Old G’s and the New Old G’s

The New Old School

It has finally happened to those younger people that used to call me an “Old G” they are now being referred to as an “Old G”.  I often received that label because of my musical preferences and age.  Now those same people that were 30 ten years ago have begun to creep into the lexicon of life called “living and reflecting”, and swearing that somehow when they were younger everything was better than what the youngsters are experiencing today.  Yeah, I remember when I was 18 and Funk music had emerged hitting the airwaves hard and heavy like Rap and Hip Hop music of today.  Bands like Parliament, Con Funk Shun, Bar Kays, and Cameo ruled the music scene and the attention of the youth.  I would kind of chuckle when the “Old G’s” during that era would talk about the Impressions, Four Tops, Temptations, Bobby Blue Bland, and others.  They probably laughed to themselves realizing that I too would become an “Old G” one day.  Below is a list of identifiers of the New Old School Folks.

You Know You Are A Part Of The “New Old School” if:

  • If you were in the 6th grade in 1986 when the Jeri Curl was the biggest hair fashion, and Full Force Band was the band everyone partied to
  • If you ever owned or wanted a Michael Jackson ‘Beat it Jacket’ in the 1980.
  • If you purchased fresh off the shelf Run DMC, KRS1, Public Enemy, Beastie Boys, and Eric B. & Rakim albums.
  • If you purchased your albums from Sound Warehouse and similar record stores.
  • If you had a turntable to play your albums on.
  • If you owned an 8 track and or a cassette player.
  • If you tuned in to Soul Train every Saturday.
  • If you owned or wanted a Buick Regal

Just a reminder of who you were, and who you have become my “Old G’s”!

R&B Madness

R&B Dreams, Wake Up It Is Time To Sing!

by Homer Hill

It did not matter what time it was there was one thing for sure the music would be playing in my room!  Went to sleep with the sweet sounds or R&B and woke up to them.  Back in the early 70’s in the Summertime the record companies would release new albums.  I remember being in my room laying on my bed with the window up and a box fan in the window attempting to keep me cool as my feet rested on the window sill listening to the newly released album by the Temptations singing ‘Just My Imagination’ with my eyes closed.  There was a certain kind of bliss I was feeling, and at the age 11 that was a great thing.  I knew the world was large and full of opportunities to experience different aspects of life.  Through music I would exchange my realities for fantasies, oh what a wonderful world I lived in Temptations in the morning and the Bar Kays at night!  You see music is one of those things that can follow you all of your life, and help to determine how you perceive the world.

At an early age I fell in love with R&B music because it offered me messages of hope and love, and it soothed me with its melodic and soulful sounds.  So many iconic soul artists from the R&B genre built the foundation for many of the contemporary genres of today such as Pop Music, Hip Hop, and Neo-Soul.  Do you believe Michael Jackson would have been as prolific without the musing of James Brown?  Do you believe Chris Brown would have found the acclaim he has without him being compared to Michael Jackson?  What about Sam Smith of Joss Stone utilizing the soulful intonations of Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, and other soul masters?  Tell me can Rhianna believe that she could be outrageous without the blessings of Grace Jones and Tina Turner that preceded her?  When Robin Thicke and Pharrell were embroiled in the copyright infringement controversy over Marvin Gayes iconic song ‘Got To Give It Up’ I knew immediately that Marvin’s family would win the lawsuit, because replicating R&B is not the same as creating soul music.  Basically, true R&B listeners know what real heart rendering soul sounds like, and what copied soul sounds like!

So, much of today’s R&B has been diluted with sound effects and voice defects.  Many R&B artists of today are afraid to sing out for fear of being discovered as perpetrators.  But, there are some R&B artists out there today that are singing their collective butts off, like Leela James, Luke James, Anthony Hamilton, and others to name a few.  They may not be considered to be ‘A’ list artists monetarily, but in terms of respecting and creating the essence of R&B they are considered to be ‘A+++’ artists.  As an adult today I can still listen to sweet delectable R&B in the Summertime with my feet propped up on the window sill in my bedroom with the window down and the central air keeping me cool and comfortable as I fall into a sweet R&B fantasy of non stop music.