As many may now know, “Godfather of Go-Go” Chuck Brown passed away yesterday in Baltimore at the age of 75. Having been a staple to DC music culture for decades now, go-go was founded by the singer-songwriter and musician as a response to disco in the mid 70’s. The funky dance music was dubbed go-go by Brown due to its non-stop energetic nature that keeps ‘going and going.’

The magnetic performer naturally became focal to the go-go movement and quickly became a local celebrity as the genre cemented its place as a source of pride for DC folks.

“Bustin’ Loose” was the song that put go-go on the map nationally, spending four weeks at the top of R&B charts in 1978. Other local hits included “We Need Some Money,” “Go-Go Swing,” and “Run Joe.”

Chuck and his contributions to the world of funk will not be forgotten. And indeed, go-go will most definitely live on.

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As many probably now know, Adam Yauch, co-founder of the Beastie Boys, passed away this morning after battling cancer for three years.

Inducted into Rock and Roll Hall of Fame this April, the Beastie Boys were seminal in introducing hip-hop to the American mainstream with songs like “Sabotage” and “Intergalactic” becoming instant anthems. Yauch was not only a fiercely entertaining and iconic rapper, he was also a film director and a political activist, creating the Milarepa Fund, a non-profit organization devoted to Tibetan independence.

Below, find the video for one of our favorite tracks, “Intergalactic,” and after the jump watch the classic video for “Sabotage.”

Read more on Billboard.com.

Watch “Sabotage” after the jump

Surrounded by a studio full of friends and family, Gilles Peterson late last night closed out his final show on BBC Radio 1. Above, you can find an awesome video by sir LeFtO documenting a night not be forgotten.

But fret not, friends! As many of you may have heard, Gilles will be launching a new BBC Radio 6 show starting April 7 on Saturdays from 3PM-6PM.

Folks that missed the momentous event can tune in online to hear the final show.

The final track last night was a humorous little piece titled “The Adventures of Peterson” by none other than Earl Zinger. Take a listen!

Find the entire tracklisting from the night and a photo from the studio after the jump

Soul singer and frontman of the Trammps, Jimmy Ellis, has died at the age of 74. He passed away yesterday in Rock Hill, South Carolina from complications of Alzheimer’s disease.

Jimmy was a huge influence on funk and soul music; he helped lay the foundation for generations of artists to come. He was best known as the singer of the band’s 1976 song “Disco Inferno,” which became a smash hit in the United States in 1978 after it was included on the soundtrack for Saturday Night Fever.

Jimmy’s contributions are truly immortalized – and will not be forgotten.

Read more »

Saturdays will have a new look starting April 7th, when renowned and much loved presenter Gilles Peterson launches a new Saturday show from 3pm-6pm on BBC Radio 6.

Gilles will extend Radio 6’s musical range by stirring up more soul, jazz, hip hop, and dance to the network. He states, “I feel extremely lucky and privileged to be joining BBC Radio 6 Music after 13 years on Radio 1. The level of music appreciation by the presenters and listeners is really exciting for me and I’m sure there’s much I can learn to aid me and continue the journey I’ve been on since my pirate radio days. I feel like I’m coming home before I’ve even been there.”

Stream Gilles’ most recent show

03/1/12 Box Of Delights Part 1
 

03/1/12 Box Of Delights Part 2
 

More Info & Tracklist

Check out Gilles’ past shows
GPWW: 02/24/12 Gilles + Latin Mix

GPWW: 02/17/12 Box Of Delights

At only 48, one of the most prolific voices of our time has been lost. Having paved the way for so many soulful pop divas to follow, Whitney Houston came to become a truly unforgettable figure in our culture.

It is heartening to hear that she was reported to be in good spirits in the days preceding her passing. And that’s the Whitney we’ll remember: radiant.

In between jamming to old tunes and videos, also consider taking a look at a set of Whitney’s ‘most memorable interviews’ as per The Huffington Post.

Below you can view Jennifer Hudson’s heartfelt tribute to Whitney at the 2012 Grammys.

Sending lots of good vibes and congratulations to all the Grammy nominees and winners this year! We are happy to have had several artists we worked with in 2011 nominated and even a couple winners!

Big congrats to Corrine Bailey Rae, who won Best R&B Performance for “Is This Love” from The Love EP. Such a beautiful tune by an equally stunning lady.

Also very nice to see that the late Amy Winehouse won Best Pop Duo/Group Performance for her “Body And Soul” duet with Tony Bennett.

The star of the night, without much surprise, was the enormously talented miss Adele. She managed to snag a win for every category for which she was nominated! Oh, and did we mention she is also the cover girl for the March issue of Vogue? Get em, girl.

Just for emphasis, these are all the different ways in which Adele owned:

Record Of The Year

Rolling In The Deep – Adele

Album Of The Year

21 – Adele

Song Of The Year
Rolling In The Deep – Adele

Best Pop Solo Performance
Someone Like You – Adele

Best Pop Vocal Album
21 – Adele

Best Short Form Music Video
Rolling In The Deep – Adele

Catch the full listing of nominees and winners on the Grammy website.

Don Cornelius, creator and longtime host of the iconic Soul Train show, passed away early this morning at the age of 75. Airing from 1970 to 2006, Soul Train went down in history as the longest running nationally syndicated program.

Having created the first major platform for Black entertainers and music in American households, Don’s contributions are truly immortalized – he will not be forgotten.

Classic Soul Train videos with Stevie Wonder, Curtis Mayfield, & the Soul Train dancers after the jump

It is a new day. D’Angelo returns to the spotlight after over 10 years with a European tour that kicked off in Stockholm, Sweden yesterday. Above, catch a clip from his performance of “Chicken Grease” and below, you’ll find video from “Sh*t Damn Motherf*cker.” A few new songs were unveiled as well, including “Sugar Daddy,” “The Charade,” and “Another Life.”

In watching these videos, it’s evident that D’Angelo is happy to be up on stage and share with his adoring fans. And in case you were second guessing, indeed the man is killing it and singing like he’s always known – hopefully a prelude to a new era of some earth-shifting music.

European Tour Dates
Jan 27 – VEGA – Copenhagen, Denmark
Jan 29 – Le Zénith – Paris, France
Jan 30 – Paradiso Grote Zaal – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Jan 31 – Paradiso Grote Zaal – Amsterdam, Netherlands
Feb 3 – O2 Academy Brixton – London, UK

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