Tuesday at Rehearsal
Private location

Familiar Faces
It was hot inside. When I walked in, Doc sat in a chair in the hallway. He said that Donnell, Baba and Godfather had a meeting going on. Doc and I talked a little, and then he went to get something from his car.

Halima walked in and we both walked into the rehearsal area. I gave her a copy of The Beat. I asked her about her rapping - she said she's practicing. She casually looked in the Beat and was shocked that EU was performing back in 1974.

Halima, Doc and I had a discussion about music. We listened to Fantasia's Free Yourself. Doc said that it needs proper harmony in order to be done properly. Doc said Missy Elliott wrote it. Doc said there are only three GoGo groups that have good harmony: Exquisite Band, which is not in FF's circuit, L!ssen and After Hours Band. Doc said that Mary J. Blige's is the same song as Bobby Caldwell's What You Won't Do for Love. Baba stepped in to say hello.

As time went on, Donnell, Godfather, DP & his sons Derek Jr. and Darrell, Mike, Dwayne, Smoke, Jacques and Duane Face arrived.

Donnell talked about helping Halima by having her vocals in every monitor like his are. He said like Prince and compared himself to Prince. Dwayne laughed, I pointed out to him that Donnell had compared himself to Jesus too.

They rehearsed Fantasia's Free Yourself - in the pocket. On one point, Derek Jr., who was playing drums was feeling it and they had to ask him to play a simpler beat. Dwayne said he though this would be best played in the pocket. He said, "I agree with Donnell". Doc said, "That's the first time." Donnell said, "No, that's just the first time he's agreed with me, PUBLICLY." Dwayne talked about using the keyboards to back up vocals

Godfather looked at the Beat, I told him it was remaindered, cost only $2.

Donnell said there are three methods of doing harmony - one is horns backing up and keyboards. Donnell said we did that twelve years ago with Funky Ned, you are my father's Chevy.

James works at night, which is why he can't come to rehearsal.

Larenzo maybe the proper spelling of the keyboard player's name (later I confirmed it is Lorenzo). He came in briefly to pick up his pay.

Smoke wore a Northeast Groovers t-shirt. I told Halima that he and Stomp used to be in Northeast Groovers and that the lead talker of the band, Rah, comes to see FF every Wednesday and that he leads a new band called What? Band. I also told her that he was an original member of 911, but Donnell corrected me and said that Bobby Smoot was in it before him.

Duane Face came in without his keyboard and sat by me - he wore a matching "24" NASCAR hat and t-shirt. I asked him if he was a NASCAR fan, he said no, that he liked them from a fashion standpoint. That it helps to stand out and that the fact that there was a matching t-shirt to go with the hat was a bonus. He said that he went to the UCB show that 02 went to on Thursday. He said he and 02 talk about Northeast Groovers a lot. Duane Face left suddenly, he had somewhere to go.

Halima's still sick. Halima said until we do lunch, we aren't friends, we are associates

I went over some unknown things in the setlist with Donnell.