Woke up this morning banging Black Uhuru. Man these cats got me through high school. Back when I used to rock the Bob Marley, Uprising tee-shirt, and those pitiful baby-dreads. Michael Rose has the sickest voice. I was always a roots sorta dude. Everybody went to dance-hall, though. But what Mike say? It's a time for every style...
Is it bad that I only remember this song from the episode of The Cosby Show where Cliff walks into the living room to find Denise and her boyfriend watching this video and singing along? And should I be embarrassed that I'm pretty sure it was the episode where he was just trying to find a quiet place to read the newspaper? Or should I just pretend that I'm familiar with the music and leave it at that?
I hated that episode and this song for so long because when the guy shouted 'Eh, Mon!' it sounded close to my government issued middle name (Edmund, which already I hated anyway)...and so for weeks my cousins used this to make fun of me....even to this day I get it occasionally.....it took a long time for that trauma to go away so I could love this song again.
Damn, I thought I was the only one. Although a little different in my case, I discovered them a few years after The Cosby Show, in my own exploration with all things herbal. I thought I had discovered greatness, and brought something new the table other than BOB, and that part came on, and a mighty cough ensued...
By the way Shine Eye Gal, was damn near a religion to me...then again so was Sinsemilla. Shows the priorities in my life at that time, burning and not getting burnt.
Seeing them having to open for the Police back in the 80's had me channeling Chuck Berry on the stolen legacy of rock&roll, and I liked the Police back then. They can't touch Toots for original flavor but they brought the vibe undiluted into the broadcast world. Ah Denise...
for the oldskool dc dreadheads: http://www.myspace.com/hrofficial
Black Uhuru is another group on my endless list of "Music I need to dig deeper into"
All I know off the top of my head is that they represent the second generation of roots reggae and the woman (I don't even know her name) is/was actually African American. Is she the only American black to be involved in a high profile way in Jamaican music, reggae heads?
If I'm not mistaken the female singer's name was Puma. And as noted, she died very young of cancer. They gave a terrific concert at the Warner Theater (WDC) many years ago.
I have seen tons of live Reggae and BU is right up there among the best. Electrifying, fun, thoughtful, and great to dance to.
Still, one of the happiest nights of my life and one of the best reggae shows I ever saw was seeing Toots and The Maytals live at the Melkweg in Amsterdam. April, 1997.
Here's a piece no one cared about. Meh, whatever, probably the most enjoyable article I did during my stint at TIME. Premiered a month before I got laid-off. The nail in the coffin? Ya think?
Here's me going after Al. I didn't so much have a problem with him, as I had a problem with media acting like this dude was the go-to guy for everything black.
This was my first real story at time. I was writing for the Business section, a real change of direction for me. At any rate, it's about Wal-Mart's attempts to colonize the inner-city. As much as I enjoyed this piece, I mostly enjoyed going out to Chicago, which is a beautiful, beautiful city.
This a piece I did about the cops just outside our nation capitol, in Prince George's County, a few years back. I wanted to offer a counter to the dumb, conventional wisdom that if you paint your police force black, you could eradicate police brutality. In fact, Prince George's--one of the richest, blackest counties in the country--also had one of the most brutal police force's in the country.
The Beautiful Struggle: A Father, Two Sons, and an Unlikely Road to Manhood 
Is it bad that I only remember this song from the episode of The Cosby Show where Cliff walks into the living room to find Denise and her boyfriend watching this video and singing along? And should I be embarrassed that I'm pretty sure it was the episode where he was just trying to find a quiet place to read the newspaper? Or should I just pretend that I'm familiar with the music and leave it at that?
No, that's basically true of everyone, except us black music-nerds...
I hated that episode and this song for so long because when the guy shouted 'Eh, Mon!' it sounded close to my government issued middle name (Edmund, which already I hated anyway)...and so for weeks my cousins used this to make fun of me....even to this day I get it occasionally.....it took a long time for that trauma to go away so I could love this song again.
Damn, I thought I was the only one. Although a little different in my case, I discovered them a few years after The Cosby Show, in my own exploration with all things herbal. I thought I had discovered greatness, and brought something new the table other than BOB, and that part came on, and a mighty cough ensued...
By the way Shine Eye Gal, was damn near a religion to me...then again so was Sinsemilla. Shows the priorities in my life at that time, burning and not getting burnt.
Seeing them having to open for the Police back in the 80's had me channeling Chuck Berry on the stolen legacy of rock&roll, and I liked the Police back then. They can't touch Toots for original flavor but they brought the vibe undiluted into the broadcast world. Ah Denise...
for the oldskool dc dreadheads: http://www.myspace.com/hrofficial
Black Uhuru is another group on my endless list of "Music I need to dig deeper into"
All I know off the top of my head is that they represent the second generation of roots reggae and the woman (I don't even know her name) is/was actually African American. Is she the only American black to be involved in a high profile way in Jamaican music, reggae heads?
I don't know, but didn't she die rather tragically, or something?
Breast cancer.
Didn't know where--here or on noon open mic--to post this: my favorite roots--the irresistable Congoman by the Congos produced by Lee Scratch Perry: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qJHXKjtcvjY&feature=PlayList&p=7CDEFFAEE66B0E3F&playnext=1&playnext_from=PL&index=54. There are a whole mess of mixes on this; here's one. Boris Gardner, the mother of all bass lines.
caught them live in Lisbon last year, glad to see dem still keep the fire bun
How many degrees is it, TNC? Just in the shade, I mean.
Whoops. Mixed up Black Uhuru with Third World. My mistake.
96, kid. That's a great song too.
real hot! oh yeah....in the shade...........love that one!
If I'm not mistaken the female singer's name was Puma. And as noted, she died very young of cancer. They gave a terrific concert at the Warner Theater (WDC) many years ago.
Puma Jones: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Puma_Jones
I have seen tons of live Reggae and BU is right up there among the best. Electrifying, fun, thoughtful, and great to dance to.
Still, one of the happiest nights of my life and one of the best reggae shows I ever saw was seeing Toots and The Maytals live at the Melkweg in Amsterdam. April, 1997.
That's it.