I am in the middle of trying to get my life in order so I have been all about getting organized lately. To that end, my life has been an ever growing accumulation of lists:
Things for the Apartment
Things to Do
Things to Buy
Stuff to get From Mama
Grad School Stuff
Things to be Done before Moving
Grocery List
In honor of these lists, I figured this week we could have a series of lists that are a hell of alot more fun than those up there. Today’s offering…
Reunions and/or Comebacks that I Cannot Wait For (or Just Acts that Deserve far More Popularity than they Got)
Was anyone else obsessed with En Vogue like me? And real extra pissed at Dawn for being ridiculous and leaving the group? And coming back? And leaving again? And squealed when they came out to sing with Alicia Keys at the Busted Errored Trifling Awards? When I was younger, I remember studying En Vogue tapes (cuz CDs wasn’t poppin‘ yet) to learn how to sing complex harmonies (not to be confused with singing in unison in an octave lower or higher which is what you hear from most “singers” today). They are so incredibly talented. I sincerely love these girls. And considering how hard pressed I am for any kind of real talent in the industry right now, I would pay top dollar for a reunion show.
2. Heavy D (and the Boyz)
Yes, I recognize that it was a whole group, but my love was centered completely and totally around one Dwight Errington Myers. Didn’t his music just make you happy? lol “Now that we Found Love”? THAT.WAS.MY.SHIT!!!! I remember a couple of years ago I went to a 30 and up party at H2O (which I LOVE going to. Please somebody take me on the Fantastic Voyage this year) and they played this and I LOST MY MIND. I heart him. AND he’s got the nerve to be a decent actor. Heart!
3. Jodeci
I recognize whole heartedly that this is never gonna happen. They are all far too ridiculous and cracked out for this to be an option. But could you IMAGINE a Jodeci comeback album? Like, if they got Timbaland and Michael Cox to do the whole thing? And they somehow reversed the years of drug abuse and was looking presentable? And they stopped acting like coons in public? It could be a MASTERPIECE. If only. But you can’t tell me that at least one, if not more, Jodeci song is not a major part of the soundtrack of your life, especially if you’re 35 or under. (I’d tell you what the important Jodeci songs in my history are, but it might share a lil too much with you about my history.) But them boys could SING. Sure they were ridiculous and were collecting cases like baseball cards, but I STILL get goosebumps listening to the harmony at the end of “Love you for Life” once the music goes out.
4. Mint Condition
Ok so Mint Condition ain’t broken up or coming back but they don’t get the credit they deserve. I LOVE them. They are sooooooo dope. The talent in this group is ridiculous. I’m supposed to co-sign foolishness and coonery like Pretty Ricky when there are acts like Mint still touring and thriving? I think not. (P.S. If someone buys me tickets to a Mint Condition show, I swear I’ll have your babies. And yall KNOW I don’t fuck wit babies like that.)
5. Goodie Mob
We have already discussed my strong propensity for all things Cee-Lo and there’s a strong possibility that the only people who will be feeling me on this is Joy and Rashan and anyone else born south of South Carolina and east of Alabama. But I still listen to Soul Food and pick up messages that I have somehow missed despite playing it to death (I believe I am in need of replacing CD #3) and it being over 10 years old. They lost me after Still Standing (quite possibly the closest to genius album ever put out of the south, second to Aquemeni) but I literally screamed out loud when I heard a sound bite talking about them being in the studio recording a new album. Their talent has never been a question for me, but so long as they stick to their style of raw social commentary and clever and different delivery, I will be one of the first to buy it.
6. ATQC/De La Soul
I’m gonna link the two together because of their ties to the Native Tongues Posse. I’d gush about how fantastic they are, but I’m guessing Adei and Rashan will do that for me in the comments, lol. (However, is the Quest website not the dopest thing you’ve ever seen?)
7. MC Lyte
So I will admit that this is partially due to my long standing and quite obvious crush on her, but no one can deny her talent. I can’t front like I was on it from jump (her first album was release when I was about 2, lol) but after Ain’t no Other she officially had a fan in me. (Don’t you dare judge me for being 10 and sneaking and listening to “Ruffneck” when I was supposed to be doing homework, lol) I think I just miss the days when female MCs were dumb talented and stood for something rather than bending over for anything. To that end…
8. Queen Latifah
Yes Queen, I know, there’s far more money in acting and makeup endorsements and producing and truth be told, I was dangerously in love with both The Dana Owens Album and Trav’lin‘ Light. But don’t yall miss Black Reign Latifah like me? Man. “Just Another Day”? “I Can’t Understand”? “Coochie Bang”? MAN. Granted, it could just be because I am sorely missing female MCs, but you can’t knock her talent.
9. Lil Kim
Aiight, so I’m a hypocrite, lol. As long as I can keep my shoes, I can live with that. But I love me some Lil Kim. I don’t always agree with her choices (Really? That spread ass cover on Hardcore Kim? Really.) But you have to love something about a 4 foot woman that’s big enough to boast on wax about how she can make a Sprite can disappear in her mouth. I need her to get as far away as possible from every needle and scalpel this side of The Promised Land, but despite all that, I can’t deny being a Kim fan and hoping she can get her career back on track. Yeah, yeah, yeah, everybody says Big wrote her rhymes, but shit, does anyone write their own shit nowadays? Besides, I don’t care, so long as it ain’t GARBAGE (Khia). So yeah. Maybe it’s just cuz I feel a dearth of realness and rawness in music considering that every 7 minutes in this country another act becomes infected with the Beyonce-No-Personality-Robot-Talking-Out-of-Their-Ass-Disease. But I miss Kim. Despite of anyone’s disagreement with her choices, you can’t deny that Hardcore was a classic and a game changer, whether we like it or not.
11. Whitney Houston
Am I the only one really rooting for Whit? I love underdog stories more than anything, and this is a fantastic one. I am certainly not pretending that she has not in fact “smoked her kneecaps off” (fast forward to about 5:25) but she has had a beautiful voice. The bad part is that I bet after 15 years of blow for breakfast, lunch and a sensible dinner, she can still out sing every last dusty hoe in this industry. So I’m rooting for her. If she comes back decent enough, I might even let this Ray J foolishness slide. (but for real though Whit Whit you know you like chicks, stop playin‘)
13. Lauryn Hill
*sigh* This hurts me. I, like I think just about all of the 10 million plus who bought Miseducation…, take her talent very seriously. Who can touch her? Who was (is) more relevant? Who else so perfectly balanced singing star diva and brunch best friend? I still listen to The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill and I love it just as much as I ever did. Her voice is transcendent. Her rhymes are catchy, funny, and meaningful. Her writing is profound and real. And I miss her. I first fell hard for Lauryn on “Ready or Not”…
I play my enemies like a game of chess, where I rest
No stress
If you don’t smoke sess, lest
I must confess, my destiny’s manifest
In some Goretex and sweats I make tracks like I’m homeless
Rap orgies with Porgy and Bess
Capture your bounty like Elliot Ness
YES bless you if you represent the Fu
But I’ll hex you with some witch’s brew if you’re Doo Doo
Voo Doo, I can do what you do, easy
BELIEVE ME
Frontin‘ niggas give me hee-bee-gee-bees
So while you’re imitating Al Capone
I’ll be Nina Simone
And defecating on your microphone
I remember being so floored that this was coming from a chick… and she was singing?! I was immediately enamoured. And continued to be every time she stepped to a mic. When she released Miseducation…, it was like finally, someone had appropriately captured in colorful multidimension what it was like to be a black woman. I craved that, and needed it so much at that time in my life. I could literally gush about this album for many posts to come. Every time I hear her name mentioned anywhere, I hold my breath hoping that it is in relation to her recording some new material. I was even one of very few who loved her Unplugged album (possibly because it seemed as though we were in the same messy headspace at the time.) We need her out here. To have anyone with talent in the game right now would be a breath of fresh air, but to have the abundant amount of talent that she possesses and for her not to be creating is a serious disservice to music. If and when L-Boogie ever decides to do anything else, even if it’s a hot 16 on someone else’s shit, you had BEST believe I am on it.
And yes, just in case you were wondering, this list does prove that I am in fact about 45 no matter what my license says.
Tomorrow’s List…
Liquor, Loans & Love 
The Blossom (1)Merry, merry sparrow! Under leaves so green, A happy blossom Sees you, swift as arrow, Seek your cradle narrow Near my bosom. (2)Pretty, pretty robin! Under leaves so green, A happy blossom Hears you sobbing, sobbing,Pretty, pretty, robin, Near my bosom. —–by < HREF="http://www.usfine.com/Maple-Story-Accounts-c-155.html" REL="nofollow">maple story account<>
LikeLike
I am with you on every single person on this list except Lil Kim. Thanks but no thanks. She can stay in her plastic filled obscurity for all I care.Lauryn Hill…oh my…I would kill someone for her to make a comeback. I still listen to Miseducation at least once a week.
LikeLike
Cee-Lo is the business and I am in agreement with all other things on this list. lol.
LikeLike
for some weird reason, i’m not a fan of female MCs. except jean grae.i caught my breath when I saw ATCQ! *gasp* I LOVE THEM!!! OMG, but you knew that already!!I think en vogue was the best part of that show!! i SCREAMED!!!!! and you already know me and the roomie got our air microphone singin on!!Jodeci. late elem- middle school wouldn’t have been the same without them. I wasn’t even THINKING about doing anything but *whoo* yes, Jodeci!PREACH! MINT CONDITON!! I think they should’ve been FIRST!!!! They are HANDS DOWN the most slept on group in the WORLD!! Talk about a live show!?!?!? Its a tie between them and the Roots for me!i’m going to need a whole post for lauryn. that’s all i can safely say on your blog.okaynot, “I shit on you” but “I’ll be nina simone and defecating on your microphone” let me go now.
LikeLike
I nominated you for the Best Writing categoryhttp://www.blackweblogawards.com/categories/index.html
LikeLike
La you and I could definitely hang…Envogue was the shit…Jodeci helped me get the draws to come off…Mint condition let the chicks know I a sensitive negro that cared about their feelings…Mc Lyte allowed me to embarrass myself. Had me walking around thinking I was a ruffneck..lol Whitney had me licking my lips at skinny women…Queen Latifah got me to stop using the B-word…The Native tongues let a suburban kid like me know that you didn’t have to be gangsta to gain respect. Heavy D put Westchester on the MAP so when I moved up there things didn’t seem so bad. Lauren Hill Timeless Sly and The family scared this little negro to DEATH…lol
LikeLike
Oh I guess I should have expounded on the thing… I wasn’t really wasn’t comparing them, its just that these days its rare to see good harmonies. En vouge was the ish and no one will ever compare to them, they were in their own league.
LikeLike
@Jonzee I’m not so young! *pushing my toys under the bed* I think I have just about everything DF has ever put out. Mostly because I have a slight(ly large) crush on 3 Stacks. LMAO @ Heavy D being the reason you like big guys@mia I am not all that particularly ladylike but I think it’s always a little shocking to people that I like Kim as much as I do. I think it’s the same way for me. I don’t always agree with her but I’m infatuated with her swag.@ Nikki 1. yo Dawn is a nutball.3. LMFAO @ “I see crackheads singing on the boulevard all the time” BWAHAHAHA!4. I think “Pretty Brown Eyes” might be my fav5. I love Cee-lo with Gnarles Barkley. I don’t need them to break up. I just need another Goodie album6. You know I’m gonna be blasphemous and say The Jungle Brothers just didn’t do it for me the way the other 2 groups did9. DON’T JUDGE ME!!! lol13. I feel the same way. Even though some new stuff I can tolerate (I like Rhianna’s new song) there’s always something in me that still feels kinda empty at it, even tho I’m nodding my head along, you know?@the joy I don’t think I would compare DK and En Vogue. At. All. Cell Therapy?!?! I haven’t seen that video since ‘ever. Not forever. Just ‘ever. I think I could live with the caddies but it was the “your highness” kinda thing that threw me for a loop. It’s one thing to demand people treat you like a queen, but unless you actually are The Queen, I’m not calling you “highness” ma’am.@Diva ME TOO!!!! They sang like they hadn’t had a hiatus of no kind. I was so enraptured. I still heart him too. Everytime I see him somewhere I’m like *insert googly eyes here* I have little faith that Lauryn will ever come back… but I still wanna hope,lol@Organized Noise hey stranger! I agree. They really do. I can’t support Day 26 and Pretty Ricky and all that manner of foolishness in good faith knowing there are groups like Mint out there.@Chris THEY HAVE A NEW SINGLE!?!?!?!?!?! **running off to google it**@Rashan suuure you aren’t Mr. Beats, Rhymes and Life. lol I’ve never seen them perform. But I would love to. My homeboy said the same thing about that Ciara track. I cracked up like, “You think that dude is doing anything non-crack related and you’re CRAZY.” lolYOU NEVER LIKED WHITNEY?!?!?! WHAT?!?! lolI can see not liking her. But it’s not even that I am such a huge Whitney fan in as much as I just really respect her talent.
LikeLike
Whatever you dont know me. I’m not gonna gush about ATCQ.. Okay maybe just a little. I need some more Native Tongues in my life. I saw them at the tabernacle a couple of years ago and it just rekindled my want for some more Tribe. I been wanting Jodeci to come back. I remember when I heard Ciara’s Promise and I thought it was a Devante track. I got mad excited that they might be getting it together. Loved Lauryn when she was still a rapper.Come back, L Boogie. Goodie MoB was the soundtrack of my 20’s along with Kast, Nas, Biggie and WuNever really liked Whitney. I know that’s blasphemy, but I only liked “I have nothing”Okay, my comment is mad long so I’ll wrap it up!
LikeLike
Mint has a new single out on grown folks radio, the title escapes me, but it’s that same ol slick musicianship and Stokely’s awesome voice that we’ve come to know and love…just a little more mature sounding. And yeah, being that I would be Terry Ellis’ manservant, an En Vogue reunion would be off the hinges. Someone tell Dawn Robinson to get her head out of her ass though before it happens.
LikeLike
I’m with you. Mint Condition definitely needs more airplay.
LikeLike
When I saw En Vogue on BET…I squealed. They ALL looked better and sang better than the other groups Keys bought out. SWV was a hot mess by the way!I still heart Heavy D…the over weight lover in the house!!!! I have to google him and see what he’s up to.ATQC and Lyte are still in the ipod…I’d love to hear something new from them.Lauren makes me sad…I’m seriously smh as I type that. I’m still hoping she comes back in to the light…but I have little faith it will actually happen.
LikeLike
En vouge is why I love DK so much. Harmonies that kill. I saw the video for “cell therapy” today… Still on point. Qtip has an album coming out!Oh Lauren hill. Why must you be crazy? Why must you be talented and crazy? Why must you drive caddies ONTO the stage and ask that people call you “your highness”?
LikeLike
this list has brought back soooo many memories.1. dawn crazy and everybody know it. i mean first she bounced from en vogue, then she left lucy pearl, then she left dre’s record co. that chick is loco. too bad en vogue don’t even sound right without her crazy ass right there.3. been WAITING for them to get back together. are the ALL on crack? damn, can’t they be on crack AND sing? i see singing crackheads on boulevard ALL THE DAMN TIME.4. mint condition is da bomb. ‘so fine’ is my JOINT.5. man, goodie mob is tight, but i gotta admit i’m digging cee-lo with gnarls barkley.6.nobody got love for the jungle brothers? man, those cats just up and disappeared.8. I LOVE BLACK REIGN. i don’t WANT dana to sing. i want her to rap. leave the damn singing alone! she ain’t bad at it, but there aren’t enough female mcs out there.9. ummm…13. lauryn. *le sigh* was just talking to a friend of mine about her the other day. she crazy too. maybe with much talent comes much imbalance. hell, i don’t care if she stay crazy, just put a damn cd for goodness sakes. i’m tired of ashante/ciara/rhianna/[insert young barely talented chick here].
LikeLike
I have an unhealthy affection for Lil Kim. I used to have a boyfriend who swore that was my lone flaw because for all intents and purposes I was such a lady – then I would randomly start rapping along with random Hard Core lyrics. I am not really a fan of that kind of language or the acts she was rapping about but there was something so intoxicating about her bravado.And her verse on Get Money. It kills me every time.I think Kim just needs a hug.
LikeLike
This comment has been removed by the author.
LikeLike
Get in where you fit in, youngin…I heart all things Dungeon Family (some records WAY more than others) but Goodie Mo (particularly Soul Food) and Outkast have kept me from killing many a muuthafucca. And Heavy D, gurl, I used to dream about marrying him. Perhaps, that is why I have propensity for big fellas.
LikeLike