The Sock-It-To-Me Factor

There are two reasons I've avoided posting on Musical Revolutionaries.
1.) Larkin and Lynn's posts are so good.
2.) As Lynn previously stated, sharing your music with others is just plain scary.
But now that I have an essay to write, I figured this is as good a time as any to leave my mark.

It's hard for me to pick one genre of music that I love above the rest, but I can't deny my soul. For me, soul music is unlike any other genre of music. I feel a deep connection towards it. You may read that last statement and assume that this connection is based on my being African American. While that certainly may be a factor, I think people respond strongly to soul music regardless ethnicity. Soul artists aren't afraid to expose themselves and embrace imperfections. That's why I love it!

I was browsing through an old imeem playlist that I made awhile back and found some really good songs that had slipped my memory over the past year or so.

Morning Sunrise- Weldon Irvine


I love finding music that hip hop artists have sampled. I think I found this song in the summer of 2006. Listening to it now I can feel the rays of light that beamed through my Oakshade bedroom window. Irvine was such a cool cat. He was Nina Simone's band leader and penned a song that inspired many, "Young, Gifted, and Black." Please enjoy the smooth and earthy melody of this tune.

California Soul- Marlena Shaw


Dude, do you hear this?! "When you hear the beat you've got to pat your feet" Heck yes! I'm pretty sure I discovered this song around the same time as Irvine's. The horns, the strings, and the rhythm all combine to form something melodic and funky. It's been sampled too.

I'll bake cookies (or buy a drink!) for the first person to name the songs/artists that sampled these.