DistortedSoul.com – The FUNK According to Nadir Omowale

‘Nadir News’

Originally Published in City Pulse, Lansing, Michigan

Get up. Get into it. Get involved.

Are you going to disobey James Brown? That would be unwise, according to Detroit neo-funk mainstay Nadir.

Nadir gives you funk for your grind and funk for your mind. He reaches into rock, hip hop, world beat and jazz, but keeps his feet planted in goldenage funk.

“James Brown saying ‘Get Involved’ is what our popular music is supposed to do,” Nadir said. “It’s supposed to encourage us and move us forward, not talk about buying a Bentley, Benz or Beamer — none of which is an American-made car, by the way.”

Nadir likes to keep it positive, but right now he can’t stop gnawing on a bone: rapper Lloyd Banks’ hit single, “Beamer, Benz or Bentley.”

Nadir’s cousin, who is in the Air Force, is about to be deployed in [Iraq]. Several friends of his have done multiple tours. One of Nadir’s latest tracks, “Guantanamo,” is a notso-gentle reminder the nation is still at war.

“How can you sit there and talk about my Beamer, Benz, or Bentley?” he fumed. In his view, “keeping it real” has become an empty catchphrase. “Gangsta rappers are talking about all this money they’ve got, and we know everybody is broke.”

Read The Full Article HERE

Nadir was featured in Kiss Kiss Bang Bang (KKBB), a specialty newsletter for the alternative music community produced by UNCLE Promotions in California. It includes weekly airplay charts, interviews with alternative radio and record company personalities, and other content geared toward the alternative music community.

A very big thanks goes to our good friend Jane Asher at RadioSophie 103.7 in San Diego for spreading the word in KKBB’s I.S.P.Y. feature. Jane says:

Nadir Omowale embodies the spirit of music. He is a singer, songwriter, producer and social activist. His latest album, “Workin’ for the Man,” is filled with soul-shredding funk and offers an amazing version of Terence Trent D’Arby’s (now known as Sananda Maitreya) “Sign Your Name.” Nadir was just awarded Outstanding Urban Funk Vocalist at the 2010 Detroit Music Awards on April 16th. If Motown had never moved to L.A., this is what it would sound like today.

Coolness! Click HERE to check out the whole Kiss Kiss Bang Bang newsletter.

First thing you need to know: Black Lotus Brewing Company in Clawson, Michigan makes some of the best beer in the Mitten, and has a contemporary, healthy, tasty menu featuring big beefy burgers, succulent sweet potato fries, and the soon to be classic Salmon Wasabi Wrap.

But if that isn’t enough reason to make the short drive to the corner of 14 Mile and Main Street, just north of Royal Oak, it’s also one of the best venues for live music in Metro Detroit… And there are a lot of wonderful live music venues in the D!

Black Lotus Open Mic Monday is also becoming the stuff of legend. Local pickers and seasoned pros have graced the stage over the past several years, singing their hearts out for the lively audience.

The night took a brief hiatus after the untimely and tragic passing of host Brandon “Brando” Creasman. But the music can’t be stopped for long.

Brando’s dear friend, singer/guitarist and professor of sound, Steve Szajna, picked up the fallen mantle in an effort to keep his favorite Monday hang filled with spirit and song. And for an assist, he called his good buddy, Nadir to help with the hosting duties. Read the rest of this entry »