The Rundown: Chuck Brown, Beautiful Life
Wale, Faith Evans on Godfather of Go-Go's final album.
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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)
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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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