The U People Film Soundtrack

The U People Soundtrack is an amazing compilation of today’s independent women musicians who much like the film gathered in the name of being seen and heard.

The soundtrack at this time is not available on CD and is instead available via download. Listen and download your favorite tunes or the album in its entirety. All files are mp3s.

Will be available Feb 1 2010 at bandcamp.com and on itunes by spring 2010!

Born Again American – Part 2 – “Onto The”

Born Again American (Part 2) – “Onto The” (12 minutes): Features the wise words of Evelyn Granville, the first Black American Woman Mathematian PHD. She along with the music explore how the beauty of faith is often out shown by the shadows of religion. And meanwhile time repeats itself. 

The Born Again American Mix Part 2 “Onto The” is no longer available for download. The Born Again American Download Card will be available online in February and at select stores.

If you missed Part 2 “OnTo The” Listen

 

 Born Again American Mix Part 2 "Onto The" [12:40m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

 

 Born Again American (Part 1 - "To Sea") [11:06m]: Play Now | Play in Popup

CREDITS/PLAYLIST

Mixed and Arranged by Hanifah Walidah
Co-Mixed by DJ FoLAKe

Main Track: “Stand on the Word” – Joubert Singers (Tirk Records)
“What do you know” – The Gentle People (Remix/Nivek Tsoy) (I Records)

Wise Words: Evelyn Granville (visionaryproject.org)
© 2002-2008 The National Visionary Leadership Project. All Rights Reserved.

Photography: Olive Demetrius
Graphic Design: Hanifah Walidah

If you missed art 1 “To Sea” Listen

The Born Again American Music Mix is a series of exquisite mixes inspired by a new era. Each week will question and affirm what we know and where we choose to go… from here.

Every Monday starting Jan. 5th and ending Jan. 19th, 1 out of a 3 part Born Again American mix series will be made available on the U Music Drops widget. Every week at Monday 12pm the U Music Drops Player will drop a new mix. You will have 7 days to download that mix for free.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE U MUSIC WIDGET HERE.

Born Again American – Part 1 “To Sea”

The Born Again American Music Mix is a series of exquisite mixes inspired by a new era. Each week will question and affirm what we know and where we choose to go… from here.

Every Monday starting Jan. 5th and ending Jan. 19th, 1 out of a 3 part Born Again American mix series will be made available on the U Music Drops widget. Every week at Monday 12pm the U Music Drops Player will drop a new mix. You will have 7 days to download that mix for free.

LEARN MORE ABOUT THE U MUSIC WIDGET HERE.

PART 1 – TO SEA

Part 1- To Sea, features the wise words of Ruby Dee as she delves into the African American identity in a way that is refreshing and downright timely. I think many African Americans, I know I have, have been left by the crossroads with the victory of this election. The crossroads of our identity. Most, not all, of us have been raised with some or more a degree of cynicism and resentment towards America; leaving us with a splintered, at best, sense of identity.

The Born Again American Mix Part 1 “To Sea” is no longer available for download. The Born Again American Download Card will be available online in February and at select stores.

If you missed Part 1 “To Sea” Listen

This is an idea I’ve had on the burner for a minute as Barack was running, now that the will be our president in just a few weeks I could not resist the artistic forces that were willing to give these thoughts voice. As I started piecing together the music I would use on Beatport.com, I came by a site www.visionaryproject.org that is an archive of interviews with prominent African American leaders in the sciences, humanities, arts and politics. I gravitated to the women of course and they surely did not disappoint. At the same time I teamed up with a my friend DJ FoLAKe to play around with the idea that was coming to light.

I am a storyteller and I can’t help but tell one in my art whether it is theater, music or film. It was my pleasure to create this mix and I hope it is your pleasure to listen.

CREDITS/PLAYLIST

Mixed and Arranged by Hanifah Walidah
Co-Mixed by DJ FoLAKe

Main Track: Lonely Quiet by Soul T (Exquisite Records)
Additional Track: Godspeed by Modeselektor (Bpitch Control)
What Do You Know by The Gentle People ( I Records)

Additional Vocals/Poetry: Hanifah Walidah and Olive Demetrius
Wise Words: Ruby Dee (www.visionaryproject.org)
© 2002-2008 The National Visionary Leadership Project. All Rights Reserved.

Photography: Olive Demetrius
Graphic Design: Hanifah Walidah

Special Thanks to Lars Kronlund for introducing me to Beatport.com

MUSIC: DJ Selly Interview

For over a decade DJ Selly has been championing indie music and progressive sounds in clubs throughout NYC. In this interview we discuss her history with the famed Ubiquita NYC party, her passion for underground artists, and her June U People mix.

For more on DJ Selly, checkout U People Podcast #31: Last Night A DJ Saved My Life in the U People podcast archives!

Kristi Lomax
Host/DJ: Restless Soul (KPFK 90.7 FM)
Monday nights: 10:30 pm – 12 am
www.lomaxwax.com
www.myspace.com/kristilomax
Aim: Radio Rezoul

MUSIC: Jianda speaks to U People

interviewed by Tika Milan

Cali native Jianda, a regular Pride, Open Mic and Feature performer, creates music that runs the gamut of genres including electronica, conscious soul, jazz and acoustic folk. In various venues, she primarily performs as a solo acoustic act but also improvs with DJs, rap artists and other artists. Her songs, “Always Nice”, “Happily Ever”, and “A La Ronde” were featured on February’s U People mixtape. Jianda sat down with me to discuss, being queer, singing in French and the inspiration of the California sun.

I loved your song, “A La Ronde”. What does it mean?

I wrote those lyrics quite a while ago. It’s basically about chasing someone, about unrequited love and she realizes the lover she’s chasing isn’t feeling it. A La Ronde is a French phrase that means going round and round. Or kind of a loop-de-loop kind of feeling. It’s one of those playful but deep songs, depending on how you’re feeling it.

Why did you choose to write that song in French instead of English?

Sometimes it’s just speaking the unspeakable. Sometimes it’s more inspirational to do something in another language and express yourself in a new way. I’ve always resonated with France and particularly writers from the Harlem Renaissance. There were a lot of people at that time who ex-patriated to France and I feel that that is articulating in some kind of way. Maybe not consciously, but I just know that it definitely has stuck with me spiritually.

Are you from Southern Cali originally?

Yeah I am. I spent most of my formative years in Orange County. As an adult I spent a lot of time in San Diego.

How does being in California affect your music?

Well I’m definitely entrenched by the beach and the sun and the warmth of the weather and the wide open spaces. I feel a connection with nature and ocean most of the time. Nature always understands and is always there for us.

How do you approach your music?

I’m always writing poetry and lyrics. I always have melodies going through my head but I try to make it a more organic process so when I go to the studio I flow.

I try to get an overriding sense that will infuse with the song and set my intention for every song. I want it to be a healing process I think that’s why I’ve taken a long hiatus from music because I really want it to be a healing thing for myself and others.

I’ve been performing at a lot of pride events, but I haven’t recorded in a while.

How many albums do you have?

I have one CD of self released songs buy my songs have been featured on a few albums. Maybe about seven total. I think I’m most known for my work with Om Records. I was on their Om Lounge 10 release which was a ten year anniversary for them. It was flattering to be featured on such a prestigious release. I’ve been listening to House, and Soul and Electronica for so many years. I feel like having my love for that music reflected back was very cool.

What artists influence your music? If at all.

It’s hard to narrow it down to a handful or artist. I think it’s more so genres that influence me. I’m really moved by deep house music.

There’s this folk singer named Elizabeth Cotton. She passed in 1987. She’s black legendary folk singer. Her spirit has been speaking to me for a long time.

For lack of a better word, I can say I’m queer. I’ve been in so many different scenes. I’ve been in the Goth scene, I’ve been in the LGBT scene. I’ve hung out with African-American women and men. I just feel like, particularly recently, I’ve been involved in projects for black lesbians. I have two singles that will be in some films, the first one is She Wasn’t Last Night” that’s a Griot Soul Film’s release. The director is Dareese Jones and then Faith Tremble has a film called Family. I feel like I have a heart for African American lesbian projects but I’ve had so much wounding by African American lesbians who feel that you’re suppose to be in a certain box. That’s why Elizabeth Cotton spoke to me because if you close your eyes she sounds like just a sweet little old lady. Some might say she doesn’t sing in tune and may not see the struggles she went through. ..she taught herself how to play music and she was a domestic. She wrote a lot of folk songs. Her spirit and her music really blows me away.

Lets go back to being queer. How does your queer identity come through in your music?

I was with my ex girlfriend for 3 years and that’s when I really started verbalizing that I’m a lesbian. And I think it was for political reasons. We were in a strong loving committed relationship and I wanted to commit to that word for her and it felt right at the time. And it still does. You can call me many things. We’re many things and we’re one thing. Since my partner and I have broken up, she decided that she was trans. So now, she is he so now the label lesbian doesn’t apply. I think how it affects my music is that I’m always trying to get back to that love…that pre-natal love where your just like at one with yourself and your connected to your mother and the earth and your father. Just this oneness. I feel like I’m trying to get back to that at some point and express that. I’m always trying to throw healing and calming vibrations out there. I’m a big softy.

‘Female’ All Stars Proper in the UK

I first picked up a pen to write a rhyme when hearing MC Lyte on the Red Alert Show here in NY some years back. Before Lyte, I hadn’t seen myself as being an MC. My young mind identified Hip Hop with just men and didn’t know to care otherwise quite frankly. I was just in love with a music that was fast becoming the music of my generation. Thinking she was a boy at first, Red Alert would change my life by nonchalantly using the pronoun she when talking of Lyte as he debuted her first single 10% Dis. I always described this moment of hearing Lyte for the first time as the clear and definitive catalyst that began my life as an MC. It was in essence my first sincere brush with feminism. Since then I had written countless amount of rhymes, performed on stages and taken snapshots with those who I saw as heroes. I was at one time labeled the next  “female MC”. At one time…

Lyte, indirectly taught me to resent the term ‘ emale MC’, because it didn’t come close to matching her (Lyte) influence on the music. But still like when prefixing woman with “Black” or friend with “gay”, we do it because we have been taught to do so. Maybe these prefixes make us feel better in our exclusion from mainstream speak or we simply fear our point will be loss “Lyte is the best MC ever” if we do not compartmentalize it for the uninitiated.

Hip Hop is now 30′ somethin’ depending on who you speak to and in all of that time I can still count on my hands (ok a couple of my toes) all of the female MC’s that have truly impressed me both mainstream and underground. If we were to write out the entire list of female MC’s that have acquired any amount of notoriety we would first have to bite our lip as we speak some of their names with some resentment. Not because they so much lacked skills, but that they lacked their own voice. But to be fair, male MCs have been made props and holiday trincates for the masses as well.

Just for kicks here is my list of my top 10 MC’s who have a womb:

1. MC. Lyte

2. Roxanne Shante (ok, she may have not written her rhymes (still up for debate), but Nina didn’t write every song she sang either. Roxanne Shante gets this slot because of the influence her voice had over the genre. The original raspy chick)

3. Lauren Hill

4. Queen Latifah (the early years)

5. Money Love

6. Bahamadia (first heard her demo Funk Vibes while working at Warlock Record, been a fan ever since)

7. Medusa (undeniably on par with Lyte as far as impact in my life. I still to this day do not know many MCs that can fuck with her. Her dues are underpaid as she is grossly understated in the history of Hip Hop)

8. Kandi Cole

9. Skim

10. No Lay

You may have your own list, but this is mine as I write you at 5am in the morning. But I want to take note of the last name No Lay. Like Money Love, she is a UK MC but of two different generations. I first stumbled upon No Lay on Last.FM and have been hooked ever since. I watched what I could find of her on You Tube and was beside myself why she appealed to me so. Then after I watched this impromptu, poorly lit interview with her and her ‘boys’ outside some random UK club, I realized what it was. She brought me back to the night and the time of Lyte. She reminded me of when I was younger, surround by my ‘boys’, closeted, yet so very innocent with an unrefined and undeniable talent. Her confidence is not put on but placed in your face with grace and razor sharp skills.

I started to become a fan of UK underground or what they refer to as Grime music with artists like No Lay and Dizzie Rascal. I then asked, well aren’t their more female UK MC’s, how many, and of those who can hit me like No Lay? Well god bless You Tube. Below is a Female All Star music video called “Grab the Mic”. There are 13, count them 1-3 MC’s with a womb in this video. And none of them are wack! Some are tighter than others, but all are confident. And what I enjoy most about this video is that you can tell, one, they got love for eachother, two, there is this basement pass the mic, we on the roof of the projects, feel that any MC who has a nostalgic love for the concept of crew can admire. No beef, just rhymes! One after the other. Some of them look my family, some like the girls that use to bully me after school, but all stand and maintain their own.

So, if you are familiar to UK Underground music enjoy and if not, put your seat belts on and it my pleasure to introduce this music to you through these women.

UK Female All Stars- Grab The Mic

NO LAY FREESTYLE ON WESTWOOD BBC

NO LAY – UNORTHODOX DAUGHTER

DJ Rimarkable talks shop

DJ Kristi Lomax interviews DJ Rimarkable-
Our series of interviews with the U People DJ Allstars, jumps off with Detroit’s own DJ Remarkable. Our conversation included a discussion about hip hop vs. house music, religion and music from her AUGUST mix for U-People.

This multi-talented selector, also spoke about her evolution from DJ to music producer, composing original tunes for Bay area artists like Valerie Troutt, and the perils of leaving the club with no phone numbers.

Get turned on to music and a new DJ.

Tarrah Reynolds talks with U People

Interviewed by: Tika Milan

U PEOPLE: Your song “Where I want to go”, which is a beautiful song, was featured on February U People Mix. Where did that song come from?

TARRAH REYNOLDS: I wrote that song when I was fasting. I was so clear minded. I don’t know if you’ve ever fasted, but it’s that feeling of clarity and I felt that I could just see things that I hadn’t been able to see. I was basically talking about paradise and heaven.

U PEOPLE: How long did you fast for?

TARRAH REYNOLDS: I fasted for like 14th days.

U PEOPLE: What other things inspire your work?

TARRAH REYNOLDS: I just don’t push myself. I just wait for it to come. I honestly try not to force it. When I do that, it’s so irritating. I’m never happy with what I come up with. So I try to be relaxed and let it come to me as natural as possible.

U PEOPLE: You attended Julliard and play the violin. How did the transition to guitarist and singer song writer come about?

TARRAH REYNOLDS: While I was at Julliard, what really opened me up and made me see there were other possibilities was when someone called me to be in a D’Angelo video. That was the first thing I ever did outside of classical music. It was the first professional thing I did outside of an orchestra.

U PEOPLE: What did you do in the D’Angelo video?

TARRAH REYNOLDS: Just played the violin. I was a big fan of his and to able to work with someone outside of classical that I loved just made me want to do more of it.

U PEOPLE: How do you find the balance between what you learned in school and what you’ve learned about your creativity outside of academia?

TARRAH REYNOLDS: Sometimes I complain about Julliard, but I honestly am so glad I went there. I have better technical ability and such a literal understanding of music. That really helps me when I go sing with other singer-song writers or rappers, getting it happens so quickly. I’m very grateful for my education.

U PEOPLE: You’ve played with a variety of people from Tamar Kali and Imani Uzuri to Jay-Z and Kanye West.  How are able to span over so many different musical styles

TARRAH REYNOLDS: I just really try not to have a specific style. Some people try to put me in a category, but I’ve never been one to focus on one particular style. I’ve never really been hardcore about one thing in particular.

U PEOPLE: You’re music sounds very jazzy and folk-y You kind of remind me of Joni Mitchell, but black. There is still soulfulness to it. How would you describe your sound?

TARRAH REYNOLDS: I’m a big fan of Joni Mitchell. Melody is very very important to her and she is very crafty with it. I really love when people take the time to create a beautiful melody. I make my music melodic and soulful and pretty.

U PEOPLE: So what do you have coming up?

TARRAH REYNOLDS: Right now I’m trying to do a proper recording. I have a lot of live stuff. It’s cool but I want to take it to the next step and have something more polished. I hope to have it finished at the end of the year.

Visit Tarrah Reynolds at www.myspace.com/misstarrah

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DJ La Femme Mixes Sep. 2008

The Fall is upon us and summer leaves bitterly. But here in Brooklyn a loan DJ spins just for U People.

Here is just a taste of the sweet bitter end of summer with DJ La Femme.

Click image to get your U People Download Music Mix Card.

Already have one, click here to redeem the latest mix off of your card!

Staceyann Chin live at Southpaw

As part of the U People Pride Event 2008, Staceyann Chin decimated the stage per usual. She is of the first to be featured in a series of live and pre-recorded live performances here at www.iloveupeople.com. Enjoy and share.

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