December 12-18, 2012
section D
Reflections By Steve Holsey
Love unrestricted
In one of his many great songs, the incomparable Luther Vandross said, “You can’t tell love what to do.” And a bit of bad grammar notwithstanding, the legendary Smokey Robinson sang the words, “Love don’t give no reason.” For the past three years actressrapper Eve has been going with a White British gentleman by the name of Maximillion Cooper. The name is appropriate because he is a millionaire. They are currently living together in London, England. Eve (Jeffers) has been getting flak from certain people Eve with Maximillion about the relationship. They say Cooper. things (via electronic media and otherwise) such as, “I can’t believe you go with a White man” and “How come you don’t like Black men anymore?” “I love Black men,” Eve has responded. “It just so happens that my heart went this way this time.” That’s telling it, and why do so many people have to be “all up in other people’s business” anyway? I have long believed that taking care of one’s own business is a full time job. YOU DO NOT have to be a rap/hip-hop enthusiast to appreciate the fact that Forbes magazine — the experts on such matters — after much research determined that Dr. Dre (Andre Young) belonged in the No. 1 spot on the publication’s list of the highest paid music stars.
NE-YO By Jason Donovan
SPECIAL TO THE CHRONICLE
Some artists are “built to last.” While others come and go, they are in it for the long haul. Think of Stevie Wonder, Aretha Franklin, Gladys Knight, Frankie Beverly and Chaka Khan to name a few members in this select group. Of the newer artists, among those who have what it takes for longevity are Beyoncé, Usher, Mary J. Blige, Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Hudson, Anthony Hamilton, Mariah Carey ... and Ne-Yo. It’s about talent, charisma, business acumen, performing skills, versatility, successful endeavors and being the kind of artist who doesn’t wear on people’s nerves. (Artists like Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne could be history a decade from now.) Right now Ne-Yo — born Shaffer Chimere Smith — is in the national Top 10 with his latest album, “R.E.D.,” which follows “Libra Scale,” “Year of the Gentleman” (possibly his greatest achievement, featuring such gems as “Stop This World” and “Nobody”), “Because of You” and “In My Own Words.” Ne-Yo, who is also a record producer and actor, was born in Camden, Arkansas, to an African-American/Chinese mother and an African-American father. After his parents went their separate ways, his mother moved the family to Las Vegas, Nevada, in hopes of finding better opportunities for herself and her children. (Most people think only of casinos and flashy nightlife when they hear the words “Las Vegas” when, in fact, there is a residential section of substantial size — regular neighborhoods, schools, retail businesses, etc.
The prolific record producer and highly skilled businessman has been instrumental in the careers of such superstars of hip-hop Dr. Dre as Eminem and Snoop Dogg (who are both slowly but surely toning down their excesses). Randy Jackson, the “American Idol” judge who returns to the popular star-making show on Jan. 16 for the start of its 11th season, is introducing the Randy Jackson Diamond Edition Guitar Collection. As for the new season, it will be interesting to see what happens with Jackson, country giant Keith Urban, R&B diva Mariah Carey and flamboyant rap star Nicki Minaj as judges. As has been widely reported, there is already Randy Jackson conflict between the ladies. And let’s face it, a lot of people enjoy that sort of thing. Rolling Stone, the music industry’s premier magazine, gathered a group of its editors, plus artists, producers and music journalists to determine “The 50 Greatest Hip-Hop Songs of All Time.” Topping the list was the socially hardhitting “The Message” by Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, followed by the song that started it all, “Rapper’s Delight” by the Sugarhill Gang, and the rap-meets-techno “Planet Rock” by Afrika Bambaataa & the Soul Sonic Force. TOMMY DAVIDSON, who shot to stardom as a regular on the groundbreaking early-to-mid’90s comedy series “In Living Color,” surprises people when he tells them that his first loves were music and singing.
Tommy Davidson
However, his brilliant comedic talent, gift for doing characters and impressions, and love of making people laugh won out. I recently finished reading the fascinating book “Mary Wells: The Tumultuous Life of Motown’s First Superstar” by Peter Benjaminson. If ever there was a story of triumph and tragedy, this is it. It also shows how dedicated true friends and fans can be. When Wells was being conquered by the ravages of cancer and was broke (she had lost her voice and was unable to work), many fellow recording artists offered financial assistance to help with the colossal medical bills plus living expenses. For example, Aretha Franklin contributed $15,000, Bruce Springsteen, $10,000, Diana Ross, $15,000, the Temptations, $5,000, Rod Stewart, $10,000, Berry Gordy, $25,000, and Anita Baker organized a fundraiser that brought in $10,000. Gordy also paid for the homegoing service. Here is something cute you probably didn’t know: The great George Benson made his first recording at the age of 10 — as “Little Georgie.” The song was titled “She Makes Me Mad.”
See Reflections Page D-2
In Las Vegas, while a student at the Las Vegas Academy, he joined an R&B group called Envy, and by this time he was calling himself “GoGo.” When that group came to the end of its road, rather than join another vocal group or band, he decided to focus on developing and marketing his compositions. Ne-Yo envisioned a solo career coming a bit later. That happened and he was signed by one of the industry giants, Columbia Records. That was the good news. The bad news was that the company, for whatever reason, decided against releasing his album even though it was recorded and “ready to go.” So, back to writing songs. Among those recorded songs he had composed were Faith Evans, Mario, B2K, Musiq and Mary J. Blige. In case you were wondering how Ne-Yo got his stage name, it was given to him by record producer Big D Evans, who believed that “NeYo sees music as Neo sees the Matrix.” (If you have seen — and understand — the “Matrix” movies, you will also understand that reference.) Evans called the ambitious artist “Ne-Yo” as a joke, but the name stuck. As stated previously, “Year of the Gentleman” just may be Ne-Yo’s best work, and just as people have wondered about the origins of his stage name, they are also curious about that album title. “To me, ‘Year of the Gentleman’ is all about a persona, a swag and a charm,” Ne-Yo expained at the time. “I made an assessment of the music business, and in my opinion, the essence of the gentleman is absent right now. “Everybody kinda looks the same, everybody’s kinda doing the same thing, everybody’s kinda rude and full of themselves. Whereas a gentleman is calm, courteous, kind, charming. “So that title basically represents me trying to lead by example, and showing these cats
See NE-YO Page D-2