Award-winning columnist and critically-acclaimed author Solomon Jones's poetic radio commentaries on HIV, sex, gun violence and fatherhood have created a major stir.
Wisdom, Jones’s CD, takes its title from Jones’s first name – Solomon. But the title is more than a play on words. It’s an apt description of the CD, which is a compilation of Jones’s poetry set to a mix of Hip Hop and R&B by composer Flemuel Brown III, who has worked with artists like Boyz II Men and Gerald Levert.
Brown, who worked closely with Jones on the CD, knew immediately that they’d achieved something special. “It’s rare to find hard hitting lyrics that translate so well to music,” he said. “But I think we got the best of both worlds with this project.”
Wisdom – Jones’s first recording since his rap single, “It’s The Games We Play,” was released by Philly-based Word Up Records nearly 30 years ago – came about by chance.
“I never thought I’d record again,” Jones said. “It was fun back in the eighties when I was opening for acts like Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince and Kool Moe Dee. I mean, who wouldn’t want to say that they shared a stage with Will Smith? But after experiencing some success as a writer, I wasn’t looking to do music. I was looking to help the community.”
As it turned out, he was able to do both. Jones, the author of The Dead Man's Wife (St. Martin’s Press, 2012), and nine other books, was working on a community event with Clearchannel News and Public Affairs Director Loraine Ballard-Morrill when she asked if he was interested in doing radio commentary.
“I love to talk,” Jones said. “And like it or not, I have an opinion on everything. So radio commentary was a natural fit for me.”
Jones’s first commentary, which addressed gun violence, challenged parents to change their behavior. “We can’t sit with our children listening to rhymes about murder and mayhem, then tell them that violence is wrong,” Jones said in that commentary, which he later turned into the CD’s Hip Hop-heavy title track, “Wisdom.”
As the commentaries evolved, they began to sound more like poetry than speeches. The result was a poetic, spoken word style that blended news commentary with taboo subjects and controversial opinions. “Step Up Your Game My Sista” addressed the subject of women dressing like prostitutes. “Get Your Hands Off That Sista” addressed domestic abuse. “The Morning After” addressed HIV. “I Don’t Love Them Hoes” addressed the subject of men disrespecting women. “Friends,” which Jones wrote after a 12-year-old and a 15-year-old were killed in Philadelphia by their friends, spoke of wrong-headed choices costing children their lives.
“I got so many emails and phone calls regarding copies of his weekly commentaries on the show,” said former Carter and Sanborn producer CeCe McGhee, who currently hosts her own show on Radio One's Praise 103.9 FM, Philadelphia. “Of course Solomon answered the call with the Wisdom CD. His commentaries really made a huge impact on our listeners and for that, I'm grateful."
Jones is grateful, as well. “I believe that it’s time for writers to take the next step,” he said, while noting that he would donate a portion of proceeds from the release party to hurricane relief efforts. “It’s not just about entertainment anymore. It’s about helping to save people’s lives. That’s where Wisdom comes from.”
Solomon Jones is the author of ten books, including the critically acclaimed novel Pipe Dream (Random House, 2001), and his latest novel, The Dead Man's Wife (St. Martin's Press, 2012).
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