Detroit visit. Urban Blight.





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On Seeing H.E.R

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On Seeing H.E.R I, too, felt the shame of not knowing who she was... We can overcome this void, together, though. We can stand proudly in this new wave of R&B and let H.E.R. be a guiding force. H.E.R, a 21 year old from California, graced UAB's Springfest stage tonight...and it was divine! She embodied the essence of Erykah and the energy of Prince as she played her lead guitar and then at times switched to keyboard. An hour long set provided the 1000+ crowd a soulful ensemble of original material from her self-titled album and added a little UUMPF as she sprinkled in some R&B'ed hip hop covers.  A crowd favorite and in current radio rotation, she sang her hit, Focus , but by the end of the night she switches to a bluesy croon, a nasty guitar hook and she belts out her version of  Make It Rain . I was reeled in by her magic. You can tell a lot by an artist's fanbase, their enthusiasm and the knowledge of H.E.R. lyrics. We definitely have a
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copyright: Marika N. Johnson 2011 Who am I? I was born the daughter of music, raised by hip hop. It was 1986, when I bought--well, when I asked my parents to buy my first tape... RUN DMC.  Monumental, one because I distinctly remember my Dad asking, "What the hell is this Raising Hell crap?" and my mother saying to him... "Charles, thats that new rap stuff." A pivotal moment that shaped the person I became. All connoisseurs of hip hop are-- (or rather, they should be) lovers of ALLLL types of music. Music is the universal language of the human race. A bond can be created over a simple beat. A smile emerges through a harmonic undulance and even tames the most savage of beasts. It was the best of times, new, groundbreaking--this thing called Hip Hop. The making of ME. This pic of Doug E. Fresh was taken front row at Club Merienda. I don't go out often but was honored to see an icon in such an intimate setting. I was invited by a wonderful friend and arti
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