Scribbler's Rave & Favorite Five Special Edition: A Tribute to Kashif

When I heard news of the passing of legendary music producer, songwriter, musician and artist Kashif Saleem (born Michael Jones) at the age of 56, I was heartbroken and could only think was, "Another person connected to my youth has died???  Seriously...2016 is the worst year of all time."  It wasn't long ago when TV One profiled him on their critically-acclaimed Unsung series and took us R&B lovers down memory lane from his beginnings with B.T. Express to his unmatched production and songwriting resume to his solo recording career.  So when I was figuring out what my favorite songs of his were, the top three choices were pretty easy.  However, I felt some kind of way leaving out such great songs like the majority of his eponymous debut, "Are You the Woman" (featuring background vocals by two of my favorite artists in Whitney Houston and Lillo Thomas), his remake of Mother's Finest's "Love Changes" with Meli'sa Morgan, "Love the One I'm With (A Lot of Love)" with Melba Moore and arguably the biggest snub in "Love Come Down" by Evelyn "Champagne" King.  Nevertheless, y'all know how my anything-but-typical countdowns work, so let's celebrate some of Kashif's best work New Problem Tuesdays style...

Scribbler's Late AF Post of the Week: In Heavy Rotation (August 2016)

Whereas I went from a "Black Music Matters" in June to mainly "White Boy Wasted" in July, the August edition of "In Heavy Rotation" has its own swagger.  Not only could many of these picks be interchangeable, but most of them are from artists who I like and respect, but I'm nowhere near the head of their fan clubs.  However, that's the marvel of music: there's always an opportunity for an artist to change your mind or make you more of a believer in their work--especially if it's evident they have the talent and charisma to keep your attention for the majority or the entirety of a project.  So enough talking, let's get to the tunes...

How Kendrick Lamar Didn't Get Robbed at the Grammys

Last year, I posted an in-depth summary of the 55th Grammy Awards.  Yeah...totally not going on and on about Pharrell's faux pas with those ranger hats; Jay-Z's "I wanna thank God, but only a little bit" statement taken way out of proportion; or Katy Perry becoming the newest member of the Illuminati.  In the illustrious words of Chester Cheetah, "Yasss, we know."  However, a bigger topic that jumped out at me is the whole issue of Kendrick Lamar getting shut out of winning any awards.  Many people have turned this into a "battle" between him and Macklemore--which is silly because the two artists are actually in contact with and respect each other.  Now I can't speak too much on the Seattle rap artist or proclaim to be a fan of his because I've only heard like three of his songs--I do like "Same Love" a lot--but I do plan on listening toThe Heist to make a more sound judgment and, if necessary, comparison.  Nevertheless, I've come to four major conclusions about this whole situation--none of which lean toward Kendrick getting "robbed".