27 And Counting
written by
The Scorpion
The rise of neo-soul roughly began in the mid-to-late 90s when R&B artists such as Erykah Badu and Maxwell first hit the scene. Badu's "Baduism" and Maxwell's "Urban Hang Suite" were instant classics and SHOULD be part of everyone's R&B playiist. The neo-soul movement embodied the dynamic and emotion-stirring foundations of old-school soul, while infusing a more fresh, jazzy yet sultry sound. During the early 2000's, a young British woman by the name of Amy Winehouse picked up the neo-soul baton and helped to carry the genre for the rest of the decade. Winehouse was small in stature, but she sang like a giant. Winehouse had that classic blue-eyed soul sound like Lisa Stansfield and Teena Marie. However, Winehouse also had that raunchy and rebellious spirit that helped her quickly ascend to lofty heights within the music industry. Her first album, "Frank" received much positive praise and critical acclaim within the U.K. when it debuted back in 2003. "Frank" from an acoustical standpoint, was the perfect blend of contemporary jazz and an eerily seductive R&B sound. Provocative singles from the album such as "In My Bed", "Fuck Me Pumps," and "Take The Box", helped enhance Winehouse's risqué and fearless reputation as an artist. "Frank" literally lived up to its namesake and put Winehouse on the R&B map. "Frank" predictably went platinum and help set the stage for Winehouse's next album.
By 2006, Winehouse was a household name in the U.K. and the rest of Europe. She had a modest following in the U.S. after "Frank" was released, but she hadn't yet captured the full attention of American audiences and music labels. Her second album, "Back To Black" had given Winehouse the international boost that she needed. "Back To Black" was genius because it still retained the soulfulness and passion of "Frank" but it also had a classic 1960's retro-theme throughout the album. Hit singles such as "Rehab" and "You Know I'm No Good" helped Winehouse achieve global stardom. By 2008, Winehouse was dominating the music charts. She had done a collaboration with Wu-Tang Clan's Ghostface Killah on the hit re-mix of "You Know I'm No Good", which had helped "Back To Black" reach multi-platinum status. Amy was officially flying high. Unfortunately, as Amy's fame and success grew, the typical demons that conquer and dominate some of the greatest musicians in modern history finally began to nip at her pointy high heels until she finally stumbled over and fell into an abyss of despair. Amy's life truly imitated her art, as she often battled alcohol/drug addiction. She was in and out of rehab and ran afoul of the law for most of the late 2000s. Despite all of her problems, Amy still kept touring and blessing the world with her voice. Shortly after recording her last song/collaboration (Cherry Wine) with the rap legend Nas, Amy had unexpectedly passed away in her London home back in July 2011. Just like many musicians and celebrities who lived fast and died young, the "official" cause of Winehouse's death was allegedly drug related (alcohol poisoning). Amy, because of her young age (27) also had the dubious distinction of being added to the "27 Club." This is where the real intrigue begins.
For the readers who aren't familiar with this popular and peculiar group, The 27 Club is a collection of musicians and actors/actresses who mysteriously died at the age of 27. The most renowned members of this list include Jimmy Hendrix, Jim Morrison, Janis Joplin, and Kurt Cobain. Many skeptics laugh off the 27 Club as conspiracy cannon fodder or an uncanny coincidence. Well, when you see the official list of the members of the 27 Club, you'll start to notice that there's something fishy and SINISTER going on. In the case of musicians, because they have the power to manipulate the masses via sound and vibration, they are immediately earmarked by the PTBs and the elites that lurk in the shadows. They can't have a musician influence the people in a positive manner. That would be bad for business according to the shadow execs who pull the strings in the music industry. They want the everyday consumer to be doped up, distracted, and depressed. The PTBs do NOT want people who think critically, read between the lines, and ask the RIGHT questions.
Since we're on the topic of asking the right questions, lets go back to Amy Winehouse for a minute. Why didn't Amy's personal assistant take her seriously when she told him that she would die young and be a member of the 27 Club back in 2008? Why didn't her neighbors call the authorities after hearing howling and screaming coming from Amy's house prior to her body being discovered? Why didn't anybody notice all of the strange numerology associated with Amy's death? Highly occult numbers such as 3, 9, 11, 27, 33 were littered all over the place. The official time of death 4:05 pm (4+5=9). Amy lived for 27(2+7=9) years and 311(3x11=33) days. Why didn't anyone pay attention to Amy's last interview when she explicitly told the show's host that she refused to follow her record labels orders to conform to the "triangle shape" she made with her hands? Also, why didn't anyone ask why her body was placed in a RED body bag??? Was the death of Amy Winehouse a ritual sacrifice? YES! ABSOLUTELY! The million dollar question is who or WHAT was she sacrificed for??? There's only two groups of people who know that answer: the puppet masters who really run the music industry and the members of the 27 Club. Obviously, dead men (and women) don't tell any tales.