Email Author Ru Johnson

2012 Stories by Ru Johnson

• Tina Turner: A dynamic performer with the most supreme legs to ever walk a stage

  published Feb 24, 2012

  Tina Turner is the Queen of Rock and Roll, the baddest in the land with the most supreme pair of legs to ever walk a stage. Her voice contains a sandpaper grit that helped smoothed the edges of black ... More >>

• Weekend's best party bets: #TheSolution5, As Nasty As They Wanna Be and more

  published Feb 24, 2012

  There's tons of fresh goodness for you to get into this weekend, including a dance performance at Dikeou, reggae galore, an As Nasty As They Wanna Be party at Beauty Bar hosted by Spencer Foreman of... More >>

• Mary J. Blige only gets better with time

  published Feb 23, 2012

  Mary J. Blige has the same pain and grit in her voice of having lived a very full life as artists like Billie Holliday, Etta James and others. For a burgeoning hip-hop generation, Blige's voice and si... More >>

• The Wu-Tang Clan forever changed the game

  published Feb 22, 2012

  Heavily inspired by mob movies and king-fu cinema, Wu-tang Clan began in Staten Island, the brainchild of the brilliantly sharp RZA, who brought his brothers and their talents together to form a hip-h... More >>

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  Prince is a shining example of creative blackness

  published Feb 21, 2012

  The day has come for us to celebrate the Purple One. Prince Rogers Nelson is as provocative as he is talented. A startlingly prolific songwriter and a virtuosic musician, Prince has written a slew of ... More >>

• T-Pain

  published February 23, 2012

  Whether you hate him or love him for it, T-Pain is the man most responsible for popularizing the use of Auto-Tune. Using the pitch-correction... More >>

• Turner Jackson

  published February 23, 2012

  The most interesting thing about Turner Jackson's Star Destroyer is that Jackson appears to be doing everything he can here not to... More >>

• OutKast is one of hip-hop's most successful and creative groups

  published Feb 20, 2012

  OutKast is easily one of the most noted and respected hip-hop groups in the game. Big Boi and Andre 3000 met in the East Point section of Atlanta when they were sixteen. The outfit combined funk, soul... More >>

• Nina Simone: All hail the High Priestess of Soul

  published Feb 17, 2012

  Nina Simone was a classically trained pianist and learned to hone the depths of her voice after taking up a gig where the restaurant owner wanted her to sing as well as play. Born Eunice Kathleen Waym... More >>

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  Weekend's best party bets: DJ Mu$a, So What! and more

  published Feb 17, 2012

  This weekend is ready to grab you by the hand and whirl you around on a dance floor or three. The party lineup is looking gloriously funky and melodic, from DJ Mu$a's celebration of black music toni... More >>

• Michael Jackson, the King of Pop: Remembering the greatest performer of all time

  published Feb 16, 2012

  Lauded as the greatest performer of all time, Michael Jackson was a dancing, singing, performing phenomenon, and we are not likely to see another performer of his caliber ever again. The life of Micha... More >>

• Dazzle kicks off week-long Mardi Gras celebration tonight

  published Feb 15, 2012

  It's Mardi Gras week at Dazzle Restaurant & Lounge, and what better way to indulge in all your favorite past times than with a few drinks, some great food, a ton of jazz and a lot of celebrating.The p... More >>

• Gil Scott-Heron, a bluesologist, cultural anthropologist and black icon

  published Feb 15, 2012

  Gil Scot-Heron is the modern day god-father of rap, although he held the title with ambivalence while he was still alive, insisting he was rather, a "bluesologist," someone who is concerned with the o... More >>

• The Foodchain pushes its live energy into the studio

  published February 16, 2012

  The Foodchain released Brunch last November and has been on a steady pace ever since. With its collection of musical all-stars, the... More >>

• Pries

  published February 16, 2012

  Pries is known for writing catchy hooks that drive his pop-style production with ease. For No Glue 2, though, he focuses more on... More >>

• Wale

  published February 16, 2012

  Wale has come a long way from the enthusiastic bounce-rap style that introduced him to the masses. A determined new signee to Maybach Music... More >>

• We pledge allegiance to the Funkadelic

  published Feb 14, 2012

  Parliament-Funkadelic gave birth to every single motley crew of funk and don't-give-a-fuck all-stars we love so much. Funkadelic, of course, begat Public Enemy, which then begat the Wu-tang Clan, whic... More >>

• V-Day hip-hop from DJ Chonz and Mane Rok, plus new Iman S., Myke Charles tracks and more

  published Feb 14, 2012

  Happy Valentine's Day! In this heart-shaped edition of That's a Rap, we have a ton of local hip-hop goodness for you to fall in love with, including a DJ Chonz mixtape entirely dedicated to Valentine'... More >>

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  Whitney Houston built trust among her audience with her perfect pitch

  published Feb 13, 2012

  Trying to think with structure about an artist like Whitney Houston's ability to influence the entire world is as difficult as trying to squeeze your head in a jar. Her voice had a soaring power that ... More >>

• Chaka Khan remains one of the most prominent figures in funk and R&B music

  published Feb 10, 2012

  Born Yvette Marie Stevens in March 1953, Chaka Khan sang songs written by Stevie Wonder and Prince as though they were crafted from her own pen. The Queen of Funk has a fiery soul about her and an und... More >>

• Weekend best party bets: Mile High Madness, Anti-Valentine's Day parties and more

  published Feb 10, 2012

  What are you getting into this weekendr Might you be interested in a party or twor Thought you'd say that. You're in luck. There's a bunch of cool things happening. Tons of reggae, a live hip-hop soir... More >>

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  Download Mane Rok's "Mama Said" remix with Zome and Bravo One

  published Feb 10, 2012

  Mane Rok is continuing his quest to work with each producer who crafted sounds for his album, The Ugly Truth, released last year. The remix for "Mama Said," originally featuring Zome and produced by M... More >>

• Aretha Franklin is the greatest vocalist of all time

  published Feb 09, 2012

  Aretha Franklin is the greatest soul singer to ever live. She's the reason we have Mary J. Blige, Cee-Lo Green, Adele, you name it. The singer, born Aretha Louise Franklin in March 1942, paved the way... More >>

• Project Safeguard throws a Valentine's Fling with former Bronco Reggie Rivers

  published Feb 09, 2012

  Project Safeguard, a non-profit organization that provides free legal services to victims of domestic violence, has partnered with former Bronco Reggie Rivers on its Valentine's fling. "We're so exc... More >>

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  Jay-Z's come a long way from the Marcy Projects

  published Feb 08, 2012

  What do you know about Jay-Zr Born Shawn Corey Carter in December 1969, the Brooklyn corner boy from the Marcy Housing Projects, who used to flip kilos of coke as fast as he flipped rhymes, turned his... More >>