The Perfect Song

I listen to a lot of music especially while driving because I'm trying to find the right song to match how I'm feeling. It's a very tedious process without a cd changer but I have it down to a science at lights.

Moving on....

While listening to 'Assassin' by John Mayer for the millionth time, I realized something. The real important tracks on a cd are ones that you don't skip months after the album has lost its luster. Its' the track you can put on repeat for months straight.

For instance, 'Allure' by Jay-Z is a great song not necessarily because he's saying anything super-lyrical, but the feel is very nostalgic. I really feel I'm there in that Blueberry 5- I don't wanna blink twice to get there though-while the haunting hum from Pharrell lingers in the background. Transporting a listener into your mind through a song is a talent.

Though N.E.R.D's 'Seeing Sounds' cd was great as a whole, 'Laugh About It' really stood out to me. The way the drums hit (808's?) with the guitar melodies always gets me hype. Very catchy refrain and easy topic to follow.

And who could forget Nas' Second Childhood? Nas and Premo are classic. People are still doing that same stuff in that song over a decade later. SN- Lost Tapes is the greatest album Nas has ever made next to Illmatic. 

But that's what great music is supposed to be, timeless. That's when I feel I get my money's worth. Maybe the reason people don't buy cds anymore is not just because of music's availability on the internet, but rather people don't see much music out there worth spending $15-$20 on. I was watching this video of Lupe Fiasco at a University discussing how record sales don't define success. He goes on to say that Soundscan was a tool that was originally used exclusively by record labels to track where their money was going.

I wonder what would happen if numbers didn't effect who we listen to? Are we listening to artists purely because they sold a lot of records? Is Rick Ross a better rapper than Mos Def because he sells more? Are we afraid to listen to an artist that no one knows because someone didn't cosign them first?

I wonder who would have won the beef between Nas and Jay-Z if Nas had more commercial success.........

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When Hip Hop Isn't Enough

Most of us have rituals that we perform day in and out. We can set our watches to it. But those repetitive motions become well....too repetitive. We have to take a break from it in order to keep our sanity as well as gain a fresh perspective on the situation.

Hip Hop is no different.....

The game is not always going to be positive. And we are not always going to have a new/favorite artist' CD to wait to drop no matter how many mixtapes you listen to. You get tired of the same rotations on the three or four radio stations you listen to. And you are tired of rediscovering old CDs in your collection to get you in the mood to deal with traffic on (insert traffic-jammed highway here). If you are like me, that means its time to explore a different genre. Here are some albums that don't get old very easily (especially while driving).

1. The Way I See It - Raphael Saadiq
 Many people who are over thirty remember this guy. This former front man of the group, TonyToniTone has always found ways to make his sound different over the years. For the youngins, this is the guy who did a track on Rick Ross' Teflon Don. On this CD, Saadiq departs from more traditional R&B for a sound from the past. With melodies heavy with guitars, drums, and harmonies from back-up singers, there will not be much to distract you from the well written songs. I guarantee you won't skip through a track until the second or third go around. I know its almost three years old, but its good music. 


2. BLACKsummers' Night- Maxwell
Aside from the popular songs that women I know sweat over, I was not a huge fan before this album. What I like most about this album is wide arrangement of live instrumentation used. There are lots of transitions and instrument solos well after most of the songs that keep me listening instead of skipping to the next track. I especially like the trumpets. Don't ask me why....

3. Sade- Any CD She Makes
I find myself driving a lot late at night with no traffic. Putting her music in really helps me unwind and think. I can honestly say that I have never heard a bad song from her. Her and her band make great music. Not to mention she is well respected and sampled in the hip hop community. Soldier of Love  was her first album in a decade and people still went to buy it.

What are some of the artists you listen to when hip hop gets annoying? Paramore? Coltrane? Phil Collins? ( Yeah I said it. He's good music and still sells out stadiums.)

Use those fingers for something other than picking your nose. Yeah, I saw you.......