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wax poetics - james brown / curtis mayfield - wax poetics - magazines

Cover Stories: James Brown’s the Payback, Curtis Mayfield, Bishop Nehru, Ghostface Killah

• Paid in Full: Fred Wesley did his second stint with the
James Brown Band during the Godfather of Soul’s
rebirth in the 1970s. Here, Wesley reminisces about
their seminal and best-selling record, The Payback,
which can be seen as a hard and cold metaphor for
social justice.
• The Message: The Impressions were up and down
on the charts for a decade, depending on the creative
inspiration of its songwriter and lead vocalist Curtis
Mayfield. The final three increasingly sociopolitical charttoppers
he wrote for the group—“We’re a Winner,” “This
Is My Country,” and “Choice of Colors”—would lean
more towards Black Power, alienating some fans and
radio stations, but would set the tone for his incredibly
important solo work to come.
• Golden Child: After releasing his first mixtape, 2012’s
Nehruvia, at only sixteen, New York phenom Bishop
Nehru arrived as a fresh voice laced with erudite
wordplay and a penchant for classic beats. With his
EP strictlyFLOWz the following year, he grabbed
the attention of MF DOOM, resulting in their recent
collaboration, 2014’s NehruvianDOOM. As he prepares
his solo album, with Nas on board as executive
producer, the old-soul poet is poised to help bring the
art form back to New York.
• The Champ: In an arena where MCs seldom have
extended careers, Wu-Tang’s Ghostface Killah has
increasingly improved through two decades after his
1996 solo debut, Ironman. His use of cryptic slang and
his gift for spinning complex tales leaves an unmatched
legacy—one that’s still growing.