Brown Sugar

Brown Sugar
$7.96
By 1995, the new jack swing era was history and mainstream R&B was dominated by glossy productions, calculated harmonies, and hip hop electronica. Chart-toppers even exhibited strong influence from the thriving rap scene, and the seemingly unlikely man to change the tides was a 21-year-old from Richmond, D'Angelo, with his absolutely brilliant debut "Brown Sugar."

"Brown Sugar" proved immeasurably influential as the first to explore a sound that would be labeled neo-soul and imitated by many in both the R&B and hip hop worlds for years to come. Bearing many nods to 1970s-era soul music as well as jazz and blues, D'Angelo manages to execute a gorgeous, nostalgic sound while maintaining a foot in the modern hip hop era as well. Produced, written, and recorded entirely by D'Angelo with a few contributions by legends Raphael Saadiq and Ali Shaheed Muhammad, the album is a masterpiece on all fronts, with beautiful music, wonderful performance, and incredible artistry.

To call "Brown Sugar" smooth is like calling Jordan a pretty good ballplayer. D'Angelo's ingenious sound relies on slick keyboards, organic percussion, laidback basslines, and often other instrumentation including strings, horns, and pipes. And if the creative music isn't enough, vocally he is fantastic. With a range stretching well into falsetto, his voice moves from a light, airy, angelic quality to a smooth, full-bodied soulful tone. He has a one-of-a-kind voice, but his delivery is equally essential to his sound. In addition to his melodic singing, his delivery is just as often conversational and flowing, lending to a periodic hip hop vibe in light of the rich soul music.

At ten tracks, "Brown Sugar" is a perfect length and bears incredible consistency. While he effectively explores a wide range of emotions, it never deviates from smooth soul and remains a powerful mood-setter throughout. Beginning with the classic title track, a hit, D'Angelo enters with a hypnotic groove immediately evoking an earlier urban era. D'Angelo uses a clever double entendre to croon simultaneously to a woman and his beloved herb, using language reminiscent of 1970s ballads but a sly humor as well. The hook is gorgeous, his light delivery allows his voice to soar, and this is truly one of the finest singles of the 1990s.

After the superb "Alright," an inspiring midtempo jam, and the yearning of "Jonz in My Bonz," "Me and Those Dreamin' Eyes of Mine" impresses as a melodic love song with great guitar instrumentation. The transition into its follower, "S..., D..., Motherf....," is flawless, barely noticeable until D'Angelo begins to express his surprised rage at discovering infidelity in a relationship. Even with all the raw feeling in this song, the music remains extremely mellow and enjoyable.

The intro to "Smooth" is fine live jazz on piano, building into an uptempo jazz track. He then covers Smokey Robinson's "Cruisin'" with a lush arrangement of strings and soaring vocals. Still my favorite song might be "When We Get By," a catchy, jazzy blues number with a tight horn arrangement, winding bass, and one of D'Angelo's finest performances. This song has a really inspiring feel and great mood. Both closers are absolutely brilliant, the awesome "Lady" and the moving "Higher."

It's amazing that this album is over fifteen years old now, because its currents are still so visible in modern soul and hip hop. Its nostalgia hasn't aged a bit and it still sounds brilliantly fresh and innovative. This is the type of feel-good music that never gets old and can be appreciated by any listener. Ever an artist, D'Angelo has only released one follow-up to date (1999's Voodoo), and I highly recommend this essential listen to any music fan.

Wholesome Sweeteners Fair Trade Organic Dark Brown Sugar, 24-Ounce Pouches (Pack of 6)
$29.40
This sugar has replaced my "white" sugar. It is sticky and clogs, so I transfered a small quantity in a small container to be used and leave the big bag closed.
Flavor is full and rich and fair trade was a plus for my choice.

Love Jones
$12.98
I love this film, I love this soundtrack- I think it is on par with Pretty Woman as one of the best love stories. Not only did this movie help 2 really good actors shine. I fell in love with the plot, storyline- the only thing wrong with this move is that its not longer- I want to see "where they are now". Did i mention I LOVE THIS FILM- ok good :)

It's a Love Thang Boxset (Brown Sugar / How Stella Got Her Groove Back / Waiting to Exhale)
$24.98
Recently, I gave my father three DVDs for his birthday. Just one DVD would have come off as cheap, so several was the ticket. It is great that movies can come in bundles so that you can do less shopping.
I'm a Black male and it's my two cents that Black women would just love, love, love having this in their collection. I think a whole grip of sistas would want this for a birthday, X-mas, or Mother's Day gift. Again, less shopping with all the gratitude!
Really, if you are a Black person and the late 1990s and early 2000s were a good time in your life, then this bundle will make you nostalgic in a good way. These movies came before 9/11 and economic downturns and housing market crashes. This may help you heal in today's tragedies. I know folk love them some Tyler Perry, but this may be especially appreciated if you don't care for the way Mr. Perry's work has flooded the market and speaks for the lowest common demoninator.
My one critique is that this should have been a 4-pack, rather than a 3-pack. This should have included "Love & Basketball" since that and "Brown Sugar" were basically the same film.