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Welcome To The Soul-Patrol Newsletter
Meet Nadir (all over again)
Pictured Below; L-R: 2007 Soul-Patrol Convention Black Music Town Hall - Black Culture/Internet Panel: Thomas Dorsey (SoulofAmerica.com), Nadir (DistortedSoul.com), Mike Davis (Soul-Patrol.com)
I wanted to use this issue of the Soul-Patrol Newsletter to re-introduce you to one of our "core artists" here on Soul-Patrol. A few of yall might remember me making a pretty big fuss about Nadir a few years ago when he was named by Soul-Patrol.com as "Best Funk Artist of 2005", for his award winning album called "Distorted Soul 2.0." The album was an outstanding collection of modern day Funk music that looked backwards for both it's musical and lyrical inspiration. It was STONE COLD FUNK in the best tradition of artists like James Brown, Jimi Hendrix, Sly Stone, Living Colour and P-Funk and at the same time it carried SERIOUS LYRICAL CONTENT that was inspired by Martin Luther King, Malcolm X and other thought leaders of the 1960's/1970's. The album "Distorted Soul 2.0" is a bold statement of artistic brilliance, that in many ways is in perfect synch with what Soul-Patrol.com is all about.
Since that time, Nadir has become quite involved with many of our activities here. For example in the picture above you can see him dropping some science during the 2007 Soul-Patrol Convention Black Music Town Hall - Black Culture/Internet Panel on the topic of artist websites. That's no surprise since Nadir's website is one of the most EFFECTIVE ARTIST WEBSITES on the internet. 95 percent of the artists that I know would serve themselves well by simply visiting his site (www.distortedsoul.com)and taking notes on how they can enhance their own effectiveness online. Last year he also contributed two songs to the award winning (and now out of print) Soul-Patrol Digital/Virtual Compilation Album 1.0 (see he even influences the name of the album).
Nadir doesn't just "talk the talk, he walks the walk." This year in addition to creating yet another GREAT ALBUM (reviewed down below), Nadir has also been serving as the Mischigan correspondent for MTV News and filing video reports for broadcast on the 2008 Presidential Elections. In fact all this week he can be seen covering the Republican National Convention in reports airing on MTV as well as online.
Needless to say we are quite proud of Nadir and you should be as well. This is an artist who truly represents the future of Black music because, he knows where it came from and is hell bent on carrying that past straight into the future.
In this issue of the Soul-Patrol Newsletter we have a review of Nadir's NEW ALBUM called "Workin For The Man", a concert review of a performance that he gave during Black History Month in NYC, an updated concert schedule and some updates on his MTV 2008 Presidential Campaign Reports (ex: he was just tear gassed the other day covering a protest at the RNC.)
I would like you to scroll down and check all of this out, but more importantly, I'd like you to take a trip over to Nadir's website, take a listen to some of his music and absorb all that he is doing. And if you feel so inclined, tell him what cha think...
Check it all out and let us know what cha think?
Thanks in advance...
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
Nadir Covers Republican National Convention for MTV's Street Team '08
I will blog and Twitter all day every day. Watch for my Twitter updates at DistortedSoul.com and on www.chooseorlose.com or follow me online or on your mobile by setting up your own account at www.twitter.com.
I'll be uploading live streaming video to my profile at Think.MTV.com/Nadir.
I'll also keep a close eye on the protests that will occur throughout the Twin Cities, and I've got plans to slip over to Ron Paul's Rally for the Republic at The Target Center on Tuesday.
It's going to be an exciting week! I'm looking forward to it!
Check out my first report from the RNC:
VIDEO: Day 1 - Anarchy at The RNC; Nadir Tear-Gassed
Check it all out and let us know what cha think?
Thanks in advance...
--Bob Davis
609-351-0154
earthjuice@prodigy.net
I'm NOW ready To Cast My Vote For........(Most Relevant Album of 2008)
(Nadir - "Workin' for the Man" (The Phuture of Phunk)
 Album Review - Nadir - "Workin' for the Man" (The Phuture of Phunk)
Available only at: http://www.distortedsoul.com
At this point I haven't written an album review in about 3 months. It might not seem that way to you, but I haven't. The reason I haven't isn't because I haven't heard any good music. it's because I simply haven't felt like it. With everything that has been going on in my personal life combined with everything that has been going on in the world at large, spending even 5 minutes writing an album review has been pretty low on my list of priorities. Although I have been listening to a whole lotta good music during the "summer of my discontent", none of it has been:
C-O-M-P-E-L-I-N-G
(till now)
Last night Nadir sent me his new album via email. For those of you who have been following the story, I have previously described Nadir as "Malcolm X With a Guitar." He was named as Soul-Patrol.com's BEST FUNK ARTIST OF 2005. At the date of this writing, Nadir is headed to the most unlikely location of St. Paul Mn. to cover the 2008 Republikkkan National Convention for his "side gig" @ MTV News. He is an artist for whom there is truly no musical genre that applies, except for FUNK. I have also described his music as "out of touch with the reality of today." That's because his music combines:
SERIOUS RAW FUNK + A CALL TO SOCIETAL & PERSONAL RESPONSIBILITY
I am a fan of Nadir's music because it is un-yielding, un-compromising in it's "groove" and it's "politics." The listener is forced to confront their own personal comfort zone and simply put, you are....
FORCED TO SHAKE YOUR AZZ
AND
THINK ABOUT WEIGHTY ISSUES OF THE WORLD
(at the same time)
T-H-A-T-S C-O-M-P-E-L-I-N-G
Right now we are at a special point in Amerikkkan history.
It's the morning of August 30, 2008...
--The Democratic Convention has just ended on a note of hopefulness and optimism about the possibilities of an Amerikkka (without the "kkk's")
--The presumptive Republikkkan presidential nominee has just announced that his selection for a vice presidential running mate is a gun toting, moose meat eating, anti abortion housewife from Alaska
--A killer hurricane is headed for New Orleans on the anniversary of Katrina
(did I just hear someone out there utter the words "historical convergence?")
And as I sit here at this desk I am listening to an album of mp3's by Nadir called "Workin' for the Man."
And yes Virginia, I find myself: C-O-M-P-E-L-L-E-D
(to write an album review of an album that is right on time)
Imagine if you could listen to an album that sounded like it was James Brown + Gil Scott-Heron + Public Enemy? You might just think that you had entered a time machine and were now living in a different century? However you would be wrong. (o so wrong)
The political implication of an album with song titles like; "Guantanamo", "impeach the president", "no more war", "Running Rebel", "Workin' for the Man" and more are obvious. This is an album that could just as easily be titles "Black To The Future", it's fun to listen to and it also makes you THINK at the same time. The rap songs remind me of Public Enemy, the Funk joints remind me of the JB's, the political songs sound like the speeches of a political rally.
1. Life In the Fast Lane (Live at The Buzz Bar)
2. impeach the president
3. Is That What You Wanted?! (DJ Butterface Casio Funk Radio Edit)
4. Workin' for the Man (Live at Memphis Smoke)
5. Sign Your Name
6. Running Rebel (Featuring WAE & Ron Rutherford)
7. no more war
8. Guantanamo
9. Just One Journey (Featuring Just-One)
10. Traffic Jam (Live at The Buzz Bar)
11. Is That What You Wanted?! (Rev & Nadir s Explicitly Pissed Off Mix)
12. Workin For The Man (Badmitten s Workin Overtime Mix)
- Nadir is a revolutionary artist
- Nadir has a revolutionary agenda
- Nadir thinks that it is ok to HAVE FUN and THINK
- Nadir's new album "Workin' for the Man" makes you do both
I give it my strongest recommendation possible, as we close in on the end of "my summer of discontent." This is clearly one of the best new releases of 2008 and something that is truly worthy of your attention at this time.
And it's available online only at: http://www.distortedsoul.com
That is unless you will be attending the 2008 Republikkkan National Convention. If you are then you can buy an autographed hard copy Compact Disk from Nadir himself. He should be easy to spot in the crowd...
--Bob Davis
Concert Review: Nadir @ BAM Café (2/9/2008)
(Great Black Music From the Ancient To The Future)
 "If the bump ain't crunk,
if the funk ain't pumpin'
with the thump in the trunk,
then the bump ain't bumpin'!
You just gotta Leave It Alone, Leave It Alone!"
As a few of you know, I have been really, really busy of late. In fact I have been so busy that I haven't been able to get out and see many shows in 2008. This may well be the only show that I see in 2008. (sike....I'll be seeing Ryan Shaw this week in NYC).
I haven't been able to even find the time till now, to write this review of Nadir's show.
But hear it is and let me start out by saying that if this were going to be the only live show that I saw in 2008, I would be alright with that. Nadir put on an outstanding show, but more importantly he proved to me that he has a rare quality in a modern artist, in that he is able to also overcome "adversity."
I am an unabashed fan of Nadir's music and have been since I first heard his award winning 2005 album entitled "Distorted Soul 2.0." Not only is "Distorted Soul 2.0." one of the FUNKIEST albums of the decade (and therefore the century), it is a "throwback." This album is a "throwback" because unlike most albums produced in "post 9-11 amerikkka" it actually has something to say about the past, present and future of our society. Therefore it's no surprise that Nadir is also the Michigan State representative for MTV's Street Team 08, where he serves as one of MTV's 2008 Presidential Election reporters. (hell yeah, this ia a brotha we need to be proud of!!!!)
I strongly advise you to go to Nadir's site: http://www.distortedsoul.com and check out what he's got to offer. It's music +" and as badd as Nadir's music is, it's the "+" that is indeed the key...
I arrived at the BAM Café (http://www.bam.org) early because I had told Nadir that I would be there for the sound check and sure enough he was in the lobby accompanied by his backup musicians for the evening. As I greeted Nadir, I also greeted the members of the local NYC based Funk/Rock band called Rhythm Republik. I know Rhythm Republik and their music quite well, they are an "average" band and this was the first level of adversity for Nadir to overcome.
Soon we were greeted by "Clark Kent" (aka Darrell McNeill) who was in his alter ego as the "curator" of the BAM Café and he took us up to the BAM Café, for the sound check. As I watched the sound check, clearly Nadir was the man in charge, as he took Rhythm Republik thru snippets of the songs in the set in an organized and methodical fashion, to insure that they knew the songs. You could see that Nadir was going to make Rhythm Republik rise to the occasion and they did.
Soon the crowd started to fill up the empty space and several hundred people came in, most of whom were white (more adversity for Nadir to overcome).
Soon the show started and I was joined at my table by PJ from Brown Eyez Magazine (http://www.browneyezmag.com) and one of her associates. PJ like me had also seen Nadir perform at the 2007 Soul-Patrol Convention in Philadelphia and wanted to see him do a full set in New York.
Once the show started, I could see that indeed Rhythm Republik wasn't going to be an issue. And in my opinion, Rhythm Republik did a good job. You see, I know Nadir's songs like perhaps nobody else does (see I'm a real fan…..lol). I know the words and the beats by heart, that's because he is an artist in the truest sense of that word, with topical lyrics that are right on time for 2008.
Don't belive me, check the set list for the show…
Good To Your Earhole
Tighten Up
Daddy's Cane
The Low Road
Life In The Fast Lane
Slave
Guantanamo
Is That What You Wanted?
Queen of Sheba
Workin 4 Tha Man'
Leave It Alone
As you can see from the titles, some of these songs have lyrics that are intensely political (actually incendiary is a better word.....lol) and are designed to raise the consciousness of the listener and in fact challenge the listener to "do better." And given the nature of the crowd I was a bit concerned, that perhaps they might not be into it.
I couldn't have been more wrong, because I was about to get the surprise of the night...
::::THE SHOWMANSHIP OF NADIR::::::
He had the 96 percent white crowd eating out of his hands, using "1960's Apollo Stage Banter" and easily winning the crowd over during the middle portion of the show…
Starting with the rock 'power ballad" called the LOW ROAD (which also appears on the Soul-Patrol Digital/Virtual Album), it was if Nadir grabbed the crowd by their chairs and brought them closer to him, as if to say "it's ok to have fun". Next up, he made them feel even more comfortable with a FUNKED UP version of the Eagles 1970's classic "LIFE IN THE FAST LANE". This set the stage for the gut wrenching "SLAVE" (which actually transports us back to slavery times) and the SUPER HELLIFIED & EROTIC song called "SANCTIFIED" (during which Nadir almost caused a white woman in the audience to nearly faint...lol). I took a deep breath and smiled, because Rhythm Republik was actually doing a decent job of keeping up with all of this. Then Nadir slowed things down with "GUANTANAMO", a song about the US military instillation in Cuba, currently being used as a prison (torture) camp by the United States government.
Nadir ended his set (after a few stage management issues) in a most entertaining manner with the ULTRA PHUNKY JOINT called "LEAVE IT ALONE". He cleverly demonstrated his showmanship by challenging the audience to recite the lyrics (which are listed at the top of this review and are quite a tongue twister if you try to say them 3 times fast…..lol). This of course left the crowd smiling and well primed to absorb the MONSTER FUNK of the song itself. The show ended to a thunderous applause and I have little doubt that if there had been voting machines placed in the BAM Café, that Nadir could have been elected President, right on the spot!!!
The show ended and I would say that Nadir is primed for a return engagement to bring his very special brand of "EDutainment" back to the Big Apple. http://www.distortedsoul.com
I mean, Nadir is soooo completely out of step with the times...
- He plays FUNK music (and ain't ashamed of it)
- He writes passionate songs about the human condition
- He educates as he entertains
- He's a TV star
- He uses showmanship from the chitlin circuit days to capture and captivate a live audience
- Is talented enough to make up for any issues that might occur during a live show
- He actually knows how to use the internet
- He's got an "interracial" audience
Perhaps the "times" are about to catch up to Nadir...
"If the bump ain't crunk,
if the funk ain't pumpin'
with the thump in the trunk,
then the bump ain't bumpin'!
You just gotta Leave It Alone, Leave It Alone!"
http://www.distortedsoul.com
Album Review: Nadir - "Slave the Remix Tape"
(Funk/Rap/Reggae/Rock/Dance/Soul/Metal/Grunge)
 This is a very unusual album from one of the most innovative, creative and passionate artists on today's music scene. In fact it's not even really an album. It's really a single. Remember the movie "Do The Right Thing" by Spike Lee? Remember the "soundtrack"? It only consisted of one song; Public Enemy - "Fight the Power". One song, true indeed but it was a powerful song, containing a powerful message fully embodied the message that Spike Lee wanted the viewer to take away from the movie. On "Slave the Remix Tape" takes an equally powerful song called "Slave" from his award winning album called "Distorted Soul 2.0" and remixes it in every imaginable musical style except for country and classical just to make certain that no matter what type of music fan you are, or what demographic sector you are in, that you feel comfortable listening to the message of "Slave". It's a song with a message that everyone needs to hear. Make sure that you take the time to listen to it in whatever musical style suits you best and then be sure to pass it along to someone else in the musical style that suits them best.
http://www.distortedsoul.com
Nadir's Upcoming Schedule
(Funk/Rock/Brain Food For the Neo/Organic Soul Generation)
| Upcoming Shows for Nadir |
| 09/02/2008 08:00 AM |
Saint Paul, MN |
Republican National Convention - Nadir Blogging for MTV's Street Team '08 |
|
| 09/03/2008 08:00 AM |
Saint Paul, MN |
Republican National Convention - Nadir Blogging for MTV's Street Team '08 |
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| 09/04/2008 08:00 AM |
Saint Paul, MN |
Republican National Convention - Nadir Blogging for MTV's Street Team '08 |
|
| 09/12/2008 10:30 PM |
Maumee, OH |
Village Idiot |
|
| 09/17/2008 09:00 PM |
Detroit, MI |
The Fillmore Detroit (formerly State Theatre) |
Tickets |
| 09/20/2008 11:00 PM |
New York, NY |
Indimusic.tv |
|
| 09/27/2008 08:00 PM |
Detroit, MI |
Greektown Casino |
|
| 10/08/2008 10:00 PM |
New York, NY |
The National Underground |
|
| 10/10/2008 10:30 PM |
Maumee, OH |
Village Idiot |
|
| 11/14/2008 10:30 PM |
Maumee, OH |
Village Idiot |
|
| 12/12/2008 10:30 PM |
Maumee, OH |
Village Idiot |
If you have a news item, update, review, commentary, etc that you would like to submit to the Soul-Patrol Newsletter, please send them via email for consideration to:
Hopefully you enjoyed this edition of the Soul-Patrol Newsletter.
We will be back soon with the next edition, with email alerts for local events, Soul-Patrol website updates/chat sessions or breaking news in between, as required.
If you have any comments, questions, etc feel free to drop me an email and let me know what's on your mind.
Bob Davis
earthjuice@prodigy.net
Soul-Patrol Email Blast/Sponsorship Oppurtunities:
If you or your organization is has a need to reach Soul-Patrol Newsletter readers (Soul, Funk, Jazz, Blues, Rock n Roll fans) on a worldwide basis, then you may be interested in talking with us about doing a targeted email blast. They are inexpensive and highly effective for announcing a new CD, concerts, website launches, new products, new or existing businesses, etc.
We also have sponsorship oppurtunities available for Soul-Patrol's Website, Soul-Patrol's Daily Interactive Mailing List and the Soul-Patrol's Newsletter.
Contact us for the current rate schedules via email.
Bob Davis - Soul-Patrol
798 Woodlane Rd
Suite 10264
Mount Holly, NJ 08060
609-351-0154
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