By TUREKA TURK
·Mchlp." Citizen
Tis the season of concert
CDs and count Jade's new re­
lease as one of them. Per­
forming live at the BET
(Black Entertainment Tele­
vision) Listening Party , Jade
gave a performance better
than their debut. "BET's Lis­
tening Party starring Jade"
should have been released in­
stead of their first album. Re­
ally.
If you can get past the fans
screaming, the seemingly
endless and meaningless eon­
cert talk (I'm told it's to make
transition from song to song.
It's still too long), hearing
clapping and you have no clue
for its cause, you may dive
into some genuine singing.
Jade, aside from the corny
sexual dancing, really has a
trip of beautiful voice .
"Bk, d", i . .by Jerey
Pe and r Whi,'
valid evidence of this. The
song is a transparency of the
Jade influence (and most
other singing groups), the
church. Almost acappella,
the group's harmony is more
present in this song than it's
ever been.
Think of this release as a
live remix of Jade songs and
rendition of old ones. Jade's
handling of Nancy Wilson's
"Don't A8k My Neighbor" is '
fair and probably the best
that they could do.
lt still lacked jam poten­
tial.
Jade could've also done
without the wack "Intro",
rapped by Victor "Dez" Ram­
sey. Any rapper who includes
thewordmeatloafin an intro­
duction to any singing group'
needs to rethink his career
move.
o EG T urpri
the trac of the group that
open for Jade, POV, inging
"Settle Down". A classic con­
cert trac , the audience was
very receptive of these four
guys, you can hear it.
Jade's "Mr. ,Do Right" is
surprisingly more mature
than most of their hits. Usu­
ally chanting songs about
some guy walking away or
talking about how they want
to love somebody, "Mr. Do
Right" is a grown-up relation­
ship song, even ifit is dragged
out. This time, instead of
asking him not to wal away,
they ask for "a man whose
back is real strong."
The rendition of "One
Woman", no matter how un­
creative the lyrics are, is
much slower and more toler­
able than the original.
And for all of you Prince
(00 , i ,n't Andro y or
Symbol?) ti , Jade WeI
a si lly version of "Do Me
Baby" just for you. Now if
you want to hear it is a differ­
ent story. Aside little laughs
from the group and the audi­
ence and knowing that you Ire
missing some little jig they
were doing on stage, "Do Me
Baby" is just Jade singing
"Do Me Baby". No more, no
less. Even Aretha Franklin
didn't escape the remaking
claws of Jade.
A sloppy remake that was
done for pure fun, don't ex­
pect the artistry of Aretha to
soak through. Why should
you? This a Jade release.
"BET's Listening Party
Starring Jade" is a credit to
Jade's career and listenable
when you have nothing else -
to do and you want to go to a
concert without paying. This
is the livest Jade has ever
been.
By TUREKA TURK
Michl .n Cltlz.n
companies, the group continuously
cited the importance of endorsing the
Brady Bill, a bill calling for ive
gun control, and using their "immense
buying power" to make record eompa­
ni listen to them.
Terri Rossi . Rhythm and Blu Edi­
tor for Billboard Magazine and
NPCBW member, said, "our pect for
each other has vanished."
The National Political Congress of
Black Women (NPCBW) is preparing
for a war against lyrics they call "dis­
respectful" in gangsta rap. At their Oc­
tober meeting, the NPCBW's
Entertainment Commission, chaired
by Melba Moore and Dionne Warwick,
the group stated th ir ition.
;'We are the only women being dis­
respected in our mu ic. .. Let's go to
war" stated th group's founder, th
Ho�orable C. Delo Tucker.
Entertain r Dionn Warwi who
was not p nt at the m ting, e -
pressed "hurl and anger" in a tate­
ment read by co-chair Melba Moore.
Boastingofm tings with record ex­
ecutives on of which bas declared-the
eliininat'ion of n ter rap within i
o I REVEALED THE the hi­
erarchy of Billboard consulted its taft'
regarding their incoming ads. A ult
of that consultation is that Billboard is
now screening ads that are seen
offensive and re will be no more ads
that include guns. Billboard's rap audi­
ence is minute compared to magazi
like The Source, Rappages and Vibe.
Gwendolyn Goldsby-Gr nt,
NPCBW member, psychologist and Es- "I like rap," she began, "but we're
sence oolumnist tried to give some eon- talking about und irable and abusive
textualized purpose of the group. "In ' rap. We can't just a band-aid. We
this society, who wants to be Black? I ' must that it (gangsta rap) is a
our own fault that our children don't ymptom of something greater. When
know (what it is to be Bla ). BI is they (gangsta rappers) write th lyr-
not a color. Black is a race." ies, th y're talking about their li . A
Stereotypes ere on Gold by- lot of our youn ters are living very
Grant' target list. . miserable li . Our job should be to
"Nobody goes over to another coun- broaden their conceptual framework. "
try to get lazy people to pi cotton, " Th NPCBW celebrated such rap
l}e huffed. "And e (society) make fun artists as A Development, ae-
of Bla people who don't s 'cor- knowl ging that the group used to be
rect English'. T are. j African apart of he gangsta rap seen but
ho ha not conquered Engli h yet. made a change.
They (slave indu trialis ) replaced .. The only actions planned er
out Ia.ngu8ge ith tereotypes." m ings with various record company
Dr. Betty Shabazz, an invited gu t e ti
to the meeting, as actually th one
ho cl rly contextualized the gangsta 0 one
rap lyrics. NPCBW