I'm very much concerned with the historiography of Black popular music. Not so much the stuff by legends (e.g. Stevie) or by crossover chart beasters (Rihanna). I mean what a whole lot of Black people listen to and tastemakers, oftentimes but not exclusively white, don't particularly care for. I'm particularly concerned for the R&B that I listened to growing up (on 1250 KFOX or 1420 KRIZ because in the eighties and early nineties FM radio in Seattle DID NOT PLAY contemporary Black music!!!) that I enjoy now, unironically, and how it's contextualized, if at all. I came up in a synthy, drum programmy, eventually New Jack Swingy time overarched by the ever-present quiet stormish stuff and you can't tell me that music doesn't have value. Culturally, at least, it holds a lot of weight. I'd like to research these artists (maybe write a book on them) and I touch on one, Chuckii Booker, today at my VIBE blog.

On a related note Tony Terry dropped a Gospel album last year. Anyone heard it?