Music Dude mixtape

-- be on the look out for Lupe Fiasco and Roots album/artist features in my paper comin up soon, plus a jazz piece. Da Dude reppin in the Bay. chea.

-- Just finished listenin to the Pharrell Williams. As you all know, I believe he's the illest dude out right now when it comes to melding instrumental and vocal harmonies and melodies and arranging black music. One might say I have a music-crush on dude as a music-mind. One might also know I've been checkin for this album to drop since yesteryear. It would've been impossible for me to not like this joint, but definitely possible for me to just like it. But, I gotta say, I'm Pharrell-zealot. The album is on that ish that like. When it drops next Tues, go kop it. We may do a Music Dude novel-blog on it...but yall know how that go.

-- My girl May put me on to this new chick, Alice Smith. Corrine Bailey-Rae (May put me on to her months ago as well) is gettin a lot of critical love, but this Alice Smith chick is the honesty. Go kop.

-- Have I told you that Bilal's Love For Sale is the greatest singing album of my lifetime? I said that, right? I'm not coming up off that declaration. Check Questlove's myspace page for his live rendition of "Sometimes" at the Roots and Friends concert at Radio City.

-- Yall here that Promiscuous Girl remix? It features a Rick Ross intro thats tickling my fancy for some reason. That's not necessarily an endorsement, more like a Music Dude Confession.

-- Vino spent over $200 on a rare jazz album. He's a hoodlum.

-- I'm gonna buy a keyboard within the next few months and teach myself how to drop chords. I don't exactly know where this gonna lead. I just know its gonna lead somewhere that make this world a better place for humankind.

-- I've been trying to figure out the artist of that Run's House outro-track with tenor sax-symph. If I can get that on mp3...I mean, it'd probably add a year to my life. 5 minutes of that on loop is sustenance.

-- My girl Megs has some music you can buy her myspace page. She's a talent. Go kop.

-- Its been a couple years now and I'm STILL not tired of a good crisp clap. RIP Dilla.

-- Speakin of Dills. The Shining will be in stores next week. You know Twist already had the drop on it though (looks, Larry!). It's Dills. My favorite producer of all-time. Kop.

-- I met this young nigga named Ronald Bruner about 4 years ago. I was at Blues Alley checkin Kenny Garrett, the greatest living jazz musician younger than 55. Young Bruner was a ripe 18, playin the skin off his drum set. I got his digits after the set so I could track his career. But you how Twist do. Lost my cell. For four years I tried to track dude down. Finally did. He and his brother, Stephen (bassist), and some fellow youngsters from Compton dropped an album in 2004. I kopped. Been listenin nonstop for the past couple days. It makes the blood flow through my veins with a healthy velocity. Go kop.

-- I been listenin to sporadic Massive Attack records lately. I'm a fan, a new fan.

-- Remember Soul II Soul. Chea.

-- Yall know I got a Rock Sensei, right? Someone that's been offering me suggestions, helping me wade through the masses. Here was one of his suggestions..

Afghan Whigs, Gentlemen: As cinematic and sprawling as alternative guitar rock gets, plus a little touch of white-boy soul and R&B. Debonair and What Jail is Like rule, but this is a full-bodied listen from beginning to end.

I kopped. I digs.

-- Yall know I'm a jazz-guardian. I've made disciples over the years. Starting this Friday, though, in an attempt to grow the 40-under jazz listening community, I'm gonna start email blasting one track every Friday. That's all I'm sayin for now. So, if I have your email, expect an email this Friday. This might get big. I'm feelin strong about his right now.

-- Music Dude Confession: I've always Def Leopard's "Pour Some Sugar On Me".