>Popular should have been released!!

Van probably doesn't have the voice to be in on this convo. He has the intricate/dope writing, a little of the 'what did you just say', and a general punk funk that I'm down with. I'll argue that the man has at least a small mountain of really good songs. I revisit his work often. And if he comes out with something, I buy it ASAP. But even I admit that at least some of his songs would be better if he was a 'better singer'. Still, I'm all for any argument involving On The Jungle Floor being more criminally ignored than anything D or Bilal put out. It is almost all slamming. I'd love it if some artist with a bigger profile who loves him showed up NOW and redid SEVERAL songs from it and 'made' folks listen to them. To me, Van might be a much better Mayer Hawthorne, a dope music-lover artist type of cat who should probably be feeding his work through a 'better singer' who could trick more folks into listening at a time. I'm going to be sad when Tuxedo drops and 'Get You Home' doesn't somehow take over the earth. It is no Another Life, but c'mon..what do people want!?

Hunt Live: I had a great time when I finally went and saw Hunt a few years ago. He didn't touch Popular sadly, but he did a 5+ minute jam version of Ohio Players 'Ecstasy' (think the 'Love will never do without you' part repeatedly) as a transition between two of his songs that blew me all the way away and damn near ruined me for the rest of the show. I'd pay for that immediately if it became available.

Saadiq:

I'd rather add Raphael Saadiq in Hunt's place if anyone, but it could argued that Ray 'turned out better' as it relates to having a better overall 'career' as an active singer and producer..especially if you add the 3T stuff. But his highs probably aren't as high as either Bilal or D'Lo and he's certainly lacking the mystique and squirrelliness of Bilal, D'Lo, or even Van. He's also missing much of the Prince and is instead far more in your face with his love for hip hop.

Saadiq's Slave-ish 'jam first then just say something that at least kinda fits the song' style of lyrics probably cut him short more with folks than anything else. But with his voice, he sounds so good even if he's saying the silliest stuff sometimes.

I remember being a HEAVY Instant Vintage person. Body Parts...shiiiid. Uptown is the first non-BM song I've listened to in almost a week. Something super random made me think about him saying 'I'm leaving this tooowwwwnn' and I knew I had to do it AND come here and ramble about him. And As Ray Ray..talk about slept on. This One!? He went so Arrington on that and so many other jams, but I loved it. Music I tell you...it is such a big part of who I am.

Jimaveli: "Why do you...why do you..ever get out of beeeed, yeah!"