Goapele's "Closer" featured on "90210"

Nothing like a little national exposure. Sure, "Closer" is hella years old, but Goapele's Milk & Honey album will be coming shortly, so any buzz helps!

Thanks to Goapele

New Goapele: "Milk & Honey"

Oakland's favorite daughter swoons her way over a smoothed out new-age jump-off track on her latest offering, "Milk & Honey." The song is as smooth as the title infers, but is beautifully layered with more electronic elements too thanks to Bedrock's solid production. Goapele's voice has a timeless quality that is both silky and smokey, but her music feels very rooted in the present. If "Milk & Honey" is any indication of what her new album holds, Ima have it on repeat for a long time. Check it out below.

DL: "Milk & Honey"- Goapele (prod by Bedrock)

The above pic is a still from the forthcoming video for "Milk & Honey"

Oakland's Finest Live in SF Tonight!

It's Friday and The Town will be thick in The Cty tonight! Zion I, Trackademicks, The Kev Choice Ensemble and BRWN BFLO will all be tearing down Slims, while Goapele is over melting the crowd at The Independent with her "Milk & Honey" delivery. Basically, if you have a few cheips stacked and waiting for a good cause, check out one of these shows—you won't be disappointed!

Don't Miss Goapele in SF on May 1st!

Goapele always puts on a great show and she has new material, so you will want to be there. Trust. Cody ChestnuTT will be opening. Click HERE for ticket info.

Previously: Goapele Previews "Milk & Honey"

New Goapele: "Milk & Honey" Sneak Preview

Goapele told me that someone had recorded a snippet of a new song that would be hitting the net, so this must be it. Unfortunately it's a lo-fi audio recording from a video camera so it sounds really tinny and shallow. That said, you can make out the melody, and it's produced by Bedrock so you know it knocks. "Milk and Honey" is the title track off her upcoming album of the same name. Enjoi

Last Chance 2 Vote 4 Ryan Coogler's "Locks"

If you haven't yet watched Locks, a beautiful short film shot in Oakland, you need to do so asap! Richmond and Oakland native Ryan Coogler is a finalist in the Tribeca Film Festical in New York City, and the last day to vote is April 14th! Please support great local art by voting now.

I've written in support of the film before, Goapele cosigned it, and now the Oakland Tribune's Dave Newhouse has written a story on Ryan. Read an excerpt below and watch and vote for Locks HERE.

It's happening quickly for Ryan Coogler, the young filmmaker from Richmond. He's been accepted at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York and the Cannes Film Festival in France.

And Coogler, 22, is just in his second year at the University of Southern California's School of Cinematic Arts. But you sense from his remarkable progress that his name will be linked one day with Hollywood's elite directors. His film "Locks" has that Spike Lee feel.

"Locks" was shot in Oakland and deals with African-American life in the inner city. It's one of five finalists in the Tribeca shorts program, with all five films being shown on Delta Air Lines flights through today. Plus it's accessible to view and rate online at www.delta.com/flyinmovies.

Coogler has the only student-made film in the field. His competitors are professionals, including foreigners. Complete article HERE.

The thoughtful sacrifice exhibited by Dante (the main character) in Locks is heartfelt and admirable, but I think the most interesting part of the film is the role dreadlocks play in Oakland and the greater Bay Area. There is one scene where Dante runs into a group of his friends on the block who all have locks. At that moment you see the aesthetic unity of the hair style- the prideful exhibition of something that has taken years to cultivate.
At another moment we see two men with dreads being arrested, after which Dante tucks his locks into his hood. This event conjures up a more negative side of having dreads- the police harrasment those with locks often endure.

At the films climax (which you will have to watch) you see him shedding both the positive and negative elements of dreads. But he does so for something far greater- family. There are no words in the film and no words can quite do it justice. Just please check it out and vote.

See you in NY Ryan- we're gonna do it live blood.

R&Bay: Goapele Live at Yoshis March 27-29

I have seen Goapele live a couple of times now, and have to say that seeing her at Yoshis is a real treat. The Jack London Square jazz spot is a storied institution that has hosted some of the greatest names in music. It is an honor to perform there, but Oakland's Own Neo-Soulstress is certainly deserving. The intimate venue is the perfect backdrop for her soaring transcendent voice and her tight live band. And maybe if you're lucky, Clyde Carson will make a cameo to perform "Different" like he did last time she played Yoshis (see pic abaove).

Tickets are $28 for each of the six weekend shows. Click here to purchase. You don't want to miss this! Trust

Goapele Performing in DC @ Inaugural Ball

Goapele will be performing at Dionne Warwick's Urban Ball, hosted by Ludacris, as part of the Inaugural festivities in DC next week. The event will feature Monica, Big Boi, T-Pain, David Banner, Eve, Lil Jon, Cedric the Entertainer, Mya, Bobby Valentino, Fantasia and others. If you have $350 bucks lying around and you'll be in DC for the big day, then you should slide through. If I make the trip I'll be crashing on a floor and have tickets to nothing. So . . . if you have another $350 lying around, you should also cop me a ticket. Thanks, you're amazing.

Also, please help Goapele's foray into the blogging world by visiting her site at www.goapele.com

"Soweto" Hieroglyphics feat. Goapele

Goapele and Hiero sway to some mediteranean sounding guitar picking on the deserts of Cali in this international ode. Apparently, prior to filming her part, Goapele was almost hospitalized for heat stroke thanks to the 136 degree surface temerature. She mustered some Oakland moxie though and returned to the desert the next day to complete it. She still manages to look amazing regardless. Love this joint. Hiero still reppin that good good O with pride.

R&Bay: Some New Goapele To Swoon To

Although Keyshia Cole may be the best known singer from Oakland at present, I feel that most of my folks tend to identify more with Goapele. A part of Keyshia is very Town, in its more hood incarnations, but I wouldn't say that her music really reflects Oakland. Her music is not bad by any stretch, its just that it's fairly standard commercial R&B. Goapele better captures the Bay's progressivism, unique flavor and subteranean soul. She also seems really down to earth and genuine. Sometimes I'm not in the mood for her, but when I'm cruising through the Town on the late night over the Holidays, Ima have her in the rotation for sure.

This joint "Don't Be Shy" is my one right now. I've fallen asleep to it for the last four nights and swayed to it religiously on the train. It's just so smooth and captivating. It seems so Bay too. Maybe it just seems like home. The idea of running into old crushes at little functions and enjoying the evening on some throwback ish. Apparently it was recorded during the Change It All sessions but didn't make the album. I truly don't know why.

"Don't Be Shy"- Goapele

This song "Chocolate" was commisioned by LG for their Chocolate phone. It is produced by AmpLive of Zion I and features a more up beat synth sound as a result. I likes it, but I'm feeling a little more melancholy and lowkey these days, so I'm goin with the sultry Shy joint. You can't go wrong with chocolate tho . . .

"Chocolate"- Goapele (prod by AmpLive)

Goapele juices "A Change is Gonna Come"

This is lightweight old, but we have to remember that we have not yet achieved the change we need. We have taken a crucial first step, but there is a marathon of hurtles ahead of us. We gotta keep hustlin to make this surreal election more than a racial coup. We need to make this an American watershed that ushers in a new era of progressivism in this country. One way to start is to come out and support Van Jones's Green Deal. Info above^

Living Word Festival kicks off this weekend!

Living Word Festival 2008

RACE IS FICTION
A 10 Day Festival curated by Marc Bamuthi Joseph

Schedule for Weekend 1
OCTOBER 17, 2008
10am
Museum of the African Diaspora, SF MoMA, Yerba Buena Center for the Arts
685 Mission Street (at Third), San Francisco
Workshops and performances co-hosted by
Youth Speaks, SF Green Festival, Global Exchange, and Grind for the Green.
FREE (Registration is Now Closed to the Public)


12:30pm
Yerba Buena Gardens
760 Howard Street, San Francisco
Lunchtime outdoor concert with Goapele, Urban Word NYC and Kev Choice Ensemble FREE

OCTOBER 18
11am-5pm
red black and GREEN
Environmental Caucus and Concert at deFremery Park (aka Little Bobby Hutton Park)
1651 Adeline Street
Oakland, CA
FREE

Featuring the 2nd annual Estria's Invitational Living Word Graffiti Battle, Bamboo Architecture, a lowrider bike demo with Scraper Bikes, a skateboard expo presented by Hood Games, and a free outdoor musical concert featuring the Bay Area's own iLL-Literacy & Los Rakas and special guest Mos Def.

Living Word article in the Oakland Tribune