SOHH SOULFUL
Your daily guide to hip-hop soul
Rebel Talking: Mint Condition Singer Praises Beyonce, Karina Pasian Won't Diss Cassie + New 2 Music Mixes
Posted on May 2, 2008 2:33 PM
As I told you earlier I had the opportunity to speak to Stokely Williams, vocalist for Mint Condition, to talk about their new album E-Life which is out next Tuesday May 6th.
first single "Baby Boy, Baby Girl"
E-Life will be released via Mint Condition's Caged Bird label and distributed via Image Entertainment. The album includes collaborations with Anthony Hamilton, Ali Shaheed Muhammed, Phonte from Little Brother who also sings on one track.
Here's what Stokely had to say about the album:
"The title E-Life suggests this electronic world we live in. E-Life has to do with the approach of the album. The approach we took was emailing songs back and forth, I’d sing over a track and send it back but we still set up and played live, it was all the above. The flipside with technology is that when it breaks down it can be your worst enemy. It can hold you hostage if you’re not really a tech-head. This is the era of the musineers – musician/engineers. We have all this software and equipment. There are also some songs that deal with relationships in this new world we’re in with text messages and people cheating via sex texting. There are a lot of great songs, a lot of great melodies, ideas, lyrics and instrumentation. We are bringing forth what people know Mint Condition for and trying to push the limit."
Mint Condition's classic "Pretty Brown Eyes"
As far as music today goes, Stokely told me he's a fan of Erykah Badu, Jill Scott, Bilal, Raheem Devaughn and Gnarls Barkley and had this to say about the current state of music:
"R&B it’s where it's always been. You have good music and bad music, depending on what your sensibility is. Some people don’t know enough music to know what’s bad. Back in the day our parents had something called Music Appreciation as a class and whatever you were into, you listened to the anti-thesis."
Stokely also defended Beyonce by saying, "Beyoncé is more of an artist than I think people know. She placates toward the commercial side because you gotta make a buck, but I think she is a great artist, more than people know and later on she’ll dive into that and people will see how much depth she’s got. She’s both new and old, she’s got an old soul but she’s in a new age."
Def Jam's new darling, 16-year-old Karina Pasian is dropping her album First Love on June 3rd. We chopped it up earlier this week and I have to say I really like this kid, she is a complete sweetheart! Her album features Gordon Chambers & Troy Taylor, Tricky Stewart and The-Dream, Ne-Yo, Brian Michael Cox, Carlos McKinney and Rico Love.
Karina says her favorite song is title track "First Love."
"'First Love' is about my love of music and how it’s my first love," she said. "It starts talking as if it’s about a boy but by the middle of the song you realize it’s about music."
"Official Girl" Karina Pasian
As many of you know Karina recorded Cassie's single "Official Girl" before the Bad Boy artist.
“I recorded it last year and we didn’t really feel like it fit the album, so I guess they just had it there and she probably heard it and wanted to record it,"Karina said. "I don’t know exactly how she got it but I know it wasn’t going to make my album.”
When I told her I liked her version better she laughed and politely thanked me. You know I couldn't resist trying to egg her on a little by saying she could let Cassie take her leftovers and she laughed, but told me “That’s harsh.”
"Official Girl" Cassie
Of her album, Karina said, "All the songs have a message, my music has a lot of integrity and musicality so it’s something a lot of people can look forward to. I hope it touches people’s lives. I put my heart into it."
Sweet!
Okay I know this puppy is long but I'm gonna add my Soulful mix download links from this morning's post:
DJ Parler returns with SOHH Soulful Mix #7
tracklist:
"Woman" - Raheem DeVaughn
"More Than Friends" - Estelle
"Waste of Time" - Rell
"Teenage Love Affair" - Alicia Keys
"Can't Take My Eyes Off Of You" - Lauryn Hill
"I Got You" - Platinum Pied Pipers ft Tiombe Lockhart
"Soldier" - Erykah Badu
"So Far So Good" - J Dilla ft Common & D'Angelo
"I Want Those Flashing Lights" - Colin Munroe
"In The Mood" Talib Kweli ft Kanye West & Roy Ayers
"Relax" - Marco Polo ft J Davey
"Space Fruit" - Sa-Ra
www.myspace.com/djparler
Download here: http://www.zshare.net/audio/11415531c815ee13/
This week's second mix comes courtesy of DJ OhSoKool again... While it's not exactly free to download, it is free to stream.
Here's the link: http://ohsokool.muxtape.com/
Tracklist:
Lenny Kravitz "Thinking of You"
Outkast "13th Floor, Growing Old" aka Soul Rebel's most favorite song period!
Zaki Ibrahim "Grow"
Jesse Boykins III "Tabloids"
Lloyd ft. Lil Wayne "Girls All Around The World"
Estelle "Back In Love"
Nas "War Is Necessary"
Glenn Lewis "The Reason"
Atozzio "Hurts So Good"
Waterseed "Dance in the Sunshine"
Daru ft. Reggie B "Gone Away Pt. 2"
Have a great weekend! Feel free to reach out to me at sohh.soulrebel@gmail.com
Comments
'Sup SoulRebel? It's been a while since I got to view the post & this one doesn't fail to deliver! Shout out to all from a MAD AZ 'Cafe' here in Amsterdam called Popeyes! Pepz if you make it too Amsterdam - go to Popeyes people - check out the Space cake!
Lookin' forward to that Stokely Williams album...cool collabs listed for the album. Great to see one RNB Artist give MAD PROPS to another successful peer! I like the sound of Karina Pasian for a young up-and-comin artist!
That DJ Parler mix is a MAD neo-skool/ol'skool mix! This dude is OFF THE CHAIN!!! First time checkin' out DJ OhSoKool - cool sound!!! Cool post!
Thanks JONO, have fun in Amsterdam -- enjoy that spacecake. I'm jealous -- of your travels that is ;-)
I love Beyonce!
Karina Pasian is goin to be really good, by the way check this new music blog: http://djtriumph.blogspot.com
by the way karina pasian just released her new video 16 @ War http://djtriumph.blogspot.com
beyonce is pop music arron stokely should be ashame of saying that beyonce denounce rnb music a long time ago
Whatever about the Beyonce comment. I'm so sick of the Beyonce sucking up. If she was such a complete artist she would be that artist. To say she does the music she does for a buck, is not making her look good plus it's a ridiculous excuse.
I understand the beyonce comment.. Beyonce is that Bitch.. she can do the same shit those neo soul ho's can do.. all I listen 2 is neo soul.. if she sang alicia keys shit it would still b hot.. my older fam thinks she's hella talented and their ages 55 to 67... lmao
I understand the beyonce comment.. Beyonce is that Bitch.. she can do the same shit those neo soul ho's can do.. all I listen 2 is neo soul.. if she sang alicia keys shit it would still b hot.. my older fam thinks she's hella talented and their ages 55 to 67... lmao
right now beyonce's voice doesn't have soul to sing neo-soul, her voice is plain and for the masses that's it, she's dramatic in her singing and it doesn't seem genuine. she's got a nitch, stick to it!
I heard that she had a public profile on searchingmillionaire dotcom, it's reported by many magazines. seems her fans found her first..
wow now that u have inculded stokely in your blog, Im just at a loss for words... I loved soulman but you are taking the cake, seriously... I think bey is a great artist overall, I been a fan of hers since destiny's child first came out and I knew she would be great. I wish she had better subject matter on her songs but thats what i listen to other artists for lol.... ummm I think karina is cute but she just reminds me of alicia too much, its like shes being marketed as an alicia clone... she can sing very well tho and i wish her the best, hope shes ready for the ups and downs in this industry...
He's bringin R&B back! Check out WWW.MYSPACE.COM/ARMELSWORLD
Stokely is exactly right on Bey. You have to understand, she did an improptu performance with him a few years ago and killed. So he knows her talent and what she brings to the table.
Another thing, most artists make music for a buck. Otherwise, they wouldn't be in the industry. Some artists are more mainstream than others, but basically they would not be in the industry if it weren't for the dollar.
Bey has her lane, you can be artist without trying to be "Neo-Soul" and still be commerical. The toughest part is balancing it and I think she's good at it.
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