On January 2, 1996, three men attempted to rob a bank in Philadelphia. During the botched heist, Police Officer and single mother of two Lauretha Vaird was shot and killed. An investigation followed, revealing that one of the greatest tragedies in Philadelphia law enforcement history was perpetrated by two of Philly’s once promising Rap stars Cool C and Steady B.

Like many fans of the Philly Rap scene as well as Steady B’s early singles and first two albums, I too was shocked and saddened by the news. I still can’t wrap my head around the decision they made, especially for two people who, along with classmate Will Smith, rose above troubled surroundings to find major label record deals and the world in their hands.
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The horrific and senseless crime aside, “Don’t Disturb This Groove” is still one of my all-time favorite Hip-Hop singles, skillfully sampling last week’s featured song “Impeach the President” by the Honey Drippers, and “God Made Me Funky” by Herbie Hancock’s jazz-fusion outfit The Headhunters. Released in 1987 on the now legendary Pop Art / Jive records as the B side to the “What’s My Name” 12", this song was upbeat, driving, and funky as hell.

Forty-six years ago, Roy Charles Hammond, aka “Roy C”, discovered a group of high school students from Jamaica Queens called the Honey Drippers (not to be confused with Robert Plant's project from the 80’s). Together, they recorded some sides for his Alaga label.

“Impeach the President” was one of these tracks, and is an especially funky number that advocated the censure of President Richard Nixon due to his involvement in the Watergate scandal. Little did they know that this song would become one of the most influential and sampled songs in Hip-Hop and music history.
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Musical relevance aside, I’m still surprised it hasn’t been used or reworked as a protest anthem against this current controversial and polarizing head of state.

This past Friday we sadly lost Edward Joseph Mahoney, aka Eddie Money. He was a former NYC police officer trainee, and by all accounts one of the good guys of Rock and Roll.  Before his death, he was still recording and touring.

I got to see him some years ago with my wife and one of my best friends. He was performing at a free outdoor summer concert series. We thought it would be a lark to swing by and catch an old timer barley holding onto the notes and the past. We were wrong. Eddie, his band, and even his daughter Jesse put on a fantastic show and nailed his hits.

For most of us, “Two Tickets to Paradise” was a classic 70’s rock song that conjured images of island getaways. But when Eddie wrote it as a struggling musician in Berkeley California, his idea was to take his girlfriend on a greyhound bus to the Redwood forest.
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This version is the promotional single that rarely gets played on the air. It’s more direct and allows the lead guitarist to egregiously solo all over the vocals…  I don’t like it nearly as much as the album version, but I thought I would share it for those of you who may have never heard it.  

Samuel John “Lightnin’” Hopkins was born in Centerville Texas in 1912, surrounded by the blues. By the time he was ten years old, he was accompanying Blind Lemon Jefferson, and by the time he was twenty-five, he was looking to break into the Houston music scene.

Lightnin’ Hopkins is a landmark blues artist and national musical treasure. His turnaround fingerstyle of picking, as well as his raw, often poetic take on the human condition, helped establish him as one of the most influential blues men in history.
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“Sick Feelin’ Blues” was recorded and released in 1954 on Herald Records as the B side to “Movin' On Out Boogie” and perfectly captures Hopkins at his best. It’s a slip off your shoes number that isn’t shy about the state it’s in.

In 2012 I stumbled on this unknown bedroom musician from Jacksonville Florida by the name of Yuno. I adored his song “Sunlight” as it made its way around the indie circuit. Seven years later, with a contract with Sub Pop, Yuno continues to astonish with fantastic ideas that pop musicians of today are too banal to contemplate.  
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This version was released in May of this year, and was co-produced by Yuno and Lars Stalfors. It’s a wistful getaway down a winding road and a slightly more polished future classic. I just hope he can continue creating music with this much kindness and uncompromising integrity.