Mention the phrase “soul man,” and a litany of names runs through your mind: Otis Redding, James Brown, Wilson Pickett, Al Green, Isaac Hayes, Marvin Gaye, Jackie Wilson, Teddy Pendergrass and, of course, Sam Cooke. Even newbies like Anthony Hamilton and Jaheim are likely to make the cut, particularly for those who like their contemporary soul,…

I had only been teaching at Duke University for a few months when I caught one of my first public glimpses of John Hope Franklin. It was a chance encounter at a local supermarket—one of the many times I would encounter him during his daily routine. Flanked by my then-7-year-old daughter, I approached Dr. Franklin…

Singer Dionne Farris had become little more than a musical footnote, that talented backup singer on Arrested Development’s alternative hip-hop classic “Tennessee,” who wrested the song from lead vocalist Speech as she wailed, “won’t you help me, won’t you help me, understand your plan.” Thankfully, she has resurfaced—on the Internet. For Truth If Not Love…

Backwater blues have caused me to pack up my things and go Backwater blues have caused me to pack up my things and go ‘Cause my house fell down and I can’t live there no more —Bessie Smith, “Backwater Blues” As tourists travel about downtown New Orleans and the French Quarter for Mardi Gras this…

“I’m His Only Woman,” Jennifer Hudson’s duet with her fellow American Idol alumna Fantasia, is enjoying heavy rotation on black radio. On the extended version on Hudson’s self-titled debut album, the song opens with Fantasia phoning Jennifer to talk “woman to woman” about the man whom they share. Fantasia: … I’m calling right now to…

In the months leading up to the presidential election, much was made about the size of the crowds and the energy level at Obama rallies. For clues, some looked to the Obama playlist—the songs that served as the soundtrack for those frenzied events. True to his overall political strategy, Obama’s playlist cut across various popular…

For those who like to draw a line in the sand to distinguish between “real” hip-hop and that which is not-so-real, Kanye West has shown a consistent ability to blur the line. Since his 2004 breakthrough album, The College Dropout, there have been many rap artists as prolific and visible. But where so many of…

More than a decade after their solo debuts, Eric Benet and Kenny Lattimore have managed to survive a recording industry hopelessly invested in the whims of young listeners and the apparent pursuit of ringtone sales. Years before “grown and sexy” became a marketing scheme to sell music to 30-somethings, Benet and Lattimore both made music…

That the career of Isaac Hayes could be neatly packaged into two generationally specific cultural touchpoints like Shaft and the Comedy Central animated series South Park says volumes about the man’s longevity. But the timeless soundtrack that Hayes produced in support of Gordon Parks’ groundbreaking blaxploitation film, the animated character of Chef (a hammer-like nod…

Jazz singer Rene Marie recently courted controversy when she performed at the “State of the City” address by Denver Mayor John Hickenlooper. Expected to sing the “Star Spangled Banner,” Marie instead broke out into a rendition of “Lift Every Voice and Sing.” Some have complained, including Colorado congressman Tom Tancredo, that Marie needlessly made a…