YouTube Music Video Of The Day!

My Joy (Live) - Leela James

This is a woman who has never really gotten the push that she deserves as an artist. She's a very talented singers, and as you can tell from the video, very soulful. She opens up with a two minute or so intro, and then follows up with a pretty nice jam.

YouTube Music Video Of The Day!

Chicken Grease (Live on Chris Rock Show) - D'Angelo

So, I figured it only made sense for the video of the day to be D'Angelo. Trust me, it won't be his only time to make video of the day. This guy rocks a show as well as any contemporary R&B or soul artist could. I don't think ?uestlove offers his live support to just anyone, he's only headed hip hop's top live show for two decades.

I chose this video for a reason though. My favorite so-called neo-soul artist is Anthony Hamilton. He used to be a back up singer for D'Angelo, and he's featured in this particular performance. The point I'm trying to make is that when this aired, what do you think the odds were that he'd be toting the better career less than a decade later? Just a random observation...

D'Angelo's Return?

I haven't come out and said it really, but I'm a very big neo-soul fan. One of the guys that you could credit for the birth of that genre is a dude by the name of D'Angelo. Now most people remember him as the naked dude from a video back in the late 90s for a track called Untitled. Many people felt like he was poised to become a huge star, but he's had an absolute epic breakdown of that's probably worthy of its own Behind The Music feature.

Anyway, Spin Magazine has a feature on him in their August issue. He isn't personally quoted, but they go into the history of his alcoholism to the point where he is now. I think it's a pretty well done article among other things for really driving the point home that he never meant to be viewed as a sex symbol. He was raised in gospel, and prior to the Voodoo album that brought him so much acclaim, he was known as a pudgy little soul singer.

It's worth checking out. One of these days I plan on making some long post about the Soulquarians (which released a handful of really badass albums at the turn of the new millennium). 

YouTube Music Video Of The Day!

Freestyle @ Ask The Artist - Eric Roberson

This is one of my favorite independent soul artists. He's in some way affiliated with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Raheem DeVaughn (who I was a big fan of, but he's changed). Anyway, I thought that this particular performance was pretty clever, and really, how many soul artists just go off the top of the head like that? Anyway, the sound quality is lacking, but it's pretty neat.

YouTube Music Video Of The Day!

Words - Anthony David & India.Arie

I've been really getting into the work of a soul artist by the name of Anthony David. He's been around for a few years, and I'm happy to see him get his chance with a major label now. He was the first artist signed by India.Arie 's new Songbird imprint. His major label debut, Acey Duecy, is a compilation of his first two albums and available everywhere.