AJ Dance Legacy

Carl Craig

The Realest Muthafucka Alive

0030

“Tonight, there are no chairs.

No tables.

This is not that night.

Tonight, is for the dancers.

Hmmm. What’s the music [called]?”

(more…)

ADULT SKATE-MLK EDITION

Starring: KAI ALCE, RON PULLMAN & CULLEN COLE

19.01

No roller skates are rented.

No roller skates are permitted.

No in-line skates are rented.

No roller blades are permitted.

Adult Skate is not a roller rink.

Adult Skate is an annual event where various tribes gather to dance to the hottest disco and house music south of the Mason-Dixon in the wee morning hours of the Dr. Martin Luther King Junior Holiday at MJQ Concourse on perhaps the coldest night of the year thus far. Listed is the top 14 defining moments & music played at Adult Skate-MLK Edition.    

14.  Warming up to the First Lady of Paradise Garage. The late Gwen Guthrie’s “It Should Have Been You” meanders into talking guitars and finger snaps provided by The Steve Silk Hurley Mix of

13.  Yolanda Adam’s prayerful anthem that has arms elevated and voices belting “Open My Heart.”

12.  Next, riding the disco thumper via heart-pounding four counts courtesy, DJ Kemit presents The Lounge Lizards featuring Jill Rock Jones’ “Wake Up & Stand Up” (Kai Alcé KZR Dubstrumental) as the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Junior proclaims “Let Freedom Ring from Stone Mountain of Georgia” from his beloved “I Have A Dream” speech that scorches dancing feet and heats up the party.

11.  Is that Cinthie’s “Everything I Say?”

10.  Hearing the galactic sounds of Sandman & Riverside featuring Jeremy Ellis’ “Into Your Story.” The Kai Alcé Distinctive Remix, enough said.

09.  Boom!!! Detroit Techno steps into the room. Kevin Saunderson presents Inner City’s “Good Life,” causes ears to bleed, not from the content, but the volume that is pitched to screeching decibels. 

08.  Experiencing the jazz ambience of Gregory Porter’s “On My Way To Harlem” (Kai Alcé Interpretation Radio Edit) that closes Kai’s musical selection. 

07.  Watch out! Onstage, don’t get stabbed by the spikes of stilettos from the woman wearing big hair. 

06.  Sharing hearty hugs with familiar faces from yesteryear; the King, the 2-stepper, and the Tambourine Man.   

05.  Ron Pullman taking the decks and surprises playing Tamia’s “Still” (D.F.A Mix). 

04.  Smiling as Mrs. Nightingale with eyes closed mouths every lyric to Shaun Escoffery’s “Space Rider” (Spinna & Ticklah Mix). 

03.  Behold, standing, surrounded in a zombie apocalypse of mouths lipping, “If I lose my woman.” The sight is uncanny. Even Mr. Kai Alcé is entranced, 2 stepping, spinning around and singing on cue to the classic Kenny Lattimore (Masters At Work Remix). 

02.  Experiencing the peak hour rush of being raptured by Peven Everett’s “Burning Hot.” The Timmy Regisford & Adam Rios Mix ignites the room in flames. Sending dancers to the floor and bodies capsizing midair. 

01.  The AS-MLK Edition’s brainchild Cullen Cole getting on the decks and delivering spaced-out sounds.

wrds: aj dance

grphcs: aj art

OSUNLADE

“I NEED ONE LINE. I’M NOT LETTING ANYONE INSIDE UNTIL I SEE ONE LINE FOLKS. Shouts the familiar doorman, who is serious business, his burly body blocking the door’s entrance.  “I NEED TO SEE BARCODES [sic] ON YOUR TICKET TO ENTER.” (more…)

THE BLACK MADONNA and the Heretics

A gold-wrapped condom is iconic on an urban billboard.  To the left, two law-enforcement vehicles anxiously wait at a gas station and to the right, across the street at a bank, waits an APD SUV that immediately, vrooms down the derelict street. Meanwhile, a junkie, crowned with dreads, quivers while crossing a car-lined intersection.                                                   (more…)

Culoe De Song 

23.02.18

“Father, tell me the story of that night. The night of music, dance, and DJ, and all that happened.”

“Dear Love. It all happened in the land way down south. Mouths profess, “Durrrty, Durrrty,” for the land’s great red clay. Let us sojourn to the city. For within the city’s walls is great music, its capability to draw all kinds of worldly sounds into its hub of drums. I will tell you of the night of music, dance, and DJ.”

“It all began one unseasonably warm night. That night marked the final cycle of BPM. Black Peoples’ Month, the celebration of history & herstory. This was a time for not only celebration, but of reflection, of ancestors and their vast contributions and varied gifts to the world. This too was the cycle when the drum sojourned to the city. ATL’s Alley Cat Music digitally posted the message over a network of platforms. House heads, techno heads, and Afro-lovers all gathered at the city’s, “Edge” to inhale the breath of beating drums in a boombox named…” (more…)

FRANÇOIS K

Staying Woke

“Everybody it’s January 28, 2017.”

“Yayyyyy!” A sea of voices yells.

“If you think I’m going to play music that puts you to sleep. I’m not! There is some $hit that is happening out THERE and I want you to WAKE UP!!!,” shouts an accented baritone, drowned by more “whewwwws” and “yaaayyyys.” His voice shakes with concern and rightfully so. His stare fixated on the audience as his finger reaches down and presses play. On cue, knocking percussions beats underneath a Lowrey organ’s chords as Timmy Thomas croons, “Why Can’t We Live Together?” (more…)

After the music comes to an abrupt stop, the sound of metal grinding its teeth on meth explodes into the air. As if nails were scratching a chalkboard, the drums scowl with a nasty drawl. This is grime music, the choice sound of U.K.’s underground edge. Seconds later the grime thrusts straight, four-counts that is, into the arms of acid. All the while, the sight of purple and pink lasers pushes toward the ceiling and pulls to the floor again in erratic shifts. The performance stage’s dynamics border haywire. In the audience an army of fists arises. Voices cheer. Welcome to… (more…)

#HITPmatters

“HONK.” As sedans, pickups and 4X4’s slow to a crawl on I-20 eastbound at the ramp of Boulevard, the traffic on the World Wide Web stalls. Thankfully, no vehicles or servers, for that matter, crash. Finally!-And no not the CeCe Peniston classic-House In The Park Sunday arrives! (more…)

THEO DA GREAT

KAI ALCE

“Yo! What up?”

“Deez Nuts 4 president!”

“C’mere.”

“Give me a huuugggg.” (more…)

Not too long ago in a land not too far, far away….

Invitations were transmitted across the galaxy to fans, family, and friends to attend a born-day celebration like none other. (more…)