A half-dozen cool things in music, from two points of view:
Henry Lake, WCCO Radio host:
1 Verzuz webcast. This pandemic-launched concert series of hip-hop and R&B really took me back to my youth with so much good music and so many legendary artists being showcased. With no in-person concerts for the most part, I've been a regular Verzuz viewer. My favorite performers have been Jadakiss and Babyface.
2 Aaliyah's music is available on iTunes. For far too long, the music of the iconic R&B singer, who departed us tragically in a plane crash on Aug. 25, 2001, was not getting the appreciation that it deserves. Her songs were not available on streaming platforms because of disagreements with her estate. Now we all can rock out to our favorite Aaliyah tracks.
3 Kanye West and Drake come together. I'm not the biggest fan of Drake, and for quite some time I distanced myself from Kanye because of his antics. But too many times we hear about beefs in rap music, with individuals promoting violence in their disputes. These two legendary artists put their differences aside with help from business mogul J Prince. They performed together at a December benefit concert and claim the beef is over.
Jon Bream, Star Tribune critic:
1 Jamecia Bennett, the Dakota. Usually seen on playhouse stages or with the Sounds of Blackness, she headlined in a club, demonstrating that she is one of the Twin Cities' essential voices. Whether doing jazz, rock, funk or blues, the always sparkly Bennett crushed it. Highlight: Sister Rosetta Tharpe's "How Far From God."
2 Aretha Franklin channel on Sirius XM. For Black History Month, her channel has returned. What a treat to hear the Queen of Soul's glorious voice on so many hits and deep tracks, especially blues, jazz and gospel.
