Before there was Motown Records, there was Pop and Bertha Berry. This is a story about investing in your people. The entrepreneurial couple had grocery stores, contracting businesses, and an insurance agency on their list of accomplishments. None of them became Fortune 500 companies, but the companies were theirs. The ethos came from Booker T. … Continue reading Berry Gordy – Invest In Your People
Tag: music
Sunday Music: Pharrell (Expertly) Referencing Michael Jackson
I have the coolest friends on earth. h/t to Ryan M. who got me to listen closely to “Down In Atlanta” by Pharrell Williams by explaining how it sounded like “Another Part of Me” by Michael Jackson. Check these tracks out back-to-back. You'll hear it too. I'm delighted. Bonus, for my music nerds: the songs … Continue reading Sunday Music: Pharrell (Expertly) Referencing Michael Jackson
Stay A Fan
I stopped working in music after recording something like the 47th (objectively) terrible rap demo in a row. I remember wanting to pull this guy aside and deconstruct his lyrics with him - how “more hoes in the back than a firetruck” was fine, but “shoot you in the calves like Cleveland” was, well, confused … Continue reading Stay A Fan
Sunday Music: De La Soul Listening Guide
All the official De La Soul albums are streaming now. FINALLY. Do you know how many years I've only been able to listen in my car to the CDs (where my only CD player lives) ever since my last iPod bricked?! It's been way too long. I want you to join me. I also realize not … Continue reading Sunday Music: De La Soul Listening Guide
Sunday Music: The Grind Date (De La Soul)
The full De La Soul catalog is out now, but I’m writing this before I can press play, so I’ve basically got The Grind Date on repeat (again). Context: The Grind Date came out after the second-round chips on shoulder vibes of (the two) Art Official Intelligence albums (more on those in a future post). … Continue reading Sunday Music: The Grind Date (De La Soul)
Respectful Disagreement (And Andy Warhol Disses)
We need friends who we both respect AND can disagree with. Because there’s no growth without resistance. Patti Smith and Robert Mapplethorpe were that type of friends. They were also upward-bound artists. Mapplethorpe loved Andy Warhol and wanted to be a part of his scene. Smith didn’t feel the same. But they were still deeply … Continue reading Respectful Disagreement (And Andy Warhol Disses)
Sunday Music: Eye Know Eye Love You Better
We lost Dave Jolicouer from De La Soul a few weeks ago. In another week or so we get the group’s full catalog on streaming services for the first time ever. Sample clearances, label shenanigans - you name it, the crap that buried their music was frustrating. I can’t remember how or when I first … Continue reading Sunday Music: Eye Know Eye Love You Better
Podcast Of The Week: Remembering Trugoy from De La Soul
Dave Jolicouer, aka Trugoy the Dove, aka Plug 2 - from De La Soul - passed away on 2/12/2023, mere weeks from the group’s catalog FINALLY becoming available on streaming platforms. De La has a very special place in my heart. Not only did I love their music, but their artistic aesthetic was so objectively… … Continue reading Podcast Of The Week: Remembering Trugoy from De La Soul
Sunday Music: Karen Carpenter Killing It
An excerpt from the Your All American College Show, with a young Karen Carpenter playing drums and singing, “Dancing In The Streets.” The Dick Carpenter Trio - yeah, that name lasted past the intro on the show. Awesome. Check out both of these: https://youtu.be/vdECtVO-Epo https://youtu.be/sdHyzGXAJPg
Podcast Of The Week: Rubin On Rubin (And Gladwell On Rubin Too)
Rick Rubin’s book, The Creative Act, is out now. Here’s him and Malcolm Gladwell discussing it. You’ll likely continue to hear a bit about this one - Rubin’s got just a bit of influence on me (and my lifelong fascination with him apparently only grows with the years).