Binkis Weblog

Jazz.. Man what a beautiful thing it is. See Jazz is like superb liquor such as a cognac or an old scotch. You have to have a refined palette to appreciate a fine drink, cigar or wine. Likewise you must have a refined ear to appreciate jazz and all its complexities. Its only now in my life that I can fully understand and embrace it. Jazz is like a perfect pairing. When I think of jazz, immediately I think of a Nas line where he tells chicks to take heed to the Thug thats Intelligent too. And thats how I hear Jazz to be. The grit in the jazz dances with the sophistication of the sound. Jazz is like poor people mingling with rich people it is black and white night and day all in one. Complex rythms infused with raw emotion and soul. It has a flow thats spontaneous and erratic similar to how our minds work. I can get lost in a Miles Davis record. It somehow helps my thoughts flow out and beyond. On a side note I have jazz records that ppl would pay 100s of dollars for.. I also have records that are not worth 1 penny.. But there is something magical in every scratch and pop of an old less than 1 penny record. Im not one of those… I have to have a record type cat or replacing damaged records is a nono in my book. Because the wear of the records have just as much a story to tell as the music on it. And if you scracth the record in the right place the loops of the song will reveal themselves before you almost magically.. In celebration of my new found love of Jazz i present to you:

Kool n the Gang’s Dujii – (who originally started as a jazz band called The Jazziacs)

Kool n the Gang – Dujii

This record inspired and spwaned into:

Gangstarr’s – Jazz Thing which was featured in Spikes Joint Mo Better Blues

Gangstarr – jazz thing

Enjoy Mi Gente Palante

“Jax Lives” on March 19 at the Earl

ATLANTA – March 9, 2009) “Everybody Loves Chris – Jax Lives” on March 19 at The Earl is a tribute to the life of Chris “Jax” Thurston. Jax, a member of Atlanta Hip-Hop Mainstay Binkis Recs, passed away suddenly late last year, leaving an irreplaceable void in the city.

The Show was originally intended to be a Binkis Recs’ 10-year anniversary celebration which concidentally coincides with Jax’s birthday on March 15. The event will now commemorate Jax’s life and legacy.

Jax always wanted to see local Hip-Hop groups Mars Illa and Minamina Goodsong perform once again together on the same stage. After several years on tour, both groups parted ways and left the scene to pursue other interests. For one night only, Mars Ill (emcee Manchild and Dj Dust) and Minamina Goodsong (emcees Pgnut, A.D., Twain and Dj T Challa) will reunite and perform on the same stage like it is still 2003.

The event will aso be Binkis Rec’s (emcees Flux, Killa Kalm and Dj Mafioso) first show since Jax passed way in November of 2008.

Doors open at 9 p.m. Arrive early for the premiere of “Jax Forever,” a collection of interviews with friends remembering Jax. The short film is directed by Eljay Williams, who also produces Comcast’s The Stand On Demand, a mini-documentary series on independent hip-hop, and was produced after Jax passed.

The door price is $10. Advance tickets are available online atwww.ticketalternative.com for $8. All proceeds will be donated to Jax’s family.

For more information on Jax or the show, visit www.myspace.com/binkis or email Flux at binkis1@comcast.net.

Here’s The Skinny:

Date: Thursday March 19th, 2009
Location: The Earl – 488 Flat Shoals Ave. (East Atlanta Village)
Atlanta, GA 30316
Live Performances: Binkis Recs, Minamina Goodsong, Mars Ill + Special Surprise Guests
Music By: Dj’s Rasta Root and Mafioso
Hosted By: Señor Kaos

Advance tickets are $8 – $10 at the door 
All proceeds go to Jax’s family.

CLICK HERE TO PURCHASE YOUR TICKETS

May be a Thug to some and the god to others. Rakim! Hands down , my favorite Mcee. Completely sharp boss. All the way. I’m not gonna say much so lets get into the videos and stuff. FANGGGGGGGGG!!!

(photo: Kinga.com and Kinga Spanier)

Bio(www.rapnewsdirect.com):

Although he never became a household name, Rakim is near-universally acknowledged as one of the greatest MCs — perhaps the greatest — of all time within the hip-hop community. It isn’t necessarily the substance of what he says that’s helped him win numerous polls among rap fans in the know; the majority of his lyrics concern his own skills and his Islamic faith. But in terms of how he says it, Rakim is virtually unparalleled. His flow is smooth and liquid, inflected with jazz rhythms and carried off with an effortless cool that makes it sound as though he’s not even breaking a sweat. He raised the bar for MC technique higher than it had ever been, helping to pioneer the use of internal rhymes — i.e., rhymes that occurred in the middle of lines, rather than just at the end. Where many MCs of the time developed their technique through improvisational battles, Rakim was among the first to demonstrate the possibilities of sitting down and writing intricately crafted lyrics packed with clever word choices and metaphors (of course, he also had the delivery to articulate them). Even after his innovations were worshipfully absorbed and expanded upon by countless MCs who followed, Rakim’s early work still sounds startlingly fresh, and his comeback recordings (beginning in the late ’90s) only added to his legend. 

Rakim was born William Griffin Jr. on January 28, 1968, in the Long Island suburb of Wyandanch. The nephew of ’50s R&B legend Ruth Brown, Griffin was surrounded by music from day one, and was interested in rap almost from its inception. At age 16, he converted to Islam, adopting the Muslim name Rakim Allah. In 1985, he met Queens DJ Eric B., whose intricately constructed soundscapes made an excellent match for Rakim’s more cerebral presence on the mic. With the release of their debut single, “Eric B. Is President,” in 1986, Eric B. & Rakim became a sensation in the hip-hop community, and their reputation kept growing as they issued classic tracks like “I Ain’t No Joke” and “Paid in Full.” Their first two full-length albums, 1987’s Paid in Full and 1988’s Follow the Leader, are still regarded as all-time hip-hop classics; Rakim’s work set out a blueprint for other, similarly progressive-minded MCs to follow, and helped ensure that even after the rise of other fertile scenes around the country, East Coast rap would maintain a reputation as the center of innovative lyrical technique. The last two Eric B. & Rakim albums, 1990’s Let the Rhythm Hit ‘Em and 1992’s Don’t Sweat the Technique, weren’t quite as consistent as their predecessors, but still had plenty of fine moments.

Unfortunately, their legacy stopped at four albums. Both Eric B. and Rakim expressed interest in recording solo albums to one another, but the former, fearful of being abandoned by his partner when their contract was up, refused to sign the release. That led to their breakup in 1992, and Rakim spent a substantial amount of time in the courts, handling the legal fallout between himself, his ex-partner, and their ex-label, MCA. His only solo output for a number of years was the track “Heat It Up,” featured on the 1993 soundtrack to the Mario Van Peebles film Gunmen. Moreover, a reshuffling at MCA effectively shut down production on Rakim’s solo debut, after he’d recorded some preliminary demos. Finally, Rakim got a new contract with Universal, and toward the end of 1997 he released his first solo record, The 18th Letter (early editions contained the bonus disc Book of Life, a fine Eric B. & Rakim retrospective). Anticipation for The 18th Letter turned out to be surprisingly high, especially for a veteran rapper whose roots extended so far back into hip-hop history; yet thanks to Rakim’s legendary reputation, it entered the album charts at number four, and received mostly complimentary reviews. His follow-up, The Master, was released in 1999 and failed to duplicate its predecessor’s commercial success, barely debuting in the Top 75. Moreover, while The Master received positive reviews in some quarters, others seemed disappointed that Rakim’s comeback material wasn’t reinventing the wheel the way his early work had, and bemoaned the lack of unity among his array of different producers. Seeking to rectify the latter situation, Rakim signed with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath label in 2001, and the two began recording a new album early the next year, to be titled Oh My God. In the meantime, to help heighten anticipation for the summit between two legends, Rakim guested on the single “Addictive” by female R&B singer and Aftermath labelmate Truth Hurts; “Addictive” hit the Top Ten in the summer of 2002, marking the first time Rakim had visited that territory since he and Eric B. appeared on Jody Watley’s “Friends” in 1989. ~ Steve Huey, All Music Guide

This is disturbing!

Authorities plan to charge Illinois church suspect

MARYVILLE, Ill. — A man suspected of killing a pastor with a barrage of shots that ripped through the church leader’s Bible was in serious condition Monday from stab wounds he suffered after being tackled by parishioners, and authorities expect to charge him soon.

The gunman, identified by authorities only as a 27-year-old from Troy, strode toward the Rev. Fred Winters shortly after 8 a.m. Sunday, exchanged words with him, then fired a .45-caliber semiautomatic pistol until it jammed. Winters, 45, later died of his injuries.

After the shooting, two worshippers tackled the gunman as he pulled out a knife, and all three were stabbed, police said. The gunman suffered “a pretty serious wound to the neck” while one worshipper had lower back wounds, said Illinois State Police Director Larry Trent.

Churchgoers knocked the gunman between sets of pews, then held him down until police arrived, said member Don Bohley, who was just outside the sanctuary when the shooting began.

The gunman underwent surgery at St. Louis University Hospital and remained in serious condition Monday morning, according to hospital spokeswoman Laura Keller.

State Police Lt. Scott Compton told The Associated Press early Monday that authorities plan to charge the suspect sometime Monday or possibly Tuesday.

A 39-year-old parishioner, Terry Bullard, also remained in serious condition Monday morning. The third victim, Keith Melton, was treated and released.

Authorities have said they didn’t know the motive for the shooting or whether Winters, a married father of two, knew the gunman.

Several visitors stopped by the church Monday — one with tear-reddened eyes who dropped off a card. All declined to comment, as did a church receptionist.

None of the 150 worshippers attending the Sunday service seemed to recognize the gunman, and investigators did not know details of Winters’ conversation with him, Trent said, but they planned to review an audio recording of the service.

Winters deflected the first of the gunman’s four rounds with a Bible, sending a confetti-like spray of paper into the air in a horrifying scene worshippers initially thought was a skit, police said.

“We just sat there waiting for what comes next not realizing that he had wounded the pastor,” said Linda Cunningham, whose husband is a minister of adult education at the 1,200-member church.

Winters had stood on an elevated platform to deliver his sermon about finding happiness in the workplace — titled “Come On, Get Happy” — and managed to run halfway down the sanctuary’s side aisle before collapsing after the attack, Cunningham said.

Trent said investigators found no immediate evidence of a criminal background for the suspect. He said police were investigating whether a red Jeep parked outside the church belonged to the man.

The Jeep, which remained at the church Sunday night under State Police watch, was registered to the address of a 27-year-old man in an upscale neighborhood in Troy. No one answered the door at the residence Sunday.

A man of the same age whose mother’s name also is registered at the Troy address was featured in a St. Louis Post-Dispatch article detailing his battle with Lyme disease. In the article, the man’s mother said the disease left lesions on his brain and that doctors had diagnosed him as mentally ill before discovering the disease.

In the August 2008 article, the mother said her son was taking several medications and had difficulty speaking after contracting the tick-borne illness.

Police would not confirm that the man in the article was the church shooting suspect. The Associated Press is not naming the man because no one has been charged in the shooting.

The Rev. Mark Jones, another First Baptist pastor, later urged a Sunday evening prayer service attended by hundreds at nearby Metro Community Church in Edwardsville to be resilient after “this attack from the forces of hell.”

The standing-room-only crowd cried, cradled Bibles and stretched their hands skyward as they packed into the church, many watching the service on large television monitors in overflow areas.

“We need to reassure our hearts and reinforce our minds that Pastor Fred is in that place that we call heaven,” Jones said. “Church, evil does exist. Today, we saw the visible results of evil and its influence.”

First Baptist had an average attendance of 32 people when Winters became senior pastor in 1987; it now has about 1,200 members and three Sunday services, according to the church’s Web site.

Winters was former president of the Illinois Baptist State Association and an adjunct professor for Midwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, according to the site.

He hosted Pizza with the Pastor dinners in his home, and the church organized bowling parties for fathers and daughters, karate classes and a golf league.

The church sits along a busy two-lane highway on the east side of Maryville, a fast-growing village of more than 7,000 about 20 miles northeast of St. Louis. A farm sits directly across from the church, but subdivisions of newer homes can been easily seen from every side.

“Things like this just don’t happen in Maryville,” Mayor Larry Gulledge said. “We’ve lost one the pillars of our community, one of our leaders.”

On the Net:

First Baptist: http://www.fbmaryville.org/

Associated Press writers Betsy Taylor and Jim Salter in Maryville and Karen Hawkins, Rupa Shenoy and Michael Tarm contributed to this report.

This was suppose to be posted on “FreedomeFridays” but what can I say… I’m posting it now! HAAAAA!  Marq Spekt X Lex Boogie(from the Bronx) got some fly shit going on. “Guilty Party” The latest  from homie. Brought to you by the good people over at Backwoodz Studioz and it’s Stanks sooooo Good! And By Stank I mean Funky. It has some of the ruggedest grooves I heard on some dirty jazz shit. Of course the rhymes get Stoopid Fresh so check it out. Not to mention…. I did the cover art. One more plus… IT’S FREE!!!!!! You can’t beat that with an Elephant Gat FISCOOO!!!!!!!

(here is the link)

VIDEO’S AH GWAN!!!!!!

This shit sounds crazy but it looks good as fuck! y’all know I’m a food advocate right(HAAAAAAAA!), but shit man… I want those right now! HAAAAA!!!! You can get this recipe as well as others at www.nj.com. Happy cooking, BLAMMMMMMMMMMM!!!

Watermelon Donuts

Yield: 1 serving

1/2 cup sour cream 
1 teaspoon of sugar (or to taste) 
1/4 teaspoon vanilla 
1/4 cup slivered almonds

Use round cookie cutters to cut 4 donut shapes from 1 1/2-inch thick slices of seedless watermelon. Sweeten sour cream with sugar and a touch of vanilla to taste. Spread one watermelon slice with sweetened sour cream. Top with another watermelon slice, frost with sour cream and sprinkle with almonds.

Watermelon Sandwich(Eat this before the sweets though):

Yield: 1 or 2 servings

9- or 10-inch round of herbed focaccia 
5 ounces Boursin cheese 
2 or 3 grilled chicken breast halves, sliced 
4 thin slices seeded watermelon 
1/4 cup sesame seeds 
2 or 3 ounces baby arugula 

Split focaccia through the center, as for a sandwich. Spread Boursin over cut sides of bread. Arrange chicken breast slices over the Boursin on the bottom slice of bread. Sprinkle sesame seeds over watermelon slices and grill quickly just to warm. Arrange watermelon in an even layer over the chicken add arugula and top with bread. Cut sandwich into quarters.

(ENJOY)

(Pic from Cakehead.com)

Healthy food news today peoples. It’s been kinda rough for me the last 4 months to be honest. My diet changed, my gym membership expired, I haven’t had a lot of Art jobs(but things are picking up) so that leads to a little depression and shit. I’m fighting through it but sometimes you have to take time breath. Relax and just be. It seemed easier to do that when my diet was on point. I’m saying this because although some of us take this statement for granted… “You are what you Eat!” What you eat can and will effect your body and mind. So let’s be mindful of what we intake peoples. I’m off to the Farmer’s Market right after I post some shit! HAAAAAAA!!! Peep this article I caught at www.medicalnewstoday.com. This is like 5 years old too! FISKKKKKKKKKKKKKKKK!!

Organic foods in relation to nutrition and health key facts

This factsheet is a summary of an article published in “Coronary and Diabetic Care in the UK 2004″ by the Association of Primary Care Groups and Trusts (UK). It was written by James Cleeton, Policy Projects Co-ordinator at the Soil Association.

The article concluded that a predominantly organic diet: 

• reduces the amount of toxic chemicals ingested; 
• totally avoids GMOs [genetically modified organisms;
• reduces the amount of food additives and colourings;
• increases the amount of beneficial vitamins, minerals, EFAs [essential fatty acids] and antioxidants consumed;
• appears to have the potential to lower the incidence of common conditions such as cancer, coronary heart disease, allergies and hyperactivity in children.

1) PESTICIDES

The routine use of synthetic pesticides is not allowed under organic standards. Currently, over 400 chemicals can be regularly used in conventional farming to kill weeds, insects and other pests that attack crops. For example, Cox’s apples can be sprayed up to 16 times with 36 different pesticides. 7 Only four chemicals are allowed in restricted circumstances under Soil Association standards.

“Organic food contains fewer residues of pesticides used in conventional agriculture, so buying organic is one way to reduce the chances that your food contains these pesticides” (Sir John Krebs, Chair, Food Standards Agency, Cheltenham Science Festival debate, 5th June 2003).

“Consumers who wish to minimise their dietary pesticide exposure can do so with confidence by buying organically grown food” (Baker et al 2002).

Organophosphates

The most dangerous chemicals used in farming such as organophosphates [pesticides] have been linked with a range of conditions such as cancer, decreasing male fertility, foetal abnormalities, chronic fatigue syndrome in children and Parkinson’s disease. 8,9 Pesticide residues have been ranked among the top three environmental cancer risks by the American Government. 10

Pesticide residues in food

In recent years, UK Government research has consistently found pesticide residues in a third of food, including residues of more than one chemical in apples, baby food, bread, cereal bars, fresh salmon, lemons, lettuces, peaches, nectarines, potatoes and strawberries. 11 Not all foodstuffs are checked; instead a small number of different products is tested every 3 months and the results published by the Pesticide Safety Directorate (PSD).

Pesticides and cancer

Women with breast cancer are five to nine times more likely to have pesticide residues in their blood than those who do not.18 Previous studies have shown that those with occupational exposure to pesticides have higher rates of cancer.19 – 21 The apparent link between hormone dependent cancers, such as those of the breast and prostate, may be via endocrine disrupting chemicals [compounds that artificially affect the hormone system] such as 2,4D and Atrazine (both herbicides, now banned or about to be banned). The Royal Society [the UK's main scientific organisation] recommends that human exposure to EDCs (especially during pregnancy) should be minimised on grounds of prudence.63

Effects of pesticides on children

Children may be particularly susceptible to pesticide residues as they have a higher intake of food and water per unit of body weight than adults and their relatively immature organ systems may have limited ability to detoxify these substances.22

In a study of children aged 2 -4 living in Seattle, concentrations of pesticide residues up to six times higher were found in children eating conventionally farmed fruit and vegetables compared with those eating organic food.23 Whilst the presence of pesticide residues in children eating conventional food has been confirmed, the full effect of such pesticides are unknown.

2) FOOD ADDITIVES

Food colourings and additives can cause a range of health problems in adults and children. For example, tartrazine (the yellow food colouring E102) and other additives have been linked to allergic reactions, headaches, asthma, growth retardation and hyperactivity in children.24 – 27

Although around 300 additives are permitted in conventional food only 30 are allowed under Soil Association standards. Some additives found in organic food are added for legal reasons including iron, thiamine (vitamin B) and nicotinic acid (vitamin B3) in white flour, and various vitamins and minerals in different types of baby foods. All artificial colourings and artificial sweeteners are banned in organic food.

Specific ingredients and additives not allowed in organic food are monosodium glutamate, aspartame, phosphoric acid and hydrogenated fats. In each case their use has been banned because of evidence that they can be damaging to health. For example, hydrogenated fats (also known as trans fats) have been directly linked with increased rates of heart disease, cancer and skin disease. 28,29,30,31 The FSA [Food Standards Agency] acknowledges that they have no known nutritional benefits and increase the risk of coronary heart disease. The FSA website advises that people should try to cut down their consumption of hydrogenated fat. 32

3) GENETICALLY MODIFIED ORGANISMS

Genetically modified organisms are banned from organic food.

The potential health effects of GM foods are unknown. Michael Meacher the former Minister for the Environment recently stated that “We have had no systematic clinical or biochemical trials of the effects on human beings of eating GM food”.

A paper in Nutrition and Health 33 supports Mr Meacher’s position. The authors state that there have only been ten published studies of the health effects of GM food and that the quality of some of these was inadequate. Over half were done in collaboration with companies (fully or partially), and these found no negative effects on body organs. The others were done independently and looked more closely at the effects on the gut lining; in several, evidence of harmful effects were found which remain unexplained. 33

Similar effects on the gut lining were found in an unpublished animal feeding study on a GM tomato. In addition, a study by Newcastle University sponsored by the FSA found that the transgenes [genetically modified organisms] transfer into gut bacteria at detectable levels after only one GM meal. The health effects of these transgenes are unknown and until they have been properly tested people are, in our opinion, wise to avoid eating GM food. (For more of this Article, click this shit! FANGG!!)

Biography(from Wikipedia):

Early Life:

Khan was born Yvette Marie Stevens in Great Lakes, Illinois. Her sister is dance music artist Taka Boom, and her brother is Mark Stevens of Aurra. Khan was raised on Chicago’s South Side, and at the age of 11 formed her first group, the Crystalettes. While still in high school, she joined the Afro-Arts Theater, a group which toured with Motown great Mary Wells. A few years later, she adopted the African name “Chaka” while working as a volunteer on the Black Panthers‘ Free Breakfast for Children program in Chicago. She received her name during a naming ceremony at the Afro-Arts Theater where a Yoruba priest christened her Chaka Adunne Aduffe Yemoja Hodarhi Karifi (as stated on her official website). After quitting high school in 1969, Chaka joined the group Lyfe, soon exiting that group to join another soul band, The Babysitters, replacing former lead singer Baby Huey. Neither group enjoyed mainstream success, but her fortunes changed when she teamed with ex-American Breed member Kevin Murphy and Andre Fischer to form Rufus. In the meantime, she had married bass guitarist Hassan Khan.

Life with Rufus

Rufus debuted in 1973 with a self-titled album on the ABC label. The first album contained fine fiery vocals by Chaka Khan and “phat trax” from the band but failed to make an impression with the record buyers, due in no small part to the uncharacteristic “new” sound of the ensemble. However, by decade’s end, Rufus was among the most successful funk groups, rivaling the popularity of Earth Wind & Fire, The Commodores, War and The Ohio Players, among others. With the help ofStevie Wonder, Rufus broke into both the pop music and R&B charts in 1974 with the gold-selling hit “Tell Me Something Good”. They followed that hit with another giant single hit, “You Got The Love”, featuring a then-unknown Ray Parker, Jr. on lead guitar, which propelled the album “Rags To Rufus” to gold status by the summer of 1974. That year was a very good one for Chaka Khan and the group, for, on the strength of the “Rags” album, a third album was hurriedly finished. Released in October of 1974, “Rufusized” became their second gold (now platinum) album, containing multiple radio and album hits. The fourth album, released in early 1976, was self-titled and contained the gold single, “Sweet Thing”. This was the year that their “brand” was immortalized: Chaka’s most prominent facial feature became the logo for the band: a big pair of juicy red lips. It epitomized the sound, the sexiness and swagger of the band itself. Throughout the remainder of the 1970s, Rufus and Chaka Khan were rarely off the charts, having a plethora of memorable smash single hits and album favorites, including “Tell Me Something Good”, “Better Days”, “Do You Love What You Feel?”, the aforementioned “Sweet Thing”, “Hollywood”, “Once You Get Started”, “Little Boy Blue” and “Everlasting Love”, among a dozen others. The group earned eight platinum albums (“Rags To Rufus”, “Rufusized”, “Rufus Featuring Chaka Khan”, “Ask Rufus”, “Street Player”, “Masterjam”, “Stompin’ At The Savoy”, and “The Very Best Of Rufus And Chaka Khan”) and three gold singles with “Tell Me Something Good”, “Sweet Thing” and “Do You Love What You Feel?” before Khan went solo full time, beginning in earnest in 1980. In 1977, she recorded background vocals for the Chicago song “Take Me Back to Chicago”; the connection being Rufus bandmate David “Hawk” Wolinski’s relationship with that band.

Solo stardom

In 1978, Khan recorded her debut solo album Chaka featuring the Arif Mardin-produced disco hit “I’m Every Woman” (#1 R&B and #10Pop) later covered by Whitney Houston. Chaka proved to be a significant hit on the strength of the single written byAshford & Simpson, Khan recorded backing vocals for Ry Cooder’s Bop Till You Drop (1979), then cut her second album, 1980s Naughty, a huge hit on the R&B charts, which featured “Clouds” (also by Ashford & Simpson), “Move Me No Mountain”, and other songs that displayed Khan’s range as a singer. The Naughty album also featured Luther Vandross, Cissy Houston, and a young Whitney Houston singing background vocals. This was one of the great R&B albums of the decade. Chaka can be seen in a cameo appearance in the 1980s film The Blues Brothers, singing with the church choir behind James Brown as The Reverend Cleophus James.

Her next album, What Cha’ Gonna Do for Me, was a gold seller and included two hit singles on Billboard’s R&B Singles chart including the title song (which made #1 on the R&B chart). The album also featured the song “And The Melody Still Lingers On (Night In Tunisia)” with Dizzy Gillespie & Herbie Hancock, which has Chaka hitting “notes that aren’t in the book” according to producer Arif Mardin.^{[citation needed]}

In 1982, Warner Brothers released Khan’s eponymous album, Chaka Khan, again produced by Arif Mardin. This album featured the single “Tearin It Up”, as well as Chaka’s reading of Michael Jackson’s “Got To Be There”. “Slow Dancin” (a duet withRick James) was also featured, but her “Be Bop Medley” won a Grammy Award, as well as praise from jazz singer Betty Carter, who praised Khan for her improvisational skills. ^[2] Chaka Khan received positive reviews! Reviewer David Bertrand Wilson (of warr.org) said, “This [album] generated many hits, and it’s a lot of fun…her singing here is phenomenal”. The song “Got to be There”, from the album , became an R&B top 1 hit. Chaka Khan is a rare collector’s item since it remains unreleased on CD in both the United States and Europe and is only available as a Japanese import.

In 1981, she appeared on three songs on Rick Wakeman’s thematic album 1984.

According to the ‘Chaka’s World’ website, Khan was originally scheduled to duet on Tom Browne’s hit “Funkin’ For Jamaica” and Dennis Edwards‘ hit “Don’t Look Any Further” (which he went on to perform with Siedah Garrett). She also recorded the song “Addicted to Love” as a duet with Robert Palmer but due to contractual problems was only credited for ‘vocal arrangement’.

Jazz experiment

In 1982, Khan recorded Echoes of an Era, a collection of jazz standards featuring performances from Freddie Hubbard, Joe Henderson, Stanley Clarke, Chick Corea and Lenny White. 1983 saw Khan return to Rufus to record her last contractually obligated album Stompin’ at the Savoy – Live. The double album contained live versions of Rufus classics, Khan’s solo hits and a handful of newly recorded tracks. One of these was the hit “Ain’t Nobody,” which returned Khan to the top of the urban and top 40 charts (#1 R&B #22 Pop). This song also came back into radio and club play due to its use in the 1984 Orion film “Breakin’” which sparked off the mainstream street dance era. To make room for the new studio tracks, Warner Brothers omitted live versions of “The Best Of Your Heart”, “Hollywood”, and “Everlasting Love” which was later released on the rare 1983 soundtrack to Night Shift.

Hip Hop

In 1984, she released I Feel for You, a platinum-selling album launched by its title cut, an Arif Mardin produced, Grammy Award-winning, hip hop-based rendition of a Prince album track with a cameo appearance by Stevie Wonder on harmonica and rap by Melle Mel. Produced by David Foster, the popular ballad “Through the Fire” reached R&B 15, It also rose to #5 on the Pop chart during a 23-week run on the Hot 100, and crossed over to the adult contemporary chart. “Through the Fire” has since been sampled by Kanye West for his hit single “Through The Wire”. Chaka also recorded “Krush Groove (Can’t Stop The Street)” for the movie Krush Groove in 1985. In 1986, she provided co-lead and background vocals for Steve Winwood’s #1 hit, “Higher Love“. Her 1986 album, Destiny, also had another #1 R&B hit Love of a lifetime, which set the standard.

In 1987, she appeared on the detective series “Hunter,” in an episode called “The Cradle Will Rock.” She sang “So Close,” another song from her 1986 album Destiny.

In 1995, Khan teamed up with rapper Guru, on his solo jazz/hip hop fusion collection Jazzmatazz, Vol. 2: The New Reality for the track “Watch What You Saying” which reached Billboard’s chart at #1.

1990–2004

In 1990, she won another Grammy for “I’ll Be Good To You,” a duet with Ray Charles which rose to #1 on the R&B charts and was a Top 20 Pop hit.

In 1992, Khan released her album The Woman I Am, for which she received a Grammy Award for best Rhythm & Blues vocal performance. The album’s hit single “Love You All My Lifetime” was penned by German songwriter duo Irmgard Klarmann and Felix Weber (a.k.a. Klarmann/Weber and was produced by David Gamson. According to the Chaka’s World Website, Khan recorded a follow up album Dare You To Love Me which was to be released in 1995. Warner Brothers postponed and eventually shelved the project (although several of the tracks appeared on a career retrospective titled Epiphany: The Best of Chaka Khan, Vol. 1 and soundtracks such as To Wong Foo, Thanks For Everything, Julie Newmar and Waiting to Exhale (singing the standard “My Funny Valentine“).

Khan soon left Warner Brothers for what she felt was a lack of promotion and after the label had decided to release the Epiphany compilation instead of the Dare You To Love Me album in its true form. Prince (who also feuded with the company) assisted Khan in leaving Warner Brothers. Khan eventually made a special agreement with “The Artist” (as Prince then marketed himself), and recorded her next album on his NPG Records label.

The Prince-produced Come 2 My House appeared in 1998 and reached #1 on Billboard’s R&B Albums chart despite little promotion. Khan also appeared on new CDs by Prince and Larry Graham for the New Power Generation Label, and she toured in support of the projects.

In 1999, Khan recorded a newer version of the theme song for the PBS children’s show, Reading Rainbow.

Although she sang at both the 2000 Democratic and Republican conventions, Khan says that she is more of a “Democratic-minded person”.

In 2001, Khan sang on De La Soul’s hit song “All Good?“. In 2002 she was an integral part of the documentary about Motown studio musicians The Funk Brothers, Standing In The Shadows Of Motown, in which she performed the classic R&B songs “What’s Going On?” and “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” (a duet with Montell Jordan). She won her eighth Grammy Award for the latter performance.

In October 2004, Khan released her cover album ClassiKhan on her own label Earth Song Records and Sanctuary Records. The album of standards featuring the London Symphony Orchestra was recorded primarily at Abbey Road Studios in London and produced by Eve Nelson of Nelson-O’Reilly Productions.

On December 3, 2004, she received an honorary doctorate degree from Berklee College of Music. She is also active in the autism community, as she has family members who have been diagnosed with this condition. Her EarthSong Entertainment and Chaka Khan Foundation operate from Beverly Hills, California.

2005—Present

2005’s ”let go” track originally appeared in movie ‘Roll Bounce’ as ‘Let’s Roll’. Matthew Knowles opted not to include ‘Let’s Roll’ on the movies soundtrack CD

In early 2006, she signed with Sony BMG’s new label Burgundy Records.

Embracing Christianity, Khan participated in a live all-star gospel concert recording for artist Richard Smallwood’s “Journey: Live In New York” on the song “Precious Is Your Name.” On her official website, Khan credits singer Karen Clark Sheard with being “the voice that helped me find the Holy Ghost“. Khan performed a cover version of Sheard’s “A Secret Place” along with Richard Smallwood on TBN’s show Praise The Lord in October 2006.

In December 2006, Chaka recorded “Do You Hear What I Hear” on the Christmas compilation Breaking For the Holidays produced by Eve Nelson (who also produced Classikhan). The album also featured Vonzell Solomon, Sandra Bernhard, Ben Jelenand many more.

In February 2007, Khan headlined and performed at the NARAS 2007 Grammy Award official post party. In September 2007, she released Funk This, a mix of cover songs and original material. Produced by Jimmy Jam & Terry Lewis and James “Big Jim” Wright, the album debuted on the R&B Album Chart, selling 35,000 copies in its first week. This marked her highest chart position since her first solo album in 1978 peaked at #1. “Angel,” the first single from the album, reached #1 and went on become her first R&B hit in nearly fifteen years. Promoting the album on the Today Show on September 26, 2007, she performed “Angel” and announced that she would appear in the role of Sofia on Broadway’s The Color Purple. Another highlight of the CD is her cover of Foolish Fool, originally by Dee Dee Warwick, who died not long after its release.

Khan opened as Sofia, a role she says she closely identifies with, on January 9, 2008 along with BeBe Winans as Sofia’s husband, Harpo.

In a recent interview Khan said that she, unlike other artists, feels very optimistic about the current changes in the recording industry, including music downloading. “I’m glad things are shifting and artists – not labels – are having more control over their art. My previous big record company (Warner Music) has vaults of my recordings that haven’t seen the light of day that people need to hear. This includes Robert Palmer’s original recording to “Addicted to Love” – which they took my vocals off of! We are working on getting it (and other tracks) all back now.” I

In that same candid interview with Elio Iannacci of the Toronto Star, Chaka Khan also revealed her plans for the upcoming year ahead, stating: “After I finish with my run with The Color Purple, I have a world tour planned, a one-time reunion gig with Rufus for charity. And then I’ll be getting back into the studio to record another album, which will be out in 2009.” ^[3] I

On July 4,2008, Chaka Khan made an appearance on Good Morning America’s summer concert series. She performed her known songs and songs from her 2007’s “Funk This”.

On July 11, 2008, Chaka Khan made an appearance on “Friday Night with Jonathan Ross“.

On July 11, 2008, Chaka Khan performed at Tivoli in Copenhagen, Denmark, and greeted the audience in the beginning of the concert by saying “Good evening Sweden“.

Chaka Khan will perform at the 2008 Aflac Christmas party on Saturday December 6, 2008 in Columbus, Georgia.

She has been living in London since early 2006.