Compton, California has given us some great Hip Hop over the years, MC Eiht, NWA and DJ Quik to name a few.  Kendrick Lamar is poised to take his spot among the great story tellers of Compton. I can’t lie, I was not that familiar with his work before his latest album, Good Kid, M.A.A.D City, but I'd heard him on a few mix-tapes and some cameo''s here and there.

With features like Robert Glasper, Wale and Bilal this is a must have for all Chrisette Michele fans. Grab a copy by downloading for free here.

"WIN" is the second single from Choklate''s album Fly which features Phonte of Little Brother and Foreign Exchange. Showing off her Michael Jackson moves, Choklate shines in this uptempo track that is sure to have you grooving.

After doing an incredible job with Mos Def''s "The Panties", Mara Hruby does it again with a cover of Al Green''s "Simply Beautiful". Doing an Al Green song isn''t always easy but Ms. Hruby delivers simply with her voice and a guitar backing.

Allen Stone can sing. And how. He is self admittedly an awkward dancer and he may never win a beauty pageant but no one will ever say that the man can’t sing. Saturday night, a 65 degree November evening in Columbus Ohio and a ‘sold out’ show made for a positive mixture for my first date with this man and his sweet soul music. Fiercely style proud as a hippie grunge guy, complete with the scruffy long hair, signature floppy hat, an ‘almost’ Canadian tuxedo (he opted for rusty colored corduroy pants) and giant hip Grandpa spectacles, this Washington state native proved to a relatively small crowd that you should never judge a book by its cover. He’s left me wanting more.

Make sure you check out Choklate on Saturday, December 15th at The Troubador Night Club in Columbus, OH. Her new album Fly, which has features from Musiq and Phonte is available now on Amazon.

Check out the single "Wide Open"

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It was brisk fall night in Columbus Ohio when I embarked on my journey to see the renowned Robert Glasper Experiment.  The show was taking place at the famed Lincoln Theater in what’s known as the King Lincoln district. The Egyptian themed theater which has been beautifully restored and filled with hand painted walls and ornate design work was a fitting venue for such a warm soul filled performance. Before his critically acclaimed album "Black Radio" I was largely unaware of Robert Glasper.  I got the album based on the recommendation of a friend, to whom I now am extremely grateful, and quickly began to research this musician, arranger and producer. I quickly found that his music credits are many and varied.  In short the versatility of Glasper as an artist and creative musical mind is quite impressive. I would equate him as a cross somewhere between J Dilla and Herbie Hancock.

Floetry Re:Birth is the first new Floetry album in six years and a follow up to The Floacist’s 2010 recording Floetic Soul. With features from Raheem DeVaughn, and South African singer Thandiswa, from the popular and celebrated South African unit Bongo Maffin, this album recreates the smooth sensual soul and poetic justice fans enjoyed on the first Floetry album.

Floetry Re:Birth will be available on itunes and Amazon on November 13th, 2012.

Sahn-Tee-Gold. Be sure to say the name right. The third time was the charm for this Midwestern born artist to make it to the Newport and show Columbus Ohio what she was all about. Sometimes compared with the artist M.I.A., her deliberately genreless musical style includes hints of 80’s pop, African music, reggae, and steady electronic hip hop beats, resulting in a delicious sound that makes people want to boogie. 

"Male Ego" is available on his latest album, Mister Nice Guy which is available on iTunes, Amazon and in stores.