Introducing a new contributor to Kspace, The Arab Parrot, who will talking birds, beats, parties and other culture meanderings in Los Angeles and beyond:

Sadly, last week we lost songwriter & singer Teddy Pendergrass RIP. In 1994 a rapper by the name of Ahmad sampled Teddy’s “Love TKO” to make a song called “Back in the Day.” Ahmad was 18 when he made the track. It’s a nostalgic remembrance of his childhood and young teenage years. In the lyrics he reminisces about about fashions from the 80’s…

We were a little bit early on the Mayer Hawthorne tip, including this track in our early playlist. However, as the summer has developed, so has the buzz, getting quite strong everywhere. This seemingly uncharacteristic crooner from Detroit channels some of Motor Cities finest…

“The Rumble In The Jungle”

This heavily hyped 1974 boxing battle between Muhammad Ali and George Foreman in Zaire was one of the sport’s greatest moments, but also a musical TKO. Ali and Foreman weren’t the only champions involved: following Ali’s “back to Africa” vibe, the event dreamt up by Hugh Masakela and Stewart Levine featured legends like James Brown, Bill Withers, Celia Cruz and B.B. King jamming to thousands at the top of their game…