Aughts pt. 4

2003 was a pivotal year in black independent music. It was a time where many independents went from struggling to empowered in their freedom. It was also a time where the underground made enough rumble to shake Big Brother's buildings and force him to negotiate with the likes of folk like Kem, Ledisi, Goapele, Donnie and Rhian Benson.

What followed was a dismantling of the Artist Development and Artist & Repertoire (A&R) dimension of labels as the extra money they were used to making off clueless artists was being shared now with intelligent, informed and sometimes seasoned artists. For better or for worse, the independent artist took Big Brother major labels back to appreciating gold sales and appreciating every single dollar earned.

Here are my Ipod's most played tunes from 2003

1. In Da Club-50 Cent
Really? I need to say anything? Man, Oprah was bangin this.

2. You Don't Know My Name-Alicia Keys
For the record, Kanye fished up the sample and put Harold Lilly to work on the lyrics. Anybody other than Lilly and the original writers/musicians on the Main Ingredient tune “Let Me Prove My Love to You” just got paid for finding it. However it got to us, it was classic and to this day never gets played once from me. If only for the “woos and oohs” on the breakdown.

3. Where Are My Panties/Prototype-Andre 3000 (Outkast)
Can’t count the amount of white kids I heard saying “ice cold!” this year. Yes, the interlude is part of the song, because it’s such a great set up. “Maybe she’ll make me some brefus.” Dre became an ARTIST for real. Playing, singing, producing with effects and seasoned musicians-the wah wah on the bass drops do Bootsy and Prince well in homage.

4. Better Days-Anthony Hamilton
It took a lot for me to play something OTHER than “I’m a Mess” from AHam’s album (more than 20 times), so perhaps is the fact that it’s so short and sweet, “Better Days” got more run from me than all the rest on a great disc. (incidentally it’s the “beeeeing without you” song)

5. Crazy in Love-Beyonce
Ok, this one needs less explanation than “In Da Club,” especially if you’d been to a wedding that year and watched the reaction at the reception. (pause for black female anatomy). Ok, the drum pattern sampled and inserted just right by Rich Harrison is about the closest thing we’re gonna get to the WORLD dancing to go-go. Had to have my local moment. As you were.

6. Bowtie-Big Boi (Outkast)
While all the noise was about Dre’s Love Below, Big Boi’s Speaerboxxx was OUTKAST album that would’ve followed Stankonia. “The Way You Move” was EWF/Marvin genius, but “Bowtie” was just Kast amazing. The horn sections, the chorus, Big Boi’s verses, and the overall production makes this my favorite Outkast song to this day.

7. Comes Love-Gordon Goodwin's Big Phat Band featuring Brian McKnight & Take 6
Don’t ask me how I found it. Just thank me after you listen for yourself. All the wishing we did for a Brian and Take 6 collaboration after his debut, is reawakened with this. Brian starts in the richest of his low tone and gives one of his greatest vocal performances ever as they update this jazz classic. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mAK3P7SWm_Q

8. Pleased Tonight-Dave Hollister
Don’t know where to get down or laugh your butt off to this one. “You gon’ get pleased tonight.” I mean, it’s comical, but it’s as ethnic as it gets when referring to a long night. Hollister and Tank take it from bedroom to altar on this one and after the grinds and giggles, it’s just damn good.

9. A Message-Deborah Bond
One of the most inspiring tunes for me in 2003. A spiritual of sorts from a local source. Connecticut born, DC groomed Deborah Bond and her boys/band 3rd Logic blew my mind first time I saw them in early in this year. Then they dropped the album on us in the summer and all was right with DC for a minute. The instrumentation, lyrics, arrangement and even guest backup vox remains a repeat offender in my pod. “See You in My Dreams” and “Love’s Been Waiting” not far behind in spins, btw.

10. Everything I Do-Beyonce & Bilal (from The Fighting Temptations Soundtrack)
Remember she’s an “actress” too. So if B’s got a movie out, you’re in for at least two different sources of singles that year. From The Fighting Temptations, she showed more versatility than Dangerously in Love, from jazz to gospel. But this forgotten gem (though performed in the movie) remains slept on as one of her more simplistic gems. Jam/Lewis/"Big Jim" Wright put it up and B & Bilal knocked it down as two of the world’s most talented vocalists should have.

11. Rock With You (Dance Mix)-Eric Roberson
Ok, dilemma. I’m pretty sure Erro didn’t make this in 2003, but that’s when he gave it to ME considering it was so hard to find if not out of print. There are at least 3 versions of this song, but melodically and danceably (yeah, made it up), this one reigns supreme. He also sings in a tone he rarely uses on this one. Don’t get caught in London or Paris off guard. This ain’t your daddy’s Erro.

12. Hold On-Eric Roberson (from the original Vault, vol. 1)
Dilemma two. This was only available to us for a minute as he gave it away to Dwele and stripped it from his own “Vault” album. However, it remains my absolute favorite Eric Roberson jam. If you can get to the meaning behind the tune it’s a nice secret society kinda pearl to have…heh heh.

13. She Couldn’t Hear Me-Eric Roberson
All dilemma’s aside, this was THE song that introduced or reacquainted many with Eric Roberson aka Erro in 2003 and 2004 when he began his independent crusade to free the natives minds from their voodoo industry worship. The lyrical genius contained in this song’s story is yet to be rivaled in all of E’s catalogue. And I dare you not to sing along with the “doh doh-doh dohs”

14. I Want You-Erykah Badu
Though it takes forever to start, you don’t want it to end once it does. Confused as to whether Worldwide Underground was truly an experimental EP or a real album it took me a minute to digest as a whole, but this bite of the elephant I savored most. “Tried a lil’ yoga for a minute, got a good book and got all in it.”

15. The Truth-India.Arie
One from a truly, truly great album. This is the ode a man oughta inspire to. If your woman can say this about you, you’re doing something, no everything right! Thank you, India.

16. Public Service Announcement (Interlude)-Jay Z
Most important 2+ minutes in his catalogue.

17. Lucifer-Jay Z
Once you see Fade to Black, you see just how ready-made Kanye’s tracks come. Not just the banging beat, but the hook, AND a b-line to make SURE it’s a hit. No slight to Jay though, because his flow about Bob makes you wish he was YOUR friend.

18. Only Heart/Clarity-John Mayer
It should’ve been as simple as the Hargrove/Questlove cut from Johnny’s album as they were the easy fix. But I like John being Just John sometimes and “Only Heart” got just as much run from Heavier Things for me.

19. Glow-Kelis
It’s monumental I have ANYthing from this chick on my list, but hey, Raphael’s on the track. Funky and cool. Like drunk cool.

20. Liliquoi Moon-Me'Shell Ndegéocello
Comfort Woman is 40 minutes of a different kind of “midnight madness” if you know what you’re doing. But in the middle of the cool, sexy reggae, there’s a stellar rock moment by Me’Shell, Chris “Daddy” Dave and the incomparable Allen Cato on lead guitar that made this tune get more spins than the others. Named after Lisa Bonet?

21. Real Compared to What-Mya featuring Common
That tune use and basically wasted on the Coke commercial was inserted in its entirety at the end of a Mya album? What the hell? The commercial version didn’t even let you hear this outstanding bridge and the full production by Poyser & Quest. This is a jazz standard and should’ve been respected as such, especially with an upgrade this stellar.

22. Step In The Name Of Love (Remix)-R. Kelly
The genius and insane swim the same waters as psychic and schizo do. I don’t know, but maybe that explains how this dude finds that ‘spot’ on us even when were convinced he’s the devil incarnate.

23. What Am I Gonna Do-Jimmy Sommers featuring Rahsaan Patterson
Though clearly the artists names should be in reverse, Patterson with Jamey Jaz composed and arranged one of those feel good late 70s/early 80s dance jams that got Jimmy Sommers more gigs than he’d ever seen before and Patterson his bridge from major label floundering to indie success.

24. Say How I Feel-Rhian Benson
The “sound” of the song is what got me an still gets me. I didn’t know if it was gonna be poetic or vocal throughout, but the music was so perfect, I remember looking at the radio like ‘who/what is this?’ Thank Bob Power for putting his Low End Theory/Brown Sugar/Baduizm magic touch on this one.

25. Waiting For You-Seal
He was back after too many years off. Even the soundtrack appearances didn’t make the trumpet sounding return we wanted from Sealhenry the way this one did.

26. Loneliest Star-Seal
This song is perfect.
For me, anyway.

27. You Still Are-Yamama'nym
One last shout to my indie colleagues. Don’t let the crazy name fool ya, this was an eight piece soul-funk outfit that made some really rich black music. Wore this one out and was headed to radio to get it played, but their manager stopped me. Alison Carney and Myra Mathis on lead vocals blend as sweet as Zhane.

28. Wish I Wasn't 'Bout ..It-ZWEi
This was the tune that first made me feel like I wasn’t listening to myself and I could just enjoy the damn jam no matter who made it. My most played song I’ve made.

29. Balance-Crossrhodes
Ok, the problem with this is, I think I got it in 2002, but because the fellas never really got to release it officially 'til much later-dates I'm foggy on. Raheem Devaughn, in the midst of label negotiations as a major label writer and potentially, artist couldn't risk wasting his name prematurely and partnered with his stage and studio pal W. Ellington Felton to create the duo Crossrhodes. This inspirational anthem belongs in Gil Scott-Heron/Brian Jackson discussions. Itune it, thank me later.

30. Some Things Never Change-R. Kelly
Same problem as 29. The maniac has so much music flowing in that head that he made and album, scrapped it, saw it get bootlegged and dropped a NEW one within the same year. Reminds me of another maniac around '87/'88. Anywho, this Stevie tribute showed a layer Kells never let people see before. Phrased and arranged as Wonder would, it's just as respectful as Kelly's many Isley odes. Scoop if you can find it. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9JiF4dkqhKE

31. Foreign Exchange-Sincere feat. Yahzarah
Like another Lucy Pearl, the best of three different worlds came together beautifully. Phonte made it evident who his most recent influences was as I could close my eyes and swear I was hearing Thought. I was probably biased as my fellow alum was on my video screen for the first time (save for Bag Lady), but nah, this song was dope bias or no.