VIDEO: Busta Rhymes Featuring Ron Brownz - Arab Money (Directed by Rik Cordero)

R.I.P. Levi Stubbs, Four Tops Vocalist

(swiped from Pitchfork Media)

Motown legend and Four Tops lead singer Levi Stubbs passed away in his home today (October 17) following a series of illnesses, according to Billboard.com. He was 72.

Stubbs and the Four Tops were responsible for some of the most enduring songs in pop and R&B history, from "Baby I Need Your Loving" to "I Can't Help Myself (Sugar Pie Honey Bunch)" to "Reach Out I'll Be There". Over their storied career, the Tops sold more than 50 million records and scored 45 chart hits, maintaining their original lineup of Stubbs, Abdul "Duke" Fakir, Renaldo "Obie" Benson, and Lawrence Payton for more than 40 years.

Stubbs continued regularly performing with the group until 2000, when illness forced him off the road. He appeared with the Tops for the last time at a 50th anniversary show in 2004. In addition to his singing work, Stubbs lent his voice to Audrey II, the foul-mouthed man-eating plant in 1986's Little Shop of Horrors.

Stubbs is survived by his wife of 48 years and five children.

"Baby I Need Your Loving"


"When She Was My Girl"


"Reach Out I'll Be There"

Q-Tip Reveals Details of First Album in Nine Years

(Swiped From Pitchfork Media)

It's been nearly a decade since butter-voiced A Tribe Called Quest MC Q-Tip dropped his solo debut, Amplified, and pretty much ever since, he's been talking about the follow-up(s). According to a Billboard.com report, the long wait for at least one new disc from the one they call the Abstract is just about over. Universal Motown will issue The Renaissance this fall (Billboard.com notes an October 14 release date, but a Q-Tip rep suggests this is tentative). Either way, about damn time!

Billboard.com writes that the nine-track set "blends live instrumentation, scratching, and samples for a sound reminiscent of the rapper's work in A Tribe Called Quest." That sentence alone should have anybody with ears clamoring, but they go on. Pending clearance of the sample, the album will open with "Shaka", which matches excerpts from a speech from presumptive Democratic presidential nominee Barack Obama with a "guitar-tinged beat." There's "Fight/Love", wherein the Tipster-- alongside Raphael Saadiq-- recounts the stories of a young lady going through a bad relationship and a young soldier in Iraq. There's also the Norah Jones-assisted "Life Is Better", which finds Tip paying homage to a few of his favorite rhymers.

But wait, there's more! Amanda Diva features on a track called "ManWomanBoogie", which we're gonna guess is kind of a love song thing. There's a 1960s-flavored cut called "Won't Trade", as well as "Believe", which sporting some help from the incomparable, reclusive D'Angelo. And there's the recently Forkcasted easy on the ears first single "Gettin Up", which certainly bodes well for the rest of the set. Here's hoping this thing hits the shrinkwrap machine soon.

Ooh, and maybe this means we'll finally see Kamaal the Abstract in 2017? Or a collaboration with Nigel Godrich?

Q-Tip and the rest of the recently re-reunited Tribe Called Quest are currently out on the road with a coterie of rap royalty on the Rock the Bells tour, and Q has been supplementing the Tribe sets with a little solo Renaissance showcase.

ATCQ:
08-02 Miami, FL - Bayfront Park Amphitheatre (Rock the Bells)
08-03 Wantagh, NY - Jones Beach Amphitheatre (Rock the Bells)
08-09 Devore, CA - Glen Helen Pavilion (Rock the Bells)
08-16 Mountain View, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre (Rock the Bells)
08-23 Englewood, CO - Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre (Rock the Bells)
09-06 George, WA - The Gorge (Rock the Bells)

Stream: Q-Tip: Gettin Up [from the forthcoming The Renaissance LP]

Artist you need to know about: Donnie

Ladies and Gentlemen, feast your ears upon Donnie, a soul singer from Atlanta, GA. Donnie first made waves when his Motown/Giant Step debut, "The Colored Section," came out in stores. His rich vocals deliver a woven tapestry of self motivation and inspiration galore. Such tracks as "Cloud 9," "Do You Know," and "Do You Know" highlight Donnie's deep and rich voice, while the production carries around from near standardized blues to revolutionary R&B at its finest.




Therefore it should be no surprise that Donnie's sophomore effort, "The Daily News" is more in your face without being as preachy, but at the same time, when it gets preachy is when Donnie gets melodic. For example, "Over The Counter Culture," is quite the jam, but the way that Donnie melds the lyrics together in this soul infuse groove, it can pass for a modern day R&B dance jam. A portion of the lyrics; if you will:

They got a pill for my erection

And another for my depression

And I can taste in my dinner

With your artificial flavor

You be doin’ it undercover

An invisible chemical war

So you don’t ever be breaking no law

In an over-the-counter culture

You can read more about Donnie's "The Daily News" at PopMatters, where they have a review posted for the album. But this is definitely a voice that you should not forget.