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One SoulBounce fave on their own is a movement, but two SoulBounce faves together are a force to be reckoned with. Here's a little proof of that hypothesis courtesy of Applejac who takes Ahmed Sirour's mellow instrumental "Warm Rain" and wakes it up with a soulful house remix. "Warm Rain" is taken from Sirour's debut album, The After 2am Sessions LP (and previously found on The After 2am Sessions EP), which is the perfect soundtrack when it's time for a little R&R. But after listening to "Warm Rain" relaxation was the furthest thing from Applejac's mind, and he swiftly went into the studio and started working on this dance floor-ready groove. The spirit of the original is retained, but this remix has a life all its own with added bass and synths. Hmmm, I'm thinking that maybe these two need to work together more often. Until that wish comes true, grab this one for free from Applejac's SoundCloud, and don't forget to purchase Sirour's album from Bandcamp. 

We gave you the heads up last year that Atlanta's own DJ Kemit had an album in the works, and its release is finally imminent and on the books. Kemit's debut project, Everlasting, is scheduled to drop on July 17th, and it might just be the album of the summer if the guest list is anything to go by. Featuring an exciting lineup of talent such as Eric Roberson, N'dambi, Choklate, Osunlade, Lady Alma and Carl McIntosh of Loose Ends (!!!), the sounds on Everlasting run the gamut from soul to house to funk and all points in between. DJ Kemit is giving us a funky introduction to how nice this collection is with the track "Funky 8 Ball" with none other than virtuoso Frank McComb on keys. McComb doesn't sing, which is a pity because his voice is like that, but he does go to work on this nasty Kemit production. This is the kinda music to put an extra strut in your stride as you glide down the street. If you're looking for a new summer soundtrack, you may have found it. 

DJ Kemit feat. Frank McComb: "Funky 8 Ball"

Way before she became SoulBounce fam, we chose Ayah as Bounce-Worthy back in 2008 and it's been awesome to witness her growth as an artist over the years. She's planning to break more boundaries and challenge herself even more, to hear her tell it in this up-close-and-personal video. Looking super glam while on the set of a recent photo shoot, Ayah sat down to chat about her career thus far and her plans to shake things up a bit and have her own Electric Circus moment, referring to Common's out-the-box album. That intriguing revelation aside, she also discusses where she finds inspiration and her desire to work with Andre 3000. After working with DJ Jazzy Jeff simply from reaching out to him on MySpace, if anyone can make her dreams come true, it's Ayah. Watch the video below, and when you're done be sure to check out her snazzy new website.

When we first heard Meshell Ndegeocello's sensual "Petite Mort," it was love at first note. The sensual, slow burner of a song, with its bass grove and simple production, was a smoothly seductive ditty that fit in with the rest of the tracks on Meshell's Weather perfectly. Fast forward to today, and Meshell's ready to go another round, releasing the exclusive Miguel Migs remix of the track via her Facebook page. The sensual vibe of the original work is maintained, but Miguel Migs speeds up the pace a bit with the addition of hand claps to re-imagine the songs original feel. Instead of the slow seduction of the original track, there's a more urgent and immediate edge here -- think of it as the follow-up just after the first act has ended. And because the track feels just as hot and sticky as the humid, late May air, Meshell's been kind enough to provide the track for free this (freaky) Friday. If you haven't caught Meshell live yet as she tours to support Weather, she's still on the road and will be stopping stateside starting in June, including an appearance at the Women's Music Summit in August. In the meantime, catch another eargasm below.

Back in 2010, I declared Bilal's "Cake & Eat It Too" one of my top picks of the year. I was head-over-heels in love with the funky opening track on his most recent release, Airtight's Revenge. Nearly two years after the album's release, "Cake & Eat It Too" has been injected with even more funk, courtesy of the talents of producer-composer-turntablist Teeko. The Bay Area-based musician sends the song into the orbits of outer space on his "Re-Funk" version. Just when I had begun to wonder if I had listened to "Cake & Eat It Too" one time too many, Teeko adds just enough spacey synths to make realize that there is no such thing as too much cake. If you like what you hear, then head over to Teeko's site for a free download and to check out more of what else he has tucked into his musical arsenal.

Bilal: "Cake & Eat It Too (Teeko Re-Funk)" [Download]

"Golden Lady" is one certainly one of my top five Stevie Wonder songs so the thought of anyone tinkering with it, in any way, shape or form, causes my internal alarm to ring-a-ding-ding. Reel People got a pass with their version because they had the one and only Tony Momrelle on vocals, and gave the original a Latin-inspired spin that was sympathetic yet original. Yesterday Scrimshire's "Golden Lady (Scrimshire Edit)" was brought to my attention on Twitter, and, being a fan of the man, I decided to check it out. Rather than going for a straightforward remix, Scrimshire's edit is built around a loop of the original track's intro, using small sections of Stevie's original vocal to sweeten the deal. The sun was shining yesterday, and this was the perfect soundtrack for my drive home. You can grab a free download of the track via SoundCloud.

• Summer concert season has started and SoulBounce favorites Jill Scott, Esperanza Spalding, Robert Glasper Experiment, Eric Roberson and Ledisi are making it a soulful one indeed. [OKP] 
• The First Lady as Sasha Fierce?: Michelle Obama announced she would love to trade places with Beyoncé. [HP] 
• Lenny Kravitz made his foray into fashion, designing a line of fancy footwear for TOMS shoes. [NBCNY] 
• Will Smith confirmed his daughter, Willow, will be the lead in the Annie remake, with Jay-Z penning new tracks for the musical. [BWW] 
• Don't forget to complete the 2012 SoulBouncer Survey. [SB] 

While The Foreign Exchange is making their rounds on their mini East coast tour this June, it's only right that they break their home state off with a little somethin' somethin'. Their first of two shows in North Carolina will be in Raleigh at the Lincoln Theatre on Friday, June 8th. The whole gang -- Nicolay, Phonte, Zo!, Sy Smith, Jeanne Jolly and their live band -- will be on hand to entertain Raleigh-Durham Bouncers as only they can with DJ Castro putting it down on the turntables. If you know like I do, then you'll be in the building and we're gonna make it easier for one Bouncer with a free pair of tickets from the good folks at +FE Music. Enter after the bounce, and tickets may also be purchased online and at the Lincoln Theatre box office for all those who want to make sure they don't miss the event.

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Bobby Brown's co-star in his video for the new single "Don't Let Me Die" is none other than his fiancée Alicia Etheridge, but it appears as if the honeymoon is over. Etheridge plays a woman fed up as she packs her bags and leaves Brown to wake up alone while the two are on vacation on an island paradise. We see Bobby by himself pining over his lady, lamenting to Ralph Tresvant and singing while overlooking blue-green ocean waters with flashes of the two lovebirds in happier times. The video has a home movie production value to it, but it's worth a viewing. Although, I don't know how wise it is for Bobby and Alicia to portray a couple that's on the outs with their wedding scheduled for a few weeks away. Let's hope that life doesn't imitate art.

As quiet is kept, SBTRKT's self-titled debut album was one of my personal top 10 releases of 2011. That album was banging. Those who know know, but those who may still be on the fence about SBTRKT will have more than enough new music to get into in the coming months with word from the man himself that he's back in the studio and working on EPs, albums and etc. This is good news, especially when he posts newness to his SoundCloud page such as the song "Gamelena," which he dropped yesterday. According to SBTRKT, he has no plans for this little ditty and just wanted to share it with the public. His benevolence is definitely for our benefit on this track that sounds like a rainforest set to a thumping drum beat. If this is something that he plans to do nothing with, then I can't wait to hear what else is store on those upcoming tracks that will serve a purpose.