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. Chuck D Is 53!!!Carlton Douglas Ridenhour, better known as CHUCK D of PUBLIC ENEMY, is hands down one the most powerful influences on the Man that I grew into being. He personified the definition of Boldness & Intelligence, at a time when those images were just Few & Far In-Between. As the Leader of Public Enemy, Chuck led an entire renaissance that took Hip Hop from Party Raps to actual Substance. A True Hip Hop Head, from early on in my youth; I remember vividly the IMPACT of hearing "LOUDER THAN A BOMB" & "TERMINATOR X TO THE EDGE OF PANIC" on the radio while visiting St. Augustine's College in the Summer of 1988. From there, there was no looking back. His references to Black Leaders, Important Black History Events & Tragedies, and other topics a teen in Nashville, Tn would have just not had the opportunity to learn about. And still to this day-be it that he & P.E. STILL TOUR 20+ YEARS LATER, or his Powerful & Blunt Speech at this year's Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Ceremony, or the many other contributions in between-I just want to thank that Brother for being the Legend & Leader that he has been for 53 Years. |
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