by Khari Gzifa
A die hard music fan like me spends a lot of time listening to and talking about, what else...music. I was in a conversation the other day and we spoke about what most people would call the "Motown Sound" and some of the other outgrowths
of its success like Stax and Philadelphia International. What Berry Gordy and all of those incredible artists and musicians created, was and is, absolutely phenominal! I mean we are talking about the children of slavery, creating -from scratch- a musical art form that would change the art and cultural landscape of the world, forever. That’s powerful stuff. The fact that you can go almost anywhere on this planet and start singing a song like, "My Girl" and have people be able to join in with you, is a testament to the incredible Against All Odds story behind their glorious feat. With that in mind I was immediately reminded of what has to rate as one of the most mind blowing listening experiences I have had in quite some time, a project that is able to harness some of that power that I just described and package it in a way that is palatable to the masses of today.
If you haven’t already, do yourself a favor and rush to the brick and mortar of your choice or your laptop and purchase the following: "Back To The Future" by Las Supper. This release by the all-star team of Hip-Hop legend Big Daddy Kane, R&B/Soul Singer extraordinaire Showtyme, and Hip-Hop Fusion Band Lifted Crew is so jammed packed with the power of those earlier releases that it demands that you hear it, and quickly.
Let me start by saying this, I don’t know whose original idea this was to put all of those parts together (I believe it was Kane though), but whoever, is a certified musical genius. The way they seamlessly blend the different styles to create something that is actually greater than the sum of its parts, is absolutely breath-taking. The secret sauce in this recipe is the combination of flavors, much like a classic mirepoix is the basis of many tasty dishes, any one of those flavors without the others might not achieve this but when the flavors are combined they create something special.
Let’s start by talking about the basis of it all, the music. This band, Lifted Crew, are so incredibly talented that I can’t say they are mimicking the classic soul sounds of the past, it’s more like they are channeling it. From the first opening bass line thumps of "I Believe in Love Again" you are quite literally transported to another time when everything you hear on the stereo was not created on a laptop, but played live by a human with emotions and feelings, I could go on and on but I think you get the picture. A computer can’t transmit to you what these fine musicians can with every note they play, it is an absolute marvel to behold. I played some of the album for some older relatives who are dyed in the wool fans of the whole Motown genre and they said if I hadn’t told them (and when Big Daddy rapped was a dead giveaway too) they would not have known that the music was not from the Funk Brothers themselves. The different styles that they pay homage to on this album is kind of like thumbing through an old record crate from your uncle who used to DJ in the "Oldies" club.
On songs like Heart of Gold and Keep On Shining you get that classic Detroit sound and then on records like Last Chance you get the rock tinged vibe reminiscent of Tower of Power, Average White Band and others with the incredible horn sections. On My Day Without You, they go on a more smoothed out Sam Cooke soul standard type of path and when those organs hit on Shackles of the Mind, you know you are about to take a trip. They close out with Lifted Express (Don’t Funk With My Beat) an instrumental that is so funky you are going to have one big complaint about the record -- it ends too soon! I could have listened to that for another 10 minutes beyond its 4:23 on the album, but I can at least hope that they really take their time with that when they perform live. I don’t know what other superlatives I can add here other than to say that these musicians have carved out a place for themselves in my heart and I will be listening for anything they do in the future because they are THE TRUTH!
Now let’s take a look at the front man, Showtyme. Amongst today’s current landscape, where to this writer it appears that the only guys that are allowed to shine all happen to (coincidentally?) sound like women, Showtyme is one of a kind. The back and forth that he has worked out with the female backing singers with all of the classical phrasing from the era, evident in the vocal arrangements, just puts a vocal icing on a cake that was already too sweet; and it’s a beautiful thing. With a voice that is unabashedly male and so powerful that it literally drips with emotion; as much as with his words, his raspy tones implore you to take heed to whatever he is saying. And the bonus here is that, running completely contrary to what popular in the r&b world, the lyrics are a combination of inspirational poetry, love songs that really deserve the title and the type of reflective observations that bring to mind Marvin's What’s Going On. Are y'all hearing me? On I Can’t Believe, Showtyme paints three brief vignettes over a track that could easily get burn in a holiness church on any given Sunday, with such a palpable pain in his voice that I could totally see someone crying from listening to this record. And when record guest, Yahzarah - a talented and highly respected indie artist in her own right- sends up these top of the upper register "ooohs"...whew...soul stirring, is the only way to describe it. Her voice, backing Shows guttural pleas, create a moving experience that really defies proper description. You just gotta hear it. He definitely has one of the most unique voices in today’s popular music, and is definitely one I will be looking for again. Whether he is on backing duties for Pharoahe Monch (which is where I first became aware of his uber talents) or fronting this project I will stay on the lookout for this gentleman.
Finally, the legend, Big Daddy Kane. It didn’t occur to me when I first heard about it how absolutely perfect Big Daddy’s background was for the soundbeds that Lifted Crew provides. The music was a perfect mirror for some of the classic sounds that we know Mr. Smooth Operator for anyway! And you might think that because many of you may not have heard Kane’s name in a while that this is some "Evander Holfield-esque coming out of retirement when he really shouldn’t", type of deal. You couldn’t be any further from the truth. It sounds like he has been cryogenically frozen for the last 15 years or something. This is not an older Big Daddy Kane; this is a BETTER Big Daddy Kane. The only way you will be certain that this is his new work and not outtakes from the Golden Era is because of the references to current events in his still top-shelf lyricism. They give Big Daddy free reign on 4 cuts where essentially Showtyme just does the choruses and the verses are all classic BDK. I’m sorry y’all, but when R.A.W. came out I was like in senior year of high school and this dude was THE definition of the term rapper for me. It is absolutely astounding to hear him ripping these tracks like he did when I saw him on the Fresh Fest back in the day. No other rapper could have filled this slot as perfectly as Big Daddy and he rounds this project out into something that is truly fantastic.
Wrapping up, I don’t want to take up too much more of your time because that’s time you could be using to go and cop this album, but I do just want to leave you with one more thing. I hardly even listen to the radio anymore personally because it just seems that the bar has been lowered for music in general but Black music in particular. This album right here has singlehandedly restored my hope that it won’t continue to go downhill. Because it’s true that all things decay, that’s the 2nd law of thermodynamics right? But witnessing these musicians create a force in the opposite direction, one that will push other musicians and indeed all of us on a positive path of creativity and building instead, has been an honor. I just hope my next opportunity doesn’t take too long.