The Lioness: Teedra Moses

Teedra Moses - Young Huslta Vol. III – Lionhearted

The best thing about a secret is that few people know about it. You don’t know what is bubbling under and when you finally stumble upon it, its like a fresh breath of air. And that’s what singer-songwriter Teedra Moses is – a veritable R&B secret. Ask those who know of her music – you’re likely to get an overwhelming response urging you to run to your computers.

Complex Simplicity, released in 2004, is seen as a classic. Hip-hop meets neo-soul with light gospel flourishes. Everything from the glossy and shimmering beats supplied by Poli Paul (including a stunning duet with Raphael Saadiq) to the simple melodies and straight-forward lyrics about love, loss and heartache – every aspect of that record is luminescent and pure. There’s a magic in her tracks that is nothing short of authentic or mesmerizing. One could even go as far to compare it to the influence that Mary J. Blige had with her 1994 album, My Life. Its that serious.

Her follow up, The Young Lioness, while praised by those who have heard the tracks, has been marginalized by numerous setbacks and a subsequent label folding. Understanding her commitment to her fans, Moses started from scratch. She hit the road, continuing to write for other artists (Trina, Macy Gray, Mary J. Blige, among others) and releasing mixtapes of unreleased tracks and collaborations.

Released to fans first after a lively show in Pasadena, California, the third installment in the Young Hustla mixtape series is Lionhearted, a 13-track pre-cursor to serve as a taste of what’s to come next for her eager fans. Teedra works largely with up-and-coming producers (partner Poli Paul receives only one inclusion on the album). Stylistically and sonically, they manage to place Teedra between the mid-80s and 90s while keeping a current modern footing in its lyrics and themes. 9^th Wonder brings a summery groove to “Love Devine”, a close cousin to Erykah Badu’s “Honey”. The sparse “I Told You” and “Say Lil’ Mama” (with its lovely Paisley Park drum programming) show brimming personality and confidence with its charming lyrics. But it’s the face-paced, Flashdance-inspired “So Kool” that Teedra breaks it down for a former lover that crossed the line for the last time.

The mixtape is an excellent welcome addition to those eager waiting for more pieces of Teedra Moses. It’s thoroughly consistent and should satisfy listeners until her next release.

Here is a Youtube.com clip I found of the Lioness, about this up and coming.

As Heard By,
Micheal Ashton

Human

Almost fifteen years into her music career, Brandy has evolved from the young and sassy teenager singing out her wishes of wanting to be “down” to a refined, mature and sensual chanteuse.

Human, her fifth solo album and first for Epic Records, finds Brandy reunited with longtime collaborator Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins (the solid “The Definition” as well as the first single “Right Here (Departed)” and other newcomers such as Toby Gad (Beyonce), RedOne (Trina, Usher) and Midi Mafia (Fantasia, Jennifer Lopez).

Vocally versatile and never missing a single beat, Brandy consistently weaves melodious textures around each of the fifteen songs, centered on the growth from being in love (the excellent “1st and Love”), the fear of heartbreak (the eerie “Shattered Heart”) and personal anthems (the relaxed, but slightly trite title track). But when the album drags through plodding or near-lifeless material (“Piano Man”), it is her voice never lets up, making one wish that the production equally matched her emotive and impassioned performances. Additionally, the material leaked to the internet over the past year (notably, the Timbaland-sounding “List” and “Porcelain Doll”, the pounding and captivating “Sweet Nothings”, and percussive “Maximum Risk”, among countless others) begs the nagging question of why those tracks weren’t put in place of the weaker inclusions.

There are very few, if any, sleek or sexy moments that match the peaks displayed on 2004’s Afrodisiac. Still, Brandy is likely to keep many satisfied with a back to basics formula with her latest release.

Here's the Video to her second single "Long Distance"



As heard by...Michael Tilus.

808s & Heartbreak

Gone are the usual high walls of sped-up R&B-soul samples and melodically clobbering beats. In their place, Mr. West favored sweeping strings, sparse programming, auto-tuned vocals, quirky keyboarding and, yes…808-assisted drums for his fourth studio album 808s & Heartbreak. Lyrically, he abandons his socially-conscious leanings in an effort to deliver the unloading of emotional baggage accrued from a the loss of his mother and a broken engagement over the past year (thus, explaining the absence of the mascot ‘Dropout Bear’ in support of the expressionless promotional pictures of Mr. West and a deflated heart-shaped balloon on the album cover).

Recorded over three weeks in Hawaii, the 12-track opus provides ample ground to convey his late-night introspection, confusion, loss and heartache. “Love Lockdown”, the album’s first single signaled a new chapter in Kanye’s musical career, puzzled fans and critics with its troubled lyrics, rumbling tribal drums and shuffling keys among other effects. With its shift from popular hip-hop towards downtempo, 80s-tinged electronica, the album is somber (the dragging and indulgent opener “Say You Will”) and at times difficult to take all in one sitting (the lazy “Amazing” featuring Young Jeezy).

Nevertheless, West is focused in his lauded inventiveness to challenge his listeners and his contemporaries to expand their capabilities. Case in point – the highlight “RoboCop” takes an arresting, machinery-sounding track awash with swirling strings to make humorous yet striking jabs at his longtime girlfriend Alexis Phifer, (“You’re just an L.A. girl/You need to stop it now/Oh, you’re kidding me/Oh! You must be joking/Oh! You are smoking.” he ad-libs with a smug tone). “See You In My Nightmares” (featuring a guest spot by Lil’ Wayne) meets an annoyed Kanye snarling over an insistent electronic beat with pulsing synth blips. But the most affecting moment comes from the final track, “Pinocchio Story”, free-styled and recorded live in Singapore with a mellow acoustic accompaniment (reportedly added at the last minute after Beyonce’s request). It is here that he delivers his most touching lines. “There is no clothes that I could buy that could bring back the time/There is no vacation spot I could fly that could bring back a real piece of real life/Real life, what does it feel like?” It is here that Mr. West strips down the ego that buoyed most of his past three albums and brings an inherent insecurity that fame brings to the fore. It has been reported that he has begun recording his 5th studio album, tentatively titled A Good Ass Job for release in 2009. Apparently, he has already accomplished the feat.



As heard by...Michael Tilus.