OAKLAND, CA. (www.truevibesrecords.com) - Renowned San Francisco Bay Area poet Paradise Freejahlove's new CD Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry (pronounced jazz-funk-hip-hop-a-tree) introduces a new hybrid of
Spoken Word/Rap. To launch this "brand new sound" he calls Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry, Paradise teams up with musician/composer/producer Bill Jackson, to create seven electrified spoken word pieces woven intriguingly through dramatic Jazz/Funk/Hip Hop arrangements that float and punctuate his rich, deep vocals and thought provoking lyrics. To listen and order Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry, you can go to www.trueviberecords.com
Reminiscent of the best of Gil-Scott Heron and the Last Poets, the opener , How to Be a Black Man in America, sets the stage for the conscious-raising spoken words delivered by Paradise and his crew of talented guest rappers over tight, muscular funk beats- getting quickly to the point that "A king wears his bling on the inside!" The relentlessly funky Keepers of the Flame pays homage to African American cultural heroes. Coca Venus, an infectious, flirty Latin groove, presents cajoling rhymes celebrating the sultry charms of women of color. The slinky ode to womanhood, It's Okay To Be A Black Girl, acknowledges the natural beauty and "keeping it real" qualities of African American culture.
A well-known Bay Area author, prolific poet laureate and performance artist, Paradise has performed his signature poem "I Love Everything About You, But You" on BET; performed his one-man show "Shock The World: Malcolm Martin Muhammad Ali" at the AfroSolo in San Francisco and the Cinnabar Hip Hop Theater Festival in Petaluma, a culturally rich community in northern California, and played a lead role in an urban adaptation of Shakespeare's Macbeth "Mac: A Gangsta Tale" . He has been an active proponent of the Slam Poetry performance art movement and is credited with organizing the Bay Area Black Poetry Movement and Slam/Poetry Workshops in Orlando, Florida, Reno Nevada, 2004 and 2005. He is also a former member of the 2001 Berkeley Slam Team.
Slam poetry as a competition style contest became popular in the late 80s in the Chicago area. This cultural phenomenon has grown into national and international popularity, drawing crowds in the hundreds and Paradise Freejahlove is one of the strongest and most talented voices on the slam poetry landscape today.
Paradise Presents Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry has a striking energetic presence. This CD is a mesmerizing mix of socially positive, poetic words, percussion rhythms and Jazz/Funk/Hip Hop arrangements-collectively proving the intoxicating power of wordplay set to music. Taking the words "from the page to the stage, " Paradise Freejahlove's Jazz-Funk-Hip-HoPoetry delivers a one-two punch -powerful, poetic messages that make you think and straight funky percussive beats that make you want to dance! The new release is available at major stores and will be a "must have" for the urban music lover.
