Listen Now

The host of "The Black Out" interviews Brother Atum Ra of Melanated & Illuminated Media. Brother Ra discusses the importance of Black media telling our narratives and him owning a Black owned media company. He provides details on "The BLA" and their efforts to support Black owned businesses and he promotes the Black Food Truck Festival at The Shrine of The Black Madonna in Houston, Texas. We also review this weeks cultural topics surrounding Dak Prescott and his statement on protesting the NFL & the stand your ground law affecting Black citizens.

In this episode we speak with the Hue and go behind the lyrics of their music. The Hue’s sound is a fusion of Hip Hop, Jazz and Spacey Electro-Soul. Their mission is to explore the creation of music with no boundaries and often refer to their sound as ‘Future Soul’ and ‘Space Hop’.   Band Members EQuality, Savvi, & Alycia Miles aka Trill Queen

For those who don’t know, Arrested Development is an American hip hop from the 90s coming out of Atlanta. Founded by Speech and Headliner, the group wanted to create positive, Afrocentric music that contrasted the gangsta rap music that was popular at the time.   Arrested Development was formed in 1988 by rapper and producer Todd Thomas ("Speech") and turntablist Timothy Barnwell ("Headliner"). The group's debut album, 3 Years, 5 Months and 2 Days in the Life Of..., saw huge recognition from critics. The group won two Grammy Awards in 1993 for Best New Artist and Best Rap Performance by a Duo or Group, and were also named Band of the Year by Rolling Stone magazine. The debut album sold over 6 million copies worldwide and greatly influenced acts such as The Black Eyed Peas and The Fugees.   The members of Arrested Development The group has always been a big family of members. Present members are: Speech (the main vocalist), 1 Love (vocalist) , Tasha LaRae (vocalist) , Fareedah (dancer), and JJ Boogie (guitar).   Past members include: Headliner, Baba Oje, Aerle Taree, Rasa Don, DJ Kemit, Nadirah Shakoor, Nicha Hilliard, Kennedy, TallBoy & Ajile.

Tune into The BlackOut at 1:30 PM CST on Afrovibes Radio Houston and learn more about coder Donovan Tyrone Bridgeforth and his app The BLK App which connects the Black community including; Black business, radio, television, nation wide events & social media. Check out today's daily Black history sourced from Black Facts Online & we discuss the "stand your ground law". Be sure to download the AfroVibes Radio & The BLK APP via the Apple or GooglePlay store 

The Founder of Black Lives Matter Houston Ashton P. Woods joins "The Black Out" with Teque'lia Lewis to discuss civil rights, police brutality, sustaining the Black community, the gay/straight alliance, The American Humanist Organization and his new blog and website to be used as a voice for the Black community. 

Starting her career at 25 years old, India Arie was labeled a neo-soul singer who had the ability to sing, write and play the guitar. She released her debut album Acoustic Soul on March 27, 2001. The album was met with positive reviews and commercial success. It debuted at number 10 on the U.S. Billboard 200.   Top 7 Playlist: Video Private Party There’s Hope Wings of Forgiveness The Truth Brown Skin - Tracie’s Pick Little things - Stephanie’s Pick While My Guitar Gently Weeps - G.G’s Pick Just do you Chocolate High I Am Not My Hair - Devonte’s Pick Enjoy!!  

In this episode the group shares some classic tracks from Phyllis Hyman and discuss the effects of mental conflicts and personal struggles within her music. 

Authors Central Station is a virtual train station where authors come to discuss their books and experts come to share tips and tricks for the book marketing trade. Host Sharon C. Jenkins is bringing her years of experience coaching, publishing, marketing, and book project managing and sharing a marketing master plan that will help authors sell more books by increasing their visibility and solidifying their brand as an expert and master storyteller in the industry. Earlier this year, she made it her goal to help authors answer the #1 question in their repertoire of problems, “How do I market my book?”  She made two very distinct moves, started a Facebook Live movement to help authors, and launched Authors Central Station, a podcast on http://www.afrovibesradio.com/. Weekly she will share her humorous interviewing exploits with her podcasting audience. According to Sharon, “Authors are the love of my life, and I love them and there ain’t nothing they can do about it!” The Master Communicator's inaugural guest on the Author Central Station podcast is Houston, Texas native Bobbi G, an Essence Award-winning (hopeful) and New York Times Bestselling author (probably one day) of En Fuego. Seriously, it's a good read. Read it.  While she is a rookie in the game, she packs a lot of power in her page-turning, plot twisting, I-didn't-see-that-coming way of storytelling. She takes you in a dark world, drifting through dialogue with light humor. Writing is the first love of her life - right after God and tacos, and she hopes you enjoy her narratives as much as she.  

Last week we discussed Fela Ransome-Kuti and his impact on music and culture. It was a privilege to dive into his history and play some of his classics. For this week though, we wanted to talk about a classic artist from the American side of the African family. She was an artist whos' voice had a haunting quilever and her ability on the piano was that of a classic pianist. Her life was full of disappointment, rejection, underappreciation, and devaluing. With all that, she still managed to stay inspired and pursue her career. There’s not doubt that Nina Simone is a legend in American music.

Real Estate Investor and Stock Broker, Brother Darrell Muhammad visits "The Black Out" to educate our listeners on Black Wealth Empowerment. He also discusses the positive impact of joining the Nation of Islam, Educating our listeners on acquiring and maintaining Black Generational Wealth, and promotes his his Facebook live financial motivation stream "The Money Game" and audio program "19 Secrets" based on Black Wealth Empowerment conference call series. 

There are many artists throughout history that have created an impact on our lives. Some artists achieve this though their music. They inspire generations either with their playing ability, their vocal talent, or through their writing ability. Others contribute socially. They lead revolutions and push social reform forward. For today’s episode, we will discuss Fela Ransome-Kuti, an artist that has contributed in both areas. This podcast contains part 2 of the Fela Kuti episode. It’s important for you to know this man’s music. We encourage you to visit the Lyrical Reviews page on Afrovibesradio.com to listen to the whole episode (part 1 and 2) that includes some of his music from 1973-1985.    Site Page: http://www.afrovibesradio.com/lyrical-reviews  

Memorial Day (or Decoration Day) is a federal holiday in the United States for remembering the people who died while serving in the country's armed forces. Here, the military and the armed forces are heavily tied to patriotism. Why is that? Is this by accident? The key is in the nation’s national anthem. In this episode we discuss the history of the Star Spangled Banner, the best performers of the poem, and whether or not it's still relevant today.

After Graduation, we start to notice a transformation in Kanye both musically and socially. Rising from the ashes of "old Kanye" is the renewed final form of Kanye: Pablo. In this episode, we discuss this transformation and the messaging of his work as he experiments with different genres. Enjoy!! Albums discussed: 1.) 808s & Heartbreak  2.) My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy Dark  3.) Watch the Throne  4.) Yeezus  5.) The Life of Pablo     

Wake up Mr. West!!! Hate him or Love him, Kanye West is one of hip-hop's most talked about legends. With the recent news outburst we all experienced from Kanye during the TMZ interview, it's important to remember who Kanye is and where he comes from. In this three part series, the Lyrical Review team will dive into the history and discography of Mr. West. In Part 1: The Rise and Fall of Kanye West we cover his first major albums with Roc-A-Fella Records: College Dropout, Late Registration and Graduation.     

In the last two weeks we have taken a deep look into the careers of Anita Baker and Sade. Both are well respected as queens of soulful music that inspires, makes us cry, and gives us strength. Now it's time to put these two head to head. Which artist is better musically? Which has the bigger cultural impact? Find in this episode!! Enjoy!!

Last week we discussed the beginning of Anita Baker's career in "The Battle of Soul Music." Now, it's Sade's turn to enter the ring. Sade is the definition of style, grace and sophistication. Her smooth voice, emotional lyrics, and amazing band all contribute to her world wide success. In this episode we discuss the start of Sade's career and breakdown some of the classic tracks from "Diamond Life" and "Promise." Enjoy!

Love is an universal emotion that we all struggle with, painfully endure, as well as enjoy at different points in our lives. Both Anita Baker and Sade took the R&B world by storm in the 8o's and 90's. They created timeless pieces that we go back to whenever we hit certain moments. Each has brought their own flavor to the game with their infectious lyrics and arrangments. In this four part series we discuss the impact of Anita and Sade and compare their styles. This episode covers the beginning of the quiet storm that is Anita Baker. Enjoy!

The 90's produced some of the best R&B groups.  Jodeci, Dru Hill, Boyz II Men, H-Town, just to name a few. In this episode we're going to talk about the power of the “Yeah" in a song. The “Yeah” is when the singer says yeah in such a way that moves the listener into another dimension. They have become the legendary signature of songs. It either brings you to your knees or gets you out of your seat. Devonte and Stephanie engage in an all out debate on whether Jodeci or Sisqo had the best “Yeah”. Who will win?! Tell us what you think, or better yet tell us your own songs that make you say Yeah!

Now we all know about baby makers. They are the classic songs that brought you into this world via two horny people and a record player. Hush, don't ask how we thought of this typic. Just lay back and relax. Though Guy's "Piece of My Love" is a classic, today we're taking a walk down memory lane and talking about Marvin Gaye and how he immortalized his sex game on record. From his 1976 album I Want You, this little ditty is appropriately titled "Feel All My Love Inside".  Marvin takes us on a romp through one of his sexcapades.  At this time of his life he was dating a 19 year old named Janis Hunter and this is before viagra so I guess she kept him on his toes sexually.  With lyrics like "I'll be stroking you in and out, up and down, all around" you wonder how he had time to get an album done...wait...our spectuations think that he brought his inspiration to the studio....literally... Give it a listen and tell us what you think! This is the Lyrical Review!

Whether you are a fan of Hip Hop from the 90's or just a fan of the music of today, we realize that what we listen to effects our lives on a daily bases. Music moves us in ways other media platforms can't. In this episode we spoke with Grandfathercloc, host of Quantum Leap Radio on KPFT 90.1. We talked about different artists, touched on signature albums from Kendrick Lamar, as well as dived into a heat debate on whether lyrics in songs matter or not. You can listen to Grandfathercloc's radio show on Saturdays between 4pm-6pm on KPFT 90.1, as well as on mixcloud.