On September 29th, in 1969, the multi-talented producer, pianist, Emcee, singer, video director and songwriter-DeVante Swing AKA Donald Earle DeGrate Jr was born in Hampton, Virginia. He’s an original founding member of Jodeci (‘Jo’-Jo, ‘De’Vante, K-‘Ci’, younger brother Dalvin), they sang back up for Father MC with Mary J. Blige on the Uptown imprint (MCA subsidiary) during the late 80s. DeVante acted as the primary leader, producer and songwriter for the group when they came out in 1991 with Forever My Lady on the same label. He & Jodeci were the first to put Virginia on the map (musically at least). I place him up against Teddy Riley, who had the ‘New Jack Swing’ sound. DeVante’s sound was darker, more groove based and original.
His samples were sometimes recognizable and others times they weren’t. He also composed and wrote the lyrics for completely sample-less songs. DeVante believed in paying it forward. He reached back to his home state to cultivate such talents as: D’Angelo, Missy Elliot, The Neptunes, Timbaland & McGoo, Steve J, Ginuwine, Mad Skills, & Static Major. He worked closely with infamous video director-Hype Williams, as they co-directed Jodeci’s Feenin’. He also co-directed Freek’n’ You with Brett Ratner. Legal battles surrounding monetary issues coerced DeVante into changing the name of Jodeci to K-Ci & JoJo. However, he remained in the production and songwriting background for the duo. He’s 49 today.
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…(organ) ‘dearly beloved, we are gathered here today to get through this thing called life, electric word life it means forever, but I’m here to tell ya, there’s something else, the afterworld…A world of never ending happiness. You can always see the sun, day or night. So when you call up that shrink in Beverly Hills, you know the one-Doctor Everything’ll Be Alright. Instead of asking him how much of your time is left, ask him how much of your mind baby. Cuz in this life, things are much harder than in the after-world. In this life, you’re on your own. And if the elevator tries to bring you down, go crazy, punch a higher floor’…Now this song was Number 1 in the US for the first time On September 29th, in 1984.
It was the introduction track to the seminal Purple Rain LP and the Movie. This LP and Movie don’t share the typical book to movie disparity in accuracy. For example, most people read a good book, and then it turns into a movie, they go see it, and they’re disappointed in the movie, typically feeling that the book is better. It was the total reverse with Purple Rain, and that’s not to say that few movies exist that have awesome soundtracks but horrible story-lines/acting (i.e. Dolemite, Logan’s Run, Brother on the Run). However, this one doesn’t suffer from that plight. Prince & The Revolution made a groundbreaking soundtrack that captured the essence of the movie. Hats off to them!
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…‘like the fire needs the air, I won’t burn unless you’re there, you’re there…yea I need you, I need you to hate so I can use your energy, you know, it’s real shit, feel this’…On September 29th, in 2007, 50 Cent & Kanye were having a friendly rival…well, in reality, 50 was being extra cocky and said in several interviews and appearances that he’d retire from the game if Kanye’s new LP outsold his in a week…he retired…but peep how it went down. So, 50 was coming out with his Curtis LP and Kanye was coming out with Graduation. 50 sold 691,000 in the first week, not bad at all…But Kanye sold 957,000.
So, in true Word is Bond 50 fashion, he cancelled his scheduled London performance at the Mobo Awards and the Vodafone Live Music Awards Show. He also stopped the European tour. Last but not least, he cancelled his MTV show in Germany. All over being outsold by Kanye? I’m pretty sure there’s more to that than 50’s letting out. He’s a sharp cat, probably wanted to get out the rap game anyways so he picked an unprovoked fight with Ali in his prime (Kanye at the time)…Shortly after all of this, 50 got into his Starz series Power, which is very successful. I’m not a fan, but it’s not lame, if you’re into that type of show…Forever Wakanda…
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…‘next time that I see you…I’m gonna blow ya mind’…On September 29th, in 2011, the Mother of Hip Hop, Sugar Hill Records owner and former hit singer-Sylvia Robinson passed away in Secaucus, New Jersey. She got started with Blues/R&B guitarist Mickey Baker, who taught her how to play guitar. They had a hit as Mickey & Sylvia in 1957 (Love is Strange-Bo Diddley cover). She got married and started a solo career as Sylvia Robbins in the early 60s. She sang backup for Ike & Tina Turner, and by the late 60s, she was penning songs and playing guitar for acts like the Moments, Brother to Brother, Michael Jackson and Rhythm Heritage. She scored another hit in 1973 with Pillow Talk.
Her self titled LP from 1976 has some nice number on it as well: Next Time That I See You, Sweet Stuff & You Sure Love to Ball-which is a Marvin Gaye remake. After the disco era was coming to an end, Sylvia got into Hip Hop on a whim, putting together the session band Positive Force for her label. She released the first song in 1979-Rapper’s Delight by the Sugar Hill Gang (she put the group together after seeing a ‘jam’). She knew Hip Hop music would be lucrative (foresight). She went on to put out other acts on the label, Sequence, Treacherous Three, Funky 4+1, Grandmaster Flash & the Furious Five, Crash Crew, and West Street Mob to name a few. She was 76 when she died.
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On September 29th, in 2012, The press from across the pond (United Kingdom), published an interesting story about the daughter of the King of Rock ‘n’ Roll & ex-wife of the King of Pop-Lisa Marie Presley. Then 44 year-old Presley was spotted riding around in Mr Chippy selling food. She’d moved from Los Angeles, California in 2010, to a small village in Rotherfield, East Sussex. Mr Chippy was a mobile food truck that sold fish & chips.
The owner of Mr Chippy-Kim Scales told the press that: Lisa Marie likes to see how we live and experience British life. We were laughing because the customers didn’t know who she was. She really enjoyed it. The offspring of actress mother Pricilla and superstar Elvis wasn’t prissy about selling fish & chips to locals, no pun intended. She wore an apron and all, serving up cod like a soldier. I have a newfound respect for Lisa Maire for being down-to-earth enough to keep it street, literally…
| Honorable Mention: On September 29th, in 1945, the classic breakbeat makers-The Honney Drippers with Joe Liggins had a number 1 R&B US single with ‘The Honeydrippers’. The group went on to make the seminal breakbeat song-Impeach the President. This drum break has been sampled by everyone from Spoonie Gee, to Kool Herc, to Q-Tip, to Pete Rock, to Premier, to Hi-Tek, to Dr Dre, the list goes on. I think it’s been sampled by everyone outside the Culture of Hip Hop too, once sampling became ‘chic’…sidebar: remember when scratching was the rave after Herbie Hancock’s ‘Rock It’ came out? Every song had some scratches in it…ridiculous overkill if you ask me… |
…‘L.A, Cali-Forn-I-A, City of Angels, Hollywood!’…S.O. to Bootsy Collins. On September 29th, in 1998-the long-term Black Mayor of Los Angeles-Tom Bradley passed away in the same city he used to administer at age 80. The 38th Mayor of L.A., made history in 1973 when he won the race and became the second Black Man to run a major US city. He continued to make history by remaining in office for 20 years. It wasn’t until California passed a term limit law, that he was legally mandated to be unqualified to campaign or hold office any longer. Lame…that’s like the gun laws they passed when the Panthers stormed the State Legislature in Sacramento. To add, maybe if he was mayor, the Watts riots wouldn’t have jumped off? Got a gang truce out of it though…
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