CEDTalks

With July coming to an end, we are nearing the last few weeks of summer. The issue? These dog days are the final days to get everyone together for one of my favorite events, the cookout. Cookouts (not picnics) are the pillars of  summer  fun in the African American community; in addition to the endless laughter and fun, they temporarily dismiss the stress and evils of the daily grind. They offer incredible food, great music new and old, and of course, provide the platform for which we can "invite someone to the cookout". "Inviting to the cookout" is a rising phenomenon in which a person of color invites someone (often one void of color) that would not usually be in attendance at our backyard barbecue. Though a fairly recent trend (because  Brother Malcolm  would've never "invited" ANYONE to the cookout), it is quickly becoming a national Black pastime. The invite is usually based on their impact on Black culture; past invitees include Michael ...

"Here come bad news talking this and that, yeah, Well, give me all you got, and don’t hold back, yeah, Well, I should probably warn you I’ll be just fine, yeah, No offense to you, don’t waste your time" - Pharrell Williams, "Happy" Find happiness and allow others to have theirs, even if it includes Westwood hats and astronauts. I'm "happy" that Pharrell's song is being received so well. Everyone and their mother (including mine) is walking around doing the Carlton, singing "Cuz’ I'm happyyyyyyyyyyyy!" It's cool. In addition to being a huge fan of Williams' music (if you love “Happy”, check out “Just a Cloud Away” ) and persona, the song is a testimony to my constant sermon that there remains an audience of people who enjoy, appreciate, and request positive images. Every so often we get songs like “Happy”, Outkast’s “Hey Ya”, “Blessed” by Jill Scott, and classics like “Happy Feelings” by the legendary Maze ...

Girls Dem Sugar is a reggae fusion song by Jamaican deejay Beenie Man  (nee Anthony Moses Davis) and features singer-songwriter Mýa. The track was produced by The Neptunes for Beenie Man's 2000 studio album Art and Life and was inspired and conceptualized from his 1997 Jamaican hit single "Who Am I (Sim Simma)". "Girls Dem Sugar" was written by Davis, Chad Hugo, and Pharrell Williams.

Check out this newly released song from Nelly, featuring Nicki Minaj and Pharrell!

"Blurred Lines" is a song recorded by American R&B recording artist Robin Thicke, for his sixth studio album of the same name (2013). Featuring guest vocals from American rapper T.I. and American singer and producer Pharrell, the song was released as the lead single from "Blurred Lines" on March 26, 2013 through Star Trak Recordings. The R&B song was produced featured guest Pharrell, and was written by him along with Thicke and T.I.