Say hello to Opolopo’s mutants! With this release, mad funk scientist Opolopo finally opens the doors to his private zoo of mutant pets. Exposed to sonic radiation and mutagenic chemicals, their DNA sequences have been seriously funkafied for ultimate effectiveness. Some of these creatures you might have already encountered. Others were let out of quarantine especially for this release. And some are about to become your new best friends.
The fearless vocalists taking part in these sonically advanced experiments in groove mutation include the first lady of modern funk, Amalia, R&B multitalent Colonel Red, Tupac songwriter Erik Rico, Mathew Herbert collaborator Eska, Grammy-nominee Gregory Porter, French soul superstar Sly Johnson, hip hop hall of famer Talib Kweli, spoken word queen Ursula Rucker and many others. Time to get your mutant on!
Colonel Red’s new album ‘Keep Walkin’ resonates with the rich influences and experiences of his heritage, yet still speaks with honest humility of familiar themes of faith, hope and love, that captures the essence of the contradictions and challenges that come our way, making the most of our lives, living our dreams and finding love in a society under pressure.
After numerous coops with funk and soul legends such as Earth Wind & Fire, Teddy Pendergrass, Anita Baker, Lenny White, Tony Allen and The Last Poets, Colonel Red decided to make a departure from the electronic studio sounds of his earlier productions and turn back to his musical roots. The deeply rhythmical hooks of ‘Keep Walkin’ take you on a soulsongal adventure through jazz, soul, funk and fusion.
The rich tapestry of themes embrace self empowerment in the voodoesque soul of ‘Rain of Fall’ with its ghostly piano. Other tracks like ‘I Will Be There’ take a sweet mournful road through the land of relationships. The backing music is organic with horn lines working subtle trade offs against guitar and keyboard melodies that provide an intimate atmosphere for the whole album. Colonel Red’s voice carries the songs the way an eagle twists in the sky, at times whispering, floating and at other moments soaring high viewing the landscape below. Spoken word artist Ursula Rucker is the special guest on this album, shooting straight from the heart as familiar to listeners of The Roots and 4Hero. Altogether the compositional vision, sound and science of ‘Keep Walkin’ defines the past, present, and future of Colonel Red. A strong album that cannot be missing in any decent soul collection!
URSULA RUCKER’S FIFTH SOLO ALBUM, ‘SHE SAID’
IS HER FIRST RECORDING FEATURING A LIVE STUDIO SESSION SHOWCASING HER WELL HONED SKILL AND PROWESS AS AN IMPROV ARTIST
(January 11, 2011 | Noizeyboy Records)
As a poet and performance artist, Ursula Rucker has enchanted critics and fans across the globe with her diverse repertoire, captivating vocals and accessible poetic verse. On January 11th, she returns with a new album, She Said, an organic live studio album further showcasing Ursula’s diverse and complex artistry across many styles.
Critics have compared Ursula to celebrated writers like Sonia Sanchez and Nikki Giovanni. Coincidentally, when Ntozake Shange was unable to provide The Roots with a spoken word contribution for their debut album Do You Want More?!!?!! (Geffen, 1994), they called on her to fit the bill. “The Unlocking”, which closed the album, introduced Ursula to the world of progressive hip-hop and led to subsequent invitations to close The Roots follow-up albums Iladelph Halflife (Geffen, 1996) and Things Fall Apart (MCA, 1999).
In 2001, her !K7 debut Supa Sista featured production by 4Hero, King Britt and Jonah Sharp and introduced Ursula as a talented poet and solo artist with a strong lyrical voice. Backed again by an assembly of diverse, top shelf producers that included The Roots, Louie Vega and Jazzanova, her 2003 release, Silver or Lead further extended her exploration of self, race and femininity. With ma’at mama, Ursula once again showed a new level of maturity in her writing. Never one to mince words, she exposes various personal insights and truths with steel-cut precision. Her latest album was Ruckus Soundsysdom (Five Six) released in 2008 to more critical acclaim.
Ursula, a global activist, enlightens in the recording studio and at her powerful live shows. In 2005 she headlined the FREEDOM Festival in Australia, to raise awareness for Amnesty Internationals global Stop Violence Against Women campaign. She recently completed an epic poem for a collaboration with Pullitzer-prize winning photographer Clarence Williams. She has received funding from the Leeway Foundation and in 2010 was named a Creative Ambassador by the City of Philadelphia.
Her new and forthcoming album, She Said (out 1/11/11 on Noizeyboy Records) is the 5th solo album, and is executive produced by Anthony Tidd, of Noizetrip, for Noizeyboy Records. This is Ursula’s first recording to feature a live in the studio session and focuses on Ursula’s well honed skill and prowess as an improv performance vocalist.
Ursula Rucker believes that art and poetry are catalysts for change. Her mission and calling is to heal herself, the planet, and its people through her art. While she sees the world as her community, she pays particular attention to the world of women, indigenous/diasporic people, and sufferers of injustice. Her poetry tells the stories of struggle, love, womanhood, peace, anger, injustice, and spirituality. As an artist who has performed in many continents, countries, classrooms, and community centers, Ursula sees herself as an ambassador of culture, socio-political issues, truth, and love.
Say hello to Opolopo’s mutants! With this release, mad funk scientist Opolopo finally opens the doors to his private zoo of mutant pets. Exposed to sonic radiation and mutagenic chemicals, their DNA sequences have been seriously funkafied for ultimate effectiveness. Some of these creatures you might have already encountered. Others were let out of quarantine especially for this release. And some are about to become your new best friends.
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