5 Essential Dallas Lofi R&B Tracks From 90s Music Video Program On Public Access Television

By Sebastian Jobst

If I ask friends where they listen to music nowadays, NTS often pops up as an answer. The original name “Nuts to Soup” fits perfectly with the hungry music squirrels looking for their next batch of new tunes to munch on. 

Last week I listened to the NTS show “Image Search”. As a gay kid of the 90s, R&B created room for all my unresolved feelings. The Janet Jackson demos drew me in so I browsed their archive  and the 2017 Dallas Vernacular R&B Special caught my interest. The show featured tracks from public access television that were aired in the Dallas area in the late 90s, prominently one music video show “Positive Profiles”. 

The show creator D. Alfred Jones produced, shot and directed music videos for upcoming artists and sometimes featured his own tracks. Luckily you still find some of the music videos on YouTube and more so Mr. Jones kindly put some of his work on Apple Music and Spotify under the moniker David AJJ. Most of the artists presented on Positive Profiles have not put out more releases that are traceable through the internet. Gotta love a mystery!

Public access television had the appeal of low budget productions with a wild and wide range of talent in your area. A local YouTube before the dawn of the internet. If you browse through YouTube you spot hilarious local commercials from that time, home musicians that snarky commenters like to make fun of but you have got to admire the lo-fi approach to make something happen. It often is more charming than overproduced clips that follow the same formula to bait a generic audience. The unpredictable magic of public access television happened in between rather dry clips from the latest council meeting and mall opening where inexperienced creators were given the opportunity to experiment. It’s a time capsule that encourages us to create with what you have now and not to wait for big things to happen.

To get you a feeling of Positive Profiles, here are some of the highlights of a creator who gave back to his community with the help of public access television.

1. D. Alfred Jones . N.M.J. (New Millenium Jazz)

From the show creator himself: a peaceful, relaxed alliance of hip hop and jazz with a surprising  beat straying from its determined path so it could easily be turned into an electronic anthem. Best scenes show D. playing keyboard in front of a broken egg sculpture or simply vibing with a flute at his car. 

2. K-Li Hooks - Let*s Talk About It

It’s upbeat and catchy but mostly I remember the looks. Spot comfortable styles like a white tracksuit ensemble , wide leather jackets matched with bucket hats, or more sleek fits in the form of one shoulder dresses paired with red tinted sunglasses - all elements you see Gen-Z happily embracing again. 

3. Fonksta’ - My Reality (Of Life)

Best part in my nostalgic view of the 90s is when hard and soft collided. Mary J. Blige with Method Man or Janet with Busta Rhymes are best examples for it. My Reality follows the tradition. Filming in front of moving trains sets it apart from the usual city backdrops.

4. Lady T.J. - That’s What Love Is

The spoken word temptress Lady T.J. softly caresses herself with a single rose while her sultry voice reassures her lover that their feelings are mutual. She’s putting sensuality in consensual love making.

5. Shelley Johnson Feat. David A.J.J. - Sign Your Name

Shelley is my absolute fav in this lineup. With a dry delivery to a  devastating effect she creates a captivating atmosphere that reminds me of contemporaries like Tirzah. She wins me over when in all her seriousness she suddenly cracks a smile but immediately regains composure. Sign of a true star.

We’re so used to having access through a single internet search query but it’s a lesson in humility to trust the process that things can also find you. Regional time capsules like Positive Profiles rarely make it out of their originally intended area. And maybe I was able to extend their invitation so you can share it with a friend.

Share your favorite discoveries with me, You can reach me on IG @cahier_dex