Hey There Beautiful People!!

Rahbi: A man of epic proportions
"R&B impresario crooner Rahbi unleashes an arsenal that speaks volumes with the 2008 funk savvy “Raw.”
By Marcus Scott
Rahbi is on his way to do big things. After a stint with Laface Records as one fourth of R&B’s unreleased 4th Avenue at age 14, this indigenous Atlanta local later found success touring with the likes of music favorites Floetry, Erykah Badu, India.Arie, and teen sensations Marques Houston and Pretty Ricky. Fugees’ legend Lauryn Hill even beckoned an appearance for a clandestine New York City jam session in 2005. But what is it about this guy? What makes him so special?
Honestly, Rabhi is poles apart from any artist out there. He lacks the diva of say artists like Beyoncé Knowles and Rihanna, the teenybopper quirkiness of say Chris Brown or the commercial appeal of say the Auto-Tune fueled T Pain. He’s uncanny in his delivery. He’s mystique in music persona. That’s probably why he’ll never have a star on the boulevard of Hollywood’s walk of fame. No one likes the avant-garde: On first listen, he could possibly be described as the love child of Madame Satã and Freddie Mercury and on another; he sounds like Andre 3000 on Gwen Stefani acid trip. With his relaxed, soulful vibrato and his flamboyant coos, this R&B crooner brings something to his record: substance.
Dripping with a souped up a synth anthem funk rock resonance, nu soul connoisseur Rahbi unleashes a sound that’s part drag ball, part after-hour rave bash in the flamboyant tour de force “Raw;” a gospel groovy pop-rocker that vocalizes a guy unwavering in his decisions to live life to the fullest. “Raw” encompasses a rather difficult style in pop music. For starters, Rahbi talks about everything from mass conformity to the romantics.
Rahbi creates an element that recalls a young Rick James, Cameo and Prince in this 24 hour party starter, kicking off the festivities with an introduction by the record’s emcee Clementine, recalling a night out at a cabaret. “He’s here,” featuring Madam CJ, introduces the music glamazon himself and warns listeners that they are in for the experience of a lifetime. Just after the introductions, Rahbi turns up the volume with “Bittersweet Sweet Dreams,” a re-visioning of the heavily-recycled 80s Eurhythmics’ classic “Sweet Dreams.” With this song, Ranbi talks about the relationship between record companies and artists, and creativity or the lack there of in popular music. Rahbi does Lennox proud in his attempt at songwriting, addressing the issue on rather one should blame the record label or the consumer for the current enlightening zeitgeist in today’s music scene with lyrics like: “Turn on the TV/ What do I see? / Not one trace of creativity” and “Who is to blame consumers or the record stores/ if someone can’t cook should we really ask for more?”
The album is rich, however, its not until its seventh track—“Edge of my life”—that the album finds a happy medium. Arguably the best track on the record, it enters with a familiar synth jive and is complemented with Rahbi’s jazz-lounge tenor, the song swings into full force into a 80s-style R&B high voltage hook. Its addictive Wahoo loops is something any artists of Rahbi’s caliber would kill for: Backed with operatic falsetto balladry between singer and back up a la Prince, Rabhi shines light that he is good music arranger.
However, the album has some dead spots. Tracks like “Never hurt you,” “Brothas and Sistas,” “Superstar,” and “Giving up,” are great songs but with such a high voltage album, the songs become mere fillers, thriving on a slow steady funk-soul binge. “Giving up,” a highlight on the record for example, is a song rooted in northern soul, complemented by a quiet lounge style that showcases Rahbi’s high-octane belting ability. The song would be excellent if the song was on a quiet, smooth jazz or soul recording, however, Rahbi makes an ill decision on including the song.
The album closes on a sexy romp. “Take you 2 a dream,” with its quiet synth tinkering acoustics gives us Prince’s best Sign ‘O’ Times impersonation yet! Its short duet with Lady J is something to make babies to with her Lady J’s soft mezzo soprano and Rahbi’s now-gruff tenor.
The record is a great mess of songs over all. The 80 Rick James mash-up “Another chance/Give it to me baby,” the hidden track of “Darling Nikki” (no doubt, from Prince’s landmark 1984 “Purple Rain” album) and the album’s concert feel show that Rahbi is on the rise to be a critical success to those of contemporary radio upstarts. With more experience, Rahbi is sure to warp the minds with his sure-fire creativity; however, there are some things he must endure. Rahbi relies too much on heavily-recycled 70s/80s inspired instrumental favorites, and while “Raw” is high energy is some spots, viewers may sum the record up as merely copying old school personalities. To add to the mixture, Rahbi is bigger than the record, showing much promise, but relies heavily on a neo-variation of scat-singing, melismatic hiccups and coos, and doesn’t go there: he holds back several times it seems, showcasing his talents, but not putting his heart soul into the songs he sings. The album is also inconsistent and therefore, finds itself in an identity crisis; it like Rahbi can’t decide if it’s an attempt at gospel jukebox or a funk-rock concert reincarnation.
Irregardless, Rahbi is a rock star. This is not the last we’ve heard of him. He’s too big to be cast in to the puddle of mediocrity seen in past pop-rockers.

See the edited and published version @ http://blog.nu-soulmag.com/?p=208

Tune in, Tune Out (Obvious Magazine: Premier Issue)

Tune In:

Is Television Your Child's New At-home Parent?

By Marcus Scott

On average, every day tens of thousands of parents leave children home alone in an empty house to run errands, work, or attend social functions. According to the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry, an estimated 40 percent-plus children are left at home at some point in their lives. In a 1944 NBC documentary during the Second World War, the term “Latchkey Kid” orginated, referring to the house or apartment key around a child’s neck. When the war began, thousands of men enlisted into the army, as women found jobs to support their families, which initated newfound feminism in the wake industrialism. Since then, the number of kids left alone have nearly tripled. In fact, the State Department of Education estimated that some 600,000 to 800,000 children in California alone have been harmonized into the latchkey kid label.

In a 2002 United States Census survey, 5.8 million (15 percent) of most children between ages five and 14 years old living with a single-parent mother, care for themselves an average of 6.3 hours per week. Sixty-five percent of these children spend 2 to 9 hours at home alone.

Since its early beginnings as a system able to broadcast, transmit and receive shortwave 48-line images by the use of cathode ray tubes in 1928 to its first demostrations of eclectronic color, TV has become a different animal than it was half a century ago.Today, this simple box set is a pop culture messiah, with just as much influence as some of the oldest religions like that of Islam, Christianity and Judism.

When kids are left alone at home without supervision, all they have to come home to is a television. Odds are they are most likely to neglect homework and reading, and go to the magical box set to play video games, watch music videos and cable or satellite. While some may argue that there is nothing wrong with televison, the American Academy of Child & Adolescent Psychiatry sites children in the US are estimated to watch 3 to 4 hours of television every day, having spent more time viewing TV than they have been in the classroom.

While TV doesn’t pose a threat to some, it may have superpowers that may pose a threat to some children in the most opprobrious ways. Some critics have suggested that television has profound effects on alpha waves, but the waves are dimmished by drowsiness, sleep and with open eyes. Thought to represent activity of the visual cortex in a fainéant state, alpha waves are a type of brain wave predominantly found to originate from the occipital lobe during periods of waking relaxation when the eyes are closed. During this time people, especially kids, are induced in a trance-like state and therefore become “zombies.” This may be the key to television addiction.

The compulsion to watch television or television addiction has been studied over the years to which some arguments are accepted, while others are fait accompli. However, it’s a fact, kids are impressionable, and thus, can become co-dependents to the ideas reinforced by television. In the latest string of crimes committed by children left in homes alone with their siblings, some suggest that the extensive viewing of violence on television causes severe aggressiveness. Sometimes, the crimes are committed by viewing a single episode.

Parents can help their kids but it requires much attention to what their kids purchase, download, what’s popular on television and of course, their listening and viewing patterns. Be active. Some television is not appropreciate for children, with some shows and film that even glamorize the abuse of drugs, violence and alcohol or advocate fornication and sex that focuses on control (BDSM, incest, devaluing women, rape, etc.). The outcome leaves children anesthetized to violence and to gradually accept it a solution to solve problems, or become copycats of what they view; it’s like being propagandized.

Leaving children home alone with a television, often because of the cost of child care, is not the best alternative. Setting small and simple ground rules may lower risk of future dangers and may even increase your children’s attention to their studies.

Here are 5 tips to help you and your children, even with a busy schedule:

• Its okay to view what your kids are watching. This is a good way to find out what’s in and what’s out and to select developmentally appropriate shows.
• Set limits on the amount of time your kids watch TV and the amount they spent with it. This is an excellent way to offset a reduction in your child’s studies.
• Turn off the TV during family meals. If the game is on, and you’re worried about missing a moment, consider TiVo.
• Refuse to let young children view violent or offensive material, and point out fact and fiction. If a character is hurt or killed, help your child come to the understanding that in real life, this type of violence ends in injury or death.
• Disapprove of the violent material and stress that the acts seen on the silver screen are not how to resolve a problem.

Go to this website to get the full story: http://www.obviousmag.com/covers-and-lead-stories/2008/8/10/tune-in.html

Wining Tips: (Obvious Magazine: Premier Issue)

Stop Wining:
Wining and Dining on any budget

By Marcus Scott

Everyone wants the finer things in life; however, those “finer things” can burn potholes into one’s pockets. In every magazine imaginable—from lad magazines to women’s health quarterly—note quirky and exemplary methods to achieve the finer things but, let’s face it, saving a dollar a day isn’t the go-to technique it used to be. Also, there are times that one does not want to stay confined inside one’s home, and would rather leave a tip at the table than prepare and cook a meal.

While it is more cost-effective to prepare meals within the contours of our homes, preparing meals day-after-day could be tedious and mind-numbing event, and it is healthy eating out to fall out of this routine. But be careful, a play date here, a happy hour there, and by the end of the week, our spending could easily be equivalent to a trip at the mall. If one were to track spending habits and develop an inventive and resourceful budget plan, those “finer things” will be provided in excess. Here’s some tips on how you do it:

1. Rule of thumb: Skip the beverage. The taste of soda pop is tempting, but a beverage is a fifth of the cost a meal. Water is healthy, free, and you’ve saved a trip to the gym.



2. Breakfast, lunch or brunch are always the best choice because they are cheaper than dinner. The time of the day always matters, and lunch is on the menu usually until 4 p.m. While the lunch meals are smaller in proportion, they cost cheaper.



3. Vegetarian foods are less-expensive than meals that contain meat. If you can’t live without poultry or red meat, there’s always dinner.



4. Sharing is caring. It’s a great investment. First, call before arrival and find out the restaurant’s policy on dish-sharing. If there are restrictions, order an entrée. Some restaurants offer large and small option. Get a large, make a request for two plates, and if there’s a small child, share your meal or order a side dish.



5. Collect coupons or purchase an entertainment book. It’s a great alternative to finding new places and restaurants featured in these books offer coupons as a means to attract new costumers. Sometimes the coupons only save you a few dollars, some times, it’s half off. The other half could be used for another night.



6. If you’re trying to keep your figure, looking lose weight or are a light consumer of foods, simply order off the kids menu.



7. An appetizer can be just as fulfilling a dinner. Sales pitch: It’s cheaper, you can split the cost, and it would still be cheaper than a dinner.



8. Carry-out is definitely beneficial. Alone, you’ve been spared having to pay the waiter/server the required 15 percent tip.



9. Skip desert. Why? Odds are that one could buy something sweet elsewhere for a much cheaper price.



10. Always ask about the specials because chefs sometimes offer bargaining prices.



11. Lastly, pick one night of the 7-day week to wine and dine. You can probably use this money to plan a long-overdue vacation.

Don’t believe me? See for yourself, take these 11 little tips and budget for the month. Your pockets will literally mend the holes themselves!

To see the articles' full edit go to: http://www.obviousmag.com/featured-stories/2008/8/12/stop-wining.html