JumpinJack AJ

I'm really happy with this song. Musically, it leans toward modern rap/R&B on the radio, but with a gospel blend. The lyrics are powerful and something a lot of people can cling onto. I think the song kind of serves as a redeeming moment for him in pop culture. It's almost like an indirect apology to those he may have let down with what happened publicly in the last couple years. I can see why he choose to perform at the BET Awards with this. BET is the perfect space for a song like this. The subject matter is on a level higher than what radio will naturally support, but I hope the BET performance shakes things up and that the song finds a successful home on radio and streaming platforms. It's a great day to be a Fresh Prince fan. p.s. Can we get Jeff on the remix?

Lyrics: "You Can Make It" (feat. Fridayy & Sunday Service Choir) Don't give up on me, I need you to hold on Know you're deep up in the storm But I know you can face it... It could get dark on the road and you're feeling all alone Don't lose sight of where you're going 'Cause I know you can make it... Yeah I know you can make it I know you can make it You are in the smoke and the fire Tight rope on the wire I see you're broken and tired And all your hope is expired You're just done with the change and the games and the shame And the world is insane, all the pain From the flames that you walk through But no one to talk to The ghost that'll haunt you And thoughts that'll taunt you Tryna heal but the battles uphill And if God is for real You just wonder if He'll listen So many tests for the flesh Exhausted, gasping to catch your breath Walking through the valley of the shadow of death And when you think you've got nothing left Keep going Don't give up on me, I need you to hold on Know you're deep up in the storm But I know you can face it... It could get dark on the road and you're feeling all alone Don't lose sight of where you're going 'Cause I know you can make it... Yeah I know you can make it (You can make it) I know you can make it I know you can face it (Face it) I know you can make it The darker the hell you gotta endure The brighter the heaven you get to enjoy The harder the fall, the higher you soar God opens a window when the devil closes the door Believe me, they tried to bleed Will Smith In the rear view I see adversity was the gift To lift me higher, gifts require faith So dry your eyes and then you'll find the way Out of the madness, out of the maze Out of the sadness into the rays The darkest of nights will turn into day And every storm runs out of rain Hold on Don't give up on me, I need you to hold on I know you can face it... Ohhh, ohhh, ohhh I know you can make it... I know you can make it (You can make it) I know you can make it I know you can face it (You can face it) I know you can make it Nobody gets an easy ride We all have a cross to bear But there's wisdom in the fire And every moment is an opportunity Embrace the journey

I trust he'll bring it when it comes to the performance. I hope it's an event and opens some eyes to his true talent as an emcee. It's good to see him on an award show and for it to be BET. The new single better stand out. Hopefully he releases it right after the performance.

https://www.bet.com/article/7k3fv6/will-smith-set-to-perform-new-single-at-bet-awards-2024?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR29P-NybUUFqZUM5C-o9oyQf-Ks7Au4mOTAzgkd9us0N_geVJTusEidLVQ_aem_D9bGx1zi-IW5yL9BINMzmQ Will Smith Set to Perform New Single at BET Awards 2024 The BET Awards 2024 will air live on Sunday, June 30th, at 8 PM ET/ PT on BET. MUSIC June 24, 2024 9:00 AM Hector Vivas/Getty Images Today, BET announced a major addition to Culture’s Biggest Night, BET Awards 2024. Academy Award-winning actor, producer, and multiplatinum, 4-time GRAMMY-winning recording artist Will Smith will debut a new original song LIVE at BET Awards 2024. Academy Award-nominated and Golden Globe-winning actor, author, director, producer, and philanthropist Taraji P. Henson will return to host, and GRAMMY award-winning global entertainment icon USHER will be honored with the prestigious Lifetime Achievement BET Award. BET Awards 2024 will air LIVE on Sunday, June 30 on BET at 8 pm ET/ PT. "From his start as a rapper to The Fresh Prince to being a box office king as one of the Bad Boys, Will Smith is truly a global icon, and we are honored to welcome him back to grace the BET Awards stage,” said Connie Orlando, EVP Specials, Music Programming & Music Strategy at BET. We look forward to Will adding to yet another defining night for the culture that is not to be missed." Opinion: Will Smith is Here to Stay This exclusive performance adds to an already stellar line-up of performers, including GloRilla, Ice Spice, Latto, Ms. Lauryn Hill &YG Marley, Muni Long, Sexyy Red, Shaboozey, Tyla, and Victoria Monét. Additionally, Tanner Adell will perform on the BET Amplified stage. Drake leads BET Awards 2024 nominations with an outstanding seven nods. The official BET Awards 2024 nominees were selected by a voting academy of esteemed music industry insiders, performers, and presenters. Click HERE for the complete list of “BET Awards” 2024 nominees. Vote now for “BET Awards” 2024 Viewer’s Choice Award. Voting ends June 30, 2024, at 6:30 PM PT/ 9:30 PM ET. WILL SMITHBET AWARDS 2024

The Live Magic Summer Tour is on. It looks like DJ Jazzy Jeff is backing up New Kids On The Block.

That's a great article/interview with Sean Paul. People keep forgetting that they collaborated with Shaggy on his "Hey Sexy Lady" remix back in 2002/2003.

https://screenrant.com/bad-boys-4-movie-box-office-franchise-milestone/ Bad Boys 4 Box Office Pushes Franchise Past Major Milestone By Hannah Gearan Published 8 hours ago Thread Bad Boys: Ride or Die hits $1 billion globally despite the challenging movie landscape. Viewers are calling for a spinoff with Reggie and Armando. The success of Bad Boys 4 sets the stage for a potential Bad Boys 5 , with commercial prospects looking up. The Bad Boys: Ride or Die box-office helps push the franchise past a major milestone. The fourth installment in the Bad Boys franchise brings back leads Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett while bringing some of the series’ younger characters to the fore. Bad Boys: Ride or Die features a leading cast including Will Smith, Martin Lawrence, Vanessa Hudgens, Alexander Ludwig, Paola Nuñez, Eric Dane, Ioan Gruffudd, Tasha Smith, Jacob Scipio, and Dennis Greene. Per Deadline, the box office for Bad Boys: Ride or Die has pushed the franchise past a major milestone. With the fourth Bad Boys film’s box office total, the series has now made over $1 billion. At the time of writing, Bad Boys: Ride or Die has made an estimated $79.24 million worldwide with the worldwide box office total for Bad Boys: Ride or Die being $125.6 million. What This Bad Boys 4 News Means for the Franchise's Future Bad Boys 5 Just Got More Likely Bad Boys: Ride or Die has beat the odds in its box office success so far, as it was released during a time that has been very unsuccessful for blockbuster films. Various highly-anticipated films, including Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga and The First Omen, have underperformed expectations at the 2024 box office. This year has had several record-low box office weekends, including Super Bowl weekend and Memorial Day weekend, which saw some of the lowest overall numbers in years. It has been difficult for theatrical releases to gain momentum again, but Bad Boys: Ride or Die has allowed the box office to pick up a little bit. Though Bad Boys: Ride or Die is getting mixed reviews, with a 64% Rotten Tomatoes score, audiences are loving the movie. The film has an impressive 97% approval rating among audiences, who are taking to social media to appreciate the film's action-packed conclusion. Audiences especially appreciated the roles of Reggie and Armando, younger members of the Bad Boys team, who took on more prominent roles in the sequel than they had in previous films, leading some to call for a Bad Boys spinoff that focuses on these characters. If the online reactions were not enough of a good sign, the box office totals for Bad Boys: Ride or Die make the prospects of Bad Boys 5 even more promising. The series has done fairly well commercially and is now one of the few series that can claim that much-coveted $1 billion franchise title. With this milestone hit, the franchise talents will be more likely to want to eke more life out of the Bad Boys franchise, whether that be through a direct sequel or a spinoff series.

https://rockthebells.com/articles/classic-albums-big-willie-style-by-will-smith/ CLASSIC ALBUMS: 'BIG WILLIE STYLE' BY WILL SMITH By Stereo Williams Published Sat, July 16, 2022 at 12:00 AM EDT Up until very recently (let's say March 2022), it was pretty easy to view Will Smith as having had a charmed career. The megastar with the multi-hyphenate career has seemingly done it all. But when looking back at his journey, it's easy to spot just how many times the man took risks. Calculated risks, sure—but risks, nonetheless. After 1993's gold-selling Code Red, DJ Jazzy Jeff & The Fresh Prince officially called it quits. The duo of "Jazzy" Jeff Townes and rapper Will Smith had scaled unimaginable heights together since they debuted in 1987 with Rock The House. They'd crafted a winning formula; with infectious production backing The Fresh Prince's humorous story raps, the duo had won Grammys and sold millions. Along the way, Will Smith had become an unexpected television star. In 1990, on the heels of winning their first Grammy, Smith was tapped to star in the Quincy Jones-produced NBC sitcom The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air. The show became a runaway hit and Smith became a TV fixture; only to make the jump to movies with roles in films like the Whoopi Goldberg comedy Made In America and a well-received dramatic turn in 1993's Six Degrees Of Separation. But it was the 1995 blockbuster Bad Boys that changed everything about Smith's career trajectory. Once the Michael Bay-directed buddy cop flick hit theaters that summer, with former sitcom stars Smith and Martin Lawrence paired together in one of the biggest action movies of the year, the stage was set for Smith to become a full-fledged action hero. Bad Boys grossed $141,407,024 worldwide; and suddenly, Will Smith was a movie megastar. He followed it with another huge box office hit: 1996's sci-fi popcorn flick Independence Day. The movie was the biggest of 1996 and the 2nd biggest of all time (at the time), grossing $817,400,891 globally. And, as wisecracking U.S. Marine Captain Steven Hiller, Will Smith sat centerstage in one of the biggest movies ever made. But a funny thing happened after Will Smith became a box office star; 1997s Men In Black presented the rapper/actor with an opportunity to meld his two loves. Here was a summer blockbuster that needed a theme song. And who better to provide than it's Grammy-winning star? The zany sci-fi comedy from Barry Sonnenfield starred Smith and Tommy Lee Jones as agents for a clandestine organization that knows of alien life forms on earth and serves as an interstellar CIA-esque agency to keep them in line. The movie would drop in the summer of 1997, and to the tune of a $250 million domestic gross, confirmed what now seemed obvious: Will Smith was the new king of the summer blockbusters. The movie's theme song was an infectious slice of ear candy: Smith rapping over a sample of Patrice Rushen's "Forget-Me-Nots." And the video, which famously featured Smith doing the electric slide with one of the movie's extraterrestrial life forms, would become one of the most popular of the year. "Men In Black" would top the charts in numerous countries, and the movie soundtrack, (which also included songs from Snoop Doggy Dogg, A Tribe Called Quest, and an early appearance from Destiny's Child), would sell three million copies in the U.S. on the strength of the hit single. His hit theme song about fighting aliens was a smash. It also birthed a new record deal for Smith at Columbia, and a chance to kickstart an unexpected musical second act. The mega success of "Men In Black" as a single set the table for Will Smith to approach his rap career anew: without his longtime partner and without resurrecting the "Fresh Prince" moniker he wanted to distance himself from. Smith would set to work on his first solo album. He'd been recording songs since 1996, around the time that The Fresh Prince Of Bel-Air was wrapping up it's run. The end of that hit show marked, not only the end of Smith as merely the goofy-but-charming sitcom star he'd been since 1990; but also the end of "The Fresh Prince" as Smith's onscreen persona and brand. His new album wouldn't be a Fresh Prince solo album: it would be the debut album of Will Smith. And, as Will Smith, he was armed with a huge hit single. In the studio with Poke & Tone, Smith put together a collection of infectious and slick tracks. Puff Daddy's No Way Out (and hits by Missy Elliott and Wyclef Jean) had shifted Hip-Hop's landscape into a more lighthearted place; carried by samples of popular tracks from yesteryear. The murders of 2Pac and the Notorious B.I.G. cast a dark cloud over late 1996 and early 1997, and the rap climate responded by taking a hard turn into sunnier sounds. "My strength is that I can feel people; I know what the marketplace is ready for," Smith would explain. "I was ready to write my latest album years ago, but not until the tragic loss of Tupac and the Notorious B.I.G. did I feel it was time. I felt an opening, a desire for change from the darkness of rap music in general. When I heard Tupac, then Biggie, got killed, I said, 'This **** is too much for people to be dying because of it.'” Everything got very shiny. Videos were awash in color and choreography; and it felt like every hit song had a hook that you'd heard before: whether it was Wyclef reworking the Bee Gee's "Staying Alive," or Puff working Matthew Wilder's "Break My Stride" into "Can't Nobody Hold Me Down." Coming on the heels of two high-profile twin murders, it was a splashy, flashy time—full of big hooks and big money. And Will Smith inadvertently gave the era it's most notorious anthem. "Gettin' Jiggy Wit' It" would be the theme song of late 1990s Will Smith, and would come to embody the times in ways that are easy to dismiss. It's the most definitive hit for Will Smith 2.0, and it helped announce the arrival of rap music's most technicolor-splattered and unapologetically "pop" period. In an interview with Michael Joyner in 1997, Smith explained that "jiggy" was a derivative of the slur "jiggaboo," rearranged and refashioned into something more empowering and fun. The Trackmasters-produced hit flipped Sister Sledge's "He's The Greatest Dancer" and featured ghostwritten raps contributed from Nas, and even Jazzy Jeff contributed scratching to the single. "...Jiggy" shot all the way to No. 1 and stayed there for a whopping three weeks in March 1997. Somewhat contrary to the album's longstanding image, Big Willie Style boasts a slightly eclectic handful of guest artists: from TLC's Left Eye to jazz rap auteurs and polysyllabic 70s fetishists Camp Lo; not to mention funk legends Cameo. R&B stars Coko, Trey Lorenz and the late Kenny Greene (of Intro fame) provide vocals. It's Coko's uncredited but distinct voice gracing the hook of "Men In Black;" and none other than singer/actress Tichina Arnold provides those soulful vocals on the chorus of the album's lead single "Just Cruisin.'" Big Willie Style would come to be one of the albums that epitomized the often-mocked "Shiny Suit Era": that period circa 1997 when rap videos were awash in flossiness, rap lyrics seemed preoccupied with superficiality and sampling well-known pop hooks was the fastest way to dominate the radio. - Will Smith (ROLLING STONE interview, 1998) He would also see major shifts in his personal life in 1997. His first marriage – in 1992, to Sheree Zampino – ended in divorce after producing Willard Smith Ill, or "Trey," who was five years old when Smith released Big Willie Style. "The other day one of his friends was crying," Will would recall to Rolling Stone in '98. "And Trey said, 'Hey, don’t cry. At least you get to live with your mommy and your daddy.' He wasn’t down. He was sharing a piece of himself, trying to help. That hurt . . . . Maybe that’s one of the reasons why I want to have a bunch of kids. I could have five, but I’d take up to seven. Healthy babies being born are the happiest times you experience in life." Will's bond with his young son would be immortalized in the heartfelt single "Just The Two Of Us," an interpolation of the Bill Withers hit. Will Smith and Jada Pinkett would get married about a month after the release of Big Willie Style. Family was becoming a major part of Smith's public persona and dominating his personal priorities. For "Just The Two Of Us" to become one of the album's biggest hits was sweetly appropriate for the young dad and soon-to-be husband. Jada admitted, even then, that coming into the orbit of a burgeoning superstar was a daunting proposition. She'd carved her own formidable career as actress, having starred, like Will, on a hit NBC sitcom (A Different World), before making the leap to successful movies like Menace II Society, The Nutty Professor and Set It Off. “When I came to Hollywood, I planned on being the biggest star,” Jada told Rolling Stone in 1998, just as Big Willie Style was nearing the eight million mark in sales. “But when I got with Will, I said, ‘I’m going to have to compromise, because he’s not going to. That’s not even a discussion.’ So I had to ask myself, ‘Is career more important than having a good man who loves you and will provide a happy family?’ I choose Will. So now my work gets forty percent. I can still have a career. I just won’t have the one I planned on. That will not happen. I put my family first.” Their son Jaden Smith would be born in July of 1998. Two years later, their daughter, Willow, was born in October of 2000. Of course, Will Smith would close out the 1990s with his first stab at the world of suspense thrillers (1998's Enemy Of the State) his first high-profile failure (1999s Wild, Wild West) and another multiplatinum smash of an album (2000s Willennium) en route to becoming one of the biggest stars the world has ever seen. In 1997, he was on the front end of what remains one of the most remarkable runs in entertainment

LL dropped his new joint.

https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a61049873/bad-boys-4-reggie-dennis-mcdonald/ *Warning - Spoiler alert* Bad Boys 4 star reveals big Reggie moment wasn't in the original script "They just told me they wanted me back." By Divya SoniPUBLISHED: 09 JUNE 2024 Bad Boys: Ride or Die star Dennis McDonald has shared that his iconic end scene wasn't actually in the original script. McDonald was first introduced in Bad Boys II as Reggie, the young man who is bullied by Mike (Will Smith) and Marcus (Martin Lawrence) for wanting to take Marcus' daughter on a date. Axelle/Bauer-Griffin//Getty Images Related: Bad Boys 4 first reactions land ahead of cinema release The clip quickly became a fan-favourite, often resurfacing on social media, but now Reggie is receiving some respect as he returns for the fourth instalment of the franchise. "This is a blessing," McDonald told Entertainment Weekly. "When I got the script and I found out what I was doing, I already knew that this might be something real, real big. He's finally in the family, [Marcus and Mike] finally accepted him, he's finally getting his due, so I'm just happy about that." Bad Boys: Ride or Die sees McDonald return as Marcus' now son-in-law, who saves the day when the bad boys are on the run after being framed. Reggie, now a Marine staff sergeant, saves Marcus' wife, daughter, and grandson from an army of men infiltrating their home, as Mike and Marcus watch helplessly via video feeds. After killing the attackers and saving his family, Reggie earns the respect of the stunned bad boys. Sony Pictures Related: Bad Boys 4 debuts with lower Rotten Tomatoes rating than previous movie The final scene of the movie ends with Reggie receiving a great honour, which McDonald revealed "wasn't in the script at all". Mike and Marcus argue over who mans the barbeque grill, then they laugh when Reggie approaches to take over. As they respectfully step aside, the movie ends on Reggie's smiling face. "That was kind of crazy — I was in Miami filming, and then I flew back home, and then they called me like three or four days later to come back to Miami to shoot another scene. "They just told me they wanted me back, so I'm thinking I had to do something over [again]. But I had lines and everything, and it was the whole end of the movie. They're like, 'Yeah, you end the whole movie. It ends with your face.' And I'm like, 'Are you serious?' I was just overwhelmed."

Yeah, I've already seen talks about a desire for a 5th one. https://www.digitalspy.com/movies/a61068051/will-smith-martin-lawrence-bad-boys-5/ Will Smith and Martin Lawrence address Bad Boys 5 return "If the fans ask for it, you know we could be back." By Sam WarnerPUBLISHED: 11 JUNE 2024 Will Smith and Martin Lawrence have addressed a potential return for a fifth Bad Boys movie. The pair are back as detectives Mike Lowrey and Marcus Burnett for the newly-released fourth instalment in the franchise, Bad Boys: Ride or Die. In a new interview with Entertainment Weekly, the two stars were asked about returning once again in another sequel, admitting they would be up for it – though there would have to be a good reason. Frank Masi//Sony Pictures "Well, these younger actors are going to need to do more of the stunts, that's for sure," Smith quipped. "It is a world and characters that are just an absolute joy to be with. "In a movie theater with Mike and Marcus, it just feels like home. So, as long as there's a reason – I never wanted to be one of those dudes who make sequels just because people will go." The star added that he likes to do sequels if "there is something to say" and the characters are developing in a way that "will be interesting and fun to watch and maybe even a little helpful". "Is there something that can happen in these characters' lives that is worth asking people to go to a movie theater for?" he added. "And with this movie, the answer is a resounding yes." Frank Masi//Sony Pictures Lawrence added that they "always have so much fun making these movies" and "you've got to give the fans what they want". "Will and I have a great time working together, so as long as the fans want it and the demand is there, I'll keep trying to give them what they want," he added. However, Lawrence admitted they will "have to see" regarding a possible Bad Boys 5 movie, and while he'll "never say never", it also "has to make sense". "If the fans ask for it, you know we could be back," he added. Bad Boys: Ride or Die is now out in UK cinemas.

I saw that article this morning. It feels good to see Will back on top. It's well deserved. It's kind of crazy that his last few films had an average response, but this one was the hit, even when there are some people who won't look past some of his problems in the past couple years. I plan on seeing Bad Boys Ride or Die again soon.

MC Shan also claims he was approached out it. He's gotten hard to respect though with some of his outlandish claims and drug problems.

This isn't from Lyte's upcoming album, but it's a new song by Lalah Hathaway that features her.

https://hiphopdx.com/news/will-smith-light-em-up-sean-paul-bad-boys-ride-die-soundtrack?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR2Bj0xzADu6DnUX7TJl2lunvDmMxGc_ZTls9mxBDNSAuiryS58JeEivRDA_aem_AdvaHSvhB-O5Fn7Z_C0BxRGgwrqo_KL_kVKKRkHDiKroDbS3lteMvS6dVykVMcJwu2XhuG-umZ6nhWUHtKdkUgi3 WILL SMITH RETURNS WITH NEW SEAN PAUL COLLAB ON 'BAD BOYS: RIDE OR DIE' SOUNDTRACK by SAM MOORE Published on: Jun 7, 2024, 8:15 AM PDT Will Smith has returned to music with a new Sean Paul collaboration, courtest of the soundtrack for Bad Boys: Ride or Die. Titled “Light Em Up,” the song marks the actor/rapper’s first release in almost half a decade following his guest appearance on Joyner Lucas‘ “Will (Remix)” in 2020. Over a hard-hitting, dancehall-flavored beat, Smith showcases his agility on the mic with different flows while reminding listeners that he hasn’t missed a beat since the days of Big Willie Style. “Back in this bitch like I never left/ The Devil came for me, should have worn a vest/ You thought I lost something, I ain’t miss a step/ You want some old me? Say less,” he raps “I’m bad to the bone when I get it rocking/ I’m back in my zone, ’bout to get it popping/ Will still plugged in, yeah, it’s pretty shocking/ Like a brand new Porsche, I got plenty options.” The Bad Boys: Ride or Die soundtrack also features a new collaboration between BIA and JID called “Lights Out,” along with more original material from Shenseea, Flo Milli, the Black Eyed Peas, 21 Lil Harold, Becky G and more. Bad Boys: Ride or Die is the fourth installment in the action franchise and sees Will Smith once again reprising his role as Detective Mike Lowrey alongside Martin Lawrence as Detective Marcus Burnett. Smith recently wowed fans with his acting skills in the film after behind-the-scenes footage of an action sequence surfaced online. In the clip, the Oscar winner is both acting and operating as a cameraman as he carries a filming device on his back while also performing in the scene. The video flits between behind-the-scenes footage of the 55-year-old pulling double duty and the impressive finished product that movie fans will see in cinemas. The film, which hits theaters today (June 7), follows Lowrey and Burnett as they investigate corruption within the Miami Police Department and fight to clear their late captain’s name. Cast members returning from previous films include Joe Pantoliano, John Salley, Vanessa Hudgens, Paola Nunez, Alexander Ludwig and Jacob Scipio, with new additions to the ensemble being Rhea Seehorn, Tiffany Haddish, Eric Dane and Ioan Gruffudd. DJ Khaled also reprises his role as Manny the Butcher from the third film, while Lionel Messi, Joyner Lucas and Trae Tha Truth also make cameo appearances. Smith perhaps hinted at a return to music when he made a surprise appearance at Coachella in April to perform his classic hit “Men in Black” alongside J Balvin. The Fresh Prince appeared wearing his black suit and sunglasses from the classic 1997 film for a rendition of the Grammy-winning hit, which marked his first live performance in years.

Aye, they did a lyric video too!

Being midnight here on the east coast in the US, the song is up.

Yeah, I'm happy with it. It's hard to beat the first two, but this took the style of the last one and had a better story that better fit the franchise. Some of the camera work is pretty crazy. It's nice seeing recreations of some of the classic shots and a Michael Bay cameo. I'll likely be seeing this in theaters again.

I made a post about it when it launched. You can sign up at https://willsmith.ffm.to/signup or text 215-244-9455. There's a WhatsApp option, too.

I saw them post the tracklisting in a Facebook post and instantly got hype. Apparently the song is only two minutes and two seconds long. It's just an appetizer for what's to come with the new album.

On a similar topic, here's the song Jeff did with him last year.

https://rockthebells.com/articles/dj-jazzy-jeff-and-talib-kweli-join-bob-james-tiny-desk/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Rao-_wnMAmqehVa0IKAxLcQfCwnvt-bucQCBl4DpRxwF3JcYZU-04uuM_aem_AbIrod5ZkO8HjRWfRjGzntPE0i8fG2GUlxyZib8DOE4aonTM6sevXTKFxSMea2D-C9FFah8eUyWziSXGGNOdCM85 DJ JAZZY JEFF AND TALIB KWELI JOIN BOB JAMES FOR A RENDITION OF 'NAUTILUS' FOR TINY DESK By Jay Quan Published Mon, May 20, 2024 at 2:45 PM EDT DJ Jazzy Jeff and Talib Kweli recently joined legendary Jazz pianist Bob James for a rendition of his heavily sampled classic "Nautilus". Debuting in 1974 on James' debut album, One, "Nautilus" became an instant favorite of Hip-Hop DJ's. It became the backing track for rap records as early as 1983 with Rock Master Scott & The Dynamic Three's "It's Life". In Hip-Hop's sample heavy "Golden Era" Run-DMC, Eric B. & Rakim, Ghostface Killah, King Sun, Onyx and dozens more would sample various portions of the record. In a recent exclusive interview with Rock The Bells, DJ Jazzy Jeff spoke of his musical relationship with Bob James, and shared that he would soon be performing with James for his Tiny Desk Concert. "Bob James actually sued us many years ago for sampling 'Winchester Lady' on 'Here We Go Again'," Jeff shares. "Hip-Hop was new and we were using ****, and people didn't know. During the pandemic, I was forced to shut down and spend a lotta time in the studio and I've never been more creative. During that time I got a call to remix some Bob James classics. I was excited initially then I thought, Bob James isn't dead. Instead of remixing something, I'd like to do something new with him. So we got on the phone and the first thing he said was 'Is this the DJ Jazzy Jeff that we had an issue with?' We laughed about it, and I explained to him why we sample in Hip-Hop. I explained to him that I was able to produce Jill Scott and Musiq Soulchild because I went down the rabbit hole and discovered who played on his records, and he loved it!"

You can watch it here: https://www.npr.org/2024/05/20/1250056328/tiny-desk-concert-bob-james?utm_campaign=later-linkinbio-nprmusic&utm_content=later-43120603&utm_medium=social&utm_source=linkin.bio He starts discussing Hip-Hop (and DJ Jazzy Jeff + Fresh Prince at 14:30). Tiny Desk Premiere: Bob James MAY 20, 20245:00 AM ET Bobby Carter Bob James' Tiny Desk concert is a manifestation of freedom and collaboration. "I have youth represented here," he says before introducing his band. "I don't have that myself, but I can hire it." The joke is tinged with a certain degree of truth. Still, curiosity and openness fuel his fresh spirit and keep his fanbase wide-ranging. The jazz pianist, composer and producer took his opportunity at the Desk to highlight his iconic discography, spanning over five decades. Quincy Jones discovered Bob James in the 1960s and signed him to a record deal. He then arranged for other jazz greats like Sarah Vaughan and Grover Washington Jr. before releasing his album One in 1974. That album featured "Feel Like Making Love" and "Nautilus," one of the most sampled records in hip-hop. While James has released dozens of projects with his contemporaries, hip-hop has been the bridge to younger generations. Before the new, improvised version of "Nautilus" with DJ Jazzy Jeff and Talib Kweli — seriously, they mapped it out and tried it once before we hit record — James played other highlights from his catalog, including "Westchester Lady," "Angela (Theme from Taxi)" and "The Secret Drawer" from his Grammy-nominated album, Jazz Hands. SET LIST "The Secret Drawer" "Westchester Lady" "Angela (Theme from Taxi)" "Nautilus (feat. DJ Jazzy Jeff and Talib Kweli)" MUSICIANS Bob James: piano James Adkins: drums Michael Palazzolo: bass Andrey Chmut: saxophone DJ Jazzy Jeff: DJ Talib Kweli: vocals TINY DESK TEAM Producer: Bobby Carter Director/Editor: Joshua Bryant Audio Technical Director: Neil Tevault Videographers: Joshua Bryant, Kara Frame, Maia Stern, Michael Zamora Audio Engineer: Carleigh Strange Photographer: Elizabeth Gillis Tiny Desk Team: Ashley Pointer, Hazel Cills Executive Producer: Suraya Mohamed Series Creators: Bob Boilen, Stephen Thompson VP, Visuals and Music: Keith Jenkins

https://rockthebells.com/articles/common-and-pete-rock-drop-wise-up/?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR0i9jJz_GjTVo_1FPkLjwOd6I1oqgRFgOoB2VsU0Q37M2XpN5oXuezu2DA_aem_AbLy-I_CwoqmXaK5bmHc9vkbD5ePL9IAKjrhI4bKoB6IEbgN2cre_FjU36Tv2HKXjYumD52LxZtCp3_7ygqfRKPi CHECK OUT THE VIDEO FOR COMMON AND PETE ROCK'S 'WISE UP', FROM THEIR UPCOMING COLLABORATIVE ALBUM By Jay Quan Published Wed, May 22, 2024 at 8:00 AM EDT Common and Pete Rock have released "Wise Up", the first video from their eagerly awaited upcoming collaborative project. The video was shot at several urban areas, including Allah School In Mecca at 2122 Adam Clayton Powell Jr. Blvd in New York City. "Wise Up" features Common spitting in classic form over a piano heavy Pete Rock track that contains an interpolation of MC Shan and Marley Marls 1986 classic "The Bridge". Common spoke about the upcoming project last year with MSNBC host Ari Melber. "I've been listening to a lot of '90s Hip-Hop recently because I'm working on a new album with Pete Rock," he said. "The energy of that music whether it's Brand Nubian, A Tribe Called Quest, or De La Soul, who just got their music on streaming, it's inspiring to hear. I'm creating music and I'm in a great space right now." “You ever miss that feeling of a good release in Hip Hop?” Pete captioned from a HipHopDX article’s screenshot on Instagram. “Remember how exciting that felt??? We both excited as a mafugga. I always feel like I got something to prove but its just fun to me to make music. Competing to make good music with all the different personalities involved today just gotten dry. We love hip hop and you will know just how much. Stay tuned!!!"