Mark Anthony Neal's Blog, page 606

'I'm Fascinated by Itinerant + Outlaw + Pariah Ideas" -- John Akomfrah in Conversation with Ekow Eshun

'John Akomfrah discusses, with author and broadcaster Ekow Eshun, themes of migration, history and memory in recent projects and new works from his debut exhibition at Lisson Gallery .' 

Rap Dads, Daughters And Sons: The Father's Day Episode

'NPR Microphone Check's  producer, David Luke, father of David Luke III, put together this podcast, in which past guests like Danny Brown, Solange Knowles and T.I spoke about fatherhood and father figures.' 

Radical Leisure? Reclaiming Time from the Demands of Capitalism.

'Social historian Eva Swidler explores the radical potential of work resistance, explains how the labor movement of the 20th century traded the promise of way less working hours for slightly more wages (and why more radical unions in the future might reexamine that compromise) and makes the case for collective action and working class solidarity as the only way individuals can reclaim their limited time from the demands of capitalism. Swidler. wrote the Monthly Review article Radical Leisure.' -- This is Hell Radio

#TheRemix: Author Lorene Cary on 'Roots,' + Writing + Keeping Kids Safe

'On this episode of #TheRemix with James Braxton Peterson, author Lorene Cary discusses the television reboot of Roots and why experiencing the difficult history of slavery is important, and she shares insights into the nature of spirituality and creativity. Cary is a senior lecturer in the English Department of the University of Pennsylvania and the author of five books, including the novels If Sons, Then Heirs and The Price of a Child . Her essays have appeared in publications including Newsweek, Time, Essence, and O Magazine.' 

Got the World in a Jug: The Life and Legacy of Bessie Smith

'Writer Jessica Machado explores the life of blueswoman Bessie Smith.' -- Bitch Media

#TheSpin: At the Intersection of Charleston + Orlando

On this episode of #TheSpin with host Esther Armah, contributors Staceyann Chin & Keisha N. Blain discusses the issues of religion, homophobia, Islamophopia, White Supremacist terrorism, race and masculinity that are at the heart of the two tragedies in Orlando and Charleston.

Valerie Simpson Exposed by Mark Anthony Neal

Valerie Simpson Exposedby Mark Anthony Neal | @NewBlackMan | NewBlackMan (in Exile)
Whenever the name Valerie Simpson has been invoked, it is often in concert with that of her late life partner and collaborator Nick Ashford. For 40 years, Ashford and Simpson wrote, produced and performed some of the most memorable love ballads ever recorded.  As songwriters and producers, Nick and Val (as we’ve come to lovingly think of them) were the inspirational forces behind the great love songs sung by Marvin Gaye and Tammi Terrell in the late 1960s, like “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough”, “Ain’t Nothing Like the Real Thing”, “If This World Were Mine”, “Your Precious Love” and the stirring “You’re All I Need to Get By” -- songs that are now contributions to the great American songbook.
In the mid-1970s Ashford and Simpson went on the establish themselves as one of the great acts of their generation by recording now classic recordings like “Send It”, “Love Don’t Make it Right”, “It Seems to Hang On”, “Street Corner”  and of course their chart topping 1984 single “Solid”.
Before Ashford and Simpson established themselves as artists, the duo collaborated on two little known solo albums by Valerie Simpson.  Exposed (1971) and Valerie Simpson (1972) represented the cutting edge of a generation of black women artists that harked back to great Blues Women of the 1920s like Bessie Smith, Mamie Smith, Ethel Waters and Ma Rainey, all women who used their music to speak forcefully about the realities of being black women.
In the aftermath of Aretha Franklin’s great crossover success in the late 1960s, the recording industry was primed for the emergence of a new generation of black women musicians and singers. Thus artists such as Roberta Flack (First Take, 1969), Minnie Riperton (Come to My Garden, 1969), Labelle (Moonshadow, 1972) Betty Davis (Betty Davis, 1973), and Esther Phillips (From a Whisper to Scream, 1972) all released groundbreaking music that suggested that black women were artistic geniuses in their own right and didn’t need to be the “eye-candy” that fronted the grandiose musical schemes and corporate dreams of men.  
Perhaps because Motown, her label at the time, was conflicted as to how to market her or more likely didn’t have faith that her music was commercial enough, Valerie Simpson’s  solo recordings didn’t garner as much attention as some of her more well known peers, though the single “Sinner Man” from Exposed was nominated for a Grammy Award in 1972.
A native of the “Boogie-down” (Bronx, New York), Valerie Simpson came up “church” (she and Nick met at the White Rock Baptist Church in Harlem in 1964 when she was still a teenager) and like many black artists from that era, she had no choice but to musically  reference the spiritual power she was exposed to sitting in those pews as a child.  Though many will cite Mahalia Jackson’s appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival in 1958 or Sister Rosetta Tharpe's forays into Jazz clubs, it was really with the huge popularity of Aretha Franklin that the black gospel tradition became accessible to mainstream audiences. Thus many secular artists from that era—Donny Hathaway being the most pronounced—were comfortable making that tradition an integral part of their music.  
Simpson’s “church’ upbringing is written all over her debut Exposed particularly on tracks like “I Don’t Need No Help” which Simpson sings a capella for the first two minutes with a hint of hand-clapping and foot stomping in the background and the explicit “There is a God”.  Sister Val is straight “testifyin’” at the beginning of “Can’t It Wait Until Tomorrow” (a song initially written for Diana Ross’ first solo album), and it was hard to believe that Natalie Cole didn’t have the song in mind when  she takes to the pulpit on her classic “I’m Catching Hell (Living Here Alone)” (1975).  
On Simpson’s  brilliant and innovative remake of Lennon and McCartney’s “We Can Work It Out” (outdoing Stevie Wonder’s cover, in my opinion), the song is transformed into an introspective blues groove only to explode into a revival like frenzy. Fans of Simpson may also remember her show-stopping gospelized vocals on a version of Paul Simon’s “Bridge Over Troubled Water” that was featured on Quincy Jones' Gula Matari (1970)
With the exception of “Sinner Man”, a driving funk number, much of the rest of Exposed falls firmly in the tradition of the sweet Soul that Ashford and Simpson were known for producing. Tracks like “Love Woke Me Up this Morning” (originally recorded by Marvin and Tammi and later by The Temptations),  “Now That There’s You”, and the oh so sweet “Silly Wasn’t I” are clear evidence of the duo’s maturing musical sensibilities and Simpson’s increased confidence as a vocalist (As Tammi Terrell’s illness made it too difficult  complete her vocals towards the end of her short life, Simpson’s vocals were purportedly mixed with Terrell’s on some of the later Marvin and Tammi recordings). Another one of the gems on Exposed is the moody and plaintive “World without Sunlight”.
Simpson’s self-titled follow-up to Exposed, was just as provocative as her debut.  Unlike Exposed, the lyrics on Valerie Simpson are a little more socially conscious.  Thus on a song like “One More Baby Child Born”  Simpson’s sing of both the possibilities and dangers of black children who are born in the “ghetto” (“he may grow up to be your president, but then again you might find him stuck in the ghetto cement”) and the anguish  that black mothers may experience wishing a better world for their children (“him mama look down on him with a tender smile/she just want to hold him and keep him safe/cause he’ll only be a baby for a little while.”  Written at the early stages of the post-Civil Rights era, when songs like Nina Simone’s “Young, Gifted and Black” struck a particular chord of hope, “One More Baby Child Born” is a stark reminder that some folk were not gonna get out.  
Ashford and Simpson’s politics are even more explicit on “Genius Part I”, as they mock the never-ending quest for development and modernization.  At one point Sister Val sings “Man made clouds floating through space/called it pollution ‘cause it killed the human race/Took a piece of paper and painted it green/And with the right number on it, it’ll  buy anything” effectively linking the willingness to defile the environment with greed.  Though the song is essentially about “man-kind”, it’s not difficult to see the song as also a critiques of patriarchy. Though “Genius I” is plodding and sparse, “Genius II” is performed as a dance-floor anthem, where the lyrics seem to have an added sting as Simpson’s sings in the chorus “what a little genius…is he!” 
Valerie Simpson (1972) was one of the last project Ashford and Simpson did for Motown before breaking out on their own with Gimmie Something Real in 1973. Though act got off to a slow start with their new label Warner Brothers, by the time they settled  at Capitol they were bankable stars by the end of the decade and in demand also as producers, notably behind the boards on Diana Ross' The Boss (1979).

VIEW[s]: Black Music & Marriage by Stevie Johnson aka DJ View

VIEW[s]: Black Music & Marriageby Stevie Johnson | NewBlackMan (in Exile)
I can say with unequivocal conviction that I’m blessed to celebrate my first year of marriage.  To some it may be diminutive, but both my wife and I come from single parent households and did not have the opportunity growing up to experience a sustaining marriage.  Maybe that’s why we’re so intentional in how we love one another.  
Being a man, I understand my privilege.  My responsibility is always to bring my wife at the forefront and continue to let her know how much she is appreciated and valued in my life.  But even that puts a limit on “the game” she has put me on.
My wife is consciously aware of the analogies that arise from my love of black music.  I know it may get on her nerves from time to time, but music/DJing is the only way I make sense of the world.  From discussing the art of code switching with black male students in my initiative program, to having a good ole’ “cut up time” with my granny, I’ve found the beauty of life in word play (or oral stories), samples and reverbs.  I reflected over this past year and have pinpointed 4 lessons and songs that signify what I have learned from my wife in our marriage.
Lesson #1: Luke 15 Saved My Life--How Great x Chance The Rapper feat. Jay Electronica
“I prayed and prayed and left messages but never got no hear back, or so it seemed
A mustard seed was all I needed to sow a dream
I built the ark, gently, gently, rowed my boat down Noah’s stream
Sometimes the path I took to reach my petty goals was so extreme
I was so far down in the mud couldn’t even let my light shine
But she was always there when I needed to phone a friend or use a lifeline”
One night in bible study, my pastor discussed the three parables in Luke 15 (the lost sheep, coin and son).  The story about the lost son resonated with me the most because Jesus never identified which son he was referring to (there were two sons in the story, READ YOUR BIBLE).   
Although I knew that the younger son who had “left the nest” was lost, the oldest son was the one that intrigued me the most.  He was jealous, envious of his younger brother and angry with his father.  He couldn’t comprehend the fact that his father did not judge his brother for leaving the family, blowing all his money on frivolous things (i.e. popping bottles at the club) and how he embraced him with opens arms once he returned.  
I identified with the lost older brother because I was angry with my Heavenly Father.  If someone hurt or rubbed me the wrong way, I wrote them off.  I also believed I suffered from “only-child” syndrome, which is this alleged condition that the world revolved around me.  I always felt that God owed me my desires because I was obedient to His word as I understood it. Boy was I sleep….
On the other hand, my wife is the father in the parable.  Her compassion for others is indescribable.  She taught me how to stop comparing myself to others and trust God’s process for my life, while forgiving (and even interacting) with those that I dislike. She showed me agape love.

Lesson #2:  I Still Kick it with My Boys...and DJ/Produce Music – My People x Webbie
“In the club, [NOT] f***** up, I got my people with me.”  
Once I got married, my close friends just assumed that I couldn’t kick it anymore.  It was high-key annoying because they would come to town and not even hit me up, as if they knew I was a VIP member of Netflix and Chill (sidenote: Season 2 of Bloodline was dope).  As a result, I learned to be deliberate about letting my boys know I needed to hang with them.  My wife was very supportive of my time and encouraged me to get out.  I’ve been a DJ for almost seven years and I’m blessed that I have an avenue to decompress, kill the clubs, while spending time with the fellas.  Some women may be asking “So do women try to hit on you while you’re DJing in the club?”  The answer is YES, but when they ask me my name, I just say “MARRIED” and I go back to having a safe, ratchet time with my people, listening to Savage Life.
Lesson #3:  Intimacy is a Beautiful Thing -- The Ambitious Girl x Wale
“See, I like the person that you are,
But I'm in love with the person that you have potential to be
And all your dreams sharing with me
And your secrets baring with me”
When the word intimacy is discussed, many think of sex (I did at one point).  Life has a way of changing your perspective.  A few weeks back my wife read The Alchemist to me while we drove 12 hours from Atlanta to OKC.  No music was played and we put away our phones. We talked, even debated, about the shepherd and his interaction with the individuals he met while on his journey.  
Afterwards, we fell in love all over again because we encouraged one another to pursue our wildest dreams.  Dreams that others would never be able to comprehend.  Intimacy is about sharing, encouraging and providing support to others that truly need it.  It’s fulfilling to know that I have someone who fills my spirit with the physical and mental intimacy that I need.
Lesson #4: My Wife is the My Only Constant in My Stage of Uncertainty – After God, She is My Top Priority -- Beautiful Surprise x India Arie
“You are everything I ask for in my prayers
So I know my angels brought you to my life
Your energy is healing to my soul
You are a beautiful surprise
You are an inspiration to my life
You are the reason why I smile
You are a beautiful surprise”
This year has been a trying one for me.  I know that most won’t admit it, but depression is real, and I’ve experienced it.  From being a newlywed, new job, doctoral program and trying to maintain a DJ business, balancing not only my duties, but my sanity has been a challenge. I’m a futuristic person at heart and I always want to know my next step, but I’m in a stage in my life where uncertainty and vulnerability is the only thing that’s next.  Through it all, my wife, like my love for black music, has been the only constant in my life.  
When my faith waivers, she picks me up; when I have to make a tough decision at work (especially with budget cuts in education), she is there to pray with me; even when I have write a research prospectus for class, she is there to proofread my paper (which she is a stickler for grammar).  I pray that whatever God has for me that he gives my wife 100 fold.  She is an unapologetically black queen and I’m thankful that she chose me.
How Great, My People, that this Ambitious Girl is my Beautiful Surprise, and I’m looking forward to timeless years of a beautiful marriage, accompanied by black music.
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Stevie Johnson is the Director of Operations for the Division of Student Affairs at the University of Central Oklahoma and a Ph.D student in the Higher Education Administration Program at the University of Oklahoma.  Stevie is also known as DJ View. He has been a producer/DJ for 7 years.  Check out his soundclound page at www.soundcloud.com/therealdjview. 

Pastor Shirley Caesar at Chicago's Gospel Fest

'"The First Lady of Gospel Music" Pastor Shirley Caesar talks about longevity and the evolution of her music, and what Gospel music means to her.' -- +JET Magazine 
 

Tupac + Ali + Me: Daydream Believers by Dr. Adia Winfrey

Tupac + Ali + Me: Daydream Believersby Dr. Adia Winfrey | @DrDia | NewBlackMan (in Exile)
“During your life, never stop dreaming. No one can take away your dreams.”~Tupac Amaru Shakur (Jun. 16, 1971-Sept. 13, 1996)Rapper, Actor, Activist
Have you ever had a dream that you couldn’t shake? A dream that awakened you at night and remained present during the day? Has your imagination conjured a goal that permeated every ounce of your being? Daydreaming and cultivating imagination were tenets of Tupac Shakur and Muhammad Ali’s greatness. It required a fearlessness that I have channeled, and admire in both men.
Calling a thing that is not, as though it is, is no small feat. Pac and Ali made declarations, put in the work, and enlarged what was possible, despite the naysayers. Like my professors when I first announced my dissertation would merge psychology and Hip Hop, people didn’t get the dream. With consistent action and faith, things changed.
After four years of daydreaming, research, and writing, I successfully defended my dissertation. Soon after, I repackaged it into a manuscript, and by the following year, H.Y.P.E.: Healing Young People thru Empowerment became the first published Hip Hop Therapy book and curriculum.
“The man who has no imagination has no wings.”~Muhammad Ali (Jan. 17, 1942-Jun. 3, 2016)The Greatest of All Time
When is the last time you daydreamed--that long huh? It’s understandable. As children, those that love us most say daydreaming is a habit that should be broken. It is a common source of frustration for teachers. And within the mental health field, it is labeled symptomatic. Yet with Pac, Ali, and me, daydreaming with intention changed the course of history.
Pac and Ali tapped into their greatness because they understood the power of dreaming and imagination. Speaking life into a thing, and knowing impossible is an opinion, ensures its physical manifestation. As we celebrate Tupac Shakur’s 45th birthday, and continue to reflect on the life of Muhammad Ali, I am inspired to imagine without limits and dream as if my life depended on it.  
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Dr. Adia Winfrey is an author and clinical psychologist who has been featured on NPR, the Tom Joyner Morning Show, and in JET Magazine. She is the founder of Healing Young People thru Empowerment (H.Y.P.E.). H.Y.P.E. incorporates Hip Hop music and lyrics into group therapy sessions for at-risk youth. Learn more about Dr. Winfrey and H.Y.P.E. at www.letsgethype.com.