Promising Young Woman actress Carey Mulligan hosted this week’s Saturday Night Live, with rapper Kid Cudi joining her as musical guest. Cudi released his most recent album, Man on the Moon III: The Chosen in December of 2020, concluding the trilogy he began in 2009.
Mulligan’s husband Marcus Mumford appeared during her opening monologue, offering to be the night’s musical guest. After Mulligan informed Mumford that Kid Cudi was performing already, he pulled an acoustic guitar out of thin air and accompanied her closing remarks. Of course, Mumford is the front-man of folk rock band Mumford & Sons, who previously played SNL in 2012, 2015 and 2018.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K-BfpGLs0Cs
Before his performances, Kid Cudi first appeared in a sketch with Pete Davidson and Chris Redd, “Weird Little Flute.” It parodied flute rap, a burgeoning subgenre including songs like Future’s “Mask Off.” Previous SNL host Timothee Chalamet made an unexpected cameo, endorsing the weird little flute as a musical asset.
Kid Cudi chose “Tequila Shots” as his first song of the night, with lyrics about alcohol-induced anxiety and depression: “It seems I’ll never learn / I won’t stop ‘til I crash and burn / Tell my mom I’m sorry.” He wore a t-shirt depicting late SNL cast member Chris Farley, who famously struggled with addiction.
Cudi closed out the episode with “Sad People,” a toast to contemplative night owls. Following in the footsteps of Kurt Cobain, he wore a floral dress. Cobain died by suicide this week in 1994, and Cudi has been open about his own experiences with suicidal ideation.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PsagiYnmN_4
As for Kid Cudi’s 2021 plans, an album is likely on the horizon for his supergroup, The Scotts. Made up of Cudi (whose first name is Scott) and Travis Scott, The Scotts formed in 2020 and debuted atop the Billboard Hot 100 with single “The Scotts.”
The episode ended with an in memoriam tribute to rapper DMX, who played SNL in 2000.
An iconic song title and hook from a rapper whose career was made off of distinction. From his voice, to his aesthetic, to his simultaneously vulnerable and gangster persona, DMX was going to give you his all, his true self. You were to be witness to the amazing highs and the, at-times, embarrassing lows. The lead single from 2003’s Cradle 2 the Grave (starring DMX) soundtrack is more than just a catchy tune. Has any other rap lyric embodied an artist quite so well?
As the world mourns the loss of one of hip hop’s grittiest, raw and complex characters, it’s important to remember that DMX’s premature death does not put a sour note on the full life that he lived. He said it himself, in his very last aired interview — an appearance on Noreaga’s Drink Champs podcast — ‘X declares, “If I was to drop dead right now, my last thought would be: ‘I’ve lived a good life.”
This DMX vs Jay-Z freestyle battle still one of the most legendary moments in hip hop
After all, his journey began in the project buildings of Yonkers, NY, having to grow up with a non-existent father and a violently abusive mother. ‘X — born Earl Simmons — spent spurts of his childhood in group homes, where he honed his skills within the budding genre of hip hop. It was during early adolescence that DMX met Ready Ron, an influential figure in his development as a rapper, and the man X claimed is responsible for birthing the addiction that kept a stronghold on him throughout most of his adult life.
Based on his turbulent childhood and a criminal record (that began in adolescence), DMX is one of the few artists who could claim the oft-used adage that hip hop saved their life. Where else can one go from group homes and detention centers to releasing two number 1 albums in the same year? In fact , DMX’s first five studio albums debuted at number 1 on the Billboard charts.
Although the one known as Dark Man X had done a complete 180 with his life, fame and riches only exasperated who he truly was. And at his core, DMX was a troubled individual. Despite his success, he hadn’t gotten his addictions under control, a fatal trait that eventually cost him his life.
So while he was starring in blockbuster films and performing in front of an excess of 200,000 people, he was still succumbing to his vices, with a rap sheet that might be longer than his lyric sheet. In a fall 2019 GQ magazine interview, DMX once stated,
“Before I really had a life, jail was a playground. I’d be like, ‘I’m going to jail and have fun.’ Jail used to be fun.”
It seems as though he carried that mentality throughout his time as a famous entertainer, with substance abuse issues a clear factor in his life as he had been arrested for various and repeating offenses including: possessions of cocaine, driving while intoxicated, driving with a suspended license, animal cruelty, failure to pay child support, among others. His offenses are equally puzzling and impressive. You would think after a few DUI arrests, one would get a driver, especially someone of DMX’s stature. Yet, his blatant disregard for the law revealed his truly detached nature from life and consequence, a characteristic found in many addicts. Notwithstanding, it revealed something else, ‘X was gon’ give it to the man as well, even if it was to his own detriment.
What’s dangerous about fame and success is that it doesn’t necessarily mean you’re living life righteously, it just means the masses resonate with the persona and content being packaged to them. For DMX his personal downfalls helped make him the superstar that he was. In a smoke and mirrors industry, his authenticity was never to be questioned, as he laid it all on his records, never shying away from the demons that constantly kept him in the headlines.
That’s what makes his death such a tough pill to swallow. When someone shares as much of themselves as DMX did, you can’t help but care about their wellness. Before this tragic turn of events, there were reports of an upcoming album and a re-invigorated DMX.
Nevertheless, it is better to rejoice in the life that DMX got to live, rather than his death. For he gave us everything he had. He has been on the opposite ends of the spectrum, reaching highs that most wouldn’t dare dream of, to experiencing lows that many can’t even imagine. In that sense, DMX lived a complete life, as he truly gave us all he had.
Brooklyn Lo-fi indie R&B duo Fake Dad strike back with their silky smooth new EP Old Baby. The duo consist of Andrea de Varona as the lead vocalist and Josh Ford doing most of the albums production. The EP releases today on all streaming services.
Old Baby is a masterclass example of creating a vibe. Personality oozes out of every corner of this EP and that is largely thank to the project’s supreme production along with de Varona’s incredibly serene vocals. Verona’s voice glides effortlessly over the production on nearly every song on this EP. Several songs such as “Listen” see Verona’s vocals distorted and mixed in some incredibly inventive ways. The signature nasally deliver of Verona makes every song incredibly comforting and welcoming. Ford comes through on the song “Breakfast In New York” adding a refreshing bass filed contrast to Verona’s high pitched R&B inflection.
Verona’s vocals is only one half of the equation as the production is a feat of its own. The glossy production is reminiscent of contemporary indie band with a classic R&B flare added by de Varona’s vocals. The groovy bass leads and chilled out synth keyboards are a highlight in songs like “Breakfast in New York”.
A unique assortment of instruments are present on the EP, with every song having its own uniquely identifiable musical motif. Motifs such as the trumpet present on the song “Knit Sweater” acts as a lowkey corner stone to the songs peaceful energy.
Fake Dad take listeners on a trip down memory lane — but it feels closer to a cautionary tale than a fond retelling.
The Wild Honey Pie
Old Baby offers the perfect soundtrack to any relaxing experience, weather that be studying or chilling at the beach. The universality embodied by this album makes it recommendable to nearly everyone. The smooth vocal will satisfy any R&B fan and the mix between hip hop and indie pop will be loved by any fans of each respective genre. The EP is available for purchase here.
Key Tracks: Pretty/Ugly, Breakfast in New York, Knit Sweater
Queens artist Greywolf debut album Operation Wolf has been hotly anticipated. In preparation for the album, Greywolf has released a new single – “Temple.”
Greywolf is a one man project masterminded by Jason Grey – lead singer, multi-instrumentalist, and producer. “Operation Wolf” see’s Grey dive into a lot of heavy themes with his unique blend of electronic, punk and indie. Operation Wolf is a culmination of a lifetime of fighting, dreaming and loving. The lyrics are fusion of poetry, journal entries and incantations — and at times a lucid journey into my own psyche.
Lead singles for the album include “Exit Key” and the newest release – “Temple,” which features Aya Nori. Grey is also the co-founder and bassist for the band Escaper. Escaper has had a solid career so far, sharing the stage with the likes of Aqueous and Karl Denson.
“Temple” touches on released, cutting of chains of everything that has weighted you down. Whether it be shame, adversity, betrayal – making a conscious choice to live your best life and project love even in times of peril.
Live For Live Music
Other songs on the album include “Arcade” and “End of Days.” “Arcade” is based on the notion that life can feel like a video game. People are constantly trying to get to the next level — at times not realizing there is a lesson to be learned. Survival is a key theme here and being able to grab the joystick and be your own hero. “End Of Days” touches on not only the idea of global apocalypse but of the personal apocalypse one may face in their own lives.
Due to the ongoing pandemic leaving endless musicians and venues in the dark, Tedeschi Trucks Band has postponed their 2021 Wheels of Soul Tour to the summer of 2022.
Led by the husband and wife team of guitarist Derek Trucks and vocalist/guitarist Susan Tedeschi, the twelve-member strong Tedeschi Trucks Band is acclaimed by fans and critics alike, and devoted to their presence on stage. The annual summer tour is meticulously crafted, with past guests including Sharon Jones & The Dap-Kings, Los Lobos, and Drive By-Truckers.
The legendary Los Lobos, longtime TTB friends and collaborators, and veterans of 2016’s Wheels of Soul will replace St. Paul and the Broken Bones and join the multi-band bill for the 2022 amphitheater run.
“We are extremely disappointed at having to postpone Wheels of Soul again,” says Derek Trucks. “We’re all missing the energy of live music – and there’s nothing like playing these large, outdoor shows alongside bands we admire. We were really hoping to get back on stage and dive into some fun big-band collaborations with St. Paul, but unfortunately, with all the uncertainty, it just couldn’t work this year.”
As the world is slowly receiving vaccinations, the band is organizing some socially-distanced, limited capacity concerts for the summer of 2021. However, in 2022, Tedeschi Trucks’ Wheels of Soul Tour will be coming to several New York cities such as Canandaigua, Patchogue, and Lewiston. Current Wheels of Soul tickets will be honored for rescheduled 2022 shows. Fans who are unable to attend rescheduled shows should contact point of purchase for refund options.
WHEELS OF SOUL – 2021 DATESNEW 2022 DATES 6/26 Jacksonville, FL Daily’s Place Rschd: 6/24/22 6/27 Mobile, AL Mobile Civic Center Rschd: 6/25/22 6/30 Canandaigua, NY CMAC Rschd: 7/1/22 7/2 Saratoga Springs, NY SPAC Rschd: 7/3/22 7/3 Gilford, NH BNH Pavilion Rschd: 7/2/22 7/4 Essex Junction, VT Midway Lawn Rschd: 7/9/22 7/6 Philadelphia, PA Mann Rschd: 7/8/22 7/9 Raleigh, NC Walnut Creek Rschd: 7/21/22 7/10 Charlotte, NC PNC Music Pav Rschd: 7/23/22 7/11 Cincinnati, OH Riverbend TBA 7/13 Lewiston, NY Artpark Rschd: 7/12/22 7/14 Indianapolis, IN White River Rschd: 6/28/22 7/15 Aurora, IL RiverEdge Park Rschd: 7/26/22 7/17 New Haven, CT Westville Music Bowl Rschd: 7/6/22 7/18 Patchogue, NY Great South Bay Rschd 7/10/22 7/20-21 Vienna, VA Wolf Trap Rschd: 7/19/22 7/23-24 Atlanta, GA Fox Theatre Rschd: 7/15-7/16 7/25 Huber Heights, OH Rose Music Center Rschd: 7/24/22 7/27 Harrington, DE Delaware State Fair Cancelled 7/30-31 Morrison, CO Red Rocks TBA
The Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium is hosting the 22nd Annual Brooklyn Jazz Festival from April 16 to April 30th.
Brooklyn’s longest continuously running festival dedicated to Jazz is excited to come back after taking 2020 off due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The series offers a blend of in person and and online musical events, with several pop up food booths being present at the conecerts. The in person concerts are located at restaurants located throughout Brooklyn in the neighborhoods of Bedford-Stuyvesant, Clinton Hill, Crown Heights, East New York, and Gowanus. All programs and concerts are free to the public and follow NYS mandated Covid Social Distancing Guidelines.
The festival offers a diverse array of performers, including the likes of Gerry Eastman Trio, The Mat Baker Trio, The October Revolution and Grammy Nominee Nicole Zuraitis. The festival simultaneously encourages people to experience the borough’s unique ethnic enclaves and sample international cuisines. Participating institutions, organizations, and venues are Fusion East, Lila’s Café, Nostrand Social, Kingsborough Community College, Rome Neal’s Banana Puddin’ Jazz, Sistas’ Place, and Williamsburg Music Center.
The social impact remains long after this music series and is less noticeable. Building relationships among neighboring businesses, interactions among the different ethnic groups, and memorable experiences are some of the intangible advantages derived from bringing people together in this environment.
Clarence Mosely Jr, CBJC Chariman
Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium is a nonprofit organization founded in 1999, provides services and is a presenter of live music events within Brooklyn’s underserved communities. The Consortium was founded and organized by Torrie McCarthy, Viola Plummer and Alma Carrol. For the past 22 years, The Central Brooklyn Jazz Consortium has produced an annual jazz festival, established a Brooklyn Jazz Hall of Fame, and featured local jazz talent in its programming.
The Great South Bay Music Festival has announced that they will be postponing their event this year. Instead, this Long Island festival is rescheduled to July 7-10, 2022. With the loss of both the 2020 and 2021 festivals to the pandemic, this is a heavy disappointment. However, the health and safety of everyone are of utmost importance.
All 2020 and 2021 tickets will be honored for GSB 2022. No further action is necessary, and holding onto these tickets will also protect you from expected price increases next year. However, if this is not a viable option, GSB will offer refunds and provide information shortly.
Additionally, The Tedeschi Trucks Band‘s Wheels of Soul Tour has also been postponed and will now be performing at the Great South Bay Music Festival in 2022. The rest of the headliners for this event will be confirmed very soon, so stay tuned.
As an independent festival, GSB has acknowledged its lack of support and safety net compared to more prominent festivals. With close monitoring of lifted restrictions and a rise in the number of cases, GSB believes their decision will benefit everyone in the long run. The festival wishes to provide its audience with an authentic and lively experience, which would best take place next year.
Along with the rescheduled Great South Bay Music Fest dates, a “re-imagined” festival is in the works. This multi-day festival called EBB-Fest will take place October 1-3 at Shorefront Park. EBB-Fest is a tribute to the retreat and falling of this pandemic. This event will present a few national acts but be more focused on supporting local artists, serving as a celebration of the death of this virus and an opportunity to share live music!
Great South Bay Music Fest Shares:
I can honestly say that all of us here at GSB love and miss you, our fest family. We can’t wait to be walking through the crowd, hearing the music and seeing the smiles on all of your faces again, with the cool breeze and backdrop of the magnificent Great South Bay!
Bandits on the Run, hailing from New York City, premiere their brand new music video today for their song “Hurricane” on NYS Music.
A powerhouse trio, Bandits on the Run was formed in New York City. Adrian Blake Enscoe serves as both guitarist and percussion section, using a suitcase drum and foot tambourine. Sydney Shepherd is the cellist and writes string arrangements. Regina Strayhorn is the accordionist, melodica player, glockenspieler, and plays a mean shakey banana.
They have appeared at the ASCAP Cafe Stage at Sundance, shared the bill with artists like Aaron Lee Tasjan, Rain Phoenix, and Matt Berninger of The National. They’d been selected for SXSW 2020 and built a tour that included an appearance at The Kennedy Center and an opening slot for Larkin Poe at NYC’s famed Webster Hall, before the pandemic struck down the best-laid plans of every mouse and man ‘round the globe.
“Hurricane” is one of the singles off of their upcoming EP Now Is The Time which is dropping on May 21, 2021. This video has a much more conceptual approach than their other videos which is something the band was attempting to do. The video not only highlights the group’s musical ability but their artistic vision. Between the overlaid colors, fluid dance moves, harmonies, and the swoopy white dress, the video definitely gives off some early Florence + the Machine vibes.
For the video the band enlistment of choreographer and director Lane Halperin who helped create a clear and powerful and compelling story that resonates with the song’s message and meaning. The video also used images from filmmaker and visual artist Ian McClerin that were projected on the wall, their faces, and on the big white dress. They used these images in tandem with the dance and movement to enhance the dreamlike and subconscious atmosphere of the story.
The music video was produced by Bandits on the Run who also served as the production company. It was filmed, colored, and edited by Bart Cortright. It featured Lane Halperin and Landes Dixon as dancers. Grace Pendelton was the camera assistant and Chris Weihert the First Assistant director. The band also gives special thanks to Luke Slattery, Sophia Schrank, Rebecca Handler & Ruby Bird Studios for their help with the video.
For more information on Bandits on the Run visit their website.
Hip hop legend DMX’s long battle with addiction took a turn for the worse when it was reported that the “How’s It Goin’ Down” rapper had overdosed and was in a vegetative state, with TMZ reporting that the prognosis was not good. It was also revealed by Murray Richman, a lawyer who has represented the rapper-actor for 25 years, that DMX (born Earl Simmons) was hospitalized after he had a heart attack at his home in White Plains, N.Y., on Friday, April 2, according to the New York Times.
The Grammy-nominated rapper has been deemed in critical condition, with the general public worried that this might be another tragic and premature death to a beloved entertainer.
Although an icon in the hip hop realm and beyond, DMX has a long and well-documented history of substance abuse and addiction, something that has been a common theme in his music throughout the years. In a November 2020 episode of Talib Kweli’s People’s Party podcast, DMX went in-depth, explaining that he was tricked into smoking crack, when a regular smoking encounter with his rap mentor, Ready Ron, took a turn for the worse when his blunt was laced with the addictive substance. In an emotional moment where ‘X struggled for words, he admits that’s when “the monster was born.”
The solemn news was met with an outpouring of support for DMX, with fans and peers of the rapper taking to social media to show their support. After his condition was made public, members of the Ruff Ryders Sports Bike Organization gathered outside of the White Plains hospital that is currently treating the embattled star. As documented by FOX5, the motorcycle crew rolled in, playing DMX’s music in an act of tribute.
As fans await updates on the beloved emcee, a prayer vigil was held outside of the same White Plains hospital. Hosted by ‘X’s family, the streets were filled as speakers played DMX’s voice mid-prayer.
Fans of DMX are currently holding a prayer vigil outside White Plains Hospital, where the rapper remains on life support pic.twitter.com/6F2WbIgNki
It is reported that he is scheduled to undergo critical brain function tests that will determine the rapper’s prognosis, according to his manager, Steve Rifkind.
“DMX is currently on life support and in a coma. There are multiple people with inaccurate information about his well-being and it is not helpful and productive,” Rifkind told NBC News Tuesday night. “Tomorrow he will undergo further tests on his brain function and his family will determine what’s best from there.”
Langston Hughes, full name James Mercer Langston Hughes, was born around February 1st, 1902 in Joplin, Missouri. He was raised by his mother and grandmother, and grew up in a series of towns across the United States midwest, showing a proficiency in writing from a young age.
His tumultuous childhood may have given him the experiences that made him such a profound writer down the line. By the age of 12, Hughes had already lived in 6 different American cities.
Furthermore, by the time he released his first book, Hughes had already been to Mexico, West Africa, the Azores, the Canary Islands, Holland, and worked as a doorman at a nightclub in Paris.
By the time of his high school graduation, Hughes had already written his first acclaimed poem, “The Negro Speaks of Rivers.”
This poem would be published in The Crisis, the official magazine of the NAACP and the world’s oldest black publication.
After graduating, Hughes moved to New York City and attended Columbia University for one year before dropping out. During his time in the city, he explored Harlem and found the place where he’d establish his career.
It would be in this neighborhood that Hughes would play a central role in one of the most important cultural events of the 20th century. This event, the Harlem Renaissance, would be the flowering of African-American culture in the United States.
During this time, black artists, writers, and intellectuals would reconceptualize the African-American image separate from the stereotypes that they had been defined through by white society for centuries.
We younger Negro artists who create now intend to express our individual dark-skinned selves without fear or shame. If white people are pleased we are glad. If they are not, it doesn’t matter. We know we are beautiful. And ugly too.
Hughes writing, and many of his contemporaries writing, focused on the “low-life,” that is, the real lives of African-American’s who found themselves in the lower part of the social-economic system.
He was the first African-American man to make a living off of his writing and giving public lectures, and by doing proved wrong many white Americans who disregarded blacks simply because of their race. For one of the first times, whites considered a black writer to be on par with white contemporaries.
Hughes was also a pioneer of jazz-poetry, a form of literary art that is characterized by jazz-like rhythm and the feel of improvisation. The development and growth in popularity of jazz music was one of the ways the arts, specifically art created by African-American’s, flourished during the renaissance.
One of Hughes acclaimed poetry books, The Weary Blues, is a prime example of his unique style of phrasing that is influenced by jazz music. Here is a short excerpt from the book that exemplifies this style of poetry:
To the tune o’ those Weary Blues. With his ebony hands on each ivory key He made that poor piano moan with melody. O Blues!
The Weary Blues, a poetry book released by Hughes in 1926.
An Incredible Legacy
Langston Hughes had an everlasting impact on writing, as well as future generations of African-American artists. His approach to the portrayal of African-American life in writing at the time was new to many, and proved to be revolutionary.
His career was also unique and second to none. It took him all across the globe, and allowed him to develop into the visionary writer he came to be.
Besides being regarded for his poetry, Hughes also wrote plays, essays, short stories, and novels. He would also frequently travel across the United States, and to the Soviet Union, Japan, and Haiti to give lectures. He even served as a war correspondent for American newspapers during the Spanish Civil War.
As the years passed, new generations of African-American intellectuals and activists began to take issue with some of his viewpoints, perturbed by the fact that Hughes never really identified himself politically.
Although his popularity wavered at points throughout the years for these reasons, especially in the exceedingly racially turbulent second half of the 20th century, Hughes reputation as a trailblazer for the freedom of African-American art and culture is everlasting.
Langston Hughes died of complications of prostate cancer on May 22, 1967, but his legacy and profound impact on African-American culture and the world of literature lives on.
His home in Harlem, on East 127th street, received landmark status in the city of New York and was added to the National Register of Places in 1982.
Langston Hughes home in Harlem.
In most of his work, Hughes continued to discuss important issues regarding African-American’s in American society, and their experience in the face of centuries of discrimination and prosecution.
His work exemplified the attitude of the Harlem Renaissance, and he is remembered as a central figure of the era in which African-American culture blossomed and defied the prejudiced and discriminatory attitude that was cast upon it by American society.
