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Who's 'Running Up That Hill' The Best? MPHO or John Forté?

 

This Battle of The Beats is centered on a certain Kate Bush song, whom contemporary Soul singers have claimed as a great source for reinterpretation. We all know what Maxwell was able to do with "This Woman's Work," and earlier...

ill Mami  |  07/15/2009 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Roses' Smells Better? Outkast's Or Mos Def & Georgia Anne Muldrow's?

 

Now, at first glance this Battle of the Beats seems unfair. Outkast appears to have a disproportionate advantage, having time and crossover popularity on Mos Def and Georgia Anne Mudrow. How is it possible to put a new song that was...

Ro  |  06/11/2009 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (12)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Showers' Are More Refreshing? M.I.A.'s or Ghostface's?

 

Welcome to another Sample Slam! The object of this week's battle is "Sunshower," originally recorded by Dr. Buzzard's Original Savannah Band. Although it counts among the many samples for Tribe's "Can I Kick It?", it was heavily and most notably utilized...

nOvaMatic  |  02/05/2009 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

Battle of the Beats Quadruple Header: Bad Boy vs. So So Def

 

We've been waiting to do this one for a long time. Today's Battle of the Beats presents you with two powerhouses that to this day inspire fierce debate. During most of the '90's Diddy's Bad Boy outfit and Jermaine Durpi's...

nOvaMatic  |  01/16/2009 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (12)  |  Permalink

Who Did This Beat Better? Jesse Boykins III or Coultrain?

 

Being on hiatus for the holidays afforded me many opportunities to divulge in the plethora of music that my poor iPod has been housing for several months. While Coultrain's album, The Adventures of Seymour Liberty, was one that I...

ill Mami  |  01/08/2009 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (17)  |  Permalink

The Total Vs. Brandy Double-Header!

 

Hey, any excuse to talk about these two acts, right? Luckily for Brandy, she has an eagerly-awaited album right around the corner. Total, not so much, but our memories of them are precious. In today's Battle of the Beats, we...

nOvaMatic  |  11/13/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (12)  |  Permalink

Who Would You Rather Do 'Anything' With? SWV or Janet?

 

Perhaps this a little too slow and sexy on a Halloween Friday? But whatevs! I know you've been waiting for this battle, and is it any wonder? There are, at last count, a bazillion songs titled "Anything." So here we...

nOvaMatic  |  10/31/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (26)  |  Permalink

Bilal Vs. D'Angelo: 'Can't Hide Love' Round Two

 

Last month, a Battle of The Beats occurred between Bilal and D'Angelo to determine just whose version of Earth Wind & Fire's "Can't Hide Love" was indeed the best. It pitted D'Angelo's live version against Bilal's studio version with The...

ill Mami  |  10/30/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (31)  |  Permalink

Who is the 'Truth'? Dwele or India.Arie?

 

Today's battle pits two SoulBounce faves up against each other in a Neo-Soul Battle Royale. This is Dwele's second time duking it out and India.Arie's first time in the ring, and they are both singing about the truth as it...

Butta  |  10/29/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (22)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Side' Are You Taking? Angela's or Jennifer's?

 

It's a weird time right now. A reflective time, especially with so much going on--from the Chicago suburbs to the campaign trail. And, as always and with everything, music is there to carry us through. So today's battle, if you...

Harlem  |  10/28/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Who is More 'Beautiful'? Tweet or Meshell?

 

Beauty is the subject of so many songs that it can easily be overlooked, particularly when it's done by women. In their respective, tender and, well, beautiful versions of "Beautiful" both Tweet and Meshell Ndegeocello sing to the objects of...

Ro  |  10/27/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (22)  |  Permalink

Who Is It That You 'Can't Get Enough' Of? Kenny Lattimore or Tamia?

 

Our week-long Battle of the Beats series is coming to an end on a sexy note -- with a battle of the sexes, no less. Representing for the fellas is the dapper Kenny Lattimore and holding it down for...

Butta  |  09/12/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (15)  |  Permalink

Is It Raheem DeVaughn or Jesse Powell That Knocks 'You' Out?

 

Today's Battle of the Beats should be a good one, as fellow crooners Raheem DeVaughn and Jesse Powell duke it out over the exclusive use of the word "You" in their respective songs. In this corner is DeVaughn, representing the...

Harlem  |  09/11/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (26)  |  Permalink

Who Gives You More 'Butterflies'? Floetry or Michael Jackson?

 

Originally penned by Floetry songstress and sometimes soloist Marsha Ambrosius, "Butterflies" is one of those beautiful songs that really seems to encapsulate some of the feelings associated with passion, love and soft, subtle desire. In the hands of an even...

Ro  |  09/10/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (34)  |  Permalink

Who 'Can't Hide Love' The Best? D'Angelo or Bilal?

 

While Earth Wind & Fire are a band whose many hits have been reinterpreted several times since they harkened the presence of intergalactic soul from a galaxy far, far away over thirty years ago, not all of the remakes...

ill Mami  |  09/09/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (16)  |  Permalink

Who Would You Rather 'Spend the Night' With? Rahsaan or Donell?

 

Rahsaan Patterson and Donell Jones are two of our most beloved artists here at SoulBounce. They remind us that male R&B isn't dead and that real singers are still out there, lest The Dream had you fooled. Both artists have...

Butta  |  09/08/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (22)  |  Permalink

Who Did Jazmine Sullivan Justice? Dondria or Brandon Hines?

 

You know you are a bad mamma jamma when you have people covering your songs and your debut album hasn't even dropped yet. Such is the case with Jazmine Sullivan. A quick trip around YouTube will find a box of...

Butta  |  09/04/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (8)  |  Permalink

Whose Need is More Palpable? Alicia's or Jazmine's?

 

This time in the Battle of the Beats we pit established versus upcoming, strained versus unforced: Alicia Keys versus Jazmine Sullivan. The interesting rhythmic punctuations on Keys' "I Need You" and infectious riddimic swells on Sullivan's "Need U Bad" are...

Ro  |  08/26/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (19)  |  Permalink

Who Played the Fool Better?

 

As we continue to ponder the impact of the recent influx of artists drawing heavily from the Motown and 60s soul sound and it's impact on the contemporary music soundscape, it's always good to hear some good cases-in-point. Amongst the...

Ro  |  08/21/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Every Little Thing' Will Stay On Your Mind? Soul for Real or Christopher Williams?

 

Today seemed like as good a time as any to do a summer Battle of the Beats, taking us back to the early 1990s--an era of which we can truly say that we loved "every little thing." This Battle's...

Harlem  |  08/14/2008 at 4:30 PM  |  Comments (16)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Supernatural' Is From a Higher Realm? Ciara's or Mary's?

 

Back in June, a leak of Ciara's song "Supernatural" was made available on the web.  The track was produced by Ne-Yo and will appear on her September release Fantasy Ride.  Which is cool.  I mean, it wasn't something SB would...

Harlem  |  08/04/2008 at 12:40 PM  |  Comments (13)  |  Permalink

Who Clarified Jigga's 'Moment' the Best? 9th Wonder or Just Blaze?

 

If you're anything like me, you've amassed more than a king's ransom in unofficial Blueprint, Black Album and American Gangster remix projects. Sometimes, you get lucky and land on something golden, like Von Pea's American Angster, MidiMarc's Newprint, or the...

nOvaMatic  |  06/26/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (14)  |  Permalink

Which Girl Group Do You Want To Spend 'All Night Long' With?

 

This week it's an all-female rumble in the soul jungle to see which girl group comes out on top. Sorry, fellas, there's no mud or Jello involved. This virtual Battle of the Beats pits those '80s fantasy ladies, The...

Butta  |  06/19/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (13)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Lean' is More Gangsta? DRS or The Clipse?

 

Continuing with today's "gangsta" theme, we thought it might be a good idea to have it boil over into Battle of the Beats. "Diggin' in the scene with a gangsta lean" was coined by William DeVaughn in "Be Thankful for...

nOvaMatic  |  06/12/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Would You Rather Have a 'Late Night Rendezvous' with Carl or Vikter?

 

Carl Thomas and Vikter Duplaix are both certified romantics. While one is probably more likely to crank up the Marvin, break out the VSOP and light some incense, the other might just spontaneously appear at the window of his ladylove...

nOvaMatic  |  06/05/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (11)  |  Permalink

Who Would You Rather Creep With? 'Part-Time' or 'Secret Lovers'?

 

1985 was a good year for adultery. After all, there was not only one but two chart-topping odes to getting your sneaky freak on: Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lover" and Atlantic Starr's "Secret Lovers." Both of these songs were about something...

Butta  |  05/29/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (10)  |  Permalink

Sample-Slam: Who 'Chose' to Do Willie Hutch Justice?

 

For the uninitiated, a "Sample Slam" is a BOTB in which we match two tracks that sampled the same classic. Previous entries saw Nas and SWV duke it out over Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" and Mary J. and Janet over...

nOvaMatic  |  05/22/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Who Makes You Go 'Back and Forth'? Cameo or Aaliyah?

 

This Battle of the Beats pits the '80s against the '90s in this "Back and Forth" showdown. Cameo versus Aaliyah. Let's get ready to rumble! Cameo's "Back and Forth" came after they'd been in the game for over a...

Butta  |  05/15/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (15)  |  Permalink

Battle of the Remakes: Hello It's Them

 

I will always credit The Isley Brothers for "Hello It's Me". No diss to Todd Rundgren, but if not for Ron and the fellas, this song wouldn't have landed on my radar. Okay, full disclosure: my dad may have had...

nOvaMatic  |  04/08/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (25)  |  Permalink

Who Do You Want To 'Find A Way' With? A Tribe Called Quest Or Dwele?

 

The past two Battle of the Beats have produced some lopsided results, and the fun continues again this week with A Tribe Called Quest squaring off against Dwele with their identically-titled songs, "Find A Way." It's not right, but...

Butta  |  04/02/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (17)  |  Permalink

Who Leaves You More 'Speechless'? Beyoncé or Musiq?

 

Last week's Battle of the Beats was a straight-up massacre with Goapele fans coming out of the woodwork in support of their girl. My bad, Floetry. This week's showdown may be another one-sided affair, but humor me if you will...

Butta  |  03/26/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (21)  |  Permalink

Who Do You Want To Get 'Closer' To? Goapele Or Floetry?

 

Since Marsha Ambrosius got some Act Right, it's high time to add Floetry to a Battle of the Beats. And who better to put the duo up against than Goapele with their identically-named songs "Closer." Goapele broke out in...

Butta  |  03/19/2008 at 6:00 PM  |  Comments (19)  |  Permalink

Who Do You Wanna Love? Eric Benét Or Jill Scott?

 

Today's Battle of the Beats finds two staples in my record CD collection going at it with their similarly-named love songs. Both Eric Benét and Jill Scott put their post-divorce relationship issues to song on their most recent releases...

Butta  |  03/10/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (18)  |  Permalink

Battle of the Beats: Glenn & Erro Want to 'Rock With You'

 

While everyone's waiting for Janet Jackson's "Rock With You" clip to be released, we decided to take the road to ubiquity with today's Battle of the Beats. In one corner we have Glenn Lewis, who we haven't seen in like...

nOvaMatic  |  03/05/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Battle Of The Badu Beats

 

Although Erykah Badu is a true original in everything from the way that she sings to her style of dress, some of her finest moments have come when she's done covers of other artist's original songs. It's only fitting that...

Butta  |  02/26/2008 at 4:40 PM  |  Comments (12)  |  Permalink

Who'd You Rather 'Come Over' To See? Aaliyah or Faith?

 

Today's Battle of the Beats features two of our most beloved subjects here at SoulBounce: Aaliyah and Faith Evans and their identically named tracks, "Come Over."Aaliyah's comes from 2002's posthumous I Care 4 U CD, while Faith's version comes...

Harlem  |  02/25/2008 at 2:30 PM  |  Comments (16)  |  Permalink

Mary J. and Janet in the James Brown Sample Slam!

 

It's Battle of the Beats time and today we're bringing you another Sample Slam! James Brown samples ruled Hip-Hop in the '80s and '90s, so it was only a matter of time before R&B got in on it. Mary J....

nOvaMatic  |  02/19/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (24)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Angel' Has Wings? Anita Baker's Or Chaka Khan's?

 

As you know by now, SoulBounce is working on its list of the Top 100 Soul/R&B songs, which promises to be a classic. It got me to thinking, though, what would happen if the editors had to choose between...

Harlem  |  02/13/2008 at 1:00 PM  |  Comments (22)  |  Permalink

Whose 'People' Are You Feeling? Angie Stone's or Raheem DeVaughn's?

 

For some reason I can't keep Angie Stone out of the Battle of the Beats. She's gone toe-to-toe against Aaliyah and Jill Scott, but this time I'm switching it up and putting the first lady of Stax Records up...

Butta  |  02/06/2008 at 3:05 PM  |  Comments (8)  |  Permalink

The 'Flashing Lights' Showdown!!!

 

As stated in my Year-End Top 10, Kanye West's "Flashing Lights" is the best track of 2007 and we are still eagerly awaiting the release of the video. In the meantime, a ton of artists and producers have wasted no...

nOvaMatic  |  01/22/2008 at 2:04 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Shining Star' Is Brighter? The Manhattans Or Earth, Wind & Fire?

 

For the first Battle of the Beats for the new year I decided to take a trip to the way back with some classic soul courtesy of The Manhattans and Earth, Wind & Fire. The songs up for debate...

Butta  |  01/15/2008 at 12:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Battle of the Beats: The One in Which Erro Wins, Sight Unseen

 

Look, it isn't my style to just jump out there and claim a victor in the title, but we need to be real about this. This is the last Battle of the Beats for the year, and while it isn't...

nOvaMatic  |  12/18/2007 at 12:28 PM  |  Comments (3)  |  Permalink

Only Who? Kwame And 112 Battle Their Beats

 

Today's battle of the beats takes us back to the '90s with music from two acts that continue to set many a party off when these tracks of the same name drop in. Before the Notorious B.I.G. ethered Kwame...

Butta  |  12/11/2007 at 12:00 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Battle of the Beats: Bilal vs. Badu "Sometimes"

 

Today, we got a tip in our email box suggesting we put Angie Stone's "Sometimes" from the Art of Love & War album up against Erykah Badu's "Sometimes" from Baduism. We thought it was a smashing idea since we hadn't...

nOvaMatic  |  12/03/2007 at 4:30 PM  |  Comments (18)  |  Permalink

Battle of the Beats: Lupe Fiasco vs. K-Os

 

This one was sitting right under my nose, but you should be honored by my lateness!Welcome to another Hip-Hop Edition of Battle of the Beats! This time we're seeing just how well Lupe Fiasco's tale of industry loathing and soul-searching...

nOvaMatic  |  11/26/2007 at 5:07 PM  |  Comments (5)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Brotha' Is Betta? Angie Stone's Or Jill Scott's?

 

This was suggested to us some time ago, and it's finally here: Angie Stone versus Jill Scott in the "Brotha" Battle of the Beats. Both of these luscious ladies have duked it out in previous BOTB's but this is...

Butta  |  11/19/2007 at 12:00 PM  |  Comments (13)  |  Permalink

Chante Moore vs. Trina Broussard in "The Riperton Remake Showdown"

 

I've been waiting for a minute to do this one.Minnie Riperton is one of those artists that, if you remake one of her classics, you better put it down at all costs. You've got to respect the cajones of Chante...

nOvaMatic  |  11/12/2007 at 3:02 PM  |  Comments (20)  |  Permalink

Battle of the Beats: Faith vs. Faith

 

Welcome to this week's Battle of the Beats REMIX STYLE! Last time we did it for The Notorious One, but this time we gotta rep for widowed wifey Faith Evans. Presented for your voting pleasure are two versions of the...

nOvaMatic  |  11/05/2007 at 6:31 PM  |  Comments (7)  |  Permalink

Nas and SWV Battle it Out in the 'Human Nature' Sample Slam!

 

Welcome to another edition of "Battle of the Beats" in which we compare two songs that share some similarity or connection. Today, we have our first Sample Slam, between SWV's "Right Here (Remix) and Nas' "It Ain't Hard to...

nOvaMatic  |  10/29/2007 at 3:00 PM  |  Comments (12)  |  Permalink

Who's Really "Golden"? Chrisette Michele Or Jill Scott?

 

It's been a hot minute since we've done a Battle of the Beats, so this week we're bringing it back and not coming wack with a neo-soul diva showdown. In this corner we have newcomer Chrisette Michele and in the...

Butta  |  10/22/2007 at 8:21 PM  |  Comments (30)  |  Permalink

Battle of the Biggie's: "One More Chance" Showdown

 

The Notorious B.I.G. has been on my mind a lot lately. With the recent implosion of his murder investigation there's no telling when--or if--there will ever be a resolution to the case. Sigh...Initially this Battle of the Beats was gonna...

Butta  |  10/01/2007 at 8:51 PM  |  Comments (2)  |  Permalink

Who's "More Than A Woman"? Aaliyah or Angie Stone?

 

My mello nOva let me loose in the crates and said that I could do today's Battle of the Beats so I had to come correct with some hotness. So today we have everyone's beloved Babygirl, Aaliyah, going up against...

Butta  |  09/27/2007 at 8:32 PM  |  Comments (9)  |  Permalink

Whose "Woman" is Tighter? Eric's or Raheem's?

 

Unfair! Unfair! But if you've been reading this week, you probably already saw this one coming, and already knew how "unfair" it would be. Just imagine how Your Friendly SoulBounce Editors feel!With that said, I'm feeling so boss right now...

nOvaMatic  |  09/26/2007 at 10:32 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Who's More 'Addicted'? Amy or Neyo?

 

For the second time this week, we present to you Battle of the Beats, in which we match up two tracks with something in common. This time we're doing it for the gossip fiends that love reading all the trashy,...

nOvaMatic  |  09/25/2007 at 8:21 PM  |  Comments (4)  |  Permalink

Who Said it Best? Black Milk or Kweli?

 

Welcome to another edition of Battle of the Beats, where we (meaning you, the SoulBounce Reader) match up two tracks that have some arbitrary connection or similarity. Again, we're going the easy route with song titles and I had to...

nOvaMatic  |  09/24/2007 at 8:02 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Maxwell vs. Alicia Keys: "No One"

 

It's the imaginary Battle Royale. Welcome to the first installment of SoulBounce's "Battle of the Beats", in which we'll take a new track and weigh it against an existing one that it shares some arbitrary connection to.Today, we have one...

nOvaMatic  |  09/19/2007 at 8:12 PM  |  Comments (12)  |  Permalink