Today's Soundtrack: "Who's That Lady" by the Isley Brothers meets "I" by Kendrick Lamar

I really wanted to write about this on Tuesday when the news broke about Kedrick Lamar dropping a new album (why do we still refer to them as albums?), but I waited until my Friday music day.  If you haven't heard his new single "I," give it a listen here.  Beware! It is labeled as explicit. 

GQ's Man of the Year Issue 2013 - Kendrick Lamar did NOT let fame water down his brand of authentic hip hop.

I absolutely adore this track. It reminds me of my favorite group, A Tribe Called Quest with a few more expletives, but reminiscent of that golden era all the same.  There's no singing just Kendrick Lamar's unique flow over a masterfully produced track. I was dancing, bobbing, and listening to what he had to say. That combination is hard to find these days in hip hop where you're either dancing or bobbing, but listening will numb your mind. It's going to be wonderful to have "I love myself" looping in my mind. More importantly, the youth will be speaking a positive affirmation over themselves when they repeat the hook! Winning! 

There were some rumblings last year that Kendrick Lamar would "sell out" and lose touch with his authentic style of hip hop he refreshingly creates. The rumblings began because of the ultra-success of Good Kid, M.A.A.D City.  I guess those rumblings are quieted this week. This single is a definite progression, but not stepping too far from his brand of good music rooted in hip hop history.  

If the sample sounds familiar, it's because he used the Isley Brothers' "That Lady" which in recent years has been used for commercials. Everyone knows this track!

Isley Brothers' music has been used in a bunch of hip hop classics. Check them out on one of my favorite sites Who Sampled.

I'm looking forward to checking out Kendrick Lamar's entire album.  The release date has yet to be set.

Experimenting

This is my very first "public" painting. I have painted for many years, but kept my works private...hidden. I'm experimenting with different canvasses and paints. This is water color on cotton canvas. I used a partly Fauvist approach to some of my color choices and overly dramatized facial features. Kees van Dongen is my inspiration. See more of his works here (my favorite The Corn Poppy 1919) and here.

I sketched in pencil on the canvas before layering the watercolors on the rough surface.  It was very interesting how the watercolor interacted with the cotton.  Some colors worked better than others. Blue (turtleneck) and gray (background) were smooth going on, while  brown was tough to apply evenly.  I can't wait to try out some other techniques...just need to find the time!