Current Listenings

Once in awhile, I re-discover a musical gem.  This time around, I've gotten reconnected with Eldra Patrick Debarge.  Some of you may know him as El Debarge.  In a popular sense, this artist is known for his samples on lengendary rap/hip hop hits such as One More Chance (B.I.G.) and I Ain't Mad At 'Cha (Tupac).  Unfortunately, too many kids nowadays don't know where these original samples came from.  I've grown tired of educating the young bucks, of teaching them to dig deeper into their music (if in fact they claim to be serious about their music).  I have no problem with those that enjoy music for the sheer enjoyment of music.  There's just a serious distortion these days between performers and artists.  This goes for all genres.  Try replacing the background track on one of these hits with a simple kick drum and snare loop.  Watch "Standing in the Shadows of Motown" to see what I'm talking about.

Anyways, I digress.  The current gem that I've re-discovered is "I Like It" by El Debarge.  This man was a true artist.  You could almost say that he was the Stevie Wonder of his day.  If you listen to his music, he really did have that Stevie vibe, mixed in with a little more late 70s funk with an impeccable and original sense of melody.  But even considering all of these factors - great song and melody writing ability, a talent for piecing together chord progressions - the one thing that sets El Debarge apart from similar talents, such as Rod Temperton and the like, was the voice.  This guy had the complete package.  He had a voice that could not be duplicated, no matter how many performers were trying to bite his style.  And he really worked his vocal abilities when it came to developing melodies.  Of course, the song would later be samples by none other than Grand Puba.  At least, he kept the title.