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Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite
''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' is the debut album by American R&B singer-songwriter Maxwell. It was recorded in 1994 and 1995 and released on April 2, 1996, by Columbia Records. Maxwell largely wrote and produced the album himself, recording in sessions at Electric Lady Studios, RPM, Sorcerer, and Chung King Studios in New York City, and CRC recording studios in Chicago. The resulting music features a mellow, groove-based sound with elements of funk, jazz, smooth soul, and quiet storm. A concept album, ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' was composed as a song cycle that focuses on an adult romance, based in part on Maxwell's personal experiences. ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' was not an immediate commercial success, but it was helped by the release of its second single " Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" in July 1996, and the album eventually became a million-seller. It was also a success with critics, who praised it as a departure from the mainstream, hip hop-oriented R&B of the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Maxwell (musician)
Gerald Maxwell Rivera (born May 23, 1973), known mononymously as Maxwell, is an American singer-songwriter and record producer. He rose to prominence following the release of his debut studio album ''Maxwell's Urban Hang Suite'' (1996), which received widespread acclaim and spawned the hit singles "Ascension (Don't Ever Wonder)" and "Sumthin' Sumthin'". Through the album and its follow ups, Maxwell has been credited—alongside Lauryn Hill, D'Angelo, and Erykah Badu—with popularizing neo soul for mainstream audiences in the late 1990s. His second and third albums, ''Embrya'' (1998) and ''Now (Maxwell album), Now'' (2001), both received RIAA certification, platinum certifications by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA); the latter became his first to debut atop the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 chart. His 1999 single, "Fortunate (song), Fortunate" was released for the R. Kelly-produced Life (soundtrack), soundtrack to the film ''Life (1999 film), Life'', and ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Groove (music)
In music, groove is the sense of an effect ("feel") of changing pattern in a propulsive rhythm or sense of "Swing (jazz performance style), swing". In jazz, it can be felt as a quality of persistently repeated rhythmic units, created by the interaction of the music played by a band's rhythm section (e.g. drums, bass guitar, electric bass or double bass, guitar, and keyboards). Groove is a significant feature of popular music, and can be found in many genres, including Salsa music, salsa, rock music, rock, soul music, soul, funk, and fusion (music), fusion. From a broader ethnomusicology, ethnomusicological perspective, groove has been described as "an unspecifiable but ordered sense of something that is sustained in a distinctive, regular and attractive way, working to draw the listener in." Musicology, Musicologists and other scholars have analyzed the concept of "groove" since around the 1990s. They have argued that a "groove" is an "understanding of rhythmic patterning" or ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Erykah Badu
Erica Abi Wright (born February 26, 1971), known professionally as Erykah Badu, is an American singer and songwriter. Influenced by rhythm and blues, R&B, Soul music, soul, and hip hop, Badu rose to prominence in the late 1990s when her debut album ''Baduizm'' (1997), placed her at the forefront of the neo soul movement, earning her the nickname "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Queen of Neo Soul" by music critics. Badu's career began after opening a show for D'Angelo in 1994 in Fort Worth, Texas, Fort Worth, which led to record label executive Kedar Massenburg signing her to Kedar Entertainment. Badu's first album, ''Baduizm'', was released in February 11, 1997. It spawned four singles: "On & On (Erykah Badu song), On & On", "Appletree (song), Appletree", "Next Lifetime" and "Otherside of the Game". The album was certified music recording sales certification, triple platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA). Badu's first live album, ''Live (Erykah Bad ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Brown Sugar (D'Angelo Album)
''Brown Sugar'' is the debut studio album by American singer, songwriter, and multi-instrumentalist D'Angelo, released on July 3, 1995, through EMI. The album was recorded during 1994 and 1995 in sessions at Battery Studios and RPM Studios in New York City and at the Pookie Lab in Sacramento, California, Sacramento. Its production, instrumentation, arrangements, and songwriting were primarily handled by D'Angelo, who employed both vintage recording equipment and modern electronic devices. The songs feature earnest lyrics about love and romance, set against a fusion of contemporary R&B and traditional soul music with elements of funk, quiet storm, and hip hop music. ''Brown Sugar'' debuted at number six on the US ''Billboard charts, Billboard'' Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, Top R&B Albums chart, selling 300,000 copies in its first two months. With the help of its four singles, it spent 65 weeks on the Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 chart and received RIAA certification, platinum certif ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
D'Angelo
Michael Eugene Archer (born February 11, 1974), better known by his stage name D'Angelo (), is an American singer, songwriter, multi-instrumentalist, and record producer. He first garnered attention after co-producing the single "U Will Know" for R&B Supergroup (music), supergroup Black Men United. His debut studio album, ''Brown Sugar (D'Angelo album), Brown Sugar'' (1995), was certified Platinum certification, platinum by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) and received widespread acclaim from music critics, who have credited the album for ushering in the neo soul movement. His third single, "Lady (D'Angelo song), Lady", reached the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100, ''Billboard'' Hot 100. D'Angelo would then collaborate with artists such as Erykah Badu, Lauryn Hill, and then-girlfriend Angie Stone. His next album, ''Voodoo (D'Angelo album), Voodoo'' (2000), debuted at number one on the US Billboard 200, ''Billboard'' 200 and continued to receive critical accl ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Sex Symbol
A sex symbol or icon is a person or character widely considered sexually attractive and often synonymous with sexuality. Pam Cook, "The trouble with sex: Diana Dors and the Blonde bombshell phenomenon", In: Bruce Babinigton (ed.), ''British Stars and Stardom: From Alma Taylor to Sean Connery''pp. 169–171 Quote: "– the sex symbol is usually defined in terms of her excessive sexuality" History The term ''sex symbol'' was first used in the 1910s and 1920s to describe the first emerging film stars. Movie studios have relied heavily on the looks and sex appeal of their actors to attract audiences. The use of this concept increased during World War II. Sex symbols could be male as well as female: actors such as the romantic Sessue Hayakawa and the athletic Douglas Fairbanks were popular in the 1910s and 1920s. Archetypal screen lover Rudolph Valentino's death in 1926 caused mass hysteria among his female fans. Film industry Silent film actor Rudolph Valentino is regarded as th ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Prince (musician)
Prince Rogers Nelson (June 7, 1958April 21, 2016) was an American singer, songwriter, musician, and actor. Regarded as one of the most influential musicians of his generation, Prince was known for his flamboyant, androgynous persona, wide vocal range, which included a far-reaching falsetto and high-pitched screams, as well as his skill as a multi-instrumentalist, often preferring to play all or most of the instruments on his recordings. His music incorporated a wide variety of styles, including funk, disco, Rhythm and blues, R&B, Rock music, rock, New wave music, new wave, soul music, soul, synth-pop, Pop music, pop, jazz, blues, and hip hop music, hip hop. Prince produced his albums himself, pioneering the Minneapolis sound. Born and raised in Minneapolis, Prince signed a record deal with Warner Bros. Records at the age of 18, soon releasing the studio albums ''For You (Prince album), For You'' (1978) and ''Prince (album), Prince'' (1979). He went on to achieve critical succe ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Marvin Gaye
Marvin Pentz Gaye Jr. (; April 2, 1939 – April 1, 1984) was an American Rhythm and blues, R&B and soul singer, songwriter, musician, and record producer. He helped shape the sound of Motown in the 1960s, first as an in-house session player and later as a solo artist with a string of successes, which earned him the nicknames "Prince of Motown" and "Honorific nicknames in popular music, Prince of Soul", and is often considered one of the Rolling Stone's 200 Greatest Singers of All Time, greatest singers of all time. Gaye's Motown hits include "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved by You)" (1964), "Ain't That Peculiar" (1965), and "I Heard It Through the Grapevine" (1968). He also recorded duets with Mary Wells, Kim Weston, Tammi Terrell, and Diana Ross. During the 1970s, Gaye became one of the first Motown artists to break away from the reins of a production company and recorded the landmark albums ''What's Going On (album), What's Going On'' (1971) and ''Let's Get It On'' (1973). His ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Hip Hop Music
Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music Music genre, genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African Americans, African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip-hop includes rapping often enough that the terms can be used synonymously. However, "hip-hop" more properly denotes an entire hip-hop culture, subculture. Other key markers of the genre are the disc jockey, turntablism, scratching, beatboxing, and hip hop production, instrumental tracks. Cultural interchange has always been central to the hip-hop genre. It simultaneously borrows from its social environment while commenting on it. The hip-hop genre and culture emerged from block parties in ethnic minority neighborhoods of New York City, particularly The Bronx, Bronx. DJs began expanding the instrumental Break (music), breaks of popular records when they noticed how excited it would make the crowds. The extend ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Song Cycle
A song cycle () is a group, or cycle (music), cycle, of individually complete Art song, songs designed to be performed in sequence, as a unit.Susan Youens, ''Grove online'' The songs are either for solo voice or an ensemble, or rarely a combination of solo songs mingled with choral pieces. The number of songs in a song cycle may be as brief as two songs or as long as 30 or more songs. The term "song cycle" did not enter lexicography until 1865, in Arrey von Dommer's edition of ''Koch’s Musikalisches Lexikon'', but works definable in retrospect as song cycles existed long before then. One of the earliest examples may be the set of seven Cantiga de amigo, Cantigas de amigo by the 13th-century Galicians, Galician jongleur Martin Codax. Jeffrey Mark identified the group of dialect songs 'Hodge und Malkyn' from Thomas Ravenscroft's ''The Briefe Discourse'' (1614) as the first of a number of early 17th-century examples in England. A song cycle is similar to a song collection, and the ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Concept Album
A concept album is an album whose tracks hold a larger purpose or meaning collectively than they do individually. This is typically achieved through a single central narrative or theme, which can be instrumental, compositional, or lyrical. Sometimes the term is applied to albums considered to be of "uniform excellence" rather than an LP with an explicit musical or lyrical motif. There is no consensus among music criticism, music critics as to the specific criteria for what a "concept album" is. The format originates with folk music, folk singer Woody Guthrie's ''Dust Bowl Ballads'' (1940) and was subsequently popularized by traditional pop singer Frank Sinatra's 1940s–50s string of albums, although the term is more often associated with rock music. In the 1960s several well-regarded concept albums were released by various rock bands, which eventually led to the birth of progressive rock and rock opera. Definitions There is no clear definition of a "concept album". Fiona Stur ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
Quiet Storm
Quiet storm is a radio format and genre of R&B, performed in a smooth, romantic, jazz-influenced style. It was named after the title song on Smokey Robinson's 1975 album '' A Quiet Storm''. The radio format was pioneered in 1976 by Melvin Lindsey, while he was an intern at the Washington, D.C. radio station WHUR-FM. It eventually became regarded as an identifiable subgenre of R&B. Quiet storm was marketed to primarily upscale mature African-American audiences. It peaked in popularity during the 1980s, but fell out of favor with young listeners in the golden age of hip hop. History Origins Melvin Lindsey, a student at Howard University, with his classmate Jack Shuler, began as disc jockeys for WHUR in June 1976, performing as stand-ins for an absentee employee. Lindsey's on-air voice was silky smooth, and the music selections were initially old, slow romantic songs from black artists of the 1950s, 1960s, and 1970s, a form of easy listening which Lindsey called "beautiful ... [...More Info...] [...Related Items...] OR: [Wikipedia] [Google] [Baidu] |
