Toni Morrison is the author of such books as “The Bluest Eye”, “Paradise”, “Sula”, “Jazz”, “Song of Solomon”, “Love” and “Beloved”. She is a Pulitzer prize winner, Nobel prize winner for literature, and Former chair of the humanities at Princeton University.
In this 1-hour 1998 interview with Charlie Rose, Morrison talks about why she began to write, her book “Paradise”, how race is the least informing part about a character, her approach to literature, her response to criticism, and more.
James Baldwin (1924-1987), a great American writer, authored such books as “The Fire Next Time”, “Nobody Knows My Name”, “Go Tell It On The Mountain”, and “Giovanni’s Room”. His writings highlighted the life of African Americans in this country.
In this interview, Baldwin explains why he is compelled to write, his use of description, and how he goes about gathering pieces of life to write about.
Adapted from Ann Powers, A Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
February 12, 2008 Article
THERE are two ways to listen to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller,” 25 years after its release. Scandal addicts will find trace evidence of the obsessions that would sink the greatest pop star of his generation into Hollywood Babylon: the repressed, explosive sexuality in his breathy vocals; the racial ambivalence he’d encode on his body, evident in genre-busting songs such as “Beat It”; the innocence fetish that made ballads like “Human Nature” sparkle but led the singer into a shadowy life among paid-off children in his own Neverland.
The dirty stuff is all there. But so is wonder, pure and complex, and some willful forgetting can bring you back to it. Put aside Jacko, the tragic example. Return to Michael, the musical prodigy who filtered a host of cross-cultural and intergenerational influences through his own weird radar to create music as surprising as it was definitive.
Enjoy that Michael, at play in the fields of new technology with producer Quincy Jones and the best team of studio pros since Brian Wilson roped in the Wrecking Crew. At 24, that Michael embodied the vertiginous power of being young — his love songs were all longing and playful innuendo, his angry songs half bluster and half nightmare. That Michael believed that pop songs could have the effect that classic tales have on kids, coloring their dreams and staying forever in their memories. “Thriller” was the first Neverland he built — the one he’ll never lose in bankruptcy court.
The just-issued 25th anniversary of “Thriller” includes remixes by will.i.am and Kanye West and guest appearances from Fergie and Akon. But the classic content is what still resonates, even if younger listeners need to be lured in by names they associate with the Hot 100. Here, nine Calendar staff writers and contributors offer their views of the album’s original tracks — a trip back into “Thriller” that we hope readers will follow.
“Wanna Be Startin’ Somethin’ “: Hot as Jackson was after the quantum leap that 1979’s “Off the Wall” brought his solo career, few expected him to match, much less dramatically surpass, those heights so quickly. But “Thriller’s” leadoff track immediately established the new album as another giant step forward. It connected to “Off the Wall” with an irresistible Afro-Caribbean funk dance-floor pulse and peppery horn accents akin to “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough,” then rocketed to new heights with even more sinewy bass and guitar lines propelling his impossibly nimble vocals. If “Off the Wall” demonstrated that Jackson was a kid no more, “Somethin’ ” signaled the full maturity of his musical acumen. All the more impressive for a song built on just two chords. (Randy Lewis)
“Baby Be Mine”: Imagine if this weren’t the better of the two non-singles from a monster album but a one-shot single by an unknown artist. The sweet midtempo glide of “Baby Be Mine” would have likely bubbled into the R&B Top 20 and gotten lots of roller-skate play, been included on recent mix CDs by cutting-edge European DJs and been remade as a slow jam at least three times. We’d have wondered at the bionic singer, the effervescent synth arrangements, the popping groove. In short, it would sound like the hidden classic it remains, even in plain sight. (Michaelangelo Matos)
“The Girl Is Mine”: Treacly, insipid, weak, embarrassing — that’s how detractors describe Jackson’s gentle sparring match with his then-favorite Beatle, Paul McCartney. Borne forward on a beat light as hair mousse and synth flourishes supplied by the guys from Toto, it’s a long way from the paranoid funk of “Billie Jean.” But its spun-sugar vocal line is like the G-rated version of “Unchained Melody,” and the cornball lyrics (I know, “doggone”) invoke a show-tune Arcadia that both MJ and Macca fought to preserve as pop got ever filthier. The lift Jackson gives the word “endlessly” midsong can still make a listener feel like she’s swimming in a sea of Love’s Baby Soft. (Ann Powers)
“Thriller”: If ever a video killed the radio star, “Thriller” was it. The song was adequately groovy — funked-out beat, lyrics seemingly lifted from some little kid’s “scary storybook” — but the video was legendary: bearing a price tag of $800,000, the 14-minute mini-film was the most expensive video of its time. Back then it was over the top; to today’s viewer, jaded by bloated-budget videos, it still looks epic — and deliciously campier than ever. That dialogue (”I’m not like other guys”)! That Vincent Price rap interlude! And, most of all, those choreographed zombies, dancing in a style that — thanks to Usher, Ne-Yo and Chris Brown — still gets its close-up on MTV. (Baz Dreisinger)
“Beat It”: A secret not closely guarded: The uncredited guitarist who whipped out the fluttering, squealing solo on this ode to macho cowardice was Eddie Van Halen, whose extracurriculars ranked among the provocations for singer David Lee Roth’s 1985 departure from the megalithic rock band Van Halen. Along with the contributions of jazz and soundtrack legend Quincy Jones as producer, Van Halen’s aerodynamic metal flight pumped crossover fuel that would boost the success of “Thriller” — a gimmick Jackson would later flog with spots from Slash and Carlos Santana. Without the Van Halen precedent, there might have been no collaboration of Run-DMC and Aerosmith on the 1986 rap/rock version of “Walk This Way.” (Greg Burk)
“Billie Jean”: Twenty-five years later, “Thriller’s” central chamber has lost none of its fevered mystery. This is where the album’s material plane gives way to a haunted interior, excavated by that remorseless bass line and shaped by a taut interplay of instruments — the arrangement is ingenious, so lean and spare that it’s hard to accept that there are three synthesizers at work. Jackson finds a new voice here, a victim’s voice that shudders in the shadows of this remarkable sonic space, lashing at his own naiveté and at the false accusers who were just starting to gather at his door. (Richard Cromelin)
“Human Nature”: Jackson is a sensual vampire flying over the city looking for juicy necks to bite. A template for new jack swing and hip-hop soul ballads, “Human Nature” is comparatively slower and more intimate than “Thriller’s” other songs. “If this town is just an apple, let me take a bite,” quivers Jackson’s voice over a cascading synthesizer and percolating bass line. Though written by John Bettis and Steve Porcaro of Toto, the lyrics resonate with Jackson’s yearning to break free from his tower of celebrity and mingle with young people in a “city that winks its sleepless eye.” (Serena Kim)
“P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing)”: It’s all about the chipmunk. The production has a compelling charm already; it’s not as forceful as “Beat It” or as slick as “Human Nature,” but those squiggly synths and chewy bass lines do their work well. But besides the robo-accented “P.Y.T.” hook, what seals the deal is that helium-pitched voice after the bridge. Honestly, to this day, I still can’t decipher what line is blurted out, but just the chipmunk effect has been enough to imprint the song in my head for the last quarter century. Given that Kanye West looped the exact same passage for his Grammy-winning “Good Life” only confirms I’m not alone in my infatuation. (Oliver Wang)
“The Lady in My Life”: And the ’80s pop big bang ends with a . . . whimper? So it might have seemed at the time, this Rod Temperton-penned and arranged trifle closed “Thriller” on an unconvincingly romantic note — even pre-scandal. Yet today, “Lady” shines for its classic simplicity and nuanced craft, a verse melody straight from vintage Burt Bacharach (the muted trumpet early on leaves no doubt) topped with a chorus that’s almost a Stevie Wonder homage. And Jackson’s delivery is refreshingly unaffected — not until shortly before the final fade does he even let out an ooo! No, not a whimper. A sigh. (Steve Hochman)
So we announced in December that Kanye West’ book, “Thank You, You’re Welcome”, would be released this year. Ok, the new year has come and here are some samples posted by Kanye via his blog.
There is something about this election year that is reminding me of the transforming and fresh spirit of the civil rights movement of the 1960’s. The theme of change is being echoed, but not in a “election cliche” kind of way that past candidates have declared as simply a metaphor for the same ol’ regime with just a different wineskin or face, rhetoric. No people. There is a greater call, better yet a scream of change, that is being uttered from the human spirit to the “powers that are we” that human rights and inclusive american politics need to be in full effect.
No one is carrying that message and that spirit more than Senator Barak Obama. And just like the 1960’s, artists are taking their place within the political and social atmosphere, and is inspiring us to have expectation and participation in the process through their song.
This week, Producer Will-I-Am, released “yes we can”, a song taken from Obama New Hampshire Primary Address Speech. Saying “taken” is an understatement, Will was able to use solely the speech itself for the lyrics of the song. Either Obama is the best speech writer on earth or Will-I-Am is a heck of a musical genus. I think its both.
The song was recorded in a week in LA and it includes Will, Jesse Dylan, Will.i.am, Common, Scarlett Johansson, Tatyana Ali, John Legend, Herbie Hancock, Kate Walsh, Kareem Abdul Jabbar, Adam Rodriquez, Kelly Hu, Adam Rodriquez, Amber Valetta, Eric Balfour, Aisha Tyler, Nicole Scherzinger, Nick Cannon and more.
Check out the video of the song below and also log onto yeswecansong.com to hear more about Will-I-Am’s inspiration for the song and also the lyrics.
A few years ago I saw my first Broadway Play, A Raisin In The Sun starring the all star cast: Sean Combs, Sanaa Lathan, Phylicia Rashad, and Audra Ann McDonald. I remember sitting in the theater believing that I was witnessing simply heaven: a combination of a well written and compelling play mixed with rich and pure acting from emerging and established talent. The chose of casting and the brilliancy behind Lorraine Hansberry’s work caused an outpouring of African Americans and youth to Broadway, particularly ones like myself.
For those who did not have the opportunity to catch it on Broadway, the power of media has made it available to you from your living room. The award winning 2004 Broadway play will return to television, with the original 2004 cast. Added is ER” star, John Stamos. It will air as an “ABC World Premiere Movie Event,” MONDAY, FEBRUARY 25 (8:00-11:00 p.m., ET), on ABC. The show is produced by Sean Combs and also Craig Zadan and Neil Meron (the minds behind Chicago and Life with Judy Gardland). Kenny Leon, who staged the 2004 Broadway revival, will direct the film version for ABC.
Don’t Miss it. Here is the 2008 trailer and the 1961 trailer.
A few months back, fellow un-mute.com writer Jason Reynolds, shared with me a Wall Street Journal article about a Carnegie Mellon computer science professor by the name of Randy Pausch. In the article, it explained that Carnegie Mellon University was putting on a lecture series called the “last lecture”. The premise behind it and the instructions to speakers were “what would you say if indeed this was your last lecture you had to give”?
However, one professor in the series was indeed giving his last lecture called “Really Achieving Your Childhood Dreams”. That professor, Randy Pausch, 46, had been diagnosed with terminal pancreatic cancer and only had a few months to live.
But his lecture (viewable on the Carnegie Melon website and google) was not filled with melancholy, but a spirit of triumph, a testament that dreams can be accomplished, and an illustration that resilience of the spirit is one of the most blessed gifts.
Since then, the lecture has been viewed over 6 million times and Pausch has been seen on such national television programs as Oprah. According to ABC News, Professor Pausch has just signed a 6.7 million dollar deal to turn his lecture into a book. BookCatcher.com sites that the book will be called The Last Lecture and will be written with Wall Street Journal’s Jeff Zaslow and published by Hyperion with a release date of spring 2008. Now his story of inspiration will be available in print for the world to read.
This should be an inspiration to us that whatever our story is, we should tell it. Who knows the impact it may have on people’s lives and the reward we may receive from sharing it with the world.
Here is the lecture in its entirety. Enjoy and be inspired!
According to Yahoo News, Jay Z is stepping down as Def Jam President effective by the end of the year.
Carter, 38, has been president of the rap label since 2005, and has signed acts including R&B singers Rihanna and Ne-Yo.
Universal said Carter, a top-selling rapper who performs as Jay-Z, will continue recording for its Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam label. But the company did not give a reason for his decision to quit the executive suite.
“Now it’s time for me to take on new challenges,” he said in a statement. “I am pleased to have had the opportunity to build upon the Def Jam legacy,” he added.
Carter will focus on his expanding franchise of 40/40 Nightclubs over the next year and other businesses, according to a source familiar with his plans.
Carter regularly tops the lists of richest hip-hop moguls, and was No. 9 on Forbes’ Celebrity 100, the annual roster of the world’s most powerful — and best paid — celebrities, with an estimated compensation of $83 million.
Carter, who has said he was a street hustler growing up in the Marcy public housing project in a tough section of Brooklyn, New York, has sold millions of records and launched an array of media and fashion businesses.
Though known for his cutting-edge rap lyrics and rags-to-riches story, Carter often is mentioned in local gossip columns because of his romantic relationship with R&B singer Beyonce Knowles. Last week, he denied rumors that the couple had married in secret.
The rapper joined Def Jam as president to help turn around the fortunes of the then-struggling seminal rap label. His move to management followed his 2003 retirement from recording. His albums, including “Hard Knock Life” (1998), “The Blueprint” (2001) and his classic debut “Reasonable Doubt” (1996).
He returned to recording last year with the album “Kingdom Come” and this year followed up with an album inspired by the movie “American Gangster.”
Def Jam’s successes during his tenure as president, included Rihanna and Ne-Yo, who this month racked up 11 Grammy nominations between them.
“Jay made it clear to us that he feels the time has come to take on different challenges in his life. While we regret his decision to move on, we certainly respect it,” said Antonio ‘L.A.’ Reid,” chairman of Island Def Jam.
Universal Music, a unit of French media and telecommunications group Vivendi, is the world’s largest music company with 30 percent of the worldwide market share.
Text Courtesy of Reuters/Nielsen and Yahoo.com
She can make breath from passion
Don’t hear her
Watch her roar, silently
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Kanye West teams up with co- author J. Sakiya Sandifer to make his literary debut with Thank You And You’re Welcome!, an entertaining volume of “Kanye-isms “– the creative, humorous and insightful philosophies and anecdotes used in creating his path to success. It captures the same wit, playful irony, and piercing insight found abundant in his lyrics.
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