2020 – Cooking Vinyls
By Phillip Smith; Aug. 15, 2020
Like George Clinton
and Prince, Fantastic Negrito (Xavier Amin Dphrepaulezz) is a
creative force to be reckoned with. His
lyrics are timely, reflective, and meaningful.
His music is funky, soulful and tapped into the blues ever so
gently. His voice is definitely one
which needs to be heard. As the writer,
producer, singer, and multi-instrumentalist, Fantastic
Negrito has delivered a masterpiece in his latest album Have
You Lost Your Mind Yet?
With a delicious Stevie Wonder-infused
groove, the album kicks in with “Chocolate Samurai”. This being the closest thing to a title
track, Xavier sings “Have you lost your
mind yet? Get free tonight!” The song is fantastic. Following is “I’m So Happy I Could Cry”,
featuring the Tarriona ‘Tank’ Ball of Tank and the Bangas on vocals. Enduring days without electricity due to a
derecho which pummeled Iowa earlier in the week, this song imbedded in my
brain, was the only music I had to listen to for days. I’m so happy my sub-conscious picked this one
to keep me going. The world is going mad
and “What have we become?” is the sociological question asked in the ambiently
hazy ballad “How Long?”. I’m reminded of
Frank Zappa in the way Fantastic Negrito magically creates a complex array of
melodies and genres, fusing jazz, blues, and funk to produce amazing music. “King Frustration” is an excellent example.
There’s so much happening in this song, it opens up a bit more with each and every
listen. I feel thankful and happy when listening
to Xavier sing about his compadres
in “These are my Friends”.
I absolutely love this album! Have You Lost Your Mind Yet is a record you must listen to.
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