Berry Gordy – Invest In Your People

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

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

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