Time Forward Music List

For the last day of 2013, here is a list of some recent releases to vibe to as we go into 2014. Happy New Year!

Otherworldly Videos: Juice Aleem + Sharon Jones and the Dap KIngs

Juice Aleem‘s “Anumals” From Juice Aleem’s press: “After the soaring heights of the MoorKaBa LightBikes… the journey is continued with AnuMal: the dominion of the Flesh. A dance between the sacred and the profane. Watch out for the AnuMals!” Keep in mind the woman with the wolf/fox mask at the end while watching the next […]

Modern Griots Reviews: Yugen Blakrok’s “Return of the Astro-Goth”

In continuing with women this week who are taking hip-hop to higher spaces: Cosmic rap (or God Hop as some artists call it) is in South Africa by way of the Johannesburg independent label Iapetus Records (Saturn’s moon) and emcee, Yugen Blakrok. Influenced by other labels like Boogie Down Productions, The Bomb Squad and Ninja […]

Moving on the Wires: Colored Girls Hustle Hard Mixtape and Afro Aliens Video Premiere

After watching their Colored Girls Hustle videos, I wanted to give special highlight to these two women and artists, Taja Lindley and Jessica Valoris and their Colored Girls Hustle artistic creations, including jewelry, poetry and music. I am definitely attracted to their positive message and mission of self-affirmation and self-expression for women of color, whether […]

The My-Stery: Tribute to Lisa “Left Eye” Lopes

After reading Shadow and Act’s review about the TLC biopic, Crazy Sexy Cool: The TLC Story, I was reminded of how much Lisa “Left-Eye” Lopes is underrated as an artist. In TLC, some thought of her as mainly the wacky and crazy rapper of the group who burned her boyfriends house down. But if we […]

Otherworldly Videos: Walking with Gods + CV Nation

Rapper and actor David Banner has a new live-action, superhero series, Walking with Gods. It is about a man, Alex Light, who is an incarnation of Aket Heru, based on the Egyptian deity, and is trying to realize his godly powers after ages of not knowing them. The series uses animation from well-known artist John […]

The My-Stery: Dance Apocalyptic By Shaking Your Groove Thing!

“The booty don’t lie” – Janelle Monae and Erykah Badu’s “Q.U.E.E.N.” “I’m wigglin’ my fanny, I’m raunchy dancing, I’m-a-doing it doing it” – Betty Davis’ “If I’m in Luck I Might Just Get Picked Up” “Free yaself gal, you got class and you got pride Come together cuz we strong and unified… Show it off […]

Modern Griots Reviews: Malik Manifesto

On their bandcamp page, duo Malik Manifesto has the phrase “real is ‘relative,’ truth is ‘absolute.’” The motto appears to be a fitting explanation to Malik Manifesto’s debut, self-titled album. Consisting of producer Dasman and MC Mike Lamont, aka “Sintex Era,” Malik Manifesto’s album begins with what Lamont calls “the king’s manifest,” a title for […]

Modern Griots Reviews: Juice Aleem

(warning for epilepsy!) Remember E.T. with Elliot riding the bike into the sky; that was the first thought I had reading UK rapper Juice Aleem‘s title “MoorKaba Light Bikes” on his EP featuring three versions of this song and “Anumal.” That sense of theatrics and spectacle as well as a theme of elevating oneself are […]

Modern Griots Interviews: RebelMatic

RebelMatic, a New York City punk/hardcore band with a hip-hop twist, are coming out with their album, Elephant Amnesia, the next one after Prey for the Vulture. I asked them a few questions about the inspiration for the album and it’s cover: 1) In the wake of police brutality and killings of people like Kimani […]