I've been listening to this song constantly since I first heard it a few weeks ago. (It's the theme song to the HBO series "How to Make It in America.") My pal Josh Kun first turned me on to Blacc, who has an interesting background: born in Orange County to Panamanian parents, he's fluent in Spanish. (Check out his translation of John Legend's "Ordinary People.") And check this out, from Josh's 2006 LA Times profile:
"After graduating from USC with a joint degree in linguistic psychology and communications, he spent three years as a business consultant for Cap Gemini Ernst & Young. "
Great horn charts and percussive piano make the song sound vintage and fresh at the same time. Think of it as a hip update of Ray Charles' "Busted." And Blacc's voice--as another music pal, Chuck Philips, put it--is a husky cross between Bill Withers and Lou Rawls. I don't know how else to put it: this jam is just tuff.
Download 01 I Need a Dollar (How to Make It In America)
I get goosebumps when he hits the high notes. The rhythm on the keys is hot! Thanks for the track.
Posted by: Alejandro | March 18, 2010 at 11:53 AM