“Sound
of Silver, talk to me. Makes me want to feel like a teenager. Until you
remember the feelings of. A real life emotional teenager. Then you
think again”
LCD Soundsytem’s “Sound of Silver”
isn’t an album that I discovered in 2007 and I wouldn’t have been ready
for it then. It’s an album that makes more sense as you get older and
experience life. On the surface, it’s a great dance record made by one
of the best producers this century in James Murphy. But underneath those
pulsing rhythms and sly lyrics is an album that not only touched my
soul and made me ponder life, it’s an emotional piece of work that’s as
introspective as it’s fun
I found a kinship in Murphy
because he didn’t find success until his 30s. When I discovered LCD at
26, I had just quit my job and was looking for something to keep going. I
was single (not for much longer) and when I heard “All My Friends”, it
made me feel something. Missing my friends, missing college, feeling
like I tried so hard to be a success that I missed something in the
journey. (“you spend the next 5 years trying to get with the plan and
the next 5 years trying to get with your friends again”).
When
I first heard the full album around around 2011, I didn’t know what to
expect besides the twin killing of Someone Great and All My Friends.
What I got was something that made me dance, think and cry. An album
that had what I call “soul on the dance floor” and transformed LCD
Soundsystem from a great live band with singles to a band that spoke to
life.
This was another year where I did as much as music discovery of older music as I did newer music. I fulfilled two of my goals of listening to the Rolling Stones and Stevie Wonder’s catalogs and my appreciation for them is so much deeper.
It’s no secret hip-hop had an incredibly down year in the mainstream. But I chose to not only lament hip-hop but show love to music that did move me. With Spotify and word-of-mouth from friends, there’s so much out there that I have to do more than just say Iggy Azalea’s music was derivative or YG’s album was more about DJ Mustard’s production than his rhymes.
So without further adieu, here we go.
TOP 10 ALBUMS
Run the Jewels 2
Spoon - They Want My Soul
Big KRIT - Cadillactica
D’Angelo - Black Messiah
Chromeo - White Women
Prince - Art Official Age (his best album since Musicology)
TV On the Radio - Seeds
St. Vincent - St. Vincent
Sam Smith - In The Lonely Hour (better than I expected and he can sing his heart out)
The New Pornographers - Brill Bruisers (light goodness that stayed in my head)
I wanted to write a tribute to the 10th anniversary of Little Brother's classic debut "The Listening" but instead, I felt it was an excuse to make a video so I did. Besides, I wrote a lil something about them over here at my man XLUSIVE's website.
It's one of my favorite albums and it takes me on a soulful high with 9th Wonder's beats while still earthbound thanks to Phonte and Rapper Big Pooh spitting raps that anyone could relate to. Especially a 21-year old kid in 2006 who was getting ready to transition from college to the real world. This and The Minstrel Show helped me big time in that period.
I forgot to add how hilarious "Make Me Hot" (the true debut of Percy Miracles) and Roy Lee's skit are. What I also forgot is that I'm proud of that memory when I bought it. It was a cool moment with my uncle, who is no longer with us, and it was my first ever trip to a spa since I was having some lower back pain.
Also, when I saw Little Brother in San Diego in 06, I told Phonte that I found that album and he was admittedly surprised since it's hard to find. Still one of my highlights is that I took pictures with him and Big Pooh.
Enjoy and if you can find this album, go buy it or listen to YouTube. The instrumentals alone are a thing of beauty and I downloaded them a year or two after getting this album. Even though the trio is no longer together, I thank Phonte, Pooh and 9th for creating a masterpiece (2 if you count Minstrel Show) and continuing to make great music away from LB. Not to mention being hilarious and greatfollowson Twitter.
Every year I do a Year in Review series so here's my pick for my favorite songs of the year that I listened to.
Hands on the Wheel – Schoolboy Q and ASAP Rocky had one of the year's first hits. I'm in no way advocating the message of it but it went hard. Hypnotic beat, dark hook and my first sign that TDE was more than just Kendrick Lamar.
Schoolboy Q reminds me of a harder Game and this might have been the hardest song I heard get radio play (which I still don't understand considering it was pretty profane). But either way, it definitely stayed in my head and as I've learned, big hooks hit you harder than almost anything.
The best way I can describe seeing Fishbone live? Just letting go and giving in to the music. Midway through the set, lead singer Angelo Moore was asked to take off his wig. But he said no because... “We’ve already crossed that line of ridiculousness and we
can’t go back now!" That's how I'd describe being in their show.
I've been a Fishbone fan since 2004 and the one I heard that defines them more than their music is their live show. Fans told me that they were outrageous live and hearing their albums doesn't do their shows justice. So when I had the chance to see them for only $15 in Hermosa Beach, I jumped at the chance. Even better that I found out my old college roommate would be meeting me and my lady there.
What happened over the next two hours? Pure energy and madness. Mosh pits and wild times!
A month ago, I wrote about "Pyramids" - Frank
Ocean's nearly 10-minute ode to the past/present/queens/strippers/Egypt/and more.
Despite my initial thoughts on the song, it didn't take away from the fact that
Channel Orange was one of the most anticipated albums of the year for me and I
still wanted to hear it in depth.
That review would be overshadowed by Ocean revealing his
past with another man and him dealing with the heartbreak of that love not
being fully reciprocated. Surprisingly, I saw most respond to this very well.
It said a lot that in this day and age, a male R&B singer's career isn't in
jeopardy from who he loves.
That brings me to Channel Orange. I wasn't sure what to
expect from it but since I loved Nostalgia/Ultra, I knew was going to be
quality. What I didn't expect was that it was so similar in mood despite
touching on different themes.
The mainstream was very weak in terms of quality albums. There weren’t too many quirky hits like Cee-Lo's “F You” or funky dance jams like Big Boi's “Shutterbugg.” I had to suffer through "Party Rock Anthem" and tried to love it by hating it even more. But hey, every year has novelty acts. Today’s LMFAO is yesterday’s Afro Man.
But I found a lot to enjoy this year. I had to dig harder and trust folks’ judgment and I found greater joy in my own choices. Especially when SoCal produced some great music. So 2011 will be remembered for more than just a British songbird who made us all connect with her pain. It’s the year the West Coast finally found a new rap voice to pick up where Game left off.
Best Albums
Kendrick Lamar – Section.80 (The Finest West Coast album since Below the Heavens or Documentary – my #1 album this year)
Phonte – Charity Starts at Home (Tigallo finally went solo and dropped a gem)
Big K.R.I.T. – Return of 4eva (Too many words to describe this – soulful, dope, well produced)
Adele – 21 (The most unlikeliest blockbuster pop album in ages? Well deserved)
The Roots – Undun (A powerful statement that will be listened to for years)
Frank Ocean – Nostalgia, Ultra (The Best R&B album this year hands down despite being a mixtape)
Elzhi – Elmatic (Elzhi’s tribute to Illmatic – my favorite HH album – set a high standard for future tributes)
Black Keys – El Camino (Loved the bare bones, straight forward rock sound. Consistently great)
Foster the People – Torches (Fun, fun, fun.)
Game – R.E.D. Album (Say what you will about Game but he has NEVER dropped a bad album)
Yelawolf – Radioactive (Didn’t expect much from it so maybe that’s why it surprised me)
Best Songs (Besides My Top 5 and not in any order)
Kendrick Lamar – HiiiiPower
Big K.R.I.T. – Hi’s and Lows, Country Ish (f. Ludacris and Bun B)
The Roots f. Big K.R.I.T. – Make My (KRIT gets the Roots stamp of approval and they and Dice Raw make an elegy for their hero)
Elzhi – Memory Lane
Adele – Turning Tables
Frank Ocean – Strawberry Swing, American Wedding (very well written)
Foster the People – Helena Beat (A dead ringer for MGMT but I LOVE it)
Black Keys – Lonely Boy
Cee Lo/Melanie Fiona – Fool For You (yeah it’s 2010 but the remix is 2011. Saw em debut it live too)
Jay-Z/Kanye West – Negroes in Paris, Murder to Excellence
Game – Ricky, Born In the Trap
Lupe Fiasco - All Black Everything (a genius song, GENIUS), Lightworks
Common f. Nas – Ghetto Dreams
Tyler the Creator/Hodgy Beats - Sandwitches (struggled with putting this here, but you'll see why)
Pusha T f. Tyler the Creator - Trouble On My Mind
Nas – Nasty
M83 - Midnight City (an overwhelming beat with a killer sax solo straight out of the 80's)
Rise Against – Help Is On The Way
Red Hot Chili Peppers – Adventures of Rain Dance Maggie
Social Distortion – California (The OG’s of the punk scene still make great music)
Incubus – Adolescents (The album bored me but this song was amazing)
Talib Kweli – Friends and Family
Sublime With Rome – Panic, PCH
DJ Khaled – I’m On One [I hate to put this one on here but that beat is mesmerizing]
How do I top the memory of seeing Big Boi and Cee-Lo on Valentine’s Day, a great show at least with Big Boi’s set? Seeing the Purple One himself for 2 hours rocking out the old jams. Prince was still as energetic as he was in his prime and to see an entire arena go nuts? Best concert ever.
The best musical innovation this year? Hands down Spotify. Not only was I able to listen to full albums that I’ve always wanted to here but it combined the best of Real Player, iTunes and Pandora and allowed you to create music playlists for FREE. I still value buying albums but it allows you to hear a lot of older artists as well as preview new albums.
Phonte reunited with 9th Wonder and they both sounded great together. Not to be outdone, Rapper Big Pooh held his own on his solo joint. I'm perfectly okay with all 3 of them doing their own thing and reminding me why I loved Little Brother last decade. And you noticed I couldn't pick a favorite Phonte song? That's cause they all were incredible.
Rock music came back with strong singles and established acts reclaimed their throne but to me, it was the new kids from SoCal who brought some energy. Foster the People and Rome Ramirez with the reunited Sublime made rock radio have an LA feel once again.
In regards to Kendrick Lamar’s album this year, the reason I really loved it is because content wise, Lamar was a 23 year old who was speaking to and for his generation. I respect writers and figures who can do that without sounding preachy. Whether it’s speaking on drug effects, racial harmony, girls turning lesbian after bad experiences, he rapped with conviction and passion and the West Coast needed it. That’s why I loved Section.80 to death.
Mainstream hip hop was disappointing but hip hop was still fresh. There were great albums and mixtapes that showed potential. So I won’t cry about the wack music on the radio as much, I just think hip hop is in a better place away from the stream.
*Yet, R&B felt dead to me. Frank Ocean was a revelation because he showed he can write as well as he can sing. Nostalgia, Ultra felt like a departure from what I expected since he was affiliated with Odd Future but even as his star grew this year, his voice sounded great on hip hop or R&B jams. Besides him, Ne-Yo and Maxwell need to drop their next album soon.
Lupe Fiasco was a big story of 2011. After label drama he finally realized his 3rd album, Lasers. Needless to say, I hated it and blamed Atlantic for compromising him. But after hearing his Friend of the People mixtape, I believe that right now Lupe is where Nas was in 1999 – lyrically on point but has a bad ear for beats drifting from his usual production team and his work is suffering. He still spits gems when he wants to but right now, the jury is out until F+L 2 and if "American Terrorist 3" is any indication, he hasn’t lost it
Odd Future captivated music heads and Southern California. They and Kendrick Lamar gave my city much needed buzz after all that jerkin and skinny jeans craze. Tyler, the Creator and Hodgy Beats had the performance of the year with their show on Jimmy Fallon (along with Lupe on the BET Awards). Free Earl became the chant of the year - despite yall knowing how I feel about Freeing rappers.
In one year, they went from an unknown crew to heroes of the underground making moves. Yonkers for me was a fantasticly, disturbing video. Will I be buying their albums? No, since I can't consciously see myself hearing them on and on without feeling conflicted or needing to purify my ears. Plus, besides Tyler, Hodgy and the currently gone Earl Sweatshirt, none of them dudes are great rappers.
In the end, 2011 will be all about an old soul at 23. The beautiful, British songbird Adele blessed us with her album of pain and rich soul. In a year that reminded me of Alicia Keys dominating in 2001 or Usher in 2004, Adele made hits that didn’t sound poppy but rich with the pain of a breakup. It didn’t always appeal to my ears and my mood but she wrote them well and if she wins a load of Grammys, so be it.
I love her honesty, her no frills approach, her lack of gimmicks. She just sings and it may be boring to some, but right now it’s refreshing. It’s a shock that her album sold as well as it did but it’s a shock I’ll be happy with. In a year where you had to look hard to find great stuff, Adele was right there doing her thing without caring about sale or image. Just raw singing and rich emotion.
I never thought I'd see somebody sell that many records again. And honestly, Adele might be in the Top 10 for albums sold in 2012 after she gets her Grammy boost. Congrats.
Welcome to 2012!!! I'll be doing a few years in review pieces like I always do but I'm taking it different this year. I'm starting off explaining my Top 5 songs of the year, then doing my annual music year in review then finishing it off with my regular year in review. If I can pull it off, I'll leave some final reflections in a 4th blog.
I believe the journey is just as important as anything. In looking ahead, you have to look at where you came. So without further adieu, these are my 5 Favorite songs of 2011 picked for various reasons as explained below. You'll see the rest of my list when I do my music blog (favorite albums, singles, stories).
I didn’t listen to Kendrick Lamar until I heard his verse of Game’s “The City” and I didn’t want him to stop rapping even after the track cut off. But over the year, I realized he became the most talked about MC out of LA since Game or Blu. Word came out that Snoop and Dre passed the torch to him at a show. So I finally listened to Section.80 in November after the West Coast edition of this hip hop podcast I was on.
I’ll have more on the album in my top albums post. But this song stuck out to me in so many ways. A song about one of the two main characters on his album, it reminded me of “Brenda’s Got a Baby” with a twist. How many times have I wished for a song that rapped about the struggles women face instead of tell them to dance.
This song moved me to tears one night. A vivid tale about Keisha being doomed as a prostitute with a sad ending. A haunting beat that sets an ominous mood. Kendrick raps each word with so much passion and then the final verse he unloads with energy almost similar to what Nas did on “One Mic”.
Kendrick made this song as a warning to his little sister. It’s a song young women need to hear just as a reminder that life isn’t about shaking your booty, but making wise choices.
What makes Big K.R.I.T. such a dope MC? He captures the best of the South – beats that knock, beats that have soul, songs repping his home, the club and uplifting tracks. When I think of the South, that’s what I imagine the best of the region to sound like.
“The Vent” showed K.R.I.T. at his most soulful where his balance of rapping and crooning meshed perfectly with a mesmerizing, self-produced beat. Similar to Keisha’s Song, the atmosphere is set for K.R.I.T. to preach but instead, he bares witness to his pain and his own thoughts on life, the radio, Kurt Cobain’s suicide and more as he struggles to deal with the death of a friend.
I felt every word of this song and being able to listen to this in Mississippi when I was on my road trip made me feel even more connected to it. K.R.I.T. has passion in his voice and when he said “The radio don’t play the ish I used to love…or maybe I’m just growing up. “ I felt that completely.
This song set the mood for many nights of writing/reflecting. One man’s vent that let into his pain and reminded you of what you’ve overcome too.
Let’s forget that all of you maybe heard this song to death along with some great remixesof it as well as covers (John Legend's is amazing). Let’s forget that this is the Billboard No. 1 song of the Year or that Karaoke TV (Idol, X Factor, The Voice) will no doubt see this performed often. Just remember how great this was when you first heard it and why you liked it.
Adele’s gift is her old soul voice and the way she makes you feel her words despite her coming across as stiff live. So enter some 60’s soul for her background, some backup harmonies and a soaring hook that overpowers you like you were in church.
The first verse is a great crescendo. Simple guitar lick in the first 4 bars as the verse starts “There’s a fire starting in my heart…” then add some drums for the 4 bars, then more instruments and then let it go. Each word adds to the energy and her voice rises to the music so when that hook comes, it’s like the voice of an angel scorned.
Pain didn’t sound anymore beautiful and soulful on the pop charts than it did here. I love how old school this song feels. I could imagine Diana Ross, Aretha Franklin, or any soul legend in the 60’s take this song and elevate it. Adele made it her own and when it ends, you feel like you were taken on a trip you want to relive.
I’m shocked this song was such a huge pop hit. It doesn’t sound like anything on radio and it’s wonderful. The lyrics are sad just like most of the album yet that music uplifts you.
The minute I heard this song in January, I knew it was one of the best songs I had heard in a while. It had me amped for Lasers and while the album disappointed me, this song was an incredible piece of work that said Lupe hadn’t gone soft with his political content.
(I couldn't choose between this or All Black Everything, which I feel is one of the finest songs Lupe has written. But since I wrote about both of them already, I'll go with the single which is this)
Soon as Skylar Grey sings the first words and that beat drops and Lupe jumps in saying “I really think the war on terror is a bunch of bull ish”, you know this song means business. The music is as powerful as Lupe’s words and it reminds you of “American Terrorist”.
It’s the most politically charged rap single I’ve heard in years. Maybe since Killer Mike and Ice Cube released “Pressure” but that didn’t make the radio. At a time when rap has gotten safe, Lupe said that we need to question what we see and what we’ve been sold and test a few conspiracy theories that hip hop used to discuss all the time.
I love the 2nd verse but it’s that 3rd verse where Lupe shines by pretty much saying “I’m tired of people holding back, I’m tired of being afraid of my thoughts scaring people, I know it’s not easy but if I get my thoughts out, maybe you’ll do the same.”
Sometimes a song comes out of nowhere and kills you softly. A song that just makes you feel good because it sounds so fun and simple. No song did that for me like Pumped Up Kicks from the new princes of L.A. rock.
It was a toss up between this and Black Keys’ ”Lonely Boy” for my favorite rock song. Heck, it was a toss up between this and “Helena Beat” for my favorite on Torches. When I made my decision, I chose the song that stuck with me longer and reminded me of the summer and SoCal cool.
The lyrics are deceptively shocking as they discuss a robbery spree but they mask it behind a smooth drum beat and great synths. Mark Foster’s airy voice reminds you of a backup singer for MGMT but you can’t help but dig every minute of it.
This song was joy in simplicity. A great sound from my city.
I guess I oughta let you what's been going on lately. A month ago, I was at a crossroads and it's time I tell you where God's directed me. Word to T.S. Eliot, April was far from the cruelest month this time around.
For the few who haven't seen or heard, I started writing for Bleacher Report this month to add my takes on the NBA Playoffs. I'll still post a few observations on here but that's where I'm gonna be devoting most of my sports takes.
It hasn't taken long to make an impact. My 3rd published story is close to 3,900 views and counting after making the lead story on the website and the LA Times' Bleacher Report web page. There's plenty of irony there because the Times wasn't hiring when I applied out of college and I dreamed of making the sports page one day. Forget Charlie Sheen, that's winning folks.
And to top it off, I've been emailed that my stories have been a success and the site would love to work with me to have a greater profile based on my background and what I submitted so far. Praise God for quick success and favor.
I got inspired to check them out after seeing one of my Twitter pals (and a fine future journalist) apply for them. I knew the website but I felt like I was against most of their content and overblown lists. Yet when I thought about it more, it's all the more reason to write for them.
First, it's more exposure for me and I know this full well. Second, I get the chance to write solely on a team or topic which is something I wished I could've done at the paper.
Does that mean I'm giving up sports talk at the Gumbo? Nope. But it does solve a dilemma I've had as far as struggling with too much sports talk here and alienating my non-sports audience. And Bleacher Report is only the latest part of my plan to extend myself as a writer. This year, I've still kept up my freelancing with the Daily Breeze while also doing some high school sportswriting for this website called Court Cred. (by the way, that's my first ever video interview - not counting this favor I did for my lady.
I've finally discovered that Blogger keeps track of my stats here. I had to smile that My Black History post on White Heroes is one of my most popular posts and so is my post on LCD Soundsystem's "All My Friends." - two of my favorite pieces of the year. Even better that my rant on the "Free Your Favorite Rapper" trend is also well viewed.
By adding B/R to the fold, I'm living the No. 1 rule of being a writer. Keep writing. I'm only going to get better from this and my mood. I already have 5 articles up there (5,000 views and counting) and I'm gonna keep writing. My mood has changed and instead of being mostly confused, I have purpose and inspiration again.
My favorite new show of last season is back with a vengeance. Season 2 of Treme started last night and I'm back in the Crescent City seeing how the good folks on the show are dealing with Katrina 14 months later. Knowing what David Simon did on "The Wire" and how each season centered with a different aspect of the main plot, I was happy to see this season apparently focus on the curfews and police officers going rogue along with continuing the main plots.
And how did I not know Melissa Leo was in this. I was wondering where did she come from when I saw "The Fighter".
It's been rough this spring as I'm struggling to adjust to no "24" for the first time in 9 years. I tried to get used to Law and Order:Los Angeles but it was gone for 3 months and I'm still getting used to the excellent reboot with Alfred Molina as lead detective and Terrence Howard as lead DA (by the way, Skeet Ulrich was a great fit who shouldn't have been taken off). So Treme is gonna uplift me a bit more.
I didn't tell many folks this but I gave up music for Lent. It was by far one of the most challenging things I've done and even when I did it in high school, it didn't feel as extreme as this. I'd have a different song stuck in my head every day and I felt crazy that I couldn't go to my I-pod or Youtube to check it out.
It's a challenge living in silence when my life is surrounded by noise. I listened to more weekend sports talk radio than I ever want to and staring at my iTunes was difficult every day. To make it worse, I had to stay silent mostly during the 1-year anniversary of Guru's passing and missed a chance to see Mos Def for free at USC. I cheated briefly when Nate Dogg passed but it's been mostly silence and getting deeper into my Christian music.
But I'm glad I did it. I've been getting reacquainted with a few more Gang Starr tracks and rediscovering why Odd Future is the most buzzed about Cali act since The Game.
Next up, starving for 30 hours this weekend for world hunger. We're gonna end this month on a GREAT note.
Along with Nas, Ice Cube is my favorite MC. I bought his first 3 albums the summer of 2005 and they were the soundtrack to understanding why Cube was hands down the hardest MC in his prime. You can only get so much from downloading individual songs like I did.
I've told folks that Cube from 1990-1993 can stand toe-to-toe with any MC (and for that matter, throw in his NWA years since he was the main songwriter along with MC Ren). He balanced realness with pop success. He sold well, had everyone listening to him and most of all, he scared folks with brutal honesty about growing up in 90's Los Angeles.
His 2nd album Death Certificate is one of my favorites in any genre. A brilliant concept album that has influenced more MC's than you think. I'm going on a limb and saying it's the greatest solo West Coast hip hop album. The only album worth competing is Tupac's Me Against the World or 7 Day Theory. Death Certificate combines of both of those albums - passion, anger, sobering realism and uplifting his audience.
Just from that picture, you knew it was serious. Cube with his hand over his heart over Uncle Sam's dead body. You knew this wasn't just any rap album. It was about to get raw and real, as soon as that preacher finished his monologue on the opener.
DC was a more independent, focused Cube. His first album was made with the help of the Bomb Squad but this was all him, Sir Jinx and the Lench Mob. NWA had already dropped their followup and went #1 - proving they could survive with Cube and take shots at him. If AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted was his warning shot, DC was his full-on assault that showed he was the wrong brotha to mess with.
DC is split into 2 sides. The Death Side - Cube running wild like a typical hood kid who doesn't know any better, being angry, reckless and ends up dead. The Life Side - A rebirth where Cube realizes the error of his ways and becomes an advocate for the community in the vein of Malcolm X, Nation of Islam and the Black Panthers.
I love the Life Side because it shows Cube at his most conscious, volatile and angry. You can tell he became a full on Muslim with how he goes off on folks. Hard to pick a favorite song so I'll highlight some of my favorite tracks that sum up why this album earned 5 mics in the Source
"My Summer Vacation" - Cube's brilliant storytelling shines here. A tale of drug dealers going to Minnesota/Seattle to find work. Think further proof of DJ Quik's "Just Lyke Compton"
"A Bird in the Hand" - A song you don't hear about today. Everyone wants to be drug kingpins and all that but Cube is the one to admit the reasons behind most folks doing it. A last resort after trying to find work with no diploma and being short on cash. The BB King sample makes it feel even more bleak.
"True to The Game" - an attack of Black folks who sell out their communities/culture. The video is incredibly provocative and I wish Spike Lee used this in "Bamboozled." Be true to who you are and not who you think you should be.
"Us" - Cube pointing the finger at Black folks for contributing to their problems. As angry as he is as America, white folks and Korean store owners, he's quick to show it here as well as call for doing more to help themselves. Again, something we don't hear often that we need, especially today.
"Alive on Arrival" - 3 years before Biggie kills himself on wax and at the same time Scarface did the same on his debut, Cube writes from the P.O.V. of a guy shot in the streets and slowly dying in the hospital. Also a critique on bad health care in the Black communities. It's also the next to last song on the Death Side before Cube is reborn.
Oh yeah, the only guest appearances are on "Color Blind" with a pre-fame WC and Coolio among the verses. There's also skits from Khalid Muhammad closing the Death Side and beginning the Life Side. But this is all Cube holding his own and making footprints in hip-hop. It also has one of the greatest disses ever in "No Vaseline" where he destroys NWA and Jerry Heller.
It's better than Snoop Dogg's debut because while Doggystyle is sonically and lyrically tight, there's no social commentary on there. It's better than The Chronic although while it created a whole new sound that Cube later emulated, Snoop was arguably the star of that album just as much Dr. Dre. Tupac's best work rivals it because Ice Cube was Tupac before Tupac hit the mainstream.
And for all the controversy surrounding the racial content, it still went No. 2 on the pop charts and platinum. Proved that Cube was arguably the biggest solo rapper in America and not only does controversy sell, so does artistic integrity. .
Why do I love it? Because it's a coming of age album. It describes the life of most Black men in that era - from being like O-Dog and Doughboy to Furious Styles. It's a maturity in hip-hop that isn't heard enough today. It's cinematic in its approach as Cube is a street reporter who tells it like it is without sugarcoating or exaggeration. It's music made with a purpose.
Case in point, this album is West Coast hip-hop at its finest. Check that, it's hip-hop at its finest.
Summer's the only season where music is an absolute must. I made a playlist back in 2003 and its funny - its always timely no matter what songs I add to it. And y'all know it ain't summer until Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince say so.
Something about songs to play in the background while you're cruising, at a house party or cooking on the grill makes you feel good. I define a summer jam as a song that just gives you a great vibe for summer break, vacation or just lounging.
Here's my list and not every song has to say summer to give you that feel. Drums please!
DJ Jazzy Jeff and Fresh Prince - Summertime
Ace of Base - Cruel Summer (love this more than the original)
Smash Mouth - Walking on the Sun
Lil Rob - Summer Nights
Sugar Ray - Fly, Someday, When It's Over (They owned summer for five years)
Don Henley - Boys of Summer (The Ataris did a fantastic cover)
Dr. Dre - Let Me Ride
Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg - Nuthin But a G'Thang (duh!)
Len - Steal My Sunshine
Eve 6 - Inside Out
Third Eye Blind - Semi-Charmed Life/Never Let You Go
Howie Day - Collide
Jay-Z - Dear Summer
Dove Shack - Summertime in the LBC
Roscoe - I Love Cali (Kurupt's younger bro's only hit but a classic)
Rancid - Time Bomb
Beach Boys (ummmmmm pick a song, any song, I'll pick "In My Room", "California Girls")
LFO - Summer Girls
Sly + The Family Stone - Hot Fun in the Summertime
Slighty Stoopid - Sweet Honey
Kool + The Gang - Summer Madness (sampled by Will and Jazz, classic goodness)
Incubus - Summer Romance
Tribe Called Quest - Find My Way
Vitamin C - Smile
Sublime - What I Got/Doin' Time
Arrested Development - Mr. Wendal
Boyz II Men - Vibin'
Lighter Shade of Brown - Hey DJ
Naughty By Nature - Jamboree
Steel Pulse - Can't Stand It (might remember this from Do The Right Thing)
311 - Amber/Champagne
Home Grown - Surfer Girl
+44 - Lycanthrope
Fishbone - Party at Ground Zero/Everyday Sunshine
What's your favorite? And what's gonna add itself to my list? I give Katy Perry for trying her best to make a summer jam but it's sadly a lost art to craft a song to fit the best season. Certain songs just remind you of summer but we don't have too many songs just made for it.
As a bonus here's a link to a dope mixtape for the summer from Jazzy Jeff and Mick Boogie, arguably my favorite mixtape DJ in the game.
It started on Facebook yesterday when I posted as a status that as much as I love MJ, I feel that Prince is the greatest musical genius of the past 30 years. I got great feedback from my friends on there, including my cousin, and inspired me to try to tackle one of the hardest debates ever.
Who was better: Michael Jackson or Prince. For years I thought this was one-sided and now, I'm not so sure. I won't answer the question but I'll just create some talking points based on what I know about their careers.
First let's get this out of the way. Over the last 30 years, few artists have had the musical influence that both have had. It astonishes me that both were born in 1958 and before they were 30, they produced some of the greatest music ever. Maybe because I'm now starting to reach the same age they were in their prime, it's mindboggling what these guys did.
MJ has his imitators (Usher, Justin Timberlake), Prince has his (D'Angelo, The-Dream). They both changed the sound of R&B and pop music - MJ gave it polish and edge, Prince gave it rawness and creativity. And I say imitators with respect to how they carried on the legacy.
Both of them studied James Brown/Jackie Wilson and other greats and meshed their own style with that. MJ was influenced by the legends of Motown around him, Prince by his father's jazz background and the various funk bands of the 70's. Both were/are incredible showmen that are some of the best live acts music has produced.
So now let's break down the argument. I'm not the best judge on both careers but I'm gonna try based on what I know.
PRIME (1979-1993)
Both Mike and Prince made a splash in 1979 ("Off the Wall" album and "I wanna be your Lover" single). That started off them owning the 1980's and making some New Jack swing albums in the early 1990's.
(If you want, you can argue that Prince helped influence New Jack Swing. Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis co-wrote some of the biggest NJS hits of the day and they were former members of The Time - the greatest Prince affiliate ever.)
Prince made more albums, MJ had more hits. You can argue that MJ didn't make any missteps during this point except maybe his own stardom and making each album an event. Some of Prince's albums aren't good from this time but just when relevance passed him by, he rediscovered it.
What may give Prince an edge here is that he didn't just promote his career, he promoted other people as well. During this time, he wrote hits for Morris Day & The Time, the Bangles, Sheila E. and others (not to mention Chaka Khan and Sinead O'Connor covering his songs to No. 1 on the charts).
But then again, Michael Jackson only became the biggest star on the planet, reunited with his brothers, introduced the moonwalk, had the biggest selling album ever, performed at the Super Bowl and broke down racial barriers on MTV and co-wrote one of the biggest selling singles ever ("We Are The World") which also raised money for charity. Tough call, and we haven't even broken down their own music.
ALBUMS
Michael Jackson changed R&B forever with "Off the Wall" - a mix of dance songs, ballads and maturity that set the stage for what he'd do with Thriller. Thriller changed music forever because of great songs, great videos, outstanding production, and a perfect storm that had been building since he was in the Jackson 5.
There isn't enough room to describe how great this album is. Still remember the excitement of buying it in 2002. The 20th anniversary edition.
I loved Bad for the hits and Dangerous because I grew up with it - but critics say they weren't as good as the first two. Whatever man. Bad had 5 No. 1 hit singles (most ever on 1 album) not counting Smooth Criminal. Dangerous was a great New Jack Swing album with Teddy Riley that still crossed genres and showcased his stellar writing.
Invincible was pretty much an album people loved or hated. A comeback that made waves but didn't have many hits that impacted the radio. But Butterflies was a great R&B jam.
It would take way too long to list all of Prince's albums. To me his downfall was doing too much instead of quality control. But his significant ones to me are Dirty Mind, 1999, Purple Rain, Sign O' The Times, Diamonds and Pearls, Love Symbol, and Musicology.
Dirty Mind and 1999 made Prince a star before Thriller came out. Purple Rain was his "Thriller" - one of the greatest movie soundtracks ever. A mix of funk, rock, R&B, computerized love and angst that made him a superstar.
Sign O'The Times was a risk because he fired The Revolution and did it all himself. One of the great double albums ever - it crossed so many genres (jazz, R&B, rock, pop, 50's pop, funk), lyrically hit on many issues of romance and the issues of the day. An underrated classic IMO.
Diamonds and Pearls/Love Symbol were great New Jack Swing albums and like MJ, it showed how he could update with the times and still be unique. And Musicology to me was a great comeback album that showed him aging well and still being able to make music that hit the masses.
If you use Rolling Stone's barometer of their 500 Greatest Albums list. Prince has 4 on there and MJ has 3. Dangerous to me >>>>> Diamonds and Pearls/Love Symbol (the songs on Dangerous hold up better in my opinion although I love Gett Off, Sexy MF, Diamonds and Pearls). But Musicology >>>> Invincible as far as a better comeback album.
Thriller and Purple Rain are even. Off The Wall and 1999 are too. So you're left with Bad vs. Dirty Mind and Sign O' The Times. Not a bad debate to break down in depth one day (and I forgot about Prince's Black Album)
SINGLES
Let's accept that "Billie Jean" is Michael Jackson's most critically acclaimed single. Let's accept that "When Doves Cry" is Prince's most critically acclaimed single. You want to break those songs down, be my guest.
Take MJ's best 10 singles and put them up against Prince's? Let's just pick 10 hypothetically.
MJ: Billie Jean, Beat It, Off The Wall, Bad, Smooth Criminal, Human Nature, Man In The Mirror, Don't Stop Til You Get Enough, Black or White, Heal The World
Prince: When Doves Cry, 1999, Kiss, U Got The Look, I Wanna Be Your Lover, Little Red Corvette, Let's Go Crazy, Raspberry Beret, Gett Off, Sexy MF
Some of the best R&B/pop of the last 30 years. Think about how many songs I didn't include. (MJ: Dirty Diana (my fave), Rock With You - Prince: If I Was Ur Girlfriend, I Would Die 4 U).
Prince's songs span more genres, Michael's made you dance and think. Prince's introspection pre-Musicology (Strange Relationship, Sign O'The Times) doesn't get as much credit just like MJ's ballads (Break of Dawn, Lady In My Life) probably don't.
OVERLOOKED SKILL
Prince - his guitar playing. We all know about his virtuoso musicianship and sometimes that overlooks how he can hold his own with some of the best. Listen to his solos on "I Could Never Take the Place of Your Man", "Little Red Corvette" and especially The Time's "777-9311" if you don't believe me. He owned "While My Guitar Gently Weeps" when he was inducted into the Rock'N Roll Hall of Fame. I won't dare say Prince is one of the greatest guitarists of the last 30 years but he can shred with anybody to prove that he can play.
Michael Jackson - his songwriting. This was rediscovered in depth after his passing but MJ had the ability to write on a range of topics. For all of his superstardom, he never lost that ability to see beyond himself to write about the world around him as well as within. I watched the Jacksons "American Dream" and I saw a point where MJ said he had stories that he wanted to tell away from his brothers. Safe to say he brought us closer to him and I can't say this enough - he WROTE AND PRODUCED "Billie Jean" himself.
I can go on and on breaking this down but let's face it - this blog has already gone on long enough and I've made my point. Prince might be the greatest musical genius of the past 30 years but Michael was the greatest entertainer in that time period. Both of them are icons and while MJ has passed us on, let's appreciate Prince while he is making more accessible, grown folks music.
Makes me wonder what if they actually did collaborate on "Bad" - a dream we'll never know. But here's a treat I found on Youtube last year
Like I said, it was the last great year for the music industry as we know it. I've talked with one industry insider this year and she pretty much told me that there is no industry. Credit the downfall to rampant downloading, Soundscan not taking album downloads into consideration, and the lack of connection that'll tie fans to a movement.
That's why I say that Usher exploding with Confessions with the last of a dying breed. It was a monster that combined the rising crunk sound, a 3-year wait between albums and a deeply personal album that involved him and TLC's Chilli (allegedly). It had all the ingredients to be a monster and it was.
1.1 million sold the first week, four No. 1 singles that spent 28 weeks at the top, the last album to sell 10 million in the US - that's why I call it the Thriller of our (this) era.
It was also the year Kanye West said hi. I'll never forget people going nuts over bootlegging it and the day it dropped, someone recited "All Falls Down" at a poetry slam and I thought it was dope without knowing who it was. College Dropout still remains one of the best albums of the decade and one of my all-time faves.
Like I said in my last post, Kanye spoke to me like no rapper had before. Some other music highlights/lowlights
- Conscious rap was supposed to be in vogue but it turned out not to be what we thought. Talib Kweli's album wasn't as solid, Mos Def's album was as inconsistent, The Roots dropped arguably their worst album.
- Kanye's ascent coincided with the last stand of the three rap heavyweights. Jay-Z was in the middle of his retirement album, Eminem dropped his worst album (which still has some gems on there), and Nelly dropped 2 albums, his last major success. I still love Suit and think it showed the direction that Nelly was gonna succeed with.
- Maroon 5 dropped with a dope sound. It's funny cause I remember my friend Vanessa going to see them in Fall 2003 at this local bar in San Diego before they blew up. Then they came out to our campus in 2005. Unbelieveable
- T.I. dropped his biggest hit of the time "Bring Em Out", setting the stage for his rise as the next biggest rapper.
- Franz Ferdinand was a breath of fresh air and dropped one of my favorite joints of the decade "Take Me Out", rock needed a kick in the balls and this song smashed anything else at the time. And then MIA dropped "Galang" and it still sounds as fresh/original now.
- Biggest comeback had to go to Green Day, who changed their sound, elevated punk rock and made the soundtrack to a crazy election year and eventually the recession "Blvd. of Broken Dreams" still sounds relevant today esp. for college graduates and 30-somethings who watch their dreams get re-evaluated.
- "Why?" was one of the best songs Jadakiss ever did. Ironically it may have been the last major hit from NY from a non G-Unit artist. Oh wait, forgot about wack Mims.
- Oh yeah, I also got into Prince a lot more closely. I bought his comeback album "Musicology" in December and I remember enjoying it all over Washington D.C. It made me discover a lot of his music. In 2005, I bought his greatest hits album and "Sign O the Times"
- Still can't believe people tripped out over Britney Spears "Toxic" - might just be the best reviewed single of her career. I actually liked "Everytime" because it was a piano ballad.
- And although I didnt discover it until 2005, one of the most beautiful albums ever dropped. Changed the notion of what I thought hip-hop could sound like. The Foreign Exchange - Connected. An album made with two guys in different countries who never met except on a message board and showed how the Internet could aid in making great music.
It was probably one of the last years we all had a shared musical experience. Everything was going to end up on I-Tunes, rampant downloading and message boards (plus the radio shifting towards a younger audience). Take it for what it's worth. Fond musical memories for me. What about you?
Before I went to Orlando, I DL'd (legally) a bunch of albums. Imesh is cool like that, much better than Limewire. So I just wanted to give my thoughts on them cause as much as I love sports and life, I love music.
I knew Stevie Ray Vaughan as a guitar god but it wasn't until I played Guitar Hero 3 where I finally heard some of his stuff, "Pride and Joy". Then I went ahead and DL'd "Texas Flood" because a Guitar World poll ranked it as his best solo. I heard "Love Struck Baby" on the radio out here and when I saw all three were on the Texas Flood album, I had to get it.
Maaan that album is some of the best blues I ever heard. "Testify" is on repeat right now, "Rude Mood" is some sick playing, "Mary Had A Little Lamb" is dope. Hands down, this is a must-have album and hearing "Testify" Live makes me wish I could see him.
Stevie Ray was a bad MF on the guitar and he played with so much soul that when he didn't sing, he said a lot. To me, that's music at its finest. Just for the heck of it, I DL'd the Essential Stevie Ray and Double Trouble album and I love it - great covers of Stevie Wonder's "Superstition" and Jimi Hendrix "Voodoo Chile" along with his own jams.
We don't get hear too much of the blues nowadays and I'm glad Stevie Ray helped keep it alive in the 80's before his death.
Earlier this year, I said I wanted to hear Silversun Pickups' albums because I'm a huge fan of "Lazy Eye" and "Panic Switch." I DL'd "Carnavas" and I admit I was disappointed because it was so mellow. Songwriting may have been there but I expected some more. But then I listened to "Swoon" and was blown away - it starts off with a bang in "There's No Secrets This Year" and keeps it up. It's a much harder album and is definitely a step forward lyrically too.
I know they get compared to Smashing Pumpkins a lot, vocally and sonically, but that's why I like them. They have their own sound and who better to mimic than one of the best bands of the 90's Swoon is definitely one of the best albums this year and Carnavas is growing on me. "Panic Switch" was a late addition to the album and I'm glad it made it.
L.A. needs a band to rally around and I have no problem rallying behind SSP. Although the LA Times rides hard for them, it's refreshing a bit to see us have a local act succeed.
And now we come to The-Dream. I said earlier that "Rockin That Thing" is one of the best singles this year and I felt like getting Love vs. Money. Not a big fan of his voice, but I respect good music when I hear it. Well I got it and I was definitely impressed - he stepped up his singing to match his production.
The first half is strong - esp. "Walking on the Moon" with a solid Kanye verse. The second half was hit or miss but production wise, this album is fire. He's got a great sound but my problem has been his singing. This album, he settles into his voice a bit and it's still a great album. Few people are making Top 40 music as inventive as him and Tricky Stewart and R&B benefits from it.
I hate comparing anybody to Prince but you can see his influence over Dream's music. It's a unique listening experience and i think he's doing better when he uses his voice to fix the beat - he won't be the singer Ne-Yo is but he's creative in his own way. When he strikes gold, it's great. I was shocked and from someone who's not a fan and nitpicks over profanity in my R&B at times, this album is great but my R&B album of the year leader will be in Vol. 2
