someone correct me, if i'm wrong, but i 'm pretty sure that there have been very few black country music entertainers that made it big in the industry. for that reason & more, charlie pride is a legend! Charlie Pride was the first black musician to ever to perform at the famous Grand Ole Opry. legend has it that pride taught himself to play guitar in his early teens, but took a brief detour pitching in the Negro American League for the Memphis Red Sox, Louisville Clippers, Boise Yankees and Birmingham Black Barons. Eventually however the music would draw him to Nashville; and by January 1966, Pride’s first single hit the airwaves. charlie pride would go on to record 36 #1 Hit singles, and sell more than 70 million records. he is also the second highest selling artist to ever record for rca records-behind only elvis presley. Charlie saw his name immortalized on the hollywood walk of fame in 1999; and inducted into the country music hall of fame in 2000. #respectthepioneers
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The game ain;t been the same since since B.I.G. died, and Wu swarmed on New York from out that beehive... November 9th marks the 20 years since "ENTER THE WU-TANG 36 CHAMBERS" hit the stores-and launched a revolution that would change the business of Hip Hop forever. Previously unknown to hip hop fans outside of New York, the original nine members are said to have chipped in $100 dollars apiece to press up the debut singles "PROTECT YA NECK" & "METHOD MAN." The success of those two singles would launch a bidding war, with the same record labels that dissed them just a year or so earlier vying for the opportunity to sign the crew to a deal. But it was Loud Records CEO Steve Rifkind that had the vision to sign The WU to a deal that would also allow each individual member to sign solo deals with the label of their choosing. The rise to super stardom came slow, as the album didn't really break into the mainstream until 1994; but once the single "C.R.E.A.M." was released, it was on... I remember it like yesterday. A close family friend-technically my sister-worked at Blockbuster Music I think; and dropped a promo copy on me. INSTANTLY I was taken back with the raw sound, ill concepts, Shaolin Kung Fu samples, and grimy lyrics. Based on 1993 standards, there just wasn't much of that going around. But along with A Tribe Called Quest & Black Moon, the foundation of the next Golden Age of Hip Hop (1994-1996) would be ushered in... I still rock this album today, as if it came out only a couple of years ago. Of course from here, the Wu Tang Clan would dominate the next four or five years of hip hop, and open even more doors with clothing lines, movies & more. So tonight I listen to the album that started the WU-REVOLUTION, and wait patiently for what will likely be their final album to drop next year. One metric often used to measure a Classic album, from the millions of others, is Still Knowing the Lyrics to the Song Years Later. Even if you haven't heard it in forever... Another, more important measurement would to gauge How an Album Changed the Course of that Particular Genre. For NWA, and there second album "STRAIGHT OUTTA COMPTON," both of these metrics emphatically apply here. Released 25 Years Ago today, S.O.C. was one of the first Hip Hop Albums to reach Platinum Sales status. Most notably, THIS WAS ACCOMPLISHED WITH ALMOST NO MAINSTREAM RADIO OR VIDEO PLAY. The Crew just simply toured, and relied on underground radio, to build a buzz. And that buzz grew so strong, that MTV had to come looking for them. I really don't recall BET ever really showing NWA much love; but of course BET's STANDARDS WERE FAR DIFFERENT BACK THEN. While NWA's lineup changed slightly with each album, clearly they were at their BEST on Straight Outta Compton. Blending Dr. Dre's unique & original production style, with super charged lyrical delivery from Ice Cube & MC Ren-and Superior Ghostwriting (by Cube & DOC) for Dre & Eazy E, gave the Hip Hop world something that had never really been heard before. NWA certainly were not the first "Gangsta Rappers;" but they were Far & Away the best. So while could, and will eventually, write about the negative affects that came from this change in the nature of Hip Hop Music-I choose now to Celebrate the Legacy of One of the Greatest Albums ever recorded... (Writers Note: My favorite song on the album was definitely "FUCK THE POLICE," with "I AIN'T THA 1" playing a really close second. In the latest installment of FUSE'S "CRATE DIGGERS" Series, we find Legendary Mixtape Dee Jay TONY TOUCH providing a tour of his more than 15,000 records. From Comedy albums, to Dance records, to Hip Hop, Reggae, Break-Beats & R&B-Tony provides crazy history & insight into the world of Crate-Digging, B-Boyism & Music Culture on a whole. Old School Heads will love this piece; and Young Cats could learn SO MUCH from Doing The Knowledge. For those not familiar with the CRATE DIGGER Series, we will be posting some of the best prior episodes soon. Gotta Keep The CULTURE Alive... Blue Note Records is a jazz label responsible for the birth and proliferation of Hard Bop-a merge of Be-Bop Jazz and other genres of music like blues, gospel and soul. Its peak era was from the late 30's to the late 50's. After which, the label was bought by a new owner who attempted to preserve its original integrity. The label was daring for several reasons: it was independent; funded by a known communist; and founded/administered by Jewish immigrants that recorded and paid Black musicians. Most of the acts during the peak era were largely lesser known, more obscure or sidemen at the time of their solo debuts. Blue Note served as their initial introduction to jazz listeners for several artists that went on to have grand careers. Miles Davis played back up for Cannonball Adderley, Herbie Hancock put out his first solo LP, Eric Dolphy, Freddie Hubbard, Lou Donaldson, Grant Green, Ron Carter, Donald Byrd, Sidney Bechet, Art Blakely and Horace Silver all recorded classic LPs on Blue Note during the peak era. Blue Note maintained a great roster of artists. Many of them stayed loyal throughout the peak period. Blur Note was unique in that it allowed the artist to have a say in the entire process of making the LP. It had some of the most intriguing LP covers usually black and white photos taken during the actual recording sessions. Be sure to view: Blue Note-A Story of Modern Jazz for more information on its history and the significant role the label played in shaping modern jazz music during the late 30's to late 50's. |
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