Keni Burke, Risin’ to the Top | Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶

In the 33^rd edition of Throwback Vibez (2023), we recollect and reflect on “Risin’ to the Top” by Keni Burke.

“Give it all you got / You gotta wake up your body.” The vibes, the vibes, those Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶! Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 is a column that celebrates awesome songs from the past.  The records that grace this column are older, but that doesn’t necessarily mean that they’re ancient – no fossils 🦴! All genres of music are welcome. In the 33^rd edition of Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 (2023), we recollect and reflect on 🎵 “Risin’ to the Top”, performed by 🎙 Keni Burke.  

Sometimes, the beat – the groove – is enough to solidify a song’s hit status. 🎙 Keni Burke, initially known as a member of 🎙 Five Stairsteps, delivered one of those gems where the groove cemented the musical legacy. 🎵 “Risin’ to the Top”, from Burke’s 1982 album, 💿 Changes, is nothing short of a surefire vibe.  If you opt for the 7” Version,  you miss out on the build-up of the intro (the 5-minute version is the one to beat).  Beyond the beat, the bass line is among the most elite you’ll ever hear, often outlining an F minor 9 chord. Furthermore, the keys are utterly sublime giving “Risin’ to the Top” a jazzy, soul aesthetic. Soul is alive and well on this early 80s cut but it also shows evolution to a new breed of R&B. The color of the backdrop is one of the biggest selling points, making this Burke joint a popular source of sampling.

It is NOT only the instrumental that makes “Risin’ to the Top” hot. Vocally, Burke serves up compelling lead vocals – both smooth and soulful.  Furthermore, the backing vocals up the ante.  Then, of course, there is the songwriting, with plenty of memorable lyrics to complement the tuneful melody and impressive backdrop.  “Stop losing, yeah losing / Keep risin’ to the top,” Burke asserts at the end of the first verse, prior to encouraging the waking of your body.  The third verse is a prime example of the rise: “Big time illusions / Create a lot of confusion / But the time has finally come / Let’s get it done / Keep moving, yeah moving.” More than 40 years later, 🎵 “Risin’ to the Top” continues to be the definition of an R&B classic. It deserved to be a pop hit, yet, it only reached the R&B charts. Nonetheless, the legacy of the record, written by Burke, 🎼 ✍ Norma Jean Wright, and Allan Felder, is enduring 💪.

🎙 Keni Burke • 💿 Changes • 🏷 RCA • 🗓 1982

Keni Burke, “Risin’ to the Top”: Throwback Vibez 🕶️🎶 No. 33 (2023) [📷: Brent Faulkner / The Musical Hype; RCA; John Alan Sperry, PIRO via  Pixabay]