Supa Sista

Supa Sista

ASIN: B00005N8PK

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
Ursula Rucker's debut album Supa Sista strikes an intricate balance between new jazz, hip-hop and Philly soul - all infused with poetic vision. 'Supa Sista' is a departure from Ursula's previous work as she pushes lyrical poetry to places it's never been by fusing multiple genres. Throughout Supa Sista, she flexes her skills as a songwriter, lyricist and vocalist. 12 tracks in all. A Studio K7 release.

Tracks:

In Her Elizabeth
Womansong
7
Letter To A Sister Friend
What???
Digichant
Philadelphia Child
Supa Sista
Brown Boy
Spring
1 Million Ways To Burn
Song For Billy

Album Description

Ursula Rucker's debut album Supa Sista strikes an intricate balance between new jazz, hip-hop and Philly soul - all infused with poetic vision. 'Supa Sista' is a departure from Ursula's previous work as she pushes lyrical poetry to places it's never been by fusing multiple genres. Throughout Supa Sista, she flexes her skills as a songwriter, lyricist and vocalist. 12 tracks in all. A Studio K7 release.

Customer Reviews:

Easy to listen and absorb.......2005-06-20

Long term, prime exponent of the New York Slam poetry scene, Ursula Rucker has spent the last seven years working with some of the finest downtempo outfits including Silent Poets and The Roots. Whilst her talents have embellished their work from 1994 onwards, it is former musical partners 4Hero, Alexkid and King Britt who have returned the gesture and collaborated with her on this beautiful fusion of hip hop, nu-jazz and soul.

Inspired by the social commentary of black female writers Zora Neale Hurston and Sonia Sanchez, Ursula Rucker has made it her mission to elevate the mind of hip hop and purify the art form. Like her previous work Supa Sista fixes Ursula's attentions firmly on the issues of sexuality, technology, women's rights, politics, education, evolution and spirituality.

Unlike so many working in the business she is an engaged woman who knows the true power of words. Levelling criticism at some of her male contemporaries for the effects that the violence and machismo in their lyrics has on the young, she purrs, "... formidable minds pay the price for your microphone mistakes. Change or be changed. Break the chains, don't be slaves".

Lazy beats with sweet soul soaked in Rhodes piano and double bass punctuation provide a wonderful, musical contrast to the often gritty subject matter. "Philadelphia Child" combines the city's trademark strings with tabla percussion whilst "What???" extends the variety to subtle drum and bass rhythms all of which compliment Ursula's vocals.

Charged with 'she-lectricity', hers is a silken delivery that, like Michael Franti's, demonstrates that a quiet word in the ear can speak volumes above the microphone rant. Ursula is one that would like to see hip hop become more responsible and more original. This is a woman who is both a poet and performer with important things to say and with her smoky, seductive lyricism it is all too easy to listen and absorb.

This Album Was Ultra Hype.......2004-09-19

I have heard Ursala's voice on The Roots albums and Slyk 130 and I always wondered if she had produced her own material. I stumbled on this album and is was worth every nickel. Every track on this CD is hype. This CD straddles the nexus between Spoken Word, Neo-Soul and Chill Out Music. If you buy this album you will be playing it over and over again. This album is supreme.

Ridiculous........2002-10-24

Def poetry spam on plastic. You wade through each selection's
preachy diatribes wondering when/if the music is going to start-this is simply not my cup of tea. Talking loud, but saying
nothing. Bruthas if you come home to your lady and hear this
cd on in the background or Sade's Lover's Rock, just turn around
and come back when the drama clouds blow over....

GIVE ME MORE..PLEEEZZZ.......2002-10-11

A wonderful melange (her word) of feelings,thought,voice,and music. Ursula Rucker has compiled a very powerful and soul felt series of songs that touches on our past,present,and future experiences as Black People in America. Her poetic justice is to be applauded and her rhythmic beats grooved upon.I came across a website reading the back cover of the newly released JazzyFatNastee CD and went to see what the site contained..and there she was..I clicked and listened and immediately went about the business of purchasing Ursula's CD. I was very disappointed to find that it wasn't to be released for a week or two. *sigh* So I pre-ordered it and patiently awaited its arrival. MUST I SAY THAT I AM EXTREMELY PLEASED WITH THIS CD! I have become an avid fan of Def Poetry and for those of you who are as well this is one you MUST have in your music collection! It's ALL THAT and more. She is a very skillful poet,fluid,and concise. Her message is of hope and dilligence and brighter tomorrows along with a deep reverence for our past. I've told everyone I know to buy it..NOW!

A spoken word CD for people who don't like spoken word CDs.......2002-06-14

Ursula Rucker gives us a downright interesting record here. If you think you've got her all figured out base on her slight offerings on a few of the Roots records, you're missing out. Here, she is fully produced and stretches a lot more than a poem a year on a hip-hop record might lead you to believe. In fact, her music really makes the record, lifting it well above the pale of poetry CDs on the market (what few there are) when her poems don't.

Is she the greatest poet in the world? Of course not. Her messages are often a little too obvious and preachy and her voice doesn't hit too much above her regular monotone anywhere near often enough, but man, does she know how to pick the song for the job. On tracks like "Womansong" and "7" she is working fully within her range and making great tracks out of good rhythmic and stylistic ideas.

In fact, the music on this record is so consistently good that you'll often find yourself circumventing the poem for a soul music fix. Her tracks are informed by the recent bump in attention to actual soul music like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and D'Angelo. The tracks are smoothed-out funk, and you can tell she's from Philly by her choices. Great stuff here, and not radio pap. You could put the music for "7", "Brown Boy" or "Letter to a Sister Friend" against almost any groove on the radio right now and watch her sales soar. Alas, radio's not that brave, and the record is just this side of too old for the short-attention span of the medium anyway. Sad. On the strength of the music on this CD, the album made it on my list of the best of 2001.

Tracks:

In Her Elizabeth
Womansong
7
Letter To A Sister Friend
What???
Digichant
Philadelphia Child
Supa Sista
Brown Boy
Spring
One Million Ways To Burn
Song For Billy

Customer Reviews:

Philly All Day!!!!!!.......2005-01-23

It's amazing that no one has reviewed this album yet. It's a great compilation of spoken word. Infused with the urban rhythms that Philly artists are famous for. Don't get me wrong. She is in no way similar to anyone else. But, she is indeed All Philly!!!!

Average customer rating:

Supa Sista
Njeri Earth
Manufacturer: Earth's Rotation Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Rap & Hip-Hop | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000CADJVK
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Jazz Music:

Jazz Music

Jazz Music