here (Houston). I did however pick up Pat Metheny for my husband and had this brief conversation with a young sales clerk who looked remarkably like my niece...
Clerk: Mint Condition? Never heard of them, what kind of music do they play?
Me: They're an R& B band, do you remember the song "Pretty Brown Eyes"...that was them.
Clerk: Oh yeah, my mother used to listen to them when I was a baby
*Ouch* I should have just laid down right there so it would have been easier for her to kick my in the gut, LOL.
click to enlarge
I'm loving Esthero's new album cover, it's really beautiful. You can also check out the 17 song tracklisting here.
In other album release news...
Lina's "Inner Beauty Movement" has been pushed back (again) from May 3rd to June 28th. Fat Joe's "Things of That Nature" has been pushed from May 24th until June 21st.
All you singer, rapper types may want to enter The Foreign Exchange New Vocals Contest
There is a wonderful article on Mos Def here. He will also be making an appearance on Regis & Kelly Wednesday to promote his movie The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Ice cube appears on the same show, the same day for his movie XXX: State of the Union.
To anyone who couldn't view Amerie's "1 Thing remix" video, it's now available on Launch. Check the Video Soul section.
To the Joy who wrote me the email, if you are reading this, please send me another email or another email address. My reply email came back as undeliverable.
sweetened by Honey at 11:16 AM |Reco-meme-dations
Tuesday, March 01, 2005Lis is guest blogging at Carla's and came up with a meme. Post your personal recommendations in the following categories.
a book to read
Their Eyes Were Watching God. Don't wait until the Oprah movie to jump on the bandwagon. I would actually recommend anything by Zora Neale Hurston.
a cd to check out
Julie Dexter - Conscious. Mellow and very soulful.
a show to watch
American Idol. It's just addictive and is it wrong to root for Nadia because I like her hair? lol. Plus, she can blow.
a blog to visit
So many great choices so I will say The Number One Songs in Heaven. This is the first blog I ever visited and the one that made me think I could do a music blog myself. Old soul classics.
Tag..you're it!
sweetened by Honey at 10:44 AM |To My Radio Blogging Valentines ♥
Saturday, February 12, 2005I was that kid who you could give a doll, or a book, or sit me in front of the television or the radio and I would be happily content for hours by myself. In alot of ways, I'm still like that (minus the dolls). Being alone is never lonely for me, I dig it completely. Sometimes I even prefer it. I couldn't tell you what it's like to have a really huge group of friends. I can count all my really close friends on one hand (and most of them are related to me). So to come across such a cool group of people who I consider my friends really means alot to me and I just wanted to let them know how much I appreciate them.
Now if your name isn't on here you may be thinking that this post is not for you, but that's not true. If you're looking for great music, you'll find it on each of these blogs (plus lots of other good stuff), so check them out.
♥ KB - Mr. Backbone. He's always there supporting you. I noticed that when he comes up with his great ideas, it usually involves other people and bringing them together, like his secret santa program and even coming up with the concept of SP's (sound providers). I think he's got a broad base of friends and I bet he makes each one of them feel like they are his primary focus at any given moment. Not everyone can do that. Not only does he have impeccable music tastes, but he writes the sweetest things about his wife and kids. Some months ago I stumbled upon his site with his Questlove layout and Prince radio.blog and I'm glad I did. He is actually the first person I met in the following group and the person who got me connected with other music lovers like EJ.
♥ EJ - Mr. Popularity. He knows everybody and everybody knows him...and loves him. He's just genuine sweetness! He's one of those people that makes you feel good simply by being in his presence. Sometimes I actually IM him just to say hi so I can smile at what he says back. Silly but true, LOL. Anyone who knows him, knows he's got music in his soul. His music knowledge is boundless and his musical tastes are wonderfully eclectic. He's actually the reason I even started doing the radio.blogs. Just being inspired by his world famous music blogs and talking to him about music gave me the confidence to try it for myself. I don't know if I ever thanked him for that. So thank you EJ! And if you have ever liked any one of my radio.blogs, you should thank him too.
♥ Todd - Mr. Heavyweight. First of all, he's a newlywed (aww that's so cute!). I first heard about Todd thru EJ. I checked out his site and was amazed by 2 things. First that he hand-coded everything himself and second, his mp3 collection was like my musical wet dream, LOL. He didn't have comments at that time so we played IM tag thru EJ for a hot minute. I could probably go on and on about Todd, because he's a really good guy and he's helped me out more than once when I needed it. He consistently brings the best music to his radio.blogs and he's lightning fast. He'll hit you with the (radio.blog) combination to the gut and while you're still reeling, he'll come back with a (radio.blog) uppercut that knocks you the fugg out, LOL. He's like the Ali of radio.blogs.
♥ Mike - Mr. Brainiac. He was my first.....trackback, LOL. He doesn't do alot of radio.blogs, he's usually doing his trader thing but when he does, it's hotness (check out his current dancehall radio). He also did an awesome Mos Def radio.blog that inspired me to do mine. He's got that serious intellectual thing going on but he doesn't try to impress you with it plus he's got great taste in music. Talk about versatility. He's so well rounded and great in so many areas, he's usually my "go to guy" when I have a question about...well just about anything. He's actually hipped me to alot of good stuff for my blog. He seems to be up on everything and if I have a technical question, he'll point me in the right direction. He's an intelligent, humble guy and a real sweetheart.
♥ Lis - Ms. Creative. I remember first coming across Lis' blog right before Jill Scott released her latest CD. Lis was streaming "Golden" and I wrote to tell her about a stream of her whole album (yall know I got the links, lol). Anyway, that well meaning email turned into one the of the most meaningful relationships I've formed. She's got a huge talent for designing and she's got an even bigger heart. I could talk to her all day and literally I think sometimes we almost do, LOL. I think I'm addicted to talking to her because I miss her when she's gone. Now she tries to pretend she is not a blogging DJ but everytime she throws up radio.blog, its hot! We have a ball when we talk about music...and we really have a ball when we don't, LOL. She just "gets me" musically and otherwise...which aint easy to do. Just like when she designed this beautiful layout, she knew it was so me. She also hipped me to projectVIBE..which is so my musical taste it's not even funny. We were born 3 days apart but she's my twin in all kinds of ways and a true sistahfriend.
Happy Valentines Day to each and every one of you. I love yall!
Pass The Meme Please
Friday, February 11, 2005Bobby passed this to me so now *tag* you're it.
Category 1: Artists you wish would stop trippin and come wit' anotha album, soon!
Category 2: Artists who need to just "stop trippin".
Category 3: Artists who have "gone on" that you wish would stay "Gone"!
Category 4: "New Artist" who, when you hear em', U swear, sound like somebody you already know!
Category 5: Artists you wish you would've "Tried before you Pryed" open that jewel case!
Spare No Dirty Details! If you feel the way I do bout' Muzak........... Do ya thang!
Cat 1: MAXWELL!!!! The restraining order has even expired, he needs to come wit it, LOL. Also add Lauryn Hill, Sade, and D'Angelo (altho he may be busy for the next 5-10)
Cat 2: R. Kelly and Whitney Houston...and get rid of that extra weight Whitney (how much does Bobby weigh?)
Cat 3: 2Pac, enough already! I'm expecting his "greatest hits as he sung in the shower" next.
Cat 4: Guerilla Black (B.I.G.), Angelous (Jay-Z), and Jill Scott sounds like me...oh wait, that's only in my dreams, LOL
Cat 5: As much as I loved them when I was a teenager...New Edition went in my closet with my jordache jeans, never to be seen again.
I've already passed this on to Lis, Todd, EJ, KB, and Fresh....now you pass it on.
Back Down Memory Lane
Wednesday, February 02, 2005I've been challenged so here goes. Childhood pics anyone? Here's mine
Wanna see some more, check these out:
Lis, EJ, Todd, Fresh, Diva, Hopluv, Dream
And Now A Word From Our Sponsors
Thursday, January 27, 2005music stuff..
Listening Booth has been updated with a CD from David Sanborn and new singles from Faith Evans and Brian McKnight. Miri Ben-Ari's video for "Sunshine To Rain" has been added to the Video Soul section.
non music stuff...
You know it's getting close to Super.bowl time when the commercials start getting alot of press. Check out the commercial from Bud.weiser that won't air because of increased scrutiny by the FCC following "the mal.function" thing last year. Really ironic considering the commercial's subject. Once you get past the age check, the commercial link is right there.
Speaking of shows, she and I need our own show. This is the reason I spend most of my time online laughing...
lis: i didn't see all this - i didn't get past vanilla child, when
there is all this chocolate goodness happening!
lis: 'amore, amore portugese, ay' ... sing that song girl!
honey: hahahahaha
honey: Teena done went from sista to senorita on that cut
lis: ok?!
honey: i know she black...she aint foolin me
honey: *checkin her hair products*
honey: don't let me find a relaxer kit
lis: well... she's got some black in her that is for sure
honey: yanno!
lis: (and i'm not talking about rick james and them)
lis: HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAH
honey: ahahahahahaha
lis: 'this will be, an everlasting love' ... why is natalie like more beautiful than ever?! i hope i look HALF that good when I am her age.
Heck, I wish i looked half that good NOW!
lis: hahahahahah
honey: awwwwwwww
honey: lol
honey: but natalie is preserved well!
lis: she must sleep in cocoa butter...?
honey: lol @ sleep in cocoa butter
lis: now she had 'a problem with them narcotic's' too didn't see (lol - read that like lawrence fishburne when he played ike turner') HAHAHAHAH
honey: LMAO
honey: u are crazy!
lis: ZAP - i can't listen to crackhead whitney
honey: lmaooooooo
honey: give a crackhead a chance
honey: *announcer voice* we are in hour 17 of our crackhead marathon,
we raised $17.28 and ray ray just donated his mama's tv..
lis: hahahahahah
lis: 'ooooooh you make my looooove, come down'
lis: WHAT KIND OF FREAK NASTINESS IS THAT?!?!?!?!?!?!
honey: LOL
honey: they were subtle back then..but u knoew what they were saying
lis: all the way dooooown
lis: freak mama - evelyn champagne king
lis: what was with the 'champagne' anyway
lis: hahaha
lis: prolly something freaky too
honey: dayum I gotta dirty mind cuz i was thinkin she doing "tricks" wit that bottle, LOL
honey: i can hear her sayin...and now for my encore...bring out the Dom. *cue music* drop down and get ya eagle on! LMAO
lis: you should post our convo - lol
honey: and ruin our angelic images?
lis: what images?!
honey: i know right...lemme call DENIAL and make a reservation. uhhh yeah, lemme get a table for one
Allow Me A Moment....
Tuesday, January 25, 2005...to vent!
So yall know this problem I been having with slow comments? A normal person would probably just deal with it, it has improved somewhat speedwise since I removed some plugins, but being the obsessive compulsive Virgo I am, I can't let ish go. After tweaking numerous things on my end, I tried getting some support from my host. In effect they said "yeah, you are right, your comments are slow..hope you get some help for that" LOL. So basically they're saying "it aint us stinking up in here, betta do a breath check on ya own damn self" LOL.
It's probably a problem I created when I installed MT. Hey, it's free so I guess I can't complain too much but I'm more than willing to place blame somewhere else. It may not be my host. I suspect that biotchhhh MT, the bane of my blogging existence. I never did like that heffa. From day one she's been tormenting me. Matter of fact, if your initials are MT, you may want to avoid me for a while because you are subject to getting cussed out, just on principal, LOL.
EJ, thanks for letting me vent earlier but please keep the bail money handy in case I snap again and go riding on some fools, LOL. Of course, if they set bail too high, I'll just have to phone in my radio blogs from cell block D. I can hear it now, "yeah EJ, this week throw in some 'locked up', 'chaingang'.., LOL. Heck, I'll even grant an interview in from behind bars like Shyne, LMAO.
Ok, I feel better now, I'm going to listen to some music to get my head right. You know what they say...music has charms to soothe the savage sistah who believes specifically that MT is picking on me cause it don't like my steez. Ole hatin azz, jealous azz, slow commentin azz, make me wanna throw my pc out the window azz, who dah hell coded this idiotic crap azz MT.....or something like that.
Ok, the next post will be music related...I promise :-)
sweetened by Honey at 09:47 AM |