PLANET CHOCKO – art/music/movies/beyond

Crosby, Nash and Sweat

November 10th, 2011 by chocko

Last Tuesday, Keith Sweat was at J&R Musicworld in Downtown NYC to celebrate the release of his new album ‘Til The Morning. The Harlem born singer has been in the game since the 80’s ushering in the new jack swing era and continuing on to a successful soul and R&B career along with being a radio personality on the side. The O.G. Keith Sweat signed the new album and old stuff I dug out of the milk crates too. The new album is slamming and doesn’t stray too far from what works for Sweat: smooth R&B ballads which finds the singer begging and pleading with promises of candle light dinners by the fireplace and treating that girl right even if it’s on the living room floor. The album starts out fairly innocent, “Candy Store” takes a trip down memory lane when he met that cute girl at the corner store but the rest of the tracks might make somebody pregnant! The man still got it, tracks like “High As The Sun”, “Make You Say Ooh” and “Til The Morning” will get you hot and bothered and the obvious hit “To The Middle” with T-Pain will get the head nodding, no doubt. “Knew It All Along” teams Sweat up with his former LSG band members, Johnny Gill and the late Gerald Levert. In the song, they portray a man telling a girl, from a friend’s perspective that her boyfriend has been cheating but then suggests hey, I think I could take his place. Coko from SWV is also featured on a track “My Valentine.” Highly recommended if you long for those good old 90’s style r&b songs!

I also wandered around Zuccotti Park to check out what the Occupy Wall Street Protestors were up to. It’s a sight to see…plenty of tents, people holding up protest signs, musicians singing with their guitars, curious tourists, vendors selling stuff like pins and necklaces all under the watchful eye of the police. It was a microcosm of America, with all people young, old, of all races bonded together by a common struggle and a goal of peace, freedom and equality. I was standing in the middle of the park after checking out their kitchen and library when all of a sudden there was a commotion. A group of people were making their way through the park and I immediately recognized David Crosby with his stringy white hair and moustache. Graham Nash was also among the people making their way through the already crowded park and they had guitars with them. Crosby and Nash set up shop and performed a bunch of songs for the people without amplifiers or microphones, completely unplugged. It was difficult to see or hear the two legends but when the crowd sang a long it was truly inspiring. I just wanna say good luck to all the human beings out there protesting and fighting the good fight. May you stay strong, safe and warm through the upcoming colder months.