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The “Unbreakable” Staying Power Of Janet Jackson
When you think about it - Janet Jackson was the ultimate underdog. The youngest of 9 children, Janet was born the same year that her older brother, Michael (8 years her senior and musical prodigy), began singing with his brothers in the Jackson 5. By the time Janet appeared on stage at age 7, her brothers were stars, and the family had already uprooted from Gary, Indiana to Encino, California.
The End of An Era – Michael Jackson’s “HIStory: Past, Present and Future, Book I” Turns 20
By the time that Michael Jackson released “HIStory – Past, Present and Future – Book I” on May 1, 1995 the music landscape was radically different than when he released “Dangerous” just a short 4 years earlier. Rap music had (particularly the annoyingly coined “Gangster Rap”) taken over the urban music landscape, and suddenly everyone from EnVogue to Massive Attack to Janet Jackson were all sampling James Brown or Parliament. Jackson’s rival ditched The Revolution, changed his name to an unpronounceable symbol, and proceeded to make uneven funk records with the New Power Generation.
Soulection: The Once and Future of R & B
When Los Angeles-based Soulection released “Love Is King,” a tribute mix to Sade, the response was both immediate and noteworthy. The collection of mixes, crafted by label beatmakers, gave a whole new soundscape to familiar and beloved songs by the band and placed it’s eponymous lead singer in a new context – celebrated and adorned. Almost like a very elaborate “thank you” for … existing.