Funk
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak Bring Silk Sonic to 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards: Watch
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-05-28T01:11:21+00:00“>May 27, 2021 | 9:11pm ET Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak are indisputably two of the most impressive and entertaining live artists of this era, and they’re already proving that their new project Silk Sonic will continue their reign as such. Case and point: the duo’s mesmerizing performance at the 2021 iHeartRadio Music Awards on Thursday night. Watch a replay of their soulful set below. It’s been a whirlwind couple of months ever since Silk Sonic introduced themselves in February. Shortly afterwards, the duo dropped their first-ever single “Leave the Door Open”, made their live debut at this year’s Grammys with a ’70s-inspired set and a touching in-memoriam tribu...
Nu Strut and Wreckno Join Forces on Disco-Funk Banger, “Pornstache”
“Pornstache,” a new collaborative single between Texas beatsmith Nu Strut and electrifying vocalist and producer Wreckno, is a certified blast from the past, oozing with confidence and summer swagger. Released today, the track embodies the energy of summer of 2021 as we emerge from isolation ready to take on the world. It’s a funky and fun homage to disco-funk, incorporated with a new-age twist of bass music. The bouncy dance-floor filler is dynamic with its 70s-inspired guitar riff and playful bars, courtesy of an unapologetic Wreckno. Check out the tongue-in-cheek banger below. Nu Strut is a multi-genre instrumentalist and producer who draws inspiration from neurofunk and bass music artists such as Gramatik, LSDREAM, and KOAN Sound. His ability to deliver bass mus...
GRiZ Takes Listeners on an Intergalactic Ride With New Single “Astro Funk”
Multi-instrumentalist and future funk producer GRiZ has been on a roll as of late, releasing a series of dominating tracks this year—namely “Vibe Check,” “Ease Your Mind” with Ganja White Night, and “Bring Me Back” with Elohim. Out today, his newest single “Astro Funk” showcases yet another brilliant amalgamation from the cross-genre electronic producer. Featuring sultry saxophone skills, groovy guitar riffs, a bobbin’ bassline, and astronomical synth sounds, “Astro Funk” is an otherworldly experience. “Intergalactic blaster ‘Astro Funk’ bout to take you on a trip,” he said in a statement. “Gas up the spaceship.” GRiZ incorporated a multitude of unique sounds for the composition of this track and executed it with finesse...
Willow Smith Releases New Track “Transparent Soul” With All The Pop-Punk Feels
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: WENN.com / WENN While she has taken her time to develop her sound, it is clear it was time well spent for Willow Smith. Her new track is a nod to the punk genre and more. As spotted on Rolling Stone, the co-host of Red Table Talks has dropped a new song with an accompanying visual. “Transparent Soul” captures her in an uninhibited space as she stays true to the genre’s energy and attitude. Additionally, her styling is in alignment with the subculture with black eyeliner and bondage pants in one scene, a grungy white-blue dress with a studded neck collar in the following. Backed by Blink-182’s drummer Travis Barker, Willow’s lyrics target a male associate who just wasn’t worth her time and attention. “I knew a boy just like you / He’s a snake just lik...
![Honoring The Funky Legacy Of Gregory “Shock G” Jacobs [Playlist]](https://www.wazupnaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/honoring-the-funky-legacy-of-gregory-shock-g-jacobs-playlist-1050x600.jpg)
![Honoring The Funky Legacy Of Gregory “Shock G” Jacobs [Playlist]](https://www.wazupnaija.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/04/honoring-the-funky-legacy-of-gregory-shock-g-jacobs-playlist-80x80.jpg)
Honoring The Funky Legacy Of Gregory “Shock G” Jacobs [Playlist]
HipHopWired Featured Video Source: Leon Bennett / Getty The year has been especially brutal for Hip-Hop fans, and definitely those of us that are of a certain age. The news of Gregory “Shock G” Jacobs passing at the age of 57 has rocked fans worldwide, and Hip-Hop Wired has compiled a playlist of Shock G’s music to honor his life and legacy. Gregory Jacobs was born August 25, 1963, in Brooklyn, N.Y., bouncing around the coast until settling in Tampa, Fla. While in college in Florida, Jacobs studied music theory and connected with the late Kenneth “Kenny K” Waters and later formed the Digital Underground collective in the late 1980s along with James “Chopmaster J” Dright. As a producer, Jacobs didn’t shy away from the common practice of sampling older records but he was also a self-taught p...
Prince’s Unreleased Album Welcome 2 America Gets Release Date, Title Track Revealed: Stream
<span class="localtime" data-ltformat="F j, Y | g:ia" data-lttime="2021-04-08T15:26:26+00:00“>April 8, 2021 | 11:26am ET The Prince Estate has revealed that the late icon’s shelved 2010 album Welcome 2 America will be the next LP freed from Paisley Park’s vault. Arriving July 30th, Welcome 2 America features 11 Prince originals as well as a cover of Soul Asylum’s “Stand Up and B Strong”. The Purple One recorded the LP with the 2011-era New Power Generation, featuring bassist Tal Wilkenfeld; drummer Chris Coleman; keyboardist/co-producer Morris Hayes; and singers Shelby J, Liv Warfield, and Elisa Fiorillo. Jason Agel served as engineer for the sessions at Paisley Park Studios. The songs have never officially been released save for one-off radio...
R.I.P. “B.B.” Dickerson, War Co-Founder and Bassist Dead at 71
Morris “B.B.” Dickerson, co-founding member, co-vocalist, and bassist of War, has died at the age of 71. According to Billboard, Dickerson passed away Friday (April 2nd) following a long, undisclosed illness. War’s origins date back to the late 1960s, when Dickerson and several other future members of War served as the backing band for football player Deacon Jones. After record producer Jerry Goldstein caught the band in concert, he linked them up with former Animals singer Eric Burdon — and the rest was history. Burdon and War released their debut album, Eric Burdon Declares “War”, in April 1970. It peaked at No. 18 on US albums chart, due in large part to the hit single, “Spill the Wine”, which peaked at No. 3 on the singles chart. The group’s sophomore double album, The Black-Man’s...
Earth, Wind & Fire and The Isley Brothers to Battle on Next Verzuz Episode
Earth, Wind & Fire (photo by Ben Kaye) and The Isley Brothers (photo courtesy of artist) One of the true success stories of the pandemic era, Verzuz was recently acquired by Triller after a short-term deal with Apple Music. Swizz Beatz and Timbaland’s music “battle” series will return to the Verzuz TV website and the Triller app with an Easter Sunday meeting of true classics, as The Isley Brothers face off against Earth, Wind & Fire. The legendary R&B and soul bands will meet on April 4th, no doubt to bring some funk to the resurrection of Christ. Verzuz has featured some legacy battles before, like when Teddy Riley took on Babyface in Season 1, or Gladys Knight and Pattie LaBelle squared off during their Master Class live special back in September. However, never before have t...
Grammys 2021: Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic Perform “Leave the Door Open”: Watch
After successfully talking their way onto the Grammys stage, Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak made their live debut as Silk Sonic performing “Leave the Door Open”. Later, as the award ceremony paused to reflect on the artists who died this year, Mars and .Paak paid tribute to Little Richard with a performance of “Good Golly Miss Molly”. The soulful supergroup released their debut single earlier this month, and then all that was left to do was promote it. “Dear Grammys”, Mars wrote in a Twitter letter, “If you can see it in your hearts to allow two out of work musicians to perform at your show, we would really appreciate it.” Ask and ye shall receive. For music’s biggest night, the artists performed “Leave the Door Open” in throwback threads, wearing brown suits unbuttoned to the ste...
Song of the Week: Lucy Dacus Delivers a Wrenching Ballad with “Thumbs”
Song of the Week breaks down and talks about the song we just can’t get out of our head each week. Find these songs and more on our Spotify Top Songs playlist. For our favorite new songs from emerging artists, check out our Spotify New Sounds playlist. This week, Lucy Dacus delivered a wrenching ballad that left all of us speechless. Some songs end and sit in the pit of your stomach for the rest of the day, so visceral and affecting that they can’t be shaken. Lucy Dacus’ raw, devastating new release, “Thumbs”, is such a song, offering a gothic revenge fantasy that lingers long after the four and a half minutes have passed. Extremely minimal in production, “Thumbs” is also nearly formless, unfolding more like a whispered secret, twilight confession, or piece of local mythos than traditional...
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak’s Silk Sonic to Make Live Debut at Grammys
Bruno Mars and Anderson .Paak are not only some of the smoothest guys making funk-based music these days, but they’re also two of the most entertaining artists of this era. A few weeks ago, they revealed they’re joining forces under the new moniker Silk Sonic, and now they’re already gearing up to make their live debut as such at the 2021 Grammy Awards. This all started when Mars and .Paak decided to write music together while stuck in quarantine during the coronavirus pandemic. The two artists originally bonded when .Paak opened for Mars on his 24K Magic world tour years ago, and they collaborated on record for the first time when they contributed to Chic’s 2018 album It’s About Time. But for them, Silk Sonic is a chance to explore other creative corners of the funk world that they’ve not...
Redman, Method Man, and H.E.R. Join D’Angelo’s Verzuz in a Celebration of Live Music: Review
For music lovers, the COVID-19 pandemic effectively put an end to live performances for the foreseeable future. Many venues across the country have temporally (or permanently) closed or now operate with capacity restrictions. Never again will we take for granted the sweet simplicity of being able to catch our favorite artist/band in concert. But one of the few positive things to happen for live music during all the insanity that has taken place over the last year and counting is the emergence of the Verzuz series. Curated by super producers Timbaland and Swizz Beatz, who dueled in the first battle last March, Verzuz gave fans a lifeline as we sat at home watching our favorite producers and singers reminisce about the creation of their classic songs, many of which have defined hip-hop and R...
