Whilst Drake fans everywhere have been hopefully waiting on a new album or mixtape, it seems that he has been busy with another project which he debuted online today; a short film directed by Karim Huu Do entitled, ‘Jungle‘.
The film is a quiet, reflective and revealing journey into Drake’s world, including some early VHS clips of him rapping and singing as a child. With Noah ’40’ Shebib on the score and a couple of new tracks from Drake being teased in the background, it is a captivating watch, although no doubt some might find it over-indulgent.
Take a step inside Drake’sJungle below and decide for yourself…..
It’s been a while since we have heard any new material from Frank Ocean, then yesterday he broke his musical silence with an enchanting cover of The Isley Brothers classic, ‘At Your Best (You Are Love)‘, which he has expressed is a tribute to the late Aaliyah on what would have been her 36th Birthday.
The cover is stripped back, understated and hears Frank Ocean’s vocals sounding hotter than ever. There is no word of any other new recordings from the artist as yet, however he did sign under new management last summer so hopefully we won’t have to wait too long for that much anticipated follow up album to ‘Channel Orange‘.
D’Angelo has always been one of the most elusive and private artists on the RnB / Neo-Soul scene. After dropping two hugely successfully and critically acclaimed albums in the late 90s, ‘Brown Sugar‘ and ‘Voodoo‘, D’Angelo disappeared leaving fans everywhere pining for updates and new material.
Over the past few years he has started to make appearances at festivals and performed a few live concerts teasing audiences with new tracks and the promise of an upcoming album, and this week D’Angelo finally gave an insight into his life and work with an in depth interview for the Red Bull Music Academy Festival.
At nearly 90 minutes long, the interview sees D’angelo talk about his career from the very beginning, he discusses his musical influences, the pressures of fame and details the impressive story of how he wrote and produced the sample album of ‘Brown Sugar‘ from his bedroom!
Questlove (Ahmir Thomspon) also takes the stage at points demonstrating the incredible rapport that the two artists have, he talks about the beginning of the ‘Neo-Soul‘ movement and brings out a more laid-back, funny side to D’Angelo.
The good news for fans is that D’Angelo discussed new material, albeit that he admits he is taking his style in a more funk / rock direction, he also discussed a desire to record a Gospel album. Watching the interview reminds you just how special this artist is, from his talents as a musician to his ability as a writer and a producer, D’Angelo comes across as humble, grounded and articulate and this conversation is a must watch for all RnB and Neo-Soul fans!
Lets hope this rare insight is a step towards the release of that much anticipated new album, but for now enjoy…….
Occasionally great albums go unnoticed and are missed for some reason, I have just discovered one of the best albums I’ve heard all year which was released last month but seems to have been widely overlooked- ‘Saint Heron.‘ It’s a compilation album released by Solange Knowle’s label; Saint Records and features 11 independent artists including Solange herself, Sampha, Cassie and Jhene Aiko.
This is no ordinary compilation, it is organic RnB; soulful and eclectic, every track is unique in style yet they all compliment each other beautifully. It is a great showcase of emerging talent in the genre and has led me to discover artists I hadn’t previously heard like BC Kingdom and Kelela, it also shows Cassie taking her music in a much more soulful, mature direction so looking forward to new material from her.
There is an energy about the album that’s exhilarating, these artists are all making their music their way and it acts as a teaser leaving you wanting more from all of them. If you want to here something fresh and soulful get a copy of Saint Heron now – it will not disappoint!
