Common at AAHH! Fest – (Photo Credit: Eddy “Precise” Lamarre)

Common has created yet another masterpiece with “Black America Again” The project starts off with a rousing introduction on the song “Joy and Peace “. It sounds like an opening prayer as Bilal’s layered vocals fill the track towards the end. There is a strong political message throughout the project speaking to politicians and citizens to take responsibility for the change that is necessary. Common has not veered away from what has kept him relevant in the industry for over 2 decades. He is a lyricist with a conscious who uses his platform for change.

The song “Black America Again” is an impassioned poem/song that pays respect to Trayvon Martin and any and every injustice that continues to be an issue in the Black community. The song points a finger but it doesn’t absolve anyone of their actions. “We hold these truths to be self evident all men and women are created equal including Black Americans” Stevie Wonders blends in toward of the latter part of the track singing “We are re-writing the Black American story.”

“Love Star” (feat Marsha Ambrosious and PJ) along with “Red Wine” (feat Syd and Elena) give the ladies what they expect from Common. Both songs convey that smooth Chicago vibe that is ever present in his work. “Pyramids” is the song for the emcees, and a few of the verses and acrobatics that you hear in this joint can explain why Common is in many Top 5 discussions. In one verse he spits “Shift the paradigm with a pair a rhymes” That lyric in itself speaks volumes to who Common understands himself to be and what he is here to do.

There is an honesty and authenticity that lives in this project. It’s fluid. Every lyric, drum, horn and interlude is purposeful. It manages to deliver a well needed message without sounding like a sermon. “Black America Again” is Unapologetically Black and undeniably hip hop.

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Precise and Herb Kent “The Cool Gent”

The iconic radio legend Herb Kent passed away in Chicago at the age of 88. Kent’s leendary career has spanned over four decades and his voice has become synonymous with Sunday afternoons in Chicago radio. Herb Kent helped launch the careers of such R&B artists as The Temptations, Minnie Riperton, Curtis Mayfield, and Smokey Robinson. During the turbulent ‘60s, Herb was a prominent voice of Civil Rights era using his broadcast platform. In 1995, Herb was inducted into the National Radio Hall of Fame. His radio home V103 released a statement concerning his passing.

“Herb Kent passed away on Saturday evening. No words can express our great sense of loss. Herb was an iconic talent, who for nearly 70 years entertained millions of listeners in Chicagoland and around the world. His passion for radio and work ethic was second-to-none as Herb worked to the very end, by hosting what unexpectedly was his final V103 broadcast on Saturday morning.

Herb leaves a legacy of thousands of entertainers he helped boost, community causes he impacted, and as a former instructor at Chicago State University, sharing his encyclopedic knowledge with hundreds of students.

We are so thankful for the privilege of working alongside such an historic figure as Herb Kent for the past 27 years. Our thoughts and prayers are with Herb’s family, friends, and loved ones.”

We spoke with radio personality Mike Love of Soul 106.3 in Chicago about what Herb Kent means to Black radio and radio in general.

Mike Love, Herb Kent, George Daniels and Steve Silk Hurley – Photo courtesy of Mike Love

“Losing Herb Kent for us old school radio jocks and fans of old school radio is like losing your favorite artist…Luther Vandross, Michael Jackson, Prince. He’s absolutely irreplaceble. He was an iconic personality from a time when Black radio was everything to black people. His physical presence will be missed but his influence will live forever. He said.

-Precise

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Photo Credit: Instagram @thebirthofanation

Birth of a Nation was not going to be on my list of must see movies. I made a judgement off of emotion and loyalty to the women in my life that I would not go and see it, based on the information that was exposed about the films writer and director Nate Parker. It felt like the right thing to do. A woman committed suicide for many reasons we do not know, but this specific situation had to add to her agony. I feel for her and her family and anyone who is enduring the type of pain that would cause them to take their own life.

Ultimately as the movie moved closer to release I examined my position. I could not allow my emotion from experiencing a film that is so important to who we are. So on the same day that the first Black president was raising funds for the election down the street from Kanye’s Saint Pablo tour I decided to go and see the film with no reservations.

The film begins with a vision, The vision is placed in folklore, religion and ancestry. Nat Turner is destined for the journey that he is on. The film then becomes another slave movie, except this time you know their will be accountability on the part of those unleashing pain and suffering on anyone with Black skin. It happens and I find myself unfulfilled as if it was not enough. Watching interactions with overseers and slaves run parallel to the interactions that Black people are having in 2016. It’s eye opening, sobering and not surprising. I’m not sure what I expected. I left the theatre feeling everything but happiness. As I walked out of the doors of the Chatham theater I felt empty, angry and sad. In the background I hear murmurings of “Look at what our ancestors went through, and we still moving backwards.” The brothers I lock eyes with are speechless. What did we just watch. What are we called to do, who can we trust?

I’m glad I decided to go see the film in spite of the controversy that surrounded it. It shook up a reality inside of me. A reality that must be addressed. What are we willing to die for? Now is the time to straighten out our backs.

Nat Turner should be honored, as a man. A man who decided it was time to do something. Now, what do we do?

-Precise

Please comment below. Let me know what you think.

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