Thanks to the hit TV One show, “Unsung” dozens of R&B, soul, disco, funk and hip-hop artists are now getting their just due. The sixth season of “Unsung” begins with Isaac Hayes, whose “Theme From Shaft” is one of the most famous movie theme songs in history, Though Hayes won an Oscar for the song, becoming the first African-American composer to do so, he didn’t get all the accolades he deserved in his lifetime.
As always, even more artists will be profiled this season. Season 6’s lineup includes hip-hop pioneers EPMD who weathered a difficult breakup, Minneapolis band Mint Condition, who’ve survived over two decades together virtually intact, Midnight Star, who hit big with “No Parking On the Dance Floor,” solo star and New Edition member Johnny Gill, Temptation Eddie Kendricks, who attempted a solo career after he left the group, singer and philanthropist Lou Rawls, and a two-hour special on disco with Gloria Gaynor, Nile Rodgers and Thelma Houston.
This season, Salt and Pepa’s DJ, Spinderella will join the show as its “ambassador,” live blogging and tweeting about each episode. The Queens-born rap star, born Dee Dee Roper, says she’s excited about connecting with fans of the show. She says she’s particularly looking forward to the EPMD episode as she was starting her career at the same time they were, but her favorite episode is one of the series’ most memorable.
“The first one to air! Debarge!” she told TVone.com. “Once I saw that, I was hooked. I was a huge Debarge fan. My other favorites include Teena Marie, Donnie Hathaway and the Marvelettes. Coming from a girl group, I could understand a lot of what the Marvelettes went through. Times have changed but issues in the industry are the same. Everyone’s “Unsung” journey is so enlightening.”
