R & B Feels like....

Well you probably thought I was talking about the music genre. HAHA! fooled ya! I am actually talking about this wonderful new product I checked out for my hair. If you have dry hair, I found the perfect remedy. It is called R&B by LUSH cosmetics. Lush is an all natural leave in hair conditioner. It is "Bay Leaf Infusion" It works well with African American or curly hair because it conditions with a lot of moisture.

Check out this product! You will soon see my face endorsing R&B.

www.nikwestbass.com

"Just In The Nik Of Time" Album Review

Artist: Nik West

Album: Just in the Nik of Time

Review by Alex Henderson

Much of contemporary R&B is so high-tech, so programmed and so heavily electronic that a lot of younger R&B artists don’t think in terms of chops or learning to play an instrument. They learn to think in strictly technological terms, which is a real contrast to a time in which Larry Graham (of Sly & the Family Stone and Graham Central Station) couldn’t wait to display his virtuosity, and the notorious perfectionist Godfather of Soul James Brown would fine his musicians if he thought they weren’t giving 100%. But Nik West is one 21^st Century R&B artist who isn’t lacking in the chops department. She is a young electric bassist who clearly knows her way around her instrument and plays like she has been inspired by the funky likes of Graham, Louis Johnson (of Brothers Johnson fame) and Marcus Miller. She has accompanied a few well-known artists, but on Just in the Nik of Time, West is the one in the driver’s seat.

Although West plays her electric bass on this album, which she co-produced with Justin James, she isn’t strictly a bassist. The Phoenix native, who spent some time in Seattle and is now based in Los Angeles, is also a highly expressive singer. West’s vocals, in fact, are the primary ingredient on Just in the Nik of Time, which favors a jazz-tinged neo-soul approach along the lines of Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and India.Arie. This is not a jazz album per se. Stylistically, there is a major difference between what West does on Just in the Nik of Time and what a hardcore jazz vocalist like Kitty Margolis does on her albums. But West, like Badu and Scott, clearly operates on the jazzier side of neo-soul, and she is as jazzy on “Eyes Closed,” “Wait a Minute,” and “Written All Over Me” as she is on “Who’s in the Mirror” and the uplifting opener “Be Okay.” West’s orientation on this album is modern R&B with jazz overtones, and like other neo-soulsters, West favors a more organic approach to modern R&B. She uses technology but doesn’t allow herself to be overwhelmed by it.

Most modern R&B is not neo-soul. So what is it that puts Just in the Nik of Time in the neo-soul category? Part of it is the way West has been influenced by both the past and the present. West’s appreciation of the old-school soul of the 1960’s and 70’s comes through, but Just in the Nik of Time never sounds like it was actually recorded back then. Hip-hop’s rhythmic influence asserts itself even though West isn’t inundating listeners with rapping (Lady Lyric’s performance on “Never Forget to Love” is spoken word rather than actual rapping). Although producer Justin James uses a certain amount of 21^st Century production gloss, their production has a warmer quality than most modern R&B productions. Further, she is going for honest, soulful expression rather than style over substance or attitude for the sake of attitude. West has a lot of substance, and she occasionally touches on social issues. West delivers a feminist message on “Black Beauty” and the Latin-tinged “Do What You Gotta Do,” encouraging young women to be good to themselves and not fall prey to the dangers of the streets. Much to her credit, she gets her message of female empowerment across without becoming preachy or getting into male-bashing.

If West could have improved on this album in some way, it would be to keep the ten tracks as they are, but add an instrumental or two. Back in the late 1970’s, the Brothers Johnson would include an instrumental on their vocal-oriented albums so that singer/bassist Louis “Thunder Thumbs” Johnson and singer/guitarist George “Lightnin’ Licks” Johnson could spotlight their virtuosity. It wouldn’t hurt West to do the same on future albums. She is a talented bassist, and having an instrumental or two would be beneficial for her. Still, this is not to say that West doesn’t excel on this album. Just in the Nik of Time is a consistently strong debut from the promising neo-soulster.

Review by Alex Henderson

Rating: 4 stars (out of 5)

Alex V. Henderson is a veteran entertainment journalist, business reporter, travel writer and public relations writer whose work has appeared in Billboard, Spin, The L.A. Weekly, JazzTimes, Jazziz, XBIZ, Creem, HITS, Black Radio Exclusive (BRE), AlterNet, Skin Two, CD Review, Players, Latin Style, Pulse!, Music Connection,All About Jazz, the R&B Report, Black Beat, Cash Box and a long list of other well known publications. Since 1996, he has contributed several thousand CD reviews to The All Music Guide's popular website and serious of reference books (including AMG's rock, blues, R&B, country, electronica and hip-hop guides).

Alex has written numerous liner notes, bios and press releases for many well known record companies, including Verve, Concord, MCA/Universal, Island, GNP Crescendo, Chesky, Delicious Vinyl, TSR, Rhino, Priority, Del-Fi and Challenge.

Lights, Camera, Action

My album is done...there is one more song however that wont be done in time so will be released as a single...its called Lights, Camera, Action. I am getting pretty SASSY in this song so get ready for it HAHA! Thanks to Modern Groove Assembly for co-producing this for me. Lady Lyric wrote this song and told me to be sassy lol!! We will see how that goes.!

As for the rest of the album, you can get it NOW at www.nikwestbass.com

Look for it on itunes END OF FEBRUARY!

For now, check out "Just In the Nik Of Time" below!

xoxo!