The Rundown: Chuck Brown, Beautiful Life

Wale, Faith Evans on Godfather of Go-Go's final album.

The Rundown: Chuck Brown, Beautiful Life - Few have mastered how to flow over a go-go beat without fumbling. That's why the voice of Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-Go, is so distinct. He lives in the pocket, and on his final album, Beautiful Life (recorded before he passed in 2012), you can hear the adventure and wisdom that only a genre's pioneer would have.He sings, and sometimes spits, in that aggressive but calm — raspy — way, probably reminiscent of the mood he was when he traded a pack of cigarettes for a guitar.Read on for a track-by-track look. —Sia Tiambi (@siatiambi)(Photo: Raw Venture Records & Tapes)

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The Rundown: Chuck Brown, Beautiful Life - Few have mastered how to flow over a go-go beat without fumbling. That's why the voice of Chuck Brown, the Godfather of Go-Go, is so distinct. He lives in the pocket, and on his final album, Beautiful Life (recorded before he passed in 2012), you can hear the adventure and wisdom that only a genre's pioneer would have.He sings, and sometimes spits, in that aggressive but calm — raspy — way, probably reminiscent of the mood he was when he traded a pack of cigarettes for a guitar.Read on for a track-by-track look. —Sia Tiambi (@siatiambi)(Photo: Raw Venture Records & Tapes)

"Intro." featuring Doug E. Fresh - "Every time I go to D.C. ... I will always show respect and honor to the one and only, the Godfather of Go-Go," says Doug E. Fresh, who also beatboxes a bit for the album opener as he recounts (over a signature go-go swang) sharing the stage with Wind Me Up Chuck and Run-D.M.C.(Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Metro New York)

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"Intro." featuring Doug E. Fresh - "Every time I go to D.C. ... I will always show respect and honor to the one and only, the Godfather of Go-Go," says Doug E. Fresh, who also beatboxes a bit for the album opener as he recounts (over a signature go-go swang) sharing the stage with Wind Me Up Chuck and Run-D.M.C.(Photo: Dimitrios Kambouris/Getty Images for Make-A-Wish Metro New York)

"Beautiful Life" featuring Wale - "Now we all been blessed to be here, so it ain't no need to stress/ We don't worry about the things we can't control, we just pray and hope for the best," Chuck spits during his opening verses. Wale waxes nostalgic about his career and does a roll call of many of the bands who helped shaped D.C.'s go-go scene. It's a top-down, stuck in traffic, but still in a good mood summer song.(Photos from left: Nancy Ostertag/Getty Images, Moses Robinson/Getty Images for BET)

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"Beautiful Life" featuring Wale - "Now we all been blessed to be here, so it ain't no need to stress/ We don't worry about the things we can't control, we just pray and hope for the best," Chuck spits during his opening verses. Wale waxes nostalgic about his career and does a roll call of many of the bands who helped shaped D.C.'s go-go scene. It's a top-down, stuck in traffic, but still in a good mood summer song.(Photos from left: Nancy Ostertag/Getty Images, Moses Robinson/Getty Images for BET)

"Best in Me," featuring Faith Evans & Raheem DeVaughn - This funky good time brings out the best in Chuck's song-making ability. Building first with the drums, the voice, and then the guitar, Chuck croons smoothly about a woman with some enticing eyes and thighs; and Faith and Raheem playfully experiment with melodies, taking Chuck's old school R&B flavor through the '90s to now.(Photos from Left: E1 Music, David Corio/Redferns, Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

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"Best in Me," featuring Faith Evans & Raheem DeVaughn - This funky good time brings out the best in Chuck's song-making ability. Building first with the drums, the voice, and then the guitar, Chuck croons smoothly about a woman with some enticing eyes and thighs; and Faith and Raheem playfully experiment with melodies, taking Chuck's old school R&B flavor through the '90s to now.(Photos from Left: E1 Music, David Corio/Redferns, Roger Kisby/Getty Images)

"Lighters" featuring Ms. Yendy & Kanja - A Beautiful Life hits an up-swing with this track featuring Ms. Yendy, who's also helped push go-go nationwide as a vocalist wtih the alternative band, Mambo Sauce, and their Hot 100 song "Welcome to DC."(Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images for D'USSE)

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"Lighters" featuring Ms. Yendy & Kanja - A Beautiful Life hits an up-swing with this track featuring Ms. Yendy, who's also helped push go-go nationwide as a vocalist wtih the alternative band, Mambo Sauce, and their Hot 100 song "Welcome to DC."(Photo: Brendan Hoffman/Getty Images for D'USSE)

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"Pop That Trunk" featuring Sugar Bear & KK - Go-go was invented in the clubs, and that's exactly where this track belongs. "Girl, what is your name?/ Poppin' it like champagne," the lryics go. With fellow go-go vet Sugar Bear and Chuck's daughter KK on the mic, the song sounds like what Trick Daddy and Trina would sound like if they recorded in the '40s...or with Prince.(Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

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"Pop That Trunk" featuring Sugar Bear & KK - Go-go was invented in the clubs, and that's exactly where this track belongs. "Girl, what is your name?/ Poppin' it like champagne," the lryics go. With fellow go-go vet Sugar Bear and Chuck's daughter KK on the mic, the song sounds like what Trick Daddy and Trina would sound like if they recorded in the '40s...or with Prince.(Photo: Chris Graythen/Getty Images)

"Still Crankin'" featuring KK - "Everything sound like a pocket to me," KK spits, as she settles into her groove on this track that bounces like a trap-rap song. She dons her daddy's hat (or is that Pharrell's?) with ease. Or, as she says, "I got big shoes to fill, but you know I ain't gon' trip/ 'cause I stuff 'em with toilet tissue, so you know I'm the s--."(Photos from Left: Kris Connor/Getty Images, Toby Canham/Getty Images)

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"Still Crankin'" featuring KK - "Everything sound like a pocket to me," KK spits, as she settles into her groove on this track that bounces like a trap-rap song. She dons her daddy's hat (or is that Pharrell's?) with ease. Or, as she says, "I got big shoes to fill, but you know I ain't gon' trip/ 'cause I stuff 'em with toilet tissue, so you know I'm the s--."(Photos from Left: Kris Connor/Getty Images, Toby Canham/Getty Images)

Multi-Talented  - The music man was a songwriter, guitarist and performer whose hit "Bustin' Loose" is the Washington Nationals baseball team celebration record. (Photo: David Corio/Redferns)

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"Love Is My Religion" featuring Frank Sirius - Go-go musicians are also known for their ability to cover anyone from Jay Z to Ashlee Simpson, and on this record, The Chuck Brown Band and Frank Sirius take on the lifted vibrations of Ziggy Marely's 2006 song and make it more palatable for the lower chakras.(Photo: David Corio/Redferns)

"Oh Happy Day," featuring Y'Anna Crowley & The Howard University Gospel Choir - The drums are thick and rolling on this version of the 1960s hymn. With its reputation for being accompanied by violence, go-go might be the last place you'd go to for gospel, but herein rests some eternal truth.(Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

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"Oh Happy Day," featuring Y'Anna Crowley & The Howard University Gospel Choir - The drums are thick and rolling on this version of the 1960s hymn. With its reputation for being accompanied by violence, go-go might be the last place you'd go to for gospel, but herein rests some eternal truth.(Photos from left: Frazer Harrison/Getty Images, Jason Merritt/Getty Images)

Bustin' Loose - The 1978 hit song "Bustin' Loose" is a huge hit that spent four strong weeks at #1 on the R&B charts. (Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)

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"You'll Never Find Another Love Like Mine" - The album closes on another up beat, slowing down (just a notch) this Lou Rawls hit. Chuck's baritone is like airy molasses, open and stronger than on any other cut on the LP. The final note is haunting, but comforting in its realness, "You're gonna miss, you're gonna miss my love," he sings.(Photo: Al Pereira/Michael Ochs Archives/Getty Images)