JumpinJack AJ
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Posts posted by JumpinJack AJ
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I tried to post about this yesterday but the board was temporarily down at the time. I was scrolling social media yesterday morning and was surprised to see it released. It wasn't even mentioned in the Amazon music/digital download newsletter I got. I quickly bought it. I do like hearing the studio version because I can hear all of the lyrics clearly. I've only listened to it on my computer though, so I can't wait to pump it on my car stereo. For not having a proper photo shoot for it, the cover is simple, but kinda cool.
Like everyone else, I love the lyrics and subject matter, but would love to hear a Hip-Hop version. The EDM sound is okay for what it is, but I always feel that it takes away from the lyrics and meaning of the song. Nobody listens to a dance song and says "that was deep." I'd love to hear a reggae/Hip-Hop version with Jazzy's cuts on it.
I saw that the song is under Westbrook, so I'm assuming that's Will's independent label (a play off of Overbrook?) and that he officially cut ties with Interscope. Hopefully the success snowballs, but at the same time, after "Get Lit" and the "Fiesta" remix, I really don't want an all-dance record.
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NF - Dreams
Perception (2017)
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It's not listing me as a supporter, but I signed it a few hours ago. I'm not sure what's going on with it because to the right of my screen it's acknowledging that I did sign it.
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DEMI LOVATO - Daddy Issues
Tell Me You Love Me (2017)
This song kinda cracks me up. lol
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I'll go back and listen to it and make a thread about it in the near future. It was basically issued to radio stations; probably not the biggest ones. It basically had Will talking in between songs that were playing. We've heard everything his said in interviews before. I'll look into a way of sharing it, but I don't think my old, slow computer will do well with three 20-ish minute tracks.
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Apparently JJ+FP were at Fashion Week In Paris. Jeff posted pictures on Facebook. I tried to add them, but for some reason the forum is giving me an MB limit.
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I celebrated his birthday by listening to an hour long radio "show" that he recorded back during Willennium. I just has little blips of him talking in between some of his BWS and Williennium singles and album cuts, along with song by The Fugees and Prince. He was only printed as a whitelable CD for various radio stations to use.
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Yes, the remastered sound is worth the purchase!
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Man, it's crazy to think this song is nearly 30 years old. This remix is incredible.
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Musiq Soulchild just released a new double album! I'm not going to say much, only that it's an excellent album and that I haven't clung to one of his album like this since the first four. The others just didn't keep my attention that well. Great soul music and lots of feel good vibes.
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A few years ago I started listening to the group AUTOmatic. If you love real Hip-Hop music and haven't checked them out, I strongly urge you to. Anyway, the producer of that group just put out an hour long beat tape. I'm not going to try to put it into words. I'm just going to say that it's dope. You can listen to it at the link below. If you like what you hear, I know you will, you actually name the price you pay for it.
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It's be great if all of the albums got a remastered and expanded treatment. I kind of doubt a lot of people know about this though. We'll need to get it some sales in hopes of that happening.
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I recently got it and have been listening to it a lot. The sound is definitely great. Some songs grab my ear more than others, appreciating the remaster. I like that the album was remastered in one of the studios they recorded it in. In terms of the music, I just wish they didn't put the alternate versions of "Girls..." Yeah, it was remixed and re-recorded the same hear, but there is a Danny D remix (and extended and radio version) of "Parents..." that would have been a better fit. It would have also been nice if they released an instrumental version of all of the songs. There is a rare 1988 vinyl release of the instrumentals that I have, but the record is slightly warped, so it would be great to have them on CD and remastered since this release is kind of a dream come true.
All of the pictures from the original release are in the insert, plus pictures of the cover of all single covers. Above the "thank you's" they have individual pictures of the trio that I've never seen before. In addition to the original notes on the CD insert, there is a little write up on the album which is a great, but short read. If you're thinking about getting this, stop thinking and GET IT!
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NATASHA BEDINGFIELD - I Bruise Easily
Unwritten (2005)
I love her first album so much. I haven't listned to it in ages.
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I previewed it the day it dropped. It's okay. I'll buy it, but I don't expect it to be something that will get constant play. His music just doesn't stick with me like it used to. His talent has never faded, I'm just not feeling his production and songs like I did 10 years ago. He needs to stop using the Carnival title. Sequel albums never live up to their title, especially if they don't capture the essence of the original project.
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Another thing he shared about song writing is that he has a term called "generally specific." He advises against writing songs that are so overly specific to yourself that you risk your fan base responding with "who cares?" He suggests that you represent yourself completely in your lyrics, but that you are selective about the details of the song because you want the listener to hear the song and to be able to relate and make it their own.
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Another part I think that's worth sharing is sharing how Carvin started as a songwriter. He came to Jeff as a rapper, but other than writing his own rhymes, he had never written an R&B song. He said that what he would do was take multiple hit songs and look at their structure and compare them to each other. He would take what he took away from the comparisons and add his own touch to it to write songs.
He said how he's not a singer and can't play instruments, but that he can hear the music and talk to a musician about what he wants to hear and how he communicates that to the musicians to get the sound he wants. I've previously heard him touch on that interviews, but I thought that was pretty incredible. The music he makes isn't like Puffy's where he plays no instruments and just jacked beats.
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Toni Braxton has a new album on the way called Sex & Cigarettes. Check out the new single, "Deadwood." I don't know you guys feels, but I LOVE THIS SONG.
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I forgot to tell two stories from today.
Carvin talked about how he entered the studio life deaf, dumb, and blind, teaching himself everything that Jeff didn't train them for. During the mixing of Musiq's album, he said he just looked over the shoulder of the engineer and that he'd occasionally ask a question. The engineer kept taking cigarette breaks. He would fiddle with the board while the engineer was on his smoke break. By the fifth smoke break, he told the engineer "I got this...you can clean up anything I mess up.
One thing that's really interesting about their hit "Love" is that everyone thought it was an undercover gospel song, the song actually is about singing to love as if it were a person. In fact, a gospel group has recorded it, replacing the word "love" with "Lord." At the time they did the song, Carvin was Muslim. He has since become a Christian and credits that unintentional tie in to faith God at work. When talking about Musiq today, he said that after the first album, Musiq saw a vocal coach, who ruined his singing style somewhat. They tried to change how Musiq hits and holds that high not in "Love." The technical correction of the vocal coach created a mental limitation, and Musiq no longer tries to sing that note.
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I will place an order for a hoodie tomorrow. Is it okay if I place it late in the day, though? When you say the shirts are fitted, are they actually tight? I'm on the fence about the shirt.
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GLENN LEWIS - Don't You Forget It
World Outside My Window (2002)
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For those that need a brief refresher, let's take it back to the mid-90's. When JJ+FP went on a hiatus after Code Red, Jeff used the money he was making from The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air and his other endeavors to build his existing production company, A Touch of Jazz. Around 1996, Jeff put together an incredible team of producers that took A Touch of Jazz to a new level. They were unknowns, inexperienced in the industry, but learning quickly and shaping the face of modern R&B/Soul. Next thing you know, they are producing for the Hip-Hop and R&B's finest, both for the mainstream and independently. Millions of records sold and collaborating with the likes of Will Smith, Michael Jackson, and Justin Timberlake.
Carvin Haggins and Ivan Barias are perhaps the most successful and most active group of producers to come out of A Touch of Jazz. They developed Musiq Soulchild, as well as new artist, BriaMarie, as well as producing and writing for Justin Timberlake, Mya, Brian McKnight, Amerie, Joe, Faith Evans, 2Pac, Keisha Cole, Jazmine Sullivan, Jill Scott, Mad Skillz, Dawn Robinson (of En Vogue), Bell Biv DeVoe, and the list goes on. He recently participated in The PLAYlists "Chasing Goosebumps." For those on this board, he was a producer and/or song writer on Will's "It's All Good," "La Fiesta," "Willennium Interlude," and Chocolate Form's "Neutral" off the Wild Wild West soundtrack.
Anyway, a couple of years ago I was able to meet Carvin at BriaMarie's album release party. We've remained friends on Facebook and Instagram. One of my best friends is an incredible singer. The closest thing I can compare her to is Joss Stone, though she can handle any Adel, Sara Bareilles, Feist, or Civil Wars song too. When Carvin liked a picture of us, I was like "you should hear my friend sing." I later sent him some videos of her singing, asking if he had advice for her, or if he'd want to meet her. He was like "she has a beautiful voice...I'd love to meet her." The cool thing is, he was responsive and followed-up about it with a genuine interest.
Fast forward to today, we met him at Forge Recording Studios. He was super cool and accommodating. We spent two hours talking about my friend, his journeys in the music industry, and other things. It was truly a great time with lots of laughing.
The advice he gave my friend was invaluable. She learned in that short period time, what takes many people years to learn. He told here where she needs to register as an artist and how money is made between a vocalist, producer, and song writer. While I've always known the artist makes very little, I was surprised to find that they don't make a sense if they simply sang on the song. ZERO. He did mention how they artist does get paid through Sound Exchange though. He broke down how each song has a watermark, so every time a song is played on the radio or on a TV show, it's captured and the artist is paid. He also talked about the evils of big record labels, who the vocalist truly is a puppet and how most of the money they get ends up having to be paid back to the label since it's essentially loaned to them, then they have to pay the label back, and are set up to be in dept for the rest of their life.
He then talked about his own label. Most of this I already knew, but he was sharing the info with my friend. He talked about how his company's goal is to make good, timeless music that isn't explicit to the point that it will offend anyone. He talked about how he doesn't require artists to pay for things up front and how he works with each artist to tailor a song to them. He talked about how he will learn about the artists he works with by visiting where they grew up, exploring their social media, having long talks with them, etc. He said how his team at the studio all helps each other, works on each other's projects (if needed) and how they promote each other. He then played the new single by Montina.
Let me tell you, there is no experience like hearing a brand new single pumping through the speakers that are in the actual studio it was recorded in. She's from Beyone's camp. Montina is currently going through a divorce, so they are releasing an EP about the pain, followed by an EP of the healing. He also played us a song by Ms. Lynx (I may be spelling her name wrong). She's a female emcee and the new single is coming out in a week or two.
When exchanging email addresses, I gave him props for still using his AOL email address (like yours truly). We started talking about how gmail go hacked a few year ago, and since so many artists email song back and for these days a lot of songs and albums were leaked, put on Napster, and then shelved. He was proud that Musiq Soulchild's didn't leak since he was using AOL.
When he talked about wanting an artist to be themselves, flaws and all, we began talking about Whitney Houston, who he knew. He talked about how it was the label's mission to make her the perfect pop princess that lead her to drugs. He shot down the idea that Bobby Brown was Whitney's downfall and that it was ultimately her label and her not being able to be herself all those years.
I asked him if the established artists have him send beats out, or if they come to his studio, which is in a nice suburb area outside of Philly. I specifically mentioned Kenny Lattimore. He said artists like Kenny create songs there. When bringing up the topic if faith, he revealed that he's actually a reverend and that BriaMarie is on the worship team at his church. Needless to say, myself and my friend will one day attend a service.
He also gave us a tour of the studio, going to various studios and booths. Some more intimate and some bigger. He had frames all over the walls of CD's that had come out of the label. He also had a wall that featured plaques from his work with Will Smith, Music Soulchild, and Jill Scott. Another wall featured artists who had recorded there, such as BriaMarie, Jazmine Sullivan, Ginuwine, members of The Roots, Jon McLaghlin, and many more.
All in all, it was an incredible day. It ended with Carvin saying he did want to work with my friend and that he'd love to have her around as projects were being recorded, to find out more about her, and eventually start on a song.
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I'm unaware of a Rave Mix. In all my years of searching, I've never found seen it. That's a pretty bland remix name. Was "rave" even a mainstream term in the late 80's?
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I definitely encourage everyone to watch this interview, if you have the time. Of course it touches on The Fresh Prince of Bel-Air, but the real heart of it is her discussing race, relationships, and more. DJ Vlad is not a great interviewer, but he asks a lot of questions that people want to hear answers to.
Great interview with Jeff
in Jazzy Jeff & Fresh Prince
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I love this interview. The cool thing about Jeff's interviews is that there always seems to be at least one thing we've never heard before. "Live At Union Square" has been talked about before, but it was good to hear him talk about it, rather than read about it. Hearing him talk about DJ's parties at Philly was kind of funny. I never thought about how the music impacts the behavior of the party.
It's interesting that Jeff is the one who prompted FP to mellow out his delivery on "Summertime," which went on to impact many of his songs since then. Their exit from Jive is really interesting. It's crazy that they treated JJ+FP so poorly in the end, but didn't make it easy for them to leave. It makes me wonder if Will is so loaded these days that he can simply buy back their catalogue. With Jive being long gone, it truly is only business at this point.
Lastly, I love that they made it so that you can download the interview.