ThinkSoul25
R&B
R&B Throwbacks | A Few of My Favorite Music Videos From The 90s -Early 00s
As of late, I’ve been spending a lot of time in the 90s. What I mean is that I’ve been playing Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas almost every single day for hours on my Macbook. Hey, for $15 from the App store, it plays pretty good, and now it’s available on PSN for the same amount. Hands down, GTA:San Andreas is one of the best games ever because not only does it capture Southern California in the 90s, but it has a bangin’ soundtrack filled with classics, including timeless 90s R&B hits.
Whenever I’m in a lovey dovey mood or glittering romance, I find myself listening to R&B a lot. But as of now I’m single and new to LA and the whole dating scene (interesting so far…) So I haven’t been blasting a lot of my favorite throwbacks, but that doesn’t mean I still don’t love them.
So in the spirit of 90s being awesome and some of the hits from the early 00s, here are a few of my favorite music videos. I say music videos, because not only are the songs awesome, but the videos are creative and oh so 90s! Ah, the fashion, the hairstyles, and the entire swag is so oldschool, but I love it!
New Edition – Can You Stand the Rain
Love it, love it, love it! Such an eloquent song with a beautiful video to match.
LSG – My Body
Choreography is on point!
Bobby Brown – Don’t Be Cruel
Aaron Hall – Don’t Be Afraid
7:55 runtime, but don’t you just love the dancing?! Oh and how about that getup Aaron is wearing? LOL. Dudes should totally rock outfits to the club like that. 90s…
H-Town – Knockin The Boots
I never get tired of this song. H-Town was amazing!
Silk – Meeting In My Bedroom
Sex, sex, and more sex. This video just oozes sex appeal and the choreography and the rain drops are so tantalizing!
Ralph Tresvant – Sensitivity
This song is awesome! Oh but let’s talk about this video. My boy Ralph is doing so much! The dancing, the outfit, the button down shirt, the all white, and the random shots of the girl; this video screams 90s! And how about that random rap break down? LOL… And you know what? I’m not even hatin’, I’m all for it. 
SWV – I’m So Into You
SWV…need I say more? Fabulous!
Jodeci – Cry For You
I love Jodeci! I especially love when Martin spoofs them, but nah in all seriousness, Jodeci is one of the best male R&B groups to ever walk the planet!
Soul For Real – Candy Rain
These are just a few of the videos I love. I have so many more that I will be posting!
R&B Pick | John West – ‘Nobody’ [Official Music Video]
As one commenter on Youtube said, “Trey Songz and Robin Thicke had a baby!?” Haha, a little extreme, but I see what they mean. Newcomer, John West, surely has that Robin Thicke/Trey Songz vibe.
John West, an R&B singer signed to Def Jam/Island Records, has made a lot of noise with his single “Nobody.” The song is subtle yet powerful, which is always a great combination. In the song he simply expresses how much how nobody else can love him the way his girl does. So simple, yet his voice is quite sexy.
I’m def going to have to keep my eye on John West. This R&B hottie is surely worth adding to your music radar.
©Jasmine McGee.ThinkSoul25. http://thinksoul25.com
Olu: A Soulful Voice You Should Know
I miss those summer days watching VH1 soul and discovering a world full of neo-soul, R&B, and soul artists that I had never heard of. One day during this past summer, I woke up and realized VH1 soul was gone! I freaked out and was so disappointed. I’m not sure if they stopped programming only in Denver Comcast region, but it was a bummer. I do enjoy watching Centric, who shows Soul Sessions, but I miss all the other shows like Soul Story, Soul Squared, and especially Sub Soul.
Sub Soul is where I first heard the lovely and enticing voice of Olu. Sub Soul would always show underground soul artists and one episode they showed this video. The song "Baby Can’t Leave it Alone" came off Olu’s first album Soul Catcher, which came out in 99′. The song tells the story of a young woman, faced with many inflictions and he is hoping that she will wake up one day and realize her worth. I plan on buying his album next Friday and his latest album as well "Evermore".
This Harlem native, who has played the piano since the age of 2 and sung with the Boys
Choir of Harlem, has an infectious voice that will move your soul. Here is one of my favorite male soul singers and it’s such a sad commentary that he isn’t well known in the mainstream. His lyrics are powerful and leave you hanging off each syllable. His beautiful lyricism has become one of the reasons why he is one of my favorite soul singers and I hope to hear more of his music in the near future. Check out his website and hopefully you will become a fan also. Prepare to have your soul caressed…..
Baby Can’t Leave it Alone
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wG8oMmTjiyI
Evermore
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yeMW1JsXA3U&NR=1
My World
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BR1Zc3zUv_I
Beautiful Place
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lszFCT0bm2Q
©Jasmine McGee
ThinkSoul25
3 Strikes: Your Officially Undateable!
Today is just another ordinary Saturday. Stayed up till 4am, watching movies and having some deep conversation with my mom as usual. I plan on filming some new ThinkSoul 25 episodes later on this evening, have quite a few things I’d rather talk about than write on here. I’ve gotten some good feedback from some friends, saying it’s nice to see my personality on camera and my quirky antics. As usual, I aim to please…well actually I’m just being myself and yet it ends up working most of the time. Whatever the case may be, I plan on talking about my new campaign for 2011 and also why it’s beneficial to be a culturally diverse person.
But today, I wanted to get some things off my chest, head, heart, and freshly painted red nails. Yeah, this topic is pumping throughout my entire body and I need to speak on it. I’ve met a few guys in the past couple months, who were charming and funny…but on another cultural wavelength. Now, I know that everyone has different things in life that they vibe off of, but I couldn’t be with a man that had a vibe entirely opposite of mine.
Nothing Wrong With A little Swirl
I’ve dated guys who hated house music, didn’t like my taste in art and movies, and some that didn’t even believe in God (not
doing that again…), but there are three things that recently been getting on my nerves. Since I’ve been out in Colorado, I’ve opened up my horizons and have dated outside my race. I don’t have a problem with interracial dating at all, if I see a black guy with a white girl it doesn’t bother me. People are able to make their own choices in life…he chose to date her or fall in love with her, and I choose to mainly date black men. Nothing wrong with it. It only becomes an issue for me when your dating someone because of a stereotype, which pisses me off.
I’ve met guys that I have genuinely liked that have been off Latin Descent, White, Native American, Middle Eastern, and other mixed races. I love all kind of men, even though what attracts me though most is a black man, especially with sexy full lips and a nice mocha complexion. The thing I find annoying is when I ask these guys why they like me, or sometimes they just happen to volunteer the information, and the answers have been deal breakers.
I’m Not Your Effin Experiment!
A lot of men outside my race have straight up told me, they have never dated a black girl and they wanted to try something new. I’m not some effin science experiment! You should like a person for the individual and not base it off a stereotype. For instance, not all black girls have big butts and not all black men have huge penises (not going to talk more on that one….lol )My point is, you shouldn’t date someone because of a stereotype. I was talking to this one Mexican/native American guy and he said " See, thats why I need a black woman. You guys have big titties, huge asses, and you guys are bitches." You should have seen my face after that idiot said that, like WTF? I went off, but in an intellectual and classy way. I was able to tell him off without getting all loud and "bitchy" like he would have expected. The nerve of him! I may be a lot of things, but I’m not a bitch and nor do I refer to my female friends as that. I’m typically a happy outgoing person, unless you do something really foul, then that other vicious side of my personality will come out…but that’s rare.
The Turn offs…well things that just don’t work
Stereotyping really turns me off. Okay, so what if I have a "black woman’s body"….keep it to yourself! 
Don’t be like, see that’s why I love all black women…you guys are thick! Long story short, I don’t talk to him anymore, along with a couple of other guy’s who said all black women were bitches and that’s why they wanted to date one. Ugh, ignorant men!
Aside from the stereotyping, there are a few other things I just can’t deal with. I’m not a picky woman when it comes to looks, but certain personalities and interests don’t click with mine. All I ask that a man be taller than me, have nice lips, and at least smile…can’t stand guys that always mean muggin, not a good look. I’m always smiling, with my high cheekbones touching my eyes, I smile for miles!
1.) Cafes, Bookstores, Museums, and come on now…theatre!
There are a few things embedded in my personality I would like to be able to share with a guy. I love going to Barnes and Noble, grabbing a Caramel Machiatto, and strolling through the aisles for hours. When I find a book that is really good, I’ll sit down in the middle of the aisle and read it for an hour or so. I couldn’t date a guy that didn’t enjoy going to cafes and bookstores…it just won’t work. I’m not going to force a guy to spend time with me in a bookstore or to meet me at Starbucks for a date. I spend a lot of time doing those things, especially before going to a play or museum. So a man that hates coffee, bookstores, and think that theatre is "gay" or not "manly"….then I can’t even be more than a friend with him.
2.) Who is Erykah Badu and What is Neo-Soul?
Do I have to even go there on this one? Oh my gosh, I felt as if someone punched me in the face when I heard this last week from this latin guy and a few times from some black men out here in Colorado. I know that may not be as mainstream as Alicia Keyes or Beyonce, but seriously you’ve never ever heard of Erykah Badu? I have over 900 soul songs on my computer, these songs I have in a completely different genres than the 700 R&B songs. When I have to compare myself to someone famous, I don’t use Beyonce or Nicki Minaj, or even Jennifer Hudson. I’m more of a Jill Scott, Erykah Badu, Ledisi, and even a Sade type woman.
I was so frustrated trying to explain neo-soul to him, he just couldn’t grasp the concept and ended the conversation. I blast house music and neo soul when I’m painting or working on my book. My soul lives and breathes for soulful house and neo-soul, that it is a part of my passion in life. I’m not much of a club/party person, I prefer more of the spoken word cafe and jazz environment. I don’t mind a guy that doesn’t know about that kind of environment, as long as he is willing to compromise and learn about it. But, a man that hates that type of environment and music, I couldn’t really see myself being with long term….just not a good fit.
3.) Lil Wayne is the Best Rapper Alive….really?
Man, I don’t even want to go there on this one. Like seriously? I’ve met so many guys that only listen to Lil Wayne, Gucci Mane, Jeezy, stuff like that and nothing else at all. No Jazz, no gospel, no classical, no rock, nothing! Just mainstream sediment and Lil wayne….weezy all day! There are so many other rappers out there that could be in the running for some of the best rappers in the game and out of the mainstream game, but a man that lives, breathes, and worships Lil Wayne’s lyrics…is not going to get a second date with me. If he made it to a 1st date, he must have held that information back until on the date. SMH, I can’t even type anymore…such a disappointing commentary. What kind of man are you, if you feed your head with such trivial lyrics on a daily basis? I mean, yeah I listen to some stuff that isn’t the most positive, but that’s every once in awhile… not
something I do on the regular.
SMH…it’s sad that it’s so hard to find such a cultured man nowadays, that isn’t chasing after a commercial chick or commercial dreams. I don’t expect everyone to be culturally diverse, I do have some close guy friends that are on another social tip. But the man that I want to actually be with and see myself falling in love with, has got to come with a soulful approach to life. This eccentric neo-soul girl, is looking for that soul brotha, and if he happens to like sushi…then it must be a match made in heaven! lol
-Jazei
©Jasmine McGee
ThinkSoul25
Jeremy James’ “Wonderful Woman”: An Ode to Love
Love is one of the most genuine forms of human expression. Love and music…now that is a divine relationship. Earlier today I was on YouTube checking out some new music and I ran across this NYC acoustic/R&B singer, Jeremy James. His music reminds many listeners of melodic voices of The Isley Brothers and Seal. The acoustic version of his song “Wonderful Woman” is truly a beautiful song. Romance and true love still exist, even amongst the men and women who haven’t shown true love, and just been part of the equation that makes a bad relationship.
The song is about finding that woman that is perfect in a man’s eyes. The woman that he wants to spend his life with, the woman who changes his life, the woman who he can’t stop loving….that wonderful woman. Check out the acoustic version and the fully mixed version. I will definitely be adding Mr. Jeremy James to my list of soulful music.
http://jeremyjamesmusic.net/index.html
