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Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Remembered in TV One Special ‘Unsung Presents: Music & The Movement’ Airing Jan. 18

TV One shines a light on Stevie Wonder and Gil Scott-Heron’s work to rally support to establish a holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr. in the two-hour, two-part special Unsung Presents:…

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TV One shines a light on Stevie Wonder and Gil Scott-Heron’s work to rally support to establish a holiday for Martin Luther King, Jr. in the two-hour, two-part special Unsung Presents: Music & The Movement airing Monday, January 18, 2021 at 8 p.m. ET/7C.

In the documentary that provides a timeline denoting how music from Black artists served as the soundtrack to the Black experience in America, civil rights leader Rev. Al Sharpton describes the impact of Wonder’s 1980 MLK tribute “Happy Birthday,” tour featuring Scott-Heron, and historic rally at the Washington DC monument in 1981.

Sharpton recalls former President Ronald Regan initially opposing creating a holiday in honor of King and Wonder and Scott-Heron helping to bring more attention to the cause. “The president at that time was saying, ‘That’s absurd we’re not going to do that,’” Sharpton says in the television special. “In fact, Ronald Regan had called Dr. King at some time a communist at some point in his life. As those of us in the King movement started to petition, Mrs. King was out front. All of a sudden there was a rhythm set to that movement, Stevie Wonder, Gil Scott-Heron, and the movement blew up, and it became a cultural phenomenon to accompany the political aspirations.”

In November 1983, three years after the release of Wonder’s King tribute, President Regan signed a bill to make Martin Luther King, Jr. Day an American federal holiday.

King received the support of numerous Black musicians, including Aretha Franklin, says Unsung Presents: Music & The Movement Co-Executive Producer P. Frank Williams. “People think of her as the greatest singer ever, but Aretha’s a very political woman,” Williams says. “And she actually funded part of Martin Luther Kings’ marches. She was always a part of it.” Williams, an Emmy and 8-time NAACP Image Award-winning producer, has also produced shows like American Gangster on BET and Who Killed Tupac on A&E. She is the former Executive Editor of The Source Magazine. Her company, Prophet From It Entertainment, recently produced an upcoming Black History Month social justice series and a hip-hop game show for Viacom.

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Unsung Presents: Music & The Movement tells the stories of dozens of Black musicians including Billie Holiday, Curtis Mayfield, Public Enemy, and Beyonce, their music, and the impact they have had in fighting for equality and justice. 

The post Martin Luther King, Jr. Day Remembered in TV One Special ‘Unsung Presents: Music & The Movement’ Airing Jan. 18 appeared first on The Source.

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Celebrity

Meek Mill Draws Mixed Reactions With Drill Take on Nico & Vinz’s “Am I Wrong”

Meek Mill has released a couple of songs that leaked online recently, giving fans a proper way to hear the tracks after they popped up over the weekend. “Philly Heathens” has been praised for its attention to street culture and youth affected by violence, but his other new album, “Am I Wrong,” has received a much more divided response.

“Philly Heathens” has been praised for its lyrics about street culture and the young people who get caught up in violence. “Am I Wrong,” however, takes a vastly different approach, remixing the song of the same name by Nico & Vinz as a drill centric interpolation.

“Am I Wrong” is now 12 years old, and its connection to the EDM sound of the time makes it especially recognizable to those who grew up with it. So Meek’s take is built on a familiar musical reference, but the response has been far from universally complimentary. A lot of the criticism has been directed at the hook. The production has also been called dated, but the track was leaked, which may explain its sound. But the strongest reactions have focused on Meek’s chorus vocals.

Read More: Drake Joins Karol G in Houston for First Live Performance of “Ahi”

Some of the responses have been good, though. Some listeners felt the track was a throwback to the blog era, while others thought the criticism targeted almost entirely the hook, not the song as a whole. One Reddit commenter wrote that the track was good, but the chorus was bad, suggesting that Meek’s performance on the rest of the song was better than the reception to the hook may suggest.

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The different reactions demonstrate the contrast between Meek’s two new leaks. “Philly Heathens” has resonated with audiences for its subject matter, while “Am I Wrong” has sparked discussion due to its interpolation and vocal approach.

Both songs are now officially available on YouTube so that fans can decide for themselves. The response to “Am I Wrong” shows how difficult it is to reinterpret a well known song, especially when a recognizable hook becomes the centerpiece of the new version

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Celebrity

Drake Joins Karol G in Houston for First Live Performance of “Ahi”

Drake made a surprise appearance in Houston this weekend, joining Karol G on stage for the first-ever live performance of their collaboration, “Ahi.”
The surprise appearance took place during Karol G’s show in Houston, where Drake jumped out from the bottom of the stage to perform the song with her. “Ahi” is the latest from Karol G’s project No Me Arrepiento de Sentir Tanto, and the Houston show marked the first time the pair had performed the collaboration together on stage.

Drake made his entrance to a loud reception from the crowd. The rapper popped out from under the stage, bowed to Karol G, hugged her, and launched into their collaboration. With “Ahi,” the performance was not over. Drake stayed on stage and carried on with the set, performing “Janice STFU” and “One Dance” and giving the Houston crowd a long set from the Canadian rapper.

The collaboration also sparked speculation about Drake’s upcoming music. A rumor started that Karol G was one of the collaborators on the project, along with Molly Santana and Future, days before ICEMAN is expected to drop. Future and Molly Santana were among the names on the rumored list, and Future ended up on “Run To Atlanta.”

Read More: Cardi B and Kehlani’s “Safe” Takes Best HipHop at the VMAs

Drake’s Houston appearance comes as he continues to promote music outside the traditional album release cycle. He released FOMO, a visual YouTube project featuring visuals for several songs from Habibti and Maid Of Honor nearly two weeks ago. The project also featured a couple of unreleased songs, including new material with Yeat and new unreleased music with Don Toliver.

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Drake and Don Toliver have also dropped a remix of Ella Langley’s “Choosin’ Texas.” The remix has recently sparked speculation about the artists after re uploaded visuals allegedly erased all footage of Langley.

But the Houston show shifted the focus back to Drake and Karol G. The surprise appearance turned the stop into the first live showcase of “Ahi” for the audience, while Drake’s renditions of “Janice STFU” and “One Dance” extended his surprise time onstage. It also gave fans their first chance to see the two artists perform their collaboration together, adding a live chapter to the release of “Ahi. “

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