Wednesday MidDay Medley
TEN to NOON Wednesdays – Streaming at KKFI.org
90.1 FM KKFI – Kansas City Community Radio
Produced and Hosted by Mark Manning

Wednesday, February 19, 2025

WMM welcomes Les Izmore as Guest Producer

Mark welcomes Les Izmore, who joins us as Guest Producer. Les Izmore is a Africanfurist, a multi-disciplinary artist, a lover of music. Les Izmore is a musician, spoken word artist, producer, director, curator, poet, DJ, writer, percussionist, songwriter, music composer, beat maker, emcee and vocalist. Les Izmore is a creative centered around experimentation and love. His current project is now known as Les Izmore & The GOATS, it is a project that opens a portal to decolonized worlds using the technology of live looping, hand percussion, vocalization, collaboration and improvisation based off lyricism and heartfelt structured vibrations. Les is part of Arquesta Del SolSoul, a Kansas City-based, cosmic music collective, teleporting through indigeneity, decolonization, love and freedom.

Les Izmore will spin tracks from: Santigold, Lady Wray, Combo Chimbita, Adeta Marie, MFR Souls, Canalón de Timbiquí, The Black Creatures, serpentwithfeet with Ambré, & Alex Isley, Kelela, keiyaA, Amaarae, Bikini Kill, Death, Sweeping Promises, Tierra Whack, Gloria Jones, Lilblackkids, Georgia Anne Muldrow & Keith Rice, Los Rakas & Big Klef, AKU, The Roots, Outkast with Cee-Lo, Mach-Hommy, and Teedra Moses.

Les Izmore has shared the stage with such acts as: Kendrick Lamar, Shabazz Palaces, Public Enemy, Seun Kuti and the Egypt 80, Tank and the Bangas, Femi Kuti & The Positive Force ft. Mádé Kuti, KRS-ONE, dead prez, SOUL GLO, Lupe Fiasco, Mobb Deep, Reflection Eternal (Hi-Tek & Talib Kweli), Sadat X, Slick Rick, Snoop Dogg, Unknown Mortal Orchestra, Tef Poe, Hermon Mehari, Joc Max, Deejay Platinum, Emcee Reach, The Roots, Chance the Rapper, Del the Funky Homosapien, Combo Chimbita, Earthgang, Fashawn, Exile, Bahamadia, Georgia Anne Muldrow, Clipping, Mobb Deep, Radkey, Ozomatli, Making Movies, Las Cafeteras, Gio Chamba, Busdriver, Milo, Nocando, Open Mike Eagle (Hellfyre club), and The BUHS.

1. “Main Title Instrumental – It’s Showtime Folks”
   from: Orig. Motion Picture Soundtrack All That Jazz / Casablanca / December 20, 1979
   [WMM’s Adopted Theme Song]

2. Santigold – “L.E.S. Artistes”
from: Santigold / Downtown Music / April 29, 2008
[]Santogold is the debut studio album by musician and singer Santigold (who performed as Santogold at the time of the album’s release). The album was recorded within eight weeks in New York City at Schoolhouse and Pitch Black Studios. It was written and produced primarily by Santigold and former Stiffed bandmate John Hill, alongside contributions from other producers, including Diplo, Switch and Disco D, and vocal appearances from Spank Rock and Trouble Andrew. // This album incorporates a variety of musical styles, such as new wave, punk, electro, reggae and dub, with the aim of defying boundaries and genre classification. This genre-defying approach awarded the album with praise from music critics. It earned multiple spots on music publications’ year-end lists of the best albums of the year, as well as on several decade-end lists. The record charted in the United States, United Kingdom, Ireland, Netherlands, France and Belgium, and spawned the singles “Creator”, “L.E.S. Artistes”, “Lights Out”, and “Say Aha” // Santi White was born September 25, 1976 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to parents Ron White, an advisor to mayor John F. Street and Aruby Odom-White, a psychiatrist. She attended Germantown Friends School in Philadelphia, and later attended college at Wesleyan University, where she double-majored in music and African-American studies. Santi has described herself as “super-social and a connector of people” in her youth, growing up in Philadelphia. // She is known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold). She obtained her pseudonym in the 1990s after a friend gave it to her as a nickname. She worked for Epic Records as an A&R representative but left the position to co-write and executive produce How I Do, the singer Res’s debut album. // She was the singer of Philadelphia-based punk rock band Stiffed, which released the EP Sex Sells (2003) and the album Burned Again (2005). Both records were produced by Bad Brains bassist Darryl Jenifer. While in the band, White was offered a solo contract by Martin Heath of London-based independent label Lizard King Records. // Her debut studio album, Santogold (2008), was released by Atlantic Records and met with widespread critical praise for its cross-genre blending of dub, new wave, and hip hop music. Its second single, “L.E.S. Artistes”, peaked within the top 40 of the UK Singles Chart. // Her second album, Master of My Make-Believe (2012), was met with continued positive reception and peaked at number 21 on the Billboard 200. It spawned the single “Disparate Youth”, which entered the Bubbling Under Hot 100 and moderately entered charts in several countries. Her third album, 99¢ (2016), her second mixtape, I Don’t Want: The Gold Fire Sessions (2018), and her fourth album, Spirituals (2022), were each met with continued praise. The latter was described by The Guardian as a “whirlwind album full of feeling and fervour”. // Additionally, Santigold has collaborated with artists including Beastie Boys, Jay-Z, Kanye West, David Byrne, Mark Ronson, Karen O, ASAP Rocky, and Diplo. Her awards include “Best Breakthrough Artist” at the 2008 NME Awards, and the Vanguard Award at 2009 ASCAP Awards.]

3. Lady Wray – “Under The Sun”
   from: Piece of Me Big Crown Records / January 28, 2022
   [Lady Wray’s 2022 album Piece Of Me is one of my favorite releases for the year. Incredible vintage, sounding heartfelt R&B/ Soul music. With modernized takes on classic love songs. / Virginia-born singer/songwriter Nicole Wray has everything you’d want in a singer: an infectious Jackson-5-family-member flare, a range like Aretha’s, and a church upbringing that’s brought a pure, healing texture to her voice.]

4. Combo Chimbita – “Babalawo”
   from: IRE / Anti / January 26, 2022
   [Continuing their mystical saga, Combo Chimbita roar back onto the global stage with their cathartic new album, IRÉ, channeling the fear, rage and empathy of a world in flames into an urgent spirit of musical dissidence. The album’s evocative title is forged upon double-edged meaning: on one hand embracing the divinely inspired blessings and prosperity foretold by our spiritual elders, and on the other a brazen, propulsive affirmation of revolutionary futures in the making. Afro-Caribbean transcendance, bewildering chants, booming drums and psychedelic distortion lay the rhythmic foundation for IRÉ; a testament to the ever expanding scope of Combo Chimbita’s sonic palette and their modes of resistance in realms both spiritual and terrestrial. // Described by NPR’s Alt.Latino as an “otherworldly presence,” Combo Chimbita is the creative unity of Carolina Oliveros (vocals, guacharaca), Niño Lento es Fuego (guitar), Prince of Queens (bass, synthesizers) and Dilemastronauta (drums), who together transcend common concepts of time and nationality. As self-described Abya-yalistas seeking meaning beyond a Latin American framework, they carry the burning torch of an unbroken, insubmissive people, unshackling their essence from the cruelty of conquest throughout Abya Yala. “Music is a tool of connection across time, territory and generations,” says Prince of Queens, echoing the visual metamorphosis for single “Memoria” and Combo Chimbita’s own decolonial shedding of skin.]

5. Adeta Marie – “Community Ties”
   from: Passionfruit Flowers / Adeta Marie / June 28, 2023
   [Adeta Marie is a Kansas City based music maker and vocalist. She started playing out in 2019. She told Voyage KC magazine in September 9, 2021 that “Creating was a way to heal from life trauma and speak gently to myself and my experiences. Music was a way for me to feel and validate my struggle. My very first songs are very somber and talk a lot about sad things. If you follow my songs, they tell a story of how I feel and how much I’ve grown from my loneliest times. It took a while for me to feel comfortable expressing my art freely and openly, but I felt like the burden of judgment was lifted when I did. Ever since then, I’ve loved performing my art as much as I love creating it.” // Adeta Marie is also a licensed esthetician and self-taught MUA. She got her license in 2019, and has worked for Sephora and Lancôme. More info at: https://linktr.ee/AdetaMarie%5D

6. MFR Souls – “Love You Tonight (feat. DJ Maphorisa, Sha Sha & Kabza De Small)”
   from: The Beginning / South Africa – Sony / October 25, 2019
   [MFR Souls is a South African amapiano music duo founded in 2012 by Tumelo Nedondwe and Tumelo Mabe, both of whom are DJ and music producers from Katlehong in the East Rand of Johannesburg. They are regarded as being part of the pioneers of the ama piano sound, alongside Kabza de small, Jazzidiciples. Their hit single “Love You Tonight” was commercial success certified platinum in South Africa. // They met in 2009 at an event in Tokoza and eventually formed their group in 2013, Ma-Ero & Force Reloaded and later was named MFR Souls. // In December 2015, their 5 tracks Extended Play Bless The Souls was released. // In 2016 they released ama piano mixtapes. // On October 4, 2019, they released a single “Love You Tonight” featuring Sha Sha, Kabza De Small and DJ Maphorisa. The song was certified platinum in South Africa. At the 26th ceremony of South African Music Awards “Love You Tonight” was nominated for Best Collaboration and Best Music Video. Their collaborative album Scorpion Kings with Kabza De Small, Virgo Deep and DJ Maphorisa won Best Produced Album of the Year at SAMA 26 awards. On November 8, 2019, their Extended Play The beginning was released. // In early 2020, their single “Amanikiniki” featuring Kamo Mphela and Bontle Smith was released. The song debuted number 3 on RAM charts and was certified platinum with sales of 50 000 units. “Amanikiniki” was nominated for Record of the Year (fan-voted) and Music Video of The Year at 27th South African Music Awards and Song Of the Year at MAMA awards. On August 14, 2020, their second studio album Musical Kings was released. The album features Bontle Smith, Tshego, Zano, J’Something and Manu Worldstar. // On May 14, 2021, they released a single “Abahambayo” featuring Mzulu Kakhulu, Khobzn Kiavalla and DJ T-Man SA. // In October 12, they teased their second studio album Healers Of The Soul, released on November 12, 2021. In November 4, album pre-order were made available. // On April 1, 2022, their EP T-squared was released in South Africa. // In early May 2022, they were featured on Freedom Sounds: From Kwaito to Amapiano documentary by Spotify. // On May 5, 2023, the duo released their long-awaited single, “Bawo” featuring Russell Zuma, Shane907 & Locco MusiQ.]

7. Canalón de Timbiquí – “Qué Pena”
   from: Arrullando / Canalón de Timbiquí / January 30, 2016
   [The sweetly exuberant chanting of 5 female voices, the marimba, the drums & guasa percussion surrounding Nidia Góngora, Canalón embody the rich musical mix of African and Latin- American traditions unique to Colombia’s Pacific coast. // Canalon’s music echoes the ancestral sounds of the Afro-Colombian Pacific Coast, recreating the power and rhythm with the chonta marimba, the percussion instrument guasa and the bombs drum. The melodies of the marimba and voice reflect the sounds of the pacific coast, and the lyrics are about the jungles, rivers, miners and all of their surroundings in the town they are from – Timbiqui. Timbiqui, located in the Cauca state on the Pacific Coast, is where the group hails from. The group of female singers are led by Nidia Góngora (long-time Quantic collaborator) and are supported by a band using a range of traditional percussive instruments such as the tambora drum and the xylophone-style marimba with its unique, light sound. // With international interest in this traditional ‘pacifico’ music, Nidia Góngora has worked with producer, band leader, and DJ Quantic for the past five years in collaborations and tours across Europe. In 2012, Sofrito Records included in its compilation record the song LA ZORRA Y EL PEROL, one of Canalón’s classic songs. In the same year, the group made a cover of La Jeanne from renowed and beloved French artist George Brassens. // More info at: https://canalondetimbiqui.wixsite.com.%5D

10:33 – Underwriting

8. The Black Creatures – “TRUE FRIENDS”
   from: “TRUE FRIENDS” – Single / The Black creatures / September 17, 2021
   [The Black Creatures followed this single with their last full length record, By Thy Hand / from Center Cut Records on August 12, 2022. By Thy Hand was #1 on WMM’s 120 Best Rercordning of 2022. This new album follows their singles: “Criminal” on June 24, 2022, “Loud For Nothin” on May 27, 2022, and “True Friends” on September 17, 2021. After being signed to Center Cut Records the label remastered and reissued their album WILD ECHOES in 2020 and was named Album Of The Year from The Pitch Magazine. the original 2019 release of WILD ECHOES was #2 in WMM’s 119 Favorite Releases of 2019 (Albums & EPs). The Black Creatures fuse dark-pop hip-hop, soul, jazz, and electronic music with elements from science fiction to tell inter-dimensional stories of love, community, life, culture, history. Xavier & Jade have made an impression in the KC music community with their live shows in clubs, galleries, record stores, and area music festivals. The Black Creatures released their debut single “Mouth 2 Mouth” June 5, 2016. // Jade Green & Xavier Martin of The Black Creatures began working together in 2013. The Black Creatures blur the boundaries of hip-hop, dance, R&B, soul, and EDM, telling stories of real life, and the struggle for equality. Jade’s incredible vocals reveal their background in opera, and their honest lyrics are both personal and political. Jade can interpret soul, jazz, hiphop, and pop. Xavier Martin started music as a violinist, and has transitioned into a co-songwriter, producer, beat-maker, keyboardist, vocalist, engineer, and style maker. // From Center Cut Records Promo Materials: The Black Creatures blend contemporary styles of pop, hip-hop, dance, R&B, EDM and soul with cinematic and storytelling sci-fi/fantasy elements and themes. With the complex and creative approach The Black Creatures take to their art, a diverse audience regularly flocks to their gripping and intensely enchanting performances. // Representing the strange land of Kansas City, Missouri, Jade Green and Xavier began working together around the end of 2013 after meeting on-line talking about cosmetics. After Jade stumbled upon Xavier’s SoundCloud, they asked if they could put their vocals on it, and this led to future collaborations with no more than the intention to dabble. They couldn’t stop and eventually dubbed the project The Black Creatures. // Both Jade & Xavier write and perform vocals, with Xavier at the helm of production and composition. Jade Green has a vocal background in opera and a penchant for theatrics, and both are the foundation of their ever-evolving approach to writing and performing in The Black Creatures. While the instrumentals may set the tone for the show, Jade’s voice captivates the audience from beginning to end. Originally a violinist, Xavier unfurled into a producer and vocalist, maintaining the same air of intrigue and mystery throughout his compositions and performances in The Black Creatures. // After releasing Wild Echoes in the fall of 2020, and receiving Album Of The Year from The Pitch Magazine, high praise came from around the world for the four released singles and accompanying videos. “Wretched (It Goes)” was featured in the NPR Live Sessions “Songs For Change” when The Black Creatures were selected as one of 12 national artists, and included in 90.9 The Bridge’s Top 100 singles along with their song “D’ummm” which was in heavy rotation in the winter. Nuance Magazine wrote, “The Black Creatures take their musical talents and use them in such a way that forces listeners to not only tap their foot to a catchy tune, but pay attention and feel something about what is going on in the world around them. Tackling fascism, police brutality, and the deep-rooted effects of slavery in a rhythmic fashion is one thing. Simultaneously making it a good listen is another. However, The Black Creatures make it happen.” // Mark’s brief review: “Being named “Album of The Year” from The Pitch Kansas City was the recognition this young band deserved, because there is really no other band in Kansas City creating incredibly beautiful and painful protest songs in multi genre styles of beats, vocal styles, textures. The immediate personal and poetic lyrics of Jade Green and tribal, dance floor and soulful beats and melodies of Xavier bring the listener into a multicultural, mixed, gender fluid, soul celebration of life and an honest indictment of the racist, homophobic, and sexist world they are navigating through to survive. Listen carefully to these young music makers, they are wise beyond their years. They sound beautiful and speak the truth to power. They are beautiful. They are The Black Creatures.” Charlotte Street Foundation announced that the recipients of the 2022 Generative Performing Artist Awards are The Black Creatures and Calvin Arsenia Scott. Jade and Xavier completed performances in the world premiere of Christian A. Walker’s “What Came With Spring” for the Owen/Cox Dance Group October 7, 8, and 9 at City Stage Theatre, Union Station, 30 W Pershing Rd, KCMO ]
   
   The Black Creatures Discography
   The Black Creatures “Mouth 2 Mouth” – Single, June 5, 2016.
   The Black Creatures released their debut album, See No Evil, Dec. 6, 2017.
   The Black Creatures “Elements” – Single, February 14, 2018
   The Black Creatures “Silver Tears” – Single, June 19, 2018 w/ additional voices from: AniMal (Ana Marcela Maldonado Morales) , Barbara Solomon , Kassidee, Quaranta , Adres Va Cortas
   The Black Creatures “Dare” (Gorillaz Cover)” – Single, August 8, 2019
   The Black Creature – Wild Echoes – September 30, 2019
   The Black Creatures – “Turn” – Single, October 30, 2019
   The Black Creatures – “Quartz (Twilight)” – Single, November 13, 2019
   The Black Creatures – “SHINE” – Single, December 11, 2019
   The Black Creatures- “Ghost Bustin’ Dead Prezidentz” – Single, January 8, 2020
   The Black Creatures – “To Whom It May Concern” – Single, January 22, 2020
   The Black Creatures – “Arcade Love” – Single, February 5, 2020
   The Black Creatures – “Run Up” – Single, February 19, 2020.
   The Black Creature – Wild Echoes – September 30, 2019
   The Black Creatures – “wretched (it goes)”- Single [Center Cut], July 17, 2020 [remastered]
   The Black Creature – Wild Echoes – Album (Remastered] August 28, 2020 [Center Cut]
   The Black Creatures – “Negative Zero” – Single/Video [Center Cut]
   The Black Creatures – “FRIENDS” – Single/Video [Center Cut]
   The Black Creatures – BY THY HAND – album August 12, 2022

9. serpentwithfeet, Ambré, & Alex Isley – “Fellowship (Remix) ft. Ambré & Alex Isley (feat. Ambré & Alex Isley)”
   from: DEACON’S Grove – EP / Secretly Canadian / November 5, 2021
   [Jonathan Josiah Wise was born July 9, 1988 and is known as serpentwithfeet, is an R&B singer based in Brooklyn, NYC. Wise signed with the English record label Tri Angle to release his debut EP, Blisters (2016). He entered a joint venture with Secretly Canadian to release his debut studio album, soil (2018), which was met with critical acclaim. His second EP, Apparition (2020), and his second and third albums, Deacon (2021) and Grip (2024), were each met with continued critical praise. // Wise was raised in Baltimore, Maryland. He grew up in a religious family; his father owned a Christian bookstore and his mother was a choir director. Wise joined the church choir as a child and grew up with classical and gospel music as a primary influence. // When he was 11 years old his mother asked him if he wanted to audition for the Maryland State Boychoir and, ignoring his refusal, she signed him up anyway and he ended up loving it. This was his introduction to classical vocal music. He realized from this experience that there was a lack of diversity in the choir and there was “not much room for the black voice.” // He attended high school at Baltimore City College, a school for gifted and talented students that was known for their internationally competitive choir. At the age of 14, he competed in choir competitions with his school choir in Europe and won trophies. He said in an interview with Loud and Quiet: “It was all black kids, but our repertoire was predominantly classical. And that blew my mind.” After this, Wise decided that he wanted to become a world-class performer and he started taking vocal lessons to become a classically trained opera singer. // He later moved to Philadelphia, where he attended the University of the Arts. Although Wise was initially interested in becoming a classical opera singer, he was rejected from conservatories he applied to. // After leaving the University of the Arts, Wise spent time in Paris and in Philadelphia’s neo-soul scene. However, his voice was seen as closer in tone to opera than to his peers in neo-soul. Wise then moved to New York, where he released his first single “Curiosity of Other Men” in 2014. // The song led to Wise’s eventual signing with Tri Angle in 2015 and the release of Wise’s debut EP, Blisters, in 2016. The EP featured production from the Haxan Cloak, who has worked with artists including Björk and the Body. Blisters debuted to extremely positive reviews from critics. // Wise began work on his debut studio album Soil in 2017 with producers including Clams Casino, Katie Gately, and Adele collaborator Paul Epworth. The album was released on June 8, 2018, to positive reviews from critics.AllMusic observed that serpentwithfeet brought avant-garde elements into his usual mix of R&B, gospel and classical sounds to create a sense of aching sadness. // In 2017, Wise went on tour with the band Grizzly Bear as their opener. On the Brockhampton album Iridescence (2018), Serpent-withfeet features on the song “Tonya”, which was first performed live on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon. He appeared on a remix of Björk’s “Blissing Me” (2017), and performed in concert with Björk on her 2019 Cornucopia tour. In 2019, he also served as the opening act in selected dates of Rosalía’s El Mal Querer Tour. // On June 26, 2019, he released a song “Receipts”, which featured Ty Dolla Sign. In 2020, Wise was featured in a track titled “Start” in Ellie Goulding’s fourth studio album Brightest Blue, and collaborated with Ty Dolla Sign again by singing background vocals and writing on Ty Dolla Sign’s song “Ego Death”, a collaborative track with Kanye West, FKA Twigs, and Skrillex, and additionally appeared on an interlude on Ty Dolla Sign’s 2020 album, Featuring Ty Dolla Sign. // He also announced his upcoming EP Apparition, via Secretly Canadian. Apparition was released on April 29, 2020. Made up of three songs, it includes the single “A Comma”, “This Hill”, and “Psychic”. // On January 8, 2021, he was featured in Virgil Abloh’s single titled “Delicate Limbs”. // In January 2021, Serpentwithfeet announced his second studio album Deacon, and release the lead single “Fellowship”, co-produced with Sampha and Lil Silva. The album released on March 26. In August 2022, Serpentwithfeet released “On Air”, a collaboration with Moby, released on the Always Centered at Night label. On September 30, 2022, he was featured on “Fungal City”, one of the songs on Björk’s album Fossora, marking their second collaboration. //Wise is gay and from a young age used gospel music to express his sexuality.]

10. Kelela – “LMK”
    from: Take Me Apart / Warp Records / October 6, 2017
    [Kelela Mizanekristos (Amharic: ከለላ ሚዛነክርስቶስ, käläla mizanäkərəsətosə, [kələla mizanəkrɨstos]) was born June 4, 1983. She is an American singer. She made her debut in the music industry with the release of her 2013 mixtape Cut 4 Me. In 2015, she released Hallucinogen, an EP which deals with the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order. Her debut studio album, Take Me Apart, was released in 2017 to critical acclaim. After a nearly 5-year hiatus, Kelela released her second album, Raven, in February of 2023. // A second-generation Ethiopian American and an only child, Mizanekristos was born in Washington, D.C., on June 4, 1983. Growing up in Gaithersburg, Maryland, she learned to play the violin in fourth grade and sang in her school’s choir. In 2001, she graduated from Magruder High School. After transferring from Montgomery College to the American University, Mizanekristos began singing jazz standards at cafés. In 2008, she joined an indie band called Dizzy Spells and sang progressive metal after meeting Tosin Abasi, whom she later dated. In 2010, she moved to Los Angeles, where she currently lives, in addition to London. // In November 2012, Mizanekristos began work on her debut mixtape with already two recorded songs. She later quit her job as a telemarketer to fully pursue her career as a musician. Having moved to Los Angeles, Mizanekristos connected with Teengirl Fantasy and contributed to the group’s 2013 album Tracer on the song “EFX”, which led her to meet Prince William from the label Fade to Mind. He introduced her to the sound of the record label and its sister imprint from London, Night Slugs. In May 2013, she appeared on Kingdom’s “Bank Head”, and five months later released her mixtape Cut 4 Me for free. Harriet Gisbone of The Guardian described the mixtape as “an experiment for the production team, the first time the production crew had used vocals on their club tracks.” Her track “Go All Night” was included on Saint Heron, a multi-artist compilation album released by Solange Knowles. The mixtape was heavily influenced by grime music, a popular electronic genre based in the UK, and helped revive the subgenre known as rhythm & grime. // In December 2013, DJ Kitty Cash released her Love the Free mixtape, which featured her song “The High”. Mizanekristos later released the track herself on February 4, 2014, on her SoundCloud.She also featured on Bok Bok’s song “Melba’s Call”, which was released on March 5. On March 3, 2015, Mizanekristos announced the release of her first EP, Hallucinogen, alongside the release of the lead single, “A Message”, and its accompanying music video. The second single, “Rewind”, was released on September 2. The EP covers the beginning, middle, and end of a relationship in reverse chronological order, and includes the previously shared “The High”. // In 2016, Mizanekristos was featured on “A Breath Away” from Clams Casino’s 32 Levels, “From the Ground” from Danny Brown’s Atrocity Exhibition, and “Scales” from Solange’s A Seat at the Table. In February 2017, she took part in Red Bull Sound Select’s 3 Days in Miami. Later that year, she was featured on the track “Submission” alongside rapper Danny Brown and provided additional vocals on the track “Busted and Blue” from Gorillaz’s album Humanz. // On July 14, 2017, Mizanekristos announced her debut studio album, Take Me Apart. It was made available for pre-order on August 1 alongside the release of the lead single, “LMK”. Three more singles preceded the album, “Frontline”, “Waitin” and “Blue Light”, before it was released on October 6, 2017. The album received widespread acclaim from music critics and featured on various year-end lists. It was also included in the 2018 edition of the book 1001 Albums You Must Hear Before You Die. The music critic Craig Jenkins noted heavy electronic instrumentation on the album with “deconstructed dubstep wubs in ‘Blue Light’ and used the Roland synth that gave ‘Jupiter’ its name—an instrument famous for its blaring leads—to play sultry chiptune instead.” // On June 13, 2018, Mizanekristos was featured on the Girl Unit remix of the song “WYWD”, which served as the lead single from his upcoming album, Song Feel. The two have previously worked together on Cut 4 Me’s “Floor Show” and Hallucinogen’s “Rewind”. // On September 12, 2018, Mizanekristos announced Take Me a_Part, the Remixes, a remix album consisting of remixes from her debut album, and shared a remix for “LMK” featuring Princess Nokia, Junglepussy, Cupcakke and Ms. Boogie. The album features contributions from Kaytranada, Rare Essence, Serpentwithfeet and others. On September 26, Mizanekristos shared Kaytranada’s “Waitin” remix as the second single from the album. The album was released on October 5, 2018, making it a year since the release of Take Me Apart. // On September 13, 2022, Mizanekristos released “Washed Away”, her first single in five years along with a music video. On November 15, 2022, Mizanekristos announced her second studio album, Raven, would be released in early 2023. “Happy Ending”, “On the Run”, “Contact”, and “Enough for Love” were also released as singles prior to the release of the album. // On February 10, 2023, Raven was released. She performed “Enough for Love” on The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon the same day. // Raven includes collaborators such as Asmara from Fade to Mind’s NGUZUNGUZU, Philadelphia-based DJ and producer LSDXOXO, German ambient duo OCA, and Toronto DJ BAMBII. The album showcases Black futurist art and electronic music sharing inspiration with Stevie Wonder, Herbie Hancock, and Sun Ra to Janelle Monáe, Solange, Beyoncé, Drexciya and Aaliyah. // On November 10, 2023, Mizanekristos was featured on PinkPantheress’ debut album, Heaven Knows, on the song “Bury Me”. // On December 6, 2023, Mizanekristos announced the release of her second remix album Rave:N, the Remixes, a compilation of remixes from her album Raven released earlier that year. The album was released on February 9, 2024. “Contact (Karen Nyame KG Remix)”, “Closure (Flexulant x BAMBII Remix feat. RahRah Gabor & Brazy)”, “Happy Ending (A.G. Remix)”, and “Holier (JD. Reid Remix) [feat. Shygirl]” were singles leading up to the release of Rave:N, the Remixes. A music video was released for “Closure (Flexulant x BAMBII Remix feat. RahRah Gabor & Brazy)” along with vignettes for the other singles. // Kelela openly identifies as queer. In 2020, the artist made a reading primer that contained essays and literature, podcasts and videos, and documentaries as reference material for her friends, family and business partners. Resources included Reader on Misogynoir by Kandis Williams, The will to change by bell hooks and Algorithms of Oppression by Safiya Umoja Noble; the Seeing White podcast and IGTV videos from Sonya Renee Taylor about Black labour called Are you stealing from Black folks? and More on Stealing from Black People: Right Relationship Beyond Capitalism; and The Last Angel of History (1996), which features interviews from the late Octavia E Butler and Greg Tate. The material inspired similar primers created and shared during the George Floyd protests and uprisings in 2020.]

11. KeiyaA – “Do Yourself a Favor”
    from: Forever, Ya Girl / Forever Recordings / March 27, 2020
    [This album was part of WMM’s 120 Best recordings of 2020. The debut album from KeiyaA originally from Chicago, now based in NYC. Written and produced by keiyaA, featuring additional production from dj blackpower & dj cowriiie. Mixed & mastered by BSTFRND. // Chakeiya Camille Richmond was born July 28, 1992. She is known professionally as Keiyaa (stylized as KeiyaA), is an American singer-songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and a record producer. She independently released her debut album Forever, Ya Girl in 2020. // Chakeiya Camille Richmond was born and raised in Chicago on the city’s south side. During childhood she sang in the Chicago Children’s Choir until switching to the alto saxophone in seventh grade. She cited soul artists including Chaka Khan, Patrice Rushen, jazz musicians like John Coltrane and Miles Davis and R&B groups such as SWV as early musical influences. She also finds inspiration in goth and post-punk/alternative rock artists like Nirvana and Siouxsie and the Banshees. // Richmond attended University of Illinois at Chicago and Columbia College to study jazz and play alto sax before leaving due to disillusionment with the program’s hierarchical nature, as well difficulty balancing school with working full-time. Shortly after she decided to pursue music professionally. // While still playing and performing on alto sax, she collaborated with Chicago musicians including Noname and Vic Mensa. She decided to switch her focus to solo work producing and singing R&B and electronic music. Perform-ing under the name Keiya, she released her debut EP, WORK, in July 2015. It was described as “emotional, sleepy, and yet strikingly optimistic” by These Days magazine. Shortly after its release she moved to New York. She added an additional “A” to her name (KeiyaA) in order to differentiate herself from other performers on streaming sites. // KeiyaA’s debut album Forever, Ya Girl was released in March 2020 and self-produced under her personal label Forever Recordings. It was reviewed by Olivia Ovendon for KEXP as featuring “powerful mantra-esque lyrics, and woozy, heady, immersive beats in captivating fashion.” Esquire described the sound as “downcast grime and smooth R&B.” Pitchfork writer Clare Lobenfeld rated the album an 8.2/10 and praised its “resolute realness that can only happen outside the major label gaze.” Forever, Ya Girl was named to Pitchfork, Rolling Stone, and The Guardian’s “Best Albums of 2020” lists. // She performed an NPR Tiny Desk concert at her home on February 11, 2021. // Keiyaa resides in Brooklyn.]

12. Amaarae – “Sex, Violence, Suicide”
    from: Fountain Baby / Golden Angel LLC – Interscope / June 9, 2023
    [Ama Serwah Genfi was born July 4, 1994. She is formerly known as Petrah and currently known as Amaarae, an American-Ghanaian singer & songwriter. She is known for her fusion of pop, R&B, afrobeats, and alté, as well as her fluid representation of gender and sexuality. After collaborating with local artists and putting out a few singles, she released her debut EP, Passionfruit Summers, in 2017. // In 2020, Amaarae released her debut album The Angel You Don’t Know to critical acclaim. The song “Sad Girlz Luv Money” featuring Moliy gained popularity on TikTok. In 2021 the song was remixed with a feature from Kali Uchis and charted globally. Pitchfork labeled the album “Best New Music” and named it the 19th best album of 2020. // On June 9, 2023, she released her highly anticipated second album Fountain Baby to rave reviews. // Amaarae was born in the Bronx, New York to Ama Bawuah and Kwadwo Boateng Genfi and was raised between Atlanta, United States and Accra, Ghana. She is the eldest of two children. Amaarae wrote her first song at the age of 13. During her teenage years, she enjoyed watching music videos and said that one of her most vivid memories was watching the music video for the Kelis song “Young, Fresh n’ New”. She recalls Kelis’ unique expression being an inspiration for her. // During high school, she started making mixtapes. By the age of 17, she took up an internship at a music studio. At a tertiary institution, she undertook voice training and honed her songwrit-ing skills while studying English literature. She returned to Ghana in June 2017. // Amaarae released her debut project Passionfruit Summers in 2017. The album features the song “Fluid”, which was complemented by a music video. // Amaarae was named one of Apple Music Africa’s Favourite New Artists in April 2018 and later that year became an Apple Music Beats 1 featured artist[16] for her debut project Passionfruit Summers which she released through her independent record label, Golden Child LLC on November 30, 2017. In Nov. 2018 she performed with Teni, BOJ and Odunsi (The Engine) at ART X Lagos, an art fair in Lagos, Nigeria. // Amaarae has also been acknowledged for her style and fashion sense. In 2018, she was featured in Vogue online in an article on four women across the globe with buzz haircuts and was mentioned as one of Vogue online’s Top 100 Style Influencers of 2018. She was nominated as Artist of the Year at the Glitz Style Awards in Ghana. She has also patronized Ghanaian fashion brand Free The Youth. On March 23, 2019, Amaarae was chosen to perform at the first Boiler Room event in Accra alongside La Meme Gang (A Collective comprising Nxwrth, RJZ, KwakuBS, Darkovibes, Kiddblack and $pacely) and rapper Kwesi Arthur. // Amaarae has since collaborated with Stonebwoy, Kojey Radical, M3NSA, Santi, Blaqbonez, Buju, Odunsi, B4bonah. In 2019, she collaborated with the Nigerian singer-songwriter Wande Coal. // On Nov. 12, 2020, Amaarae released her debut studio album, The Angel You Don’t Know. Owen Myers of Pitchfork wrote that it “crackles with innovation, a pacesetter at a time when industry bigwigs are waking up to the long-held truth that Africa is setting the global tempo for pop music.” // In May 2022, Amaarae, with Black Sherif, Stonebwoy and Smallgod met Kendrick Lamar when he visited Ghana and held a album listening party in Accra for his album, Mr. Morale & The Big Steppers. // On June 9, 2023, she released her 2nd album Fountain Baby. The release also came with the news that she’d become the first Ghanaian to appear on NPR Tiny Desk.] 

11:00 – Station ID

13. Bikini Kill – “Rebel Girl”
    from: The Singles / Bikini Kill Records / June 23, 1998
    [Bikini Kill is an American punk rock band formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990. The group originally consisted of singer and songwriter Kathleen Hanna, guitarist Billy Karren, bassist Kathi Wilcox, and drummer Tobi Vail. // The band pioneered the riot grrrl movement, with feminist lyrics and fiery performances. Their music is characteristically abrasive and hardcore-influenced. // After two full-length albums, several EPs and two compilations, they disbanded in 1997. The band reunited for tours in 2019 and 2022, with Erica Dawn Lyle on guitar in place of Karren. // Bikini Kill formed in Olympia, Washington, in October 1990, by Kathleen Hanna (vocals), Billy Karren (guitar), Kathi Wilcox (bass), and Tobi Vail (drums). Hanna, Vail, and Wilcox met while attending The Evergreen State College in Washington. Hanna also published a fanzine called Bikini Kill for their first tours in 1991. The band wrote songs together and encouraged a female-centric environment at their shows, urging women to come to the front of the stage and handing out lyric sheets to them. Hanna would also dive into the crowd to personally remove male hecklers. Such male concertgoers would often verbally and physically assault Hanna during shows when the tickets were still inexpensive and easily procured. However, the band’s reach included large male audiences as well as young women. // Fellow riot grrrl musician Lois Maffeo originally adopted Bikini Kill as a band name, inspired by the 1967 B-movie The Million Eyes of Sumuru. She and her friend Margaret Doherty used the name for a one-off performance in the late 1980s where they donned faux fur punk cave girl costumes. Vail liked the name and appropriated it after Maffeo settled on the band name Cradle Robbers. // After an independent demo cassette, Revolution Girl Style Now, Bikini Kill released the Bikini Kill EP on the indie label Kill Rock Stars. Produced by Ian MacKaye of Minor Threat and Fugazi, the released help establish the band’s audience. The band’s debut album, Pussy Whipped, was released in September 1993. Bikini Kill toured in London, England to begin working with Huggy Bear, releasing a split album, Our Troubled Youth / Yeah Yeah Yeah Yeah, and touring the UK. The tour was the subject of a documentary film by Lucy Thane titled It Changed My Life: Bikini Kill in the U.K. Upon their return to the United States, the band began working with Joan Jett of the Runaways, whose music Hanna described as an early example of the Riot Grrrl aesthetic. Jett produced the single “New Radio”/”Rebel Girl” for the band, and Hanna co-wrote several songs on Jett’s Pure and Simple album. // By the following year, Riot Grrrl was receiving constant attention in the media, and Bikini Kill were increasingly referred to as pioneers of the movement. Hanna called for a “media blackout” amongst Riot Grrrls, as they felt the band and the movement were being misrepresented by the media. The pioneer reputation endures but, as Hanna recalls, “[Bikini Kill was] very vilified during the ’90s by so many people, and hated by so many people, and I think that that’s been kind of written out of the history. People were throwing chains at our heads – people hated us – and it was really, really hard to be in that band.” // The band’s final album, Reject All American, was released in 1996. After the band’s breakup in 1997, a compilation of singles recorded between 1993 and 1995 was released in 1998 under the name The Singles. // During the summer of 1992, Karren, Wilcox, and Vail, along with Molly Neuman of Bratmobile, formed The Frumpies, touring as late as the early 2000s along with a similar Italian punk rock band Dada Swing. // Vail, notorious for her numerous side projects and being in several bands at a time, later resurfaced in a band called Spider and the Webs, and played with the Old Haunts until the band broke up in 2009. Kathi Wilcox played in the Casual Dots, who released albums in 2004 and 2022, and Billy Karren played in Ghost Mom. Hanna first contributed to an LP called Real Fiction as a member of the Fakes, and then turned to more dance-based new wave music (with similar feminist lyrical themes) on her solo debut, Julie Ruin. She then became a member of the political new wave outfit Le Tigre. After Le Tigre broke up, Hanna became the front woman of a band named after her solo project, The Julie Ruin, for which Wilcox plays bass. // In February 2016, a pro-Hillary Clinton clip utilizing the Bikini Kill song “Rebel Girl” began to go viral, but was taken down by Vail (who supported Bernie Sanders in the primary). // In 2017, Kathleen Hanna, Kathi Wilcox and Tobi Vail reunited to play one song at a book-release concert for Jenn Pelly’s book about the Raincoats. On January 15, 2019, Bikini Kill announced four U.S. shows, in New York and Los Angeles. The lineup for these shows included Hanna, Wilcox, Tobi Vail and touring guitarist Erica Dawn Lyle, who replaced Billy Karren in the lineup. The first show was April 25 at the Hollywood Palladium with Alice Bag as opener. In June the band played two European dates, in London at Brixton Academy, supported by Big Joanie, and with the Tuts and Child’s Pose opening. On September 15, they headlined the third day of the Riot Fest event in Chicago. /// On November 6, 2019, Bikini Kill announced a 13-date North American Tour for 2020, beginning in Olympia, Washington. The lineup for these shows was the same for the previous dates in 2019, and was scheduled to start March 13, 2020 at Olympia’s Capitol Theater. The remainder of the West Coast tour included shows in Victoria, B.C., where they were to be supported by Mecca Normal, and in Portland supported by the Lithics. The tour also included some European dates in June & August, including Oslo’s Øya Festival. The tour was rescheduled to 2022 in the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic. // In Oct. 2022 the band announced an Australian tour for March 2023, their first Australian shows in 26 years, touring to Hobart, Brisbane, Adelaide, Melbourne, the Golden Plains Festival in country Victoria, Perth and at the Sydney Opera House. Hanna, Wilcox and Vail were joined by touring guitarist Sara Landeau, who played with both Hanna and Wilcox in The Julie Ruin. Vail also fell ill for part of the tour, leaving the band’s Australian drum tech Lauren Hammel (also of Tropical Fuck Storm) to fill in on drums for the Victorian shows. // Early in 2020, in an interview with Pitchfork, Hanna stated that the band had no plans at the time to create new material. // Current members: Kathleen Hanna – lead vocals, bass, Tobi Vail – drums, occasional lead vocals; and Kathi Wilcox – bass guitar, backing vocals, guitar, occasional drums.]

14. Death – “Politicians In My Eyes” 
    from: …For The Whole World To See / Drag City Records / February 17, 2009  
    […For the Whole World to See is a studio album by the Detroit band Death, released in 2009 and consisting of various demos originally recorded in the mid 1970s. // In 1975 the band entered a studio to record a 12-song album. After refusing to change their group’s name, Death was turned away by Clive Davis of Columbia Records. Only seven songs were completed and the album was never released. The surviving songs were released as …For the Whole World to See in 2009 by Drag City. // Just prior to and right after the record’s release, the songs on …For the Whole World to See were performed live by Rough Francis, a band formed by the three sons of Death’s original bassist. With the record’s critical acclaim and praise from many other musicians, the two surviving members of Death reformed the band with a new guitarist to promote the record themselves. // Death is an American musical group formed in Detroit, Michigan, in 1971 by brothers Bobby (bass, vocals), David (March 19, 1952 – October 9, 2000) (guitar), and Dannis Hackney (drums, percussion). // The trio initially started as a funk group but quickly switched their style to rock after seeing concerts by the Who and Alice Cooper. Music critic Peter Margasak retrospectively wrote that David “pushed the group in a hard-rock direction that presaged punk, and while this certainly didn’t help them find a following in the mid-70s, today it makes them look like visionaries” – David himself having been called “the visionary of the group”. Publications such as Gawker have named them as one of the first punk rock bands. The band broke up in 1977, but unexpected interest in their music resulted in independent record label Drag City releasing their unreleased recordings from 1975 in 2009, and the band reforming. // In 1964, the three young Hackney brothers (David, Bobby and Dannis) watched the Beatles’ first appearance on The Ed Sullivan Show with their father. The following day, David found a discarded guitar in an alley and used it to start learning to play. Brothers Bobby and Dannis soon followed suit and they began playing music together. Later, the young trio purchased the best instruments that they could afford with the money that their mother won in a car accident settlement. // The brothers practiced and recorded early demos in a room in the family home and performed their earliest gigs from their garage. Forming in 1971 and originally calling themselves Rock Fire Funk Express, guitarist David convinced his brothers to change the band’s name to Death in 1973 after their father died in an accident. David wanted to change the meaning of the word: “His concept was spinning death from the negative to the positive. It was a hard sell”, Bobby Hackney recalled in 2010. The name distinguished them from other all-black bands; their musical style, an innovation on an already evident musical approach in Detroit, further demarcated Death, “no doubt” the first all-black punk band. // On February 18, 1975, Death recorded seven songs written by David and Bobby at Detroit’s United Sound Studios with engineer Jim Vitti. According to the Hackney family, Columbia Records president Clive Davis funded the recording sessions but implored the band to change its name to something more commercially palatable. When the Hackneys refused, Davis ceased his support. Bobby and Dannis were tentative about this decision, ultimately prioritizing the brotherly relationship. The band only recorded seven songs instead of the planned dozen. The following year they self-released a single taken from these sessions on their label Tryangle Records. The single “Politicians in My Eyes” b/w “Keep On Knocking” saw a run of only 500 copies. // The Hackney brothers ended the band in 1977. The brothers then moved to Burlington, Vermont, and released two albums of gospel rock as The 4th Movement in the early 1980s. David moved back to Detroit in 1982 and died of lung cancer in 2000. Bobby & Dannis still reside in Vermont and lead the reggae band Lambsbread. Dannis is currently the drummer for the Vermont-based rock/funk band The Aerolites. // Copies of the “Politicians in My Eyes” 7″, and the story of Death continued to circulate in collector’s circles, with some copies selling for $800 due to their extreme rarity; one source of them was Don Schwenk, a friend of the Hackneys who was originally commissioned to create the album art for the upcoming LP, and was given a box of the singles in exchange. MP3s of the two songs from the single eventually found their way to Chunklet in 2008; around this time Bobby Hackney’s son Julian moved to California and heard the Death songs after a recommendation of a roommate and immediately recognized his father’s voice. Once the news of the discovery and the story of Death began to spread, it eventually reached Drag City Records, who contacted the Hackneys about the possible release of the album, who provided the label with the original master tape: In 2009, Drag City released all seven Death songs from their 1975 United Sound sessions on CD and LP under the title …For the Whole World to See. // In the meantime, the sons of Bobby Hackney (Julian, Urian, & Bobby Jr.), wanting to get the word out more, started a band called Rough Francis (named after a nickname occasionally used by their uncle David), covering the songs of Death after discovering the old recordings online. A March 2009 article in The New York Times by Mike Rubin, covering one of Rough Francis’ live shows and the history of Death introduced the band to an even wider audience. The popularity eventually reached Mickey Leigh, who invited both bands to play Joey Ramone’s birthday party. In September 2009, a reformed Death played three shows with original members Bobby and Dannis Hackney, with Lambsbread guitarist Bobbie Duncan taking the place of the late David Hackney. During a 2010 performance at the Boomslang Festival in Lexington, Kentucky, the band announced that Drag City would release a new album with demos and rough cuts that predate the 1975 sessions. The album Spiritual • Mental • Physical was released in January 2011. In 2014, Death released their third studio album III, and in 2015 their most recent record, entitled N.E.W. was released. // David was integral to the band’s style, that of mysticism and “eccentric spirituality”. // Members: Bobby Hackney, Sr. on vocals, bass (1964–1977, 2009–present); Dannis Hackney on drums (1964–1977, 2009–present); Julian Hackney on guitar (2023–present); Urian Hackney on guitar (2023–present). Past members: David Hackney on guitars (1964–1977, died 2000) and Bobbie Duncan – on guitars (2009–2023).]

15. Sweeping Promises – “Cross Me Out”
    from: Hunger for a Way Out / Feel It Records / August 14, 2020
    [“For more than a half century, underground music revolutionaries have taken a whack at the mundane mainstream like a piñata. England punks spat “NO FUTURE” at germ-free adolescents. Ohio new wavers devolutionized mankind with whips. Athens art school students chomped at hero worship. MetroCard-carrying riot grrrls rebirthed the bomp with a gasoline gut. In 2020, Sweeping Promises read our pandemic minds with Hunger for a Way Out. In 2023, they return with a new message: Good Living Is Coming For You. At first glance, this nouveau wave slogan offers hope wrapped around relief. At first listen, we realize this may actually be a warning. Darker still, a threat. // A band famous for their unfussy, monolithic anthems, Sweeping Promises elegantly ravage us again with another future classic. They return as a fist of velvet rose petals roaring inside a compact wrecking ball. Gone is the Boston brutalist ambience of their subterranean concrete laboratory and the revelatory single mic recording technique. In its place, a retired and resplendent nude painting studio in Lawrence, Kansas, bathed in light with high ceilings and hardwood floors. Guided once again by their surrounding architecture, a reverb-rich space remains the defining element at the heart of their highly stylized sound. A watery ghost from the golden age of art-punk now wields sharper knives and more microphones. // If the mood of HFAWO was hungry, GLICFY is RAVENOUS. In 2023, appetite is addressed in new ways: Power struggles are aired in “Eraser,” restraints are broken in “You Shatter,” anguished exclamations sting in “Good Living Is Coming for You.” The taboo subject of aging is (s)heroically dragged out into the open. Every line is delivered with such joyous, soaring layers that each punch lands like a chef’s kiss. // Sweeping Promises are Lira Mondal and Caufield Schnug. A chance meeting in Arkansas led to a decade of playing in an eclectic assortment of projects together. Their relentless practice made perfect. Bass playing Lira is an emotive bolt of thunderous energy with the iconic blast of a girl group rolled into one robust throat. Caufield is an intentional guitar player and drummer. No note or hit is extraneous. Together they are meticulous sound engineers, using space as a key ingredient to their distinct sound. Controlling every aspect of their craft, from the first note they write together, all the way through to the final mastering process, each record is an unspoiled fingerprint unique to their dynamic chemistry. // Written before the pandemic, Hunger for a Way Out was released on Feel It Records in the summer of 2020. These songs drip with the anxious urgency of a commanding live performance yet their gauzy production transports us like the fading memory of a favorite song. This distorted sense of time resonated with thousands of quarantined listeners who turned the album into a life-saving floatation device and most beloved album of the year. This is when Feel It Records (North America) and Sub Pop (everywhere else) joined forces to divide/unite and conquer; beginning with the 2021 single “Pain Without a Touch” and now carrying through to Good Living Is Coming For You. // The pandemic went on to trigger an absurd chain of events for Sweeping Promises. Under financial strain, Mondal and Schnug uprooted their lives. They surrendered their studio in Cambridge to take refuge with family in Texas. They completed over 50 demos between their Austin bathroom and a Marfa abode, but feeling unsatisfied, they sought another fresh start. When a disused church in Ohio proved too difficult to rehab, they ultimately found lasting inspiration in Kansas. With their home and studio all under one roof, life is music and music is life. //Good Living Is Coming For You ultimately reflects being thrust into a severely unpredictable world. A capsized boat isn’t entirely bad. In fact, it can be the necessary push toward finding solid ground.” -Tracy Wilson (Courtesy Desk). Sweeping Promises played Outer Reaches Fest, on Sat, October 14 at recordBar, On the Les BonsBons Electrique stage w/, Keo & Them, Static Phantoms.]

16. Tierra Whack – “SHOWER SONG”
    from: WORLD WIDE WHACK / Interscope Records / March 15, 2024
    [Tierra Helena Whack was born August 11, 1995. She is an American rapper and singer. She originally performed as “Dizzle Dizz” as a teenager but reverted to her birth name in 2017. Her debut mixtape, Whack World, was released in May 2018 and received widespread critical acclaim. Her song “Mumbo Jumbo” was nominated at the 61st Annual Grammy Awards for Best Music Video. Whack has since collaborated with Beyoncé, Alicia Keys, Tyler, the Creator, Chief Keef, and Melanie Martinez. // Whack was born in 1995 and grew up living with two younger siblings and their mother in North Philadelphia. In a 2018 interview with The Fader, Whack mentioned that she and her father are estranged. She was an introverted child who wrote to help herself deal with insecurities. As a child, Whack loved the author Dr. Seuss to the extent that she would rhyme the sentences together in her homework assignments. // Whack pinpointed the exact moment when her love for rhyming began. She had to rhyme for a homework assignment for class and after receiving positive feedback, she continued with it. She later asked her mother for composition books to fill with rhymes and lyrics before she eventually started recording herself. // Whack attended The Arts Academy at Benjamin Rush in Philadelphia for three years before finishing high school in Atlanta. At Benjamin Rush, she was a vocal major and was one of the few black students in a predominantly white graduating class. With some difficulty, she and her friends persuaded their principal to let them perform the finale from Sister Act 2: Back in the Habit for the school vocal showcase; Whack performed a rap verse in the song. Later in Whack’s career, she toured with Lauryn Hill, who starred in the 1993 film. // At around fifteen, Whack who went by the moniker “Dizzle Dizz” appeared in a 2011 freestyle video produced by Philadelphia’s underground music collective We Run the Streets. Her mother drove past the group of men freestyling and encouraged her to join. She released several tracks as Dizzle Dizz including “Dizzy Rascvls”, but struggled with depression in the months afterwards. Despite being a teenager, Whack gained notoriety in the streets of Philadelphia as “Dizzle Dizz.”[14] Although she had growing fame, Whack grew bored. There was no way to make money in freestyling and no way to creatively grow. She claimed there was little experimentation and growth beyond battle rapping if she were to stay in Philadelphia. Her mother elected to move out of Philadelphia so Whack could finish school. After going to Atlanta with her mother, Whack began working at a Mister Car Wash allowing her to save for a Mac laptop and start recording her music. She was often the only woman working on the line at the car wash, and her former manager said she was a memorable person with an impressive drive, which Whack credits to her mother. // In Atlanta, Whack kept a low profile, having felt the effects of fame back home. She wanted to keep to herself to have a chance to solely focus on her music. By the time she returned to Philadelphia, she had a laptop full of two years’ worth of music, which she never ended up sharing with anyone. She left her family behind in Atlanta. During that time she was homeless for three months and hopped around staying at friends’ homes but refused to return to Atlanta. She believed staying in Philadelphia would be best for her music career. // By 2015, Whack was in Philadelphia and she reconnected with Kenete Simms, a sound engineer and music producer whom she knew from her teenage years. Whack credits Simms as being her collaborator. After she returned to working with Simms she learned how to properly mix her own music. Simms helped her use equipment in order to help her make music more easily. In 2017, she signed with Interscope Records; Johnny Montina is her manager. // In March 2017, Whack made her debut as Tierra Whack with three tracks, including “Toe Jam” and “Sh_ Happens”. In October 2017, she released “Mumbo Jumbo”, a hip-hop single and accompanying music video which featured the young rapper performing while wearing a mouth prop. Most of the lyrics to the track are purposefully unintelligible. She also toured with Flying Lotus in 2017. // Whack’s debut fifteen-track mixtape, Whack World, was released on May 30, 2018 and received a “Best New Music” accolade from Pitchfork. Critics praised the unusual format of the album—each song lasting precisely one minute. She released each short track on Instagram, each accompanied by a short film directed by Thibaut Duverneix and Mathieu Léger. The multimedia project received widespread critical acclaim. Robert Christgau gave the album an A-minus and reported in Vice that his wife, fellow critic Carola Dibbell, loved the video, saying, “it gave me reason for living”. // Often referred to as the “Missy Elliott” of this generation, Whack has gained a great amount of acclaim for the creativity and eccentricity of her music videos. The track “Mumbo Jumbo” received a nomination for Best Music Video for the 2019 Grammy Awards. In October 2018, Whack traveled to Tokyo for a long-term artistic sabbatical. // In an episode of Genius’ The Cosign series on YouTube in which current artists who have been in the industry have the opportunity to watch videos of newer artists, rapper Remy Ma chose to cosign Whack. Even though she mentioned seeing potential in each of the artists, Remy said, “I pick(ed) her because I feel like she brought the entire package as far as the song, the delivery, the vocals, and the actual visual. I feel like she did something that was super out of the ordinary, and I enjoyed it… I wanna watch it again.” In the episode of The Cosign, Whack’s music video for her single “Unemployed” was put in a group with music videos from other female MCs including Kash Doll, CupcakKe, Mulatto, Tay Money, and That Girl Lay Lay. // She has recorded as-yet-unreleased music with Meek Mill and Childish Gambino. In 2018, she toured with 6lack on his world tour, From East Atlanta with Love. Briana Younger, the writer for The Fader, wrote that “popular and mainstream rap hasn’t championed a darker-skinned woman since Missy Elliot…and Whack seems poised to be the one.” Whack acknowledged that women in the music industry often aren’t afforded the privilege to make art for art’s sake, but she refuses to let that inhibit her. Beginning February 19, 2019, Whack released one single per week for five weeks in a series she called “#whackhistorymonth.” These singles included “Only Child”, “Clones”, “Gloria”, “Wasteland”, and “Unemployed”. Whether these tracks will be released under a full-length album has not yet been revealed. Whack has said that she is not thinking about a timeline for a new album, saying “I’m not gonna drive myself crazy. I’m having fun creating what I’m creating.” Whack collaborated with Flying Lotus on the song “Yellow Belly” for his 2019 album Flamagra and she was later named as one of the members of XXL’s “2019 Freshman Class” on June 20, 2019. She appeared at many festivals in the 2019 festival season including Coachella, Primavera Sound, Lollapalooza, Outside Lands, Camp Flog Gnaw, Osheaga, and Austin City Limits. Her song “Unemployed” is featured in the football game FIFA 20. // Whack co-wrote and was featured in Melanie Martinez’s single “Copy Cat”, which was released on February 10, 2020. It marks the first time that Whack has worked in a professional capacity with Melanie Martinez.[29] In May 2020, Whack appeared alongside American rapper Lil Yachty on the song “T.D” which features rappers ASAP Rocky and Tyler, the Creator. The song was #84 on the Billboard Hot 100 and Whack’s first entry on the chart. She featured on the song “Me x 7” by Alicia Keys, taken from her seventh studio album, Alicia, in September 2020. Her 2017 single, “Mumbo Jumbo”, had an accompanying music video that garnered a Best Music Video nomination for the 2019 Grammy Awards. // In October 2020, Whack released her first solo single of the year titled “Dora”. In November 2020, she appeared in the 2020 Apple holiday commercial “The Magic of Mini” which featured the new singles, “Peppers and Onions” and “feel good” which were released coinciding with the introduction of the commercial. In April 2021, she released a single titled “Link”. The music video, created in partnership with the LEGO Group, had Whack sit with a group of schoolchildren as part of Lego’s “Rebuild the World” campaign, using their ideas as inspiration for the video. In December 2021, she released three EPs, Rap?, Pop? and R&B?. // March 15, 2024, Whack released her 2nd studio album “World Wide Whack” under Interscope Records, it received a 7.3 on the Pitchfork web site. In June 2024, she performed a Tiny Desk Concert featuring some songs from her new album; “Mood Swing”,”Accessible”, “Ms. Behave”, “Imaginary Friends”, “Moovies”, “27 Club” and “Shower Song” as well as earlier favorites: “Flea Market”, “Pretty Ugly”, and “Hungry Hippo”. The concert featured the mascot Phillie Phanatic as a proud supporter of her birth city quoting “anything Philly is all me”. // Whack’s beginnings in rap started with battle rapping and it is something she looks upon fondly. While she appreciates the foundation which it gave her for her music, she wanted to aim higher than just rap battles. Seeing artists such as Lauryn Hill, Andre 3000, and Eminem had inspired her to become a true artist. In doing so, she would be seen as something more serious than just a battle rapper. // Whack cites Outkast, Erykah Badu, Busta Rhymes, and Kelis as some of her musical influences. Whack claims there are many different things which inspire and motivate her and she wants to be able to portray those to her fans in her music. She credits Sesame Street and the children’s book No! David as some of her influences; that is clearly seen through her visuals from her album’s music video. Her inspirations come from everything, from her relationships to people to inanimate objects. Her single, “Only Child”, for example, was created after dating a man whose behavior she aligned with that of someone who grew up an only child. // Whack’s mother is often credited as one of if not the biggest inspirations for her music. She recalls her mother playing gangster rap during car rides. For her single “Unemployed”, her mother helped her create the key musical hook. // Whack has written poetry since she was a child. Writing was a way for her to deal with her shyness and insecurities. She is also an accomplished spoken word performer. // She lives in Philadelphia with her mother and her two siblings. She is still “Philly-based,” saying that Philadelphia is her home and where she feels grounded. She owns a cat, whom she named Starkey after the Whole Foods brand of sparkling water. She does not drink alcohol or smoke cigarettes. She is severely allergic to insects, a condition she satirizes in the music video for her 2018 track, “Bugs Life”.]

17. Gloria Jones – “Tainted Love (Single Version)”
    from: Tainted Love: The Original Single / UMG / January 1, 1982 (Originally released in 1964)
    [“Tainted Love” is a song composed by Ed Cobb, formerly of American group the Four Preps, which was originally recorded by Gloria Jones in 1964. Renowned session musician and virtuoso guitarist Glen Campbell played lead guitar. A version by Impedance reached #14 on the Canadian Dance charts, April 14, 1990. // American artist Gloria Jones made the first recording of “Tainted Love” in 1964, with renowned session guitarist Glen Campbell on lead guitar. The song was written and produced by Ed Cobb and arranged by Lincoln Mayorga. It was the B-side of her 1965 single “My Bad Boy’s Comin’ Home”, which was a commercial flop, failing to chart in either the US or the UK. According to Nick Talevski, before Jones recorded the song, Cobb had offered it to the Standells, whom he managed and produced, but they rejected it. The Standells say that the song was never offered to them, and that they were not signed to Cobb’s company Greengrass Productions until 1966, some two years after Jones’s recording. // In 1973, British club DJ Richard Searling purchased a copy of the almost decade-old single while on a trip to the United States. The track’s Motown-influenced sound (featuring a fast tempo, horns, electric rhythm guitar and female backing vocals) fit in perfectly with the music favoured by those involved in the UK’s Northern soul club scene of the early 1970s, and Searling popularised the song at the Northern soul club Va Va’s in Bolton, and later, at Wigan Casino. // Owing to the new-found underground popularity of the song, Jones re-recorded “Tainted Love” in 1976 and released it as a single, but it also failed to chart. This version was released on her album Vixen and was produced by her boyfriend Marc Bolan. // It attained worldwide fame after being covered and reworked by British synth-pop duo Soft Cell in 1981 and has since been covered by numerous groups and artists. // In 2014, NME ranked it number 305 in their list of the 500 Greatest Songs of All Time.// Gloria Richetta Jones (born October 19, 1945) is an American singer and songwriter who first found success in the United Kingdom, being recognized there as “The Queen of Northern Soul”.She recorded the 1965 hit song “Tainted Love” and has worked in multiple genres as a Motown songwriter and recording artist, backing vocalist, and as a performer in musicals such as Hair. In the 1970s, she was a keyboardist and vocalist in Marc Bolan’s glam rock band T. Rex. She and Bolan were also in a committed romantic relationship and had a son together. // Jones first met Marc Bolan of T. Rex in 1969 while performing in Hair (Los Angeles cast). While touring in Europe, Bolan and Jones met for the second time at the Speakeasy in London. In 1972, she was recommended by Warner Brothers’ Bob Regehr to sing backing vocals behind T. Rex at Winterland in San Francisco. // Soon after joining T. Rex, Jones and Bolan became romantically involved. They had a son, Rolan Bolan (b. September 26, 1975). She sang backing vocals and played clavinet with T. Rex from 1973 to 1977. Her rendition of “(Sittin’ On) The Dock of the Bay” appears as a bonus track on T. Rex’s album Bolan’s Zip Gun. Jones released an album in 1976, called Vixen, which featured several songs written by Bolan, and he also was the producer for the album. // In 1977, Jones worked with the group Gonzalez, producing several of their singles, and also penning the disco hit, “Haven’t Stopped Dancing Yet” for the group. She toured the UK with Gonzalez, first on the Bob Marley tour, and then with Osibisa. // She was the driver of the car, a Mini 1275 GT, that struck a tree near Barnes Common, killing Bolan at 4:00am on September 16, 1977, on the way back to Bolan’s Richmond property. They had been returning from an evening at a restaurant in Mayfair where they had both been drinking wine. Jones was found by her brother Richard with her foot trapped beneath the clutch by the engine. Bolan was found unconscious in the passenger seat, which had been dislodged and landed in the rear of the vehicle. Jones was wearing a seat belt at the time of the crash. Bolan was not wearing a seat belt. Jones was conscious after the crash. Bolan, who was a passenger in the car that slammed into the tree, was pronounced dead at the scene on the arrival of paramedics. Jones survived the crash but was critically injured. She sustained a broken jaw in the crash. When she recovered sufficiently to leave hospital, she was informed that Bolan’s fans had looted most of their possessions from their house. She was later scheduled to appear in court in London on charges of being unfit to drive and of driving a car in a dangerous condition. However, she left the UK with her son and returned to the US before the court date so the Coroner’s Court recorded a verdict of accidental death. // Having lost her possessions, Jones moved with her son back to Los Angeles, where they stayed with Jones’s family. // In 1978, she released the album Windstorm, which she dedicated to the memory of Bolan: the back cover reads, “Special dedication in memory of my son’s father, Marc Bolan, whom we miss very much.” Her single “Bring on the Love” was a success on the American R&B chart. // Jones stayed in the music industry for several years after, releasing an album produced by Ed Cobb, titled Reunited in 1981. She also collaborated again with Billy Preston and other Cogic Singers for a 1984 reunion album The Cogic’s. She has since worked as a musical supervisor for films. // On her 1982 album Reunited, she was proclaimed “Northern Queen of Soul”. // In 2010, together with her son Rolan, she established the Marc Bolan School of Music & Film in Makeni, Sierra Leone. / She is featured in the film 20 Feet from Stadium.]

18. Lilblackkids, Georgia Anne Muldrow & Keith Rice – “The Wait” \
    from: Planet Of The Blues: Part Two / Epistrophik Peach Sound / October 22, 2023
    [Following their release of the original “Planet Of The Blues” EP in early 2022, Singer, Producer “Georgia Anne Muldrow” and Producer,Songwriter, Instumentalist “Keith Rice” collaborate again as “LilBLACKKIDS” for their Sequel EP “Planet Of The Blues Part Two” now available on dsps.]

19. Los Rakas & Big Klef – “Candela”
    from: “Candela” – Single / WSAMG / August 26, 2022
    [Los Rakas was born in the youth centers of Oakland, CA in 2006. This duo are of Panamanian descent and raised in both cultures. Los Rakas are known for rocking any party – from youth events to world wide festivals, they hype the crowd and get the party all the way live! What is a raka? a person who is proud of who they are. ore info at: losrakas.com]

20. AKU – “FALASTINI PIANO”
    from: “FALASTINI PIANO” – Single / Records DK / January 12, 2024

11:34 – Underwriting

21. The Roots – “Somebody’s Gotta Do It (feat. Jean Grae)”
    from: The Tipping Point / Geffen Records / January 1, 2004
    [The Roots are an American hip hop band formed in 1987 by singer Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter and drummer Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Roots serve as the house band on NBC’s The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, having served in the same role on Late Night with Jimmy Fallon from 2009 to 2014. Current regular members of The Roots on The Tonight Show are Captain Kirk Douglas (guitar), Mark Kelley (bass), James Poyser (keyboards), Ian Hendrickson-Smith (saxophone), Damon “Tuba Gooding Jr.” Bryson (sousaphone), Stro Elliot (keyboards and drums), Dave Guy (trumpet), Kamal Gray (keyboards), and Raymond Angry (keyboards). // The Roots are known for a jazzy and eclectic approach to hip hop featuring live musical instruments and the group’s work has consistently been met with critical acclaim. ThoughtCo ranked the band #7 on its list of the 25 Best Hip-Hop Groups of All-Time, calling them “Hip-hop’s first legitimate band.” // In addition to the band’s music, several members of the Roots are involved in side projects, including record production, acting, and regularly serving as guests on other musicians’ albums and live shows. // Black Thought with the Roots in 1999: “The Roots originated in Philadelphia with Ahmir “Questlove” Thompson and Tariq “Black Thought” Trotter while they were both attending the Philadelphia High School for the Creative and Performing Arts.] They would busk out on the street corners with Questlove playing bucket drums and Black Thought rapping over his rhythms. Their first organized gig was a talent show in 1989 at the school where they used the name Radio Activity, which began a series of name changes that progressed through Black to the Future and then The Square Roots. Another MC, Malik B., and a permanent bass player, Leonard “Hub” Hubbard, were added to the band before the release of their first album. In 1992, they dropped the “Square” from “Square Roots” because a local folk group had claim to the name.” // Unable to break through in their native Philadelphia, the band briefly moved to London, where they would release their 1993 debut, Organix. The album was released and sold independently. In the span of a year, the band developed a cult following in Europe, boosted by touring. The Roots would receive offers from music labels, and the band eventually signed with DGC/Geffen. // Several members, including longtime member Malik B., left the group. In December 2001, the Roots backed Jay-Z for his MTV Unplugged concert. With heightened popularity came mounting pressure. The Roots released Phrenology (named after the pseudoscience of the same name) in 2002. Despite not charting as high as Things Fall Apart, reaching a peak of No. 28 on the charts, Phrenology was commercially successful, being certified gold, and earning a Grammy nomination for Best Rap Album. At the time, however, there came rumors that the Roots were losing interest in their signing with MCA. During this time, the band backed Jay-Z for his 2003 farewell concert in Madison Square Garden and appeared in the accompanying Fade to Black concert film. // After Phrenology, Ben Kenney and Scratch both left the group; Kenney joined the rock band Incubus. This culminated with the release of 2004’s The Tipping Point, the byproduct of several jam sessions. The album earned two more Grammy nominations: one for Best Urban/Alternative Performance for the track “Star/Pointro” and another for Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group for the track “Don’t Say Nuthin’.” The Tipping Point peaked at No. 4 on the Billboard album chart. In 2005, Home Grown! The Beginner’s Guide to Understanding the Roots, Volumes 1 & 2, a two-disc compilation album, was released. The Roots were among several performers on the 2006 film Dave Chappelle’s Block Party, whose event took place on September 18, 2004, and was released on film two years later.]

22. Outkast – “In Due Time (with Cee-Lo) – Single”
    from: “”In Due Time” – Single / RCA Records / September 16, 1997
    [A single from the Soundtrack to Soul Food the soundtrack to the 1997 film of the same name. It was released on September 16, 1997, through LaFace Records and mainly consisted of R&B music with some hip hop music. The soundtrack was a success, peaking at number 4 on the Billboard 200 and number 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart and was certified double Multi-Platinum on February 17, 1998. Four singles charted on the Billboard Hot 100: “I Care ‘Bout You” , “What About Us?” by Total, “We’re Not Making Love No More” by Dru Hill, and “A Song for Mama” by Boyz II Men, the latter of which was a number 1 R&B single. The soundtrack was also noted for the fictional quintet group Milestone, consisting of K-Ci & JoJo (of Jodeci), Babyface and his brothers, Kevon and Melvin Edmonds (of After 7), who all came together once for their single and cameo appearance in the film. // Outkast (sometimes written as OutKast) was an American hip hop duo formed in Atlanta, Georgia, in 1992, consisting of Big Boi (Antwan Patton) and André 3000 (André Benjamin, formerly known as Dré). Widely regarded as one of the greatest and most influential hip hop acts of all time, the duo achieved both critical acclaim and commercial success from the mid-1990s to the early 2000s, helping to popularize Southern hip hop with their intricate lyricism, memorable melodies, and positive themes, while experimenting with a diverse range of genres such as funk, psychedelia, jazz, and techno. // Patton and Benjamin formed Outkast as high school students. They released their debut studio album Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik in 1994, which gained popularity after its single “Player’s Ball” peaked atop the Billboard Hot Rap Songs chart. The duo further experimented and honed their sound with their second and third albums ATLiens (1996) and Aquemini (1998), both of which were met with critical acclaim. They then achieved mainstream recognition and continued acclaim with their fourth album Stankonia (2000), which was supported by the singles “B.O.B.” and “Ms. Jackson”, the latter of which topped the Billboard Hot 100 and won Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group at the 44th Annual Grammy Awards. // The duo then released the double album Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003), their only album to debut atop the Billboard 200. It received Diamond certification by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA), was supported by their second and third number one singles: “The Way You Move” (performed by Big Boi) and “Hey Ya!” (performed by André 3000), respectively, and won Album of the Year at the 46th Annual Grammy Awards. Outkast starred in the 2006 musical film Idlewild and recorded the film’s accompanying soundtrack, which was released as their final album three days before the film’s release. The duo split the following year, and both members have pursued solo careers. Outkast temporarily reunited in 2014 to celebrate their debut album’s 20th anniversary with performances at more than 40 festivals worldwide, beginning at the Coachella Festival in April 2014. // Along with being one of hip hop’s most influential acts, Outkast is also one of the most successful, having certified sales of 20 million records between six studio albums and a compilation album, as well as having earned six Grammy Awards. In 2015, Rolling Stone ranked them No. 7 on its list of the “20 Greatest Duos of All Time”, while publications such as it and Pitchfork have listed their albums among the best in all of hip hop and of all time.]

23. Mach-Hommy – “Self Luh”
    from: Balens Cho (Hot Candles) / Mach-Hommy, Inc. / December 4, 2021
    [Mach-Hommy is an American rapper and record producer. He is known for concealing his real name and face in all public appearances, a practice that has led him to be described as “one of hip-hop’s most elusive artists”. // Mach-Hommy has gained a cult following as a result of his work ethic and sense of mystery. His lyrics are often heavily related to the social and political history of his Haitian heritage. Though he predominantly raps in English, he also frequently incorporates Haitian Kreyòl into his lyrics. He disallows his lyrics from being posted on lyric sites, describing such republishing as the sites “monetizing” his work,[3] and he charges hundreds and even thousands of dollars for his releases, many of which are not available on streaming services. // Mach-Hommy was raised predominantly in Newark, New Jersey, but also spent much of his childhood in Port-au-Prince. His father was a folk guitarist, and Mach credits his father’s musical style as an influence on his own. The first music Mach recorded was at the age of 13, when he performed a freestyle over the beat to Raekwon’s “Verbal Intercourse”. // In his early career, Mach found the music recording process to be an “unhealthy” environment and sought to take up filmmaking instead. However, at the encouragement of several Griselda members, he performed a verse for the song “Beloved”, which motivated him to begin rapping again. // Mach-Hommy first received widespread attention after the release of his 2016 album, H.B.O. (Haitian Body Odor), which he sold via Instagram. Mach pressed only 187 copies of the H.B.O. CD and sold them for $300 apiece, before eventually uploading the album to SoundCloud in 2017. He released numerous other albums in the following years, many of which were sold at high prices through services like Bandcamp and never released on streaming services. // In 2021, Mach-Hommy released his album Pray for Haiti on most streaming services. Mach stated that he would donate his share of profits from the album to the Pray for Haiti Trust Fund, a charity he established to fund educational services and institutions in Haiti. Pray for Haiti also brought Mach a greater level of attention from the music press, with Pitchfork honoring the album with a “Best New Music” award and Rolling Stone describing it as “a modern hip-hop classic”. // Mach-Hommy has intermittently associated with the Griselda Records label. Though Mach was once considered part of the Griselda collective, he separated from them after a falling-out with Westside Gunn, and as of 2017 Mach-Hommy was unaffiliated with the label.[6][7] Mach and Gunn eventually reconciled in late 2020, as Westside Gunn served as an executive producer of Pray for Haiti. // On May 17, 2024, Mach-Hommy independently released #Richaxxhaitian. The album contained features from Kaytranada, 03 Greedo, Roc Marciano, and Black Thought, among others. The album received positive reviews from critics. // In an interview with Billboard, Mach stated that he speaks every Romance language. He is also an avid fisher and hunter. // Mach-Hommy cites a wide range of writers as influential upon him, including William Shakespeare, Chinua Achebe, George Orwell, Lorraine Hansberry, Fyodor Dostoevsky, and Dante. He also cites political and philosophical thinkers such as Malcolm X, C. L. R. James, Thomas Aquinas, and Friedrich Nietzsche. He cites Prodigy and Mobb Deep as musical influences.]

24. Teedra Moses – “BE YOUR GIRL (KAYTRANADA REMIX)”
    from: BE YOUR GIRL (KAYTRANADA REMIX) – Single / Back Moses Ent. / May 4, 2018
    [Teedra Shenita Moses was born December 17, 1976. She is an American R&B and soul singer-songwriter. // Moses was born and raised in New Orleans. She later moved to Los Angeles with her mother and three siblings after her parents separated.// Her childhood has been a direct influence on her musical style, her mother was a gospel singer and she was raised on gospel, jazz, zydeco and blues. // Moses recalls wanting to listen to the music that was then being played on the radio, but her mother made her listen to gospel. The final song on her debut album, “I Think of You (Shirley’s Song)”, is dedicated to her late mother. // Prior to becoming a recording artist, Moses worked as an assistant wardrobe stylist alongside her best friend Nonja McKenzie for artists such as Will Smith, Kelis, R. Kelly and No Doubt. But after breaking her leg on a video set, Moses decided to follow her heart and make music. // Moses teamed up with producer Paul Poli and signed with the Indie Record Label, TVT Records to release her debut album Complex Simplicity in August 2004. Complex Simplicity included fourteen tracks penned by Moses, with dominant production handled by Poli; the two would share a deserved executive production credit. The album underperformed on the major U.S. chart, debuting and peaking at number one hundred and sixty-eight on the Billboard 200. However, the album was critically acclaimed, otherwise finding success on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, the Top Independent Albums, and the Top Heatseekers charts, reaching number twenty, number eleven, and number ten, respectively. It is now considered a cult classic. // In addition to executive producing and penning all the lyrics on her own project, Moses has written songs for other artists including Nivea, Christina Milian, Mary J. Blige and others. She was featured on and co-wrote two songs from Raphael Saadiq’s 2004 album Ray Ray, “Chic” and “I Want You Back”. Her songs have been showcased in the Logo series Noah’s Arc as well as in the HBO hit show Entourage, and in movies such as Never Die Alone, Beauty Shop, and Be Cool. // Though Moses had not released a studio album in several years, she could be found touring and doing live shows on a regular basis. From March to November 2010 Moses was a spokesmodel on the Lady Hennessy Tour. In addition, Moses continued to release underground, all-original mixtapes for her fans to enjoy while she awaited a new label deal that was necessitated by the Chapter 11 bankruptcy filed by the now defunct TVT Records in 2008. //On March 25, 2011, it was announced that Moses had signed to rapper Rick Ross’ Maybach Music Group via Warner Bros. Records as its first female artist. In 2011, Moses released the Luxurious Undergrind mixtape. // In February 2014, Moses released the single “All I Ever Wanted,” which samples Dynasty’s 1980 song “Adventures in the Land of Music”. The song was released as the lead single from her EP Cognac & Conversation, which is co-executive produced by Rick Ross and Raphael Saadiq. // In December 2014, it was reported that Moses signed to Shanachie Records after the ill-fated alliance with Maybach Music Group. Moses revealed singer Avery Sunshine was the reason why she signed with the label, due to the success that Sunshine is having while being on Shanachie’s roster. On August 8, 2015, finally second album Cognac & Conversation was released. // When writing songs, Moses prefers to do so alone in her own space. Commenting on this Moses said; “I hate to admit it because it sounds so weird, but I don’t like other energies around me. I need to be alone, in my own space, with just me and my music so I can be honest with whatever I feel from the music; otherwise I’m just giving something from the surface.” Moses also tries to always be honest with her lyrical content noting it as important to her, expanding on this Moses commented saying “If I’m honest with people, then people will feel that. And that’s been my experience so far, just being frank about my feelings about life, and my experiences in life and love. I think me being honest like that is why I’ve gained sincere fans. From here to America, sincere people who really dig me, that can quote lyrics.”]

25. Noel Coward – “The Party’s Over Now”
    from: Noel Coward in New York / drg / 2003 [orig. 1957]

NEXT WEEK, on February 26 – Just Angel and T.A. Rell join us to share new music, plus Bill Belzer & Charlie Colborne of Miss Boating will be here, and we’ll also talk with Dylan Pease and members of the band, 4 Dimensional Flowers.

THANK YOU to our incredible KKFI Staff; Director of Development & Communications – J Kelly Dougherty, Volunteer Coordinator – Darryl Oliver, Chief Operator – Chad Brothers and Shaina Littler – Office Manager Book Keeper

This radio station is more than the individual hosts of each individual radio show. Instead it is about a collective spirit of hundreds of hardworking people, unselfishly setting aside ego, to work for the greater good of community building and the gigantic goal of keeping our airwaves free, non-commercial, and open to all! Congratulations and thank you to all programmers & volunteers who went the extra effort to keep our station alive.

Our Script/Playlist is a “cut and paste” of information.
Sources for notes: artist’s websites, bios, wikipedia.org

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Show #1083