I Wanna Be a Duck

Common - Be

I can't stop playing this album. It's nice to anticipate something for so long and it not only exceeds expectations, but lives up to them after repeated play. To have Kanye West behind the production on 9 of the tracks and Dilla behind the remaining 2, I didn't think it was possible to fail. It didn't.

I believe that a copy of this album was leaked a few months ago, and I couldn't wait for it. For some reason, I downloaded the early copy and just kept it on my computer for a few days before I caved and listened to it. Ideally, given the level of appreciation that I have for an artist, I would wait until the record came out in stores and proceed with a number of steps. These steps would include a drive down to a spot where there is a good view of the city where I'd open up the cd case and read the book notes and see all the production credit...and so on. I'd also make sure I was mentally prepared to appreciate the music as much as possible...using herbal aids. Know what I'm saying? huh? I'm sure you do.

Okay, so the deal with this was a little different. I had to BURN a copy....yeah...burn it first. It threw off the whole routine, but it was worth it. I really enjoyed this album. The version that I had was a little bit rough, as it was missing the transition between the tracks, as well as certain mixing, but I still loved it and kept loving it everytime I played it.

Last Tuesday it was finally officially released. If you read my blog regularly, you'll recognize the fact that I mention it quite often. It's so good. I can't say it's one of the best albums I've heard or anything, given that it's still quite new and all, but I think I'd put it as one of the best I've heard this year.

The changes from the leaked version are few, but I still find them significant. Let me break down the songs for you all.

1. Be (Intro) - Holy shit. I loved hearing this song for the first time and I still have that feeling after hearing it so many times. As soon as the bass starts plucking away at the start of the song, it builds into a great introduction as to what you're getting yourself into. Kanye West and Jay Dee (Dilla) both add some goodness to it and produce a smooth, happy beat that compliments Common nicely.

2. Corners - This was the lead single that was released a while ago and it gave everyone a taste of what 'Be' was going to sound like. I've always loved Kanye and I am constantly impressed with his production. The rolling beat just gets me hyped up and I can't seem to get sick of it yet, no matter how many times I've heard it. The Last Poets grace the song with some poetry that they are so well known for and it does it justice.

3. Go - the new single and new video directed by Kanye. John Mayer provides the backup vocals...but really just sings the word, "Go". I wasn't hooked on this song like the rest the first time that I heard it, but I'm started to enjoy it more and more. Common's deliverly is crazy. His second verse shows his emphasing every snare...it's hard to explain what I mean, but it's really cool to listen to. His flow is complimented well in this track.

4. Faithful - The singing in this track is really great. John Legend and Bilal deliver some nice, harmonic vocals that compliment the odd-sounding vocal sample that plays throughout the chorus. The muffled trumpet that plays during Common's verses are really haunting and add a nice flare to the track. He creates a nice story about his relationship with Erykah Badu, or so one assumes, and concludes by informing us that they are still best friends.

5. Testify - My favourite track on the album. I LOVE the sample that is used and I think it works well. The leak cuts the track off too soon and thankfully, Kanye keeps it going on the retail version. A track like this is the reason why I love Kanye so much...the flawless way that he incorporates a sample into a track is just incredible. I don't really know how to describe it, although it probably looks like I have no clue what I'm talking about. Oh well, the point is, is that it works nicely and the story that Common tells in the song is really cool.

6. Love Is - This is a Dilla produced track and contains an incredible Marvin Gaye sample. I love songs that use Marvin Gaye samples. They never seem to disappoint. Dilla has a gift of producing that I didn't understand before, but I have been able to appreciate the more I hear him. The way he flips that sample into his trademark sound is unreal. I wish I could hear more of him on this disc, but I'm not complaining.

7. Chi City - ooooh...this is another favourite from the album. I can't get too into reasons for why I like this song, but my love for it has been slowly growing since the retail version came out. The one I had on the leaked copy was messed up a bit and it was hard to really enjoy it. The subtlties of this song are what makes it so great. The scratching, the beat cut-offs, and the fierceness of Common's delivery are just small examples of what I mean.

8. The Food (live) - I was surprised to see that they chose the live version from Chappelle's show as opposed to the studio version. I think I like the live version better, mainly because the studio one seems so forced and lacks the energy that the live one has. Kanye seems so...blah.. compared to the live one, where he's running around and all hyped up. Even Common seems to have more expression on the live version and delivers his lines with more force.

9. Real People - This track has a nice, jazzy-style beat to it. I love how the sax, the keyboards, and the drum beat compliment Common's voice so well. It's a nice addition to the overall feel of the album. I don't really have much else to say about it....so I'll leave it at that.

10. They Say - Ahhhh...one of my other favourite tracks from the album. Common uses this as a response to the publics opinion of him and Erykah, his last album, and the idea that he 'lost his mind'. They took off Consequence's verse from the leak, which really sucks 'cause I really like him and it should have stayed. They replaced it with a new verse from Kanye, which adds a little humour and shows that he's becoming a better MC. John Legend backs up the track and gives it some soul and really shows off his talent.

11. It's Your World / Pop's Reprise - Produced by Kanye and Dilla. This is a beautiful track and leaves the album with a perfect ending. I don't want to talk about it any further, so you just have to listen to it. It ends with Common's dad, aka "Pops", doing his usual rap that he does on the end of Commons' albums. This is where the "I wanna be a DUCK" comes in...'cause all these children begin to describe what they want to be when they grow up, such as a doctor, rapper, work in the gov't..etc. Then this little voice shouts, "I wanna be a DUCK!"....which is weird, yet inspirational(?). Check it out and you'll laugh a little.

So that's my mini-breakdown of the album. I figured I'd give it a week before I really posted anything about it in order to give it a really good listen. If you haven't picked it up yet, then I suggest you get it. There is a special edition version that comes with a DVD that is packed full of goodies and gives you, from what I assume, a good picture of Common.

That is all. Enjoy the album. Coming soon....Kayne West - Late Registration!!!

Lauryn Hill's new album? Is this legit?

Somebody has posted a tracklisting of Lauryn Hill's new album. Keep in mind, nothing has really been officially released, including the album title or the release date, but this is still huge news. I'm making this post based upon the possibility that this may actually be released. I hope this is real and not a rumor...

"Lauryn Hill's New Album = Sign O The Times"

1. The Conquering Lion
2. I Find It Hard To Say
3. Chains
4. Peace of Mind
5. One (Higher Soul)
6. Guarding the Gates
7. If I Should Lose You
8. Hanging Tree (feat Wyclef Jean and Pras)
9. Equilibrium Emancipated
10. I Get Out (feat. Ziggy Marley and the Melody Makers)
11. Found A New Love
12. What Is This

Disc Two
1. Turn Me Loose
2. A Change Is Gonna Come
3. War In the Mind
4. I Had to Walk
5. Nothing New Is Old
6. Patronizing Sentiment
7. Social Drugs
8. Who Am I (Ruffneck Gong) (feat. Nas and Stephen Marley)
9. Damnable Heresies (I Got Out)
10. Nah Want Silver and Gold
11. Chickens from the Yard
12. They Always Come Quietly (feat Guru, Wyclef Jean, Pras, and Busta Rhymes)
13. Horseless Chariots
14. Where Does the Time Go
15. What More Do You Want (Ex- Factor ReInterpreted)
16. So Much Things to Say

Where to go...who to see?

Here's the thing:

I need some advice if you have it. Don't be scared, write a comment!

Three of my friends and I are itchin' to get out of this city for a little while and do a little sight seeing. I'm under the impression that they, like me, are interested in going anywhere that can be reached my a vehicle in a couple of days and would like to go somewhere that is hosting an incredible concert. This could, and probably will, include a major festival or event.

Here are some considerations. We seem to be, as of the last few minutes, coming to an agreement on this one in particular.

ESSENCE MUSIC FESTIVAL - July 1-3 - NEW ORLEANS!



This one sounds hot. I love most of the lineup...minus a couple of them (ahem...Black Eyed Peas, Ruben Studdard, Lionel Richie)...but it's not like I have to see them. Check out the lineup:

Fri, 07.01.05
Main Stage
Aretha Franklin
Alicia Keys
John Legend
Ruben Studdard
Host: Jonathan Slocumb

Superlounges
The Roots
Vivian Green
Doug E. Fresh & Slick Rick
Bobby Blue Bland
Lyfe


Sat, 07.02.05
Main Stage
Destiny's Child
Kanye West
Teena Marie
Fantasia
Host: Jonathan Slocumb

Superlounges
Floetry
Mint Condition
Jeffrey Osborne
The Spirit Music Jamia with Me'Shell Ndegeocello
Gordon Chambers


Sun, 07.03.05
Main Stage
Maze featuring Frankie Beverly
Lionel Richie
Black Eyed Peas
Mo'Nique
Kem
Host: Jonathan Slocumb

Superlounges
Carl Thomas
Regina Belle
The Wailers
Talib Kweli
Terence Blanchard

Okay, as you can see, I'm excited for this possibility. The Roots (who should NOT be in the superlounge and should have a spot on main stage), John Legend, Kanye, Talib Kweli, Alicia Keys, Aretha, The Wailers, Doug E Fresh and Slick Rick, and Floetry. It's a nice lineup.

The downside? It's so soon. I don't know if we'd be able to make it in time...it's hard enough to coordinate 4 people's lives over a mini-vacation. Funds, time, and organization may take a little longer to work out, but it's not that bad.

My original suggestion was something that gives us a bunch of cities to choose from. De La Soul, Common and John Legend (with Rahzel). It's all over the place and I'd love to see them all together. I saw De La Soul here in Edmonton a couple of years ago and they put on an insane show. They had so much energy and enthusiasm. Plus, after the release of their last album, I'd love to hear some new material live. The thing about this is that it isn't a festival, so they would put on a longer show and it'll be a little more intimate. Plus, it has shows from the middle of July to the end of August.

Anyway, the point of this is to get some advice...has anyone seen any other festivals, shows, concerts that I (and my friends) may be interested in? It doesn't have to be a hip-hop / soul show, it could definitely be something else.

Mr. Bank Account, I apologize...

Wow. It's finally Tuesday! There are some great new releases today. I'm definitely going to be broke after I head out to the store. The thing is, most of these albums have been in regular rotation due to early leakage (that doesn't sound right...but I'm leaving it anyway and you can take it how you like).

Common's new album, BE, is released in stores today! I cannot wait to check out the actual final copy, which I hear has a DVD accompanying it. If you or your friends have not heard this album, please, listen to it. If you know me and want to hang out, ask me to play you this album, you will not be disappointed.

The new Gorillaz is officially released today as well. Danger Mouse takes over Dan the Automator's old role and produces the new album. It's pretty good...although I'm not as hooked on it as I was the previous one. This one has some pretty surprising guests on it...it's nice to hear Roots Manuva as a guest, he never seems to dissapoint (when guesting). I'll still pick it up, so hopefully it'll grow on me over the next little while.

Audioslave. I think I may get this 'cause I loved Rage, I used to love Soundgarden, and...well....I enjoyed the last Audioslave album. I haven't heard the new single yet, although I've heard it sounds different from the previous stuff. I don't listen to the radio although I'm curious about what that person meant by that. We'll see.

Another possbile purchase today is the new Young Gunz, but again, we'll see.

While I'm getting those, I'm also going to be picking up the long-awaited DVD of Chappelle's Show Season 2. This is a necessary buy and I'm looking forward to seeing this..minus the commercials.

Oh man...that doesn't even count all the new albums that have come out recently that I haven't been able to pick up yet. The new System of a Down, Nine Inch Nails, Spoon (which I LOVE!!), Platinum Pied Pipers...and I think that's all I can think of. It scares me to think of what else is out there.

Damn. Looks like a great day (and a sad day for my bank account).

Albums in Current Rotation

I really shouldn't be posting at work like this, but I am. I'm always listening to music, so I figured I would share the albums that I've had playing today. These are the ones that I've listened to while driving to work, or while I'm at my desk. Sometimes I do the shuffle thing, but today I feel like taking in whole and complete albums. So, as of 11:42am, this is what I feel like today:



Jean Grae - The Bootleg of a Bootleg EP. I was listening to this again on the way to work this morning and I can't believe how incredible this woman is. My intrigue with her began when she was with Natural Resource, and would do some work with The Herbaliser under the name "What What". Damn...she really took me by surprise and I basically fell for her after the first listen. This album is great. It really shows her MC skills and there is a 45 minute extended track at the end that has a bunch of freestyle tracks and older songs that she did with Natural Resource that alone are worth the price of the album. She has a new(er) album out too, called "This Week", that is just as good.



The Herbaliser - Very Mercenary. Oh damn. My reminiscing of Jean Grae has led me to listen to this little gem. Really though, I couldn't decide if I wanted to listen to this one or "Blow Your Headphones", since they both contain a young Jean and are both incredible. Ahhh...I think I may listen to this again, now that I think about it.



Cody Chesnutt - The Headphone Masterpiece. This is an album to listen to when you are in a stripped-down, raw, soul and funk mood. It's a double album and it's really good. It's very raw, in the sense that it's home-made and he really exposes himself in terms of letting people know who he really is. If you recognize his name, it's from The Roots song, "The Seed p.2", which is the second version to the one on this disc. I love how stripped down this album sounds and how 'in the moment' he is with each recording.



Elefant - Sunlight Makes Me Paranoid. I've been diggin' this album for a while now. It's not one that I want to play over and over, but, like The Strokes and all those other 'mod' bands, it's in the same vein. It's uses catchy guitar riffs, faux-accent vocals, and it's hard to deny the mind-sticking power that each song has. Why do I feel like this is a guilty pleasure? I don't know...maybe 'cause it's so much like something else. Oh! I know...it's Morrissey-like voice and The Strokes wrapped up together in a nice little package

Late pass?

I need to get a late pass.

I mean, it's impossible to listen to everything that comes out in the music world. Even when people I'm friends with are ranting and raving over certain artists, I still have trouble listening to it all. Sometimes that means not even giving it a chance. That's a horrible thing to write, 'cause I want to be known for having an open mind with music, but I'm only human, right?

Right.



I've heard the name Jeff Buckley for years (check out the wikipedia bio). It's not like I have friends who've been pushing him on me for years or anything, but I've heard and read his name from many respectable sources. I know I've heard a few of his songs as well, but they never really stuck before.

Until recently, that is. Enter my friend, 'ten', who exposed me to the genius that is Jeff Buckley. It's too bad this man is no longer around and can create more of the same kind of music that I've been listening to now for the last two months. He only made one full studio album, Grace (1994), but there are many live performance albums that have come out since his death.

I've been slowly digesting as many as I can. I listen to each live album multiple times before I even think of going on to the next one. They just get better and better. If only I could have seen him live...

"Live at Sin-é (Legacy Edition)"



...this is the disc that got me hooked. It's like everything clicked when I heard it. And this was only the beginning.

For those who doubt me or have never given him a shot, check it out. I'll even supply you with a late pass.

Do you have any other bands or artists that you can't believe you didn't know about before?

Entroducing Re-release / Random Music News

DJ Shadow - Entroducing



...one of my favourite albums of all time, is getting re-released on June 7th. News like this excites me in so many ways that I can barely speak (which is why I choose to type it out on a blog).

I'm not usually this excited about re-releases, especially since they usually contain the same thing that was on the original and are supposedly remastered to sound better. I can never really tell the difference and, having been convinced by a few people who claim to know the engineering process, that it's more of a marketing gimmick than an actual rebirth of the album.

So, why does this excite me then? Because it's a "deluxe, expanded edition". It says so on the new and improved package art.

Seriously though? This re-release contains a lot of other material, rare demos, live tracks, remixes, and single versions. It's just too nice to pass up. I'm hyped, I'm excited, and I'm full of anticipation. Do you know what the crazy thing about this is? Is that in 9 years, this album has only sold 290,000 copies (50 Cent's new album sold 4 million in a little over a month, to put things in perspective). What's wrong with people? I've had to buy 5 copies for myself in the last 9 years in order to keep up with the fact I've either scratched it to death, people have borrowed and not returned, or people break my car window in order to steal it (and other discs like it). This, my friend(s), will not be lent out, left in a car, or scratched. I plan on buying the vinyl as well....suckers.

Disc: 1
1. Best Foot Forward
2. Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt
3. The Number Song
4. Changeling (**Transmission 1)
5. What Does Your Soul Look Like part 4
6. Stem/Long Stem (**Transmission 2)
7. Mutual Slump
8. Organ Donor
9. Why Hip Hop Sucks In '96
10. Midnight In A Perfect World
11. Napalm Brain/Scatter Brain
12. What Does Your Soul Look Like part 1 - blue sky revisit (**Tansmission 3)

Disc: 2
1. Best Foot Forward (Alternate Version)
2. Building Steam With A Grain Of Salt (Alternate Take w/out Overdubs)
3. The Number Song (Cut Chemist Party Mix)
4. Changeling (Original Demo Excerpt)
5. Stem (Cops 'N' Robbers Mix)
6. Soup
7. Red Bus Needs To Leave
8. Mutual Slump (Alternate Take w/out Overdubs)
9. Organ Donor (Extended Overhaul)
10. Why Hip-Hop Sucks In '96 (Alternate Take)
11. Midnight In A Perfect World (Gab Mix)
12. Napalm Brain (Original Demo Beat)
13. What Does Your Soul Look Like (Peshay Remix)
14. DJ Shadow Live In Oxford, England, Oct. 30, 1997

Anyway, in other music news, LAURYN HILL (!!!!) performed at Cartier's 25th anniversary celebration. Yes, I believe that she's wearing a wig. I had links to share with all of you, but they are already taken down by the time I was about to post them. Boo. Oh well...all I want is to hear when the new album will be out.

What else....hmmm....lots of new albums are coming out in the next year that are getting me excited. There's a new Radiohead album that was just announced to be released next spring, Cee-lo and Dangermouse, Coldplay, Death Cab for Cutie, Little Brother, Common, Erykah Badu, The Roots, MF Doom and Ghostface, and all sorts of other goodies. Sounds like a great year.

Another story...

Okay, I haven't had much time to post anything lately, so I'm thinking I'll just post another
?uestlove story from the Okayplayer boards. This one was posted recently and I got a good laugh from it. It's from a discussion of this track, "Steve Williamson feat. The Roots - Journey to Truth (1994)", and how it was the first time the hip-hop/jazz fusion sound was just about to take off. ?uestlove comes in and tells this story about when The Roots were working on that track.

"here's another questo hall of famer story.

most of my friends are amazed im the movie snob i am...

especially when i have yet to view the classics.

(star wars, harry potters, lords)

anyways...back when working on this record at (townhouse studios in london?) i decided not to live in ignorance any longer and watch for the first time a classic film that cats been raggin me on for some time about not peeping: scarface.

so after a long night of tryna get "they dont wanna hear it" correct (to this date i think its the only song that took me more than 20 takes to nail....steve was a sgt kid!)---i resigned to the breakroom to peep this coked out classic.

well....just as i sit on the couch...two blokes come inside my breakroom.

im in the dark and its about 2 in the morning. i think im on the scene in which pacino and (other cat?) are on the beach tryna pick up women with that tongue trick)

you know how when you watch a well watched movie classic and you think EVERYONE done seen it...so you give it all away?

in walks in these two blokes---they sit on both sides of the small couch. im in the middle. clearly drunk for the next hour these two spoil my virgin experience with scarface. saying the lines and shit. talking all loud.

and even when i said "i never seen this film before" all these drunk fucks did was rag me on "how could you not watch scarface!??!?!?"

so.

midway in my fustration i walked out of the breakroom.--

while getting my backpack in the studio i mumbled some shit to my manager and the engineer overheard me talking about the two spoilers asses in the breakroom.

then engineer says:

"man...you just spent two hours with page and plant and all you wanted to do was watch the movie?"

oops.
. "

Ha!

Ahmir "?uestlove" Thompson upon meeting Fiona Apple

So now that I have a blog and I can post shit about music, I figured I would share this story to all that hasn't read or seen it. It was posted on the Okayplayer boards a while ago, sometime near the end of last year, and it made me smile...alot. It's the story of when ?uestlove, drummer from The Roots, met Fiona Apple.

I really enjoy both of these people and I can't help but respect everything they touch. Amazing musicians and they both appear to be cool people. Here's the story from ?uestlove about his night:

posted on the Okayplayer boards:

Titled: Best Night Ever, aka. I 'heart' Fiona

"this is not a post about our show at the house of blues last night.
this is all about the events afterwards.
i dont even give a fuck if i come off like a dickrider or groupie---but man
i have had the coolest night ever in celebrity history.
being as though i have pretty much met everybody that i wished to have
met, i forgot that sometimes there are people that i can admire AND
they be cool as shit.
to rewind....i was having a conversation about the "hollywood
mavericks" with tiffany limos (the rosario" of larry clark's KIDS
followup (the still undistributed-more-controversi al-than-the brown
bunny movie) called KEN PARK and how i was really lukewarm to "I ?
Huckabees" (director david russel is a favorite of mine)---but i added
that the score to the film was the shizznit and she was like "oh you
like "jon's" work? can i invite him to the show tommorow?"--

and im like jon fucking brion?

dude to me is like the friggin second coming of brian wilson. all of
the films he scored (my favorite being all the paul thomas anderson
flicks) are the ultimate. why? THE ENGINEERING! in modern music...my
top four favorite non bob power/russ elevado producers who also kick
engineering ass when it comes to live music is: lenny kravitz (despite
the debate over his songwritting skillz, dude can execute a mean ass
engineer throwback style), jack white (noone can front on how he makes
his music sound, nigel who has produced beck and radiohead and
countless others) and jon whose masterwork to me is his production
work with .....ahhhh.. fiona.

not wanting to waste my time and breath on something that i know aint
gonna happen i just say "sure if he wants to come....."

--fast forward 20 hours later.

i get offstage. we are all dripping wet. our costumes are drenched. we
change and head across to the foundation room. i had a few guests i
wanted to holler at (r sadiq and soul food's melinda williams and alan
leeds)---and then....here comes tiffany to drop the bomb on me:

"ahmir......look...fiona says if she comes over here she will fucking
have a nervous breakdown"

and i'm like wtf?!? fiona motherfucking lessonheads post every month
WHERE THE HELL IS SHE apple?!?!?????!?!?"--

"yes she came with jon"--

im so having a heart attack right now.

we have admired each other from afar and phone tagged each other for
about 7 years. but never a cigar. CLOSE. but no friggin cigar.

and suddenly--this hollywood afterparty room i was in didn't matter
anymore--everyone was invisible the cast of girlfriends over
there....anythony anderson over here.....the cast of tyra banks' model
show in the corner....EVEN FRIGGIN WENDY MELVOIN!!!!---none of that
shit mattered.

i grabbed and hugged fionna for what felt like forever. she started
crying like a child and (bitchmomentcomingin5seconds) even i was
overcome with emotion (yeah right you think imma play myself out like
that?!?)---i know that every actor/model/hangeron was like stunned at
this visual.

this gargantuan shirley temple curled up barry white looking pimp
holding like his life depended on it the head of this SENSUAL WORLD
era kate bush look alike who is sobbing to the point where she almost
fainted.

we didn't even say our first words til like.....2 minutes later. and
EVERYBODY was vying for my attention "quest! quest!! QUEST!!!! barry!!
Quest!!!!!"--but i was ignoring everybody. i grabbed her....took her
to a corner behind the bar and just held her.

then the worshipping began--

we "oh my godded" each each like this was a hell mary pass that TO
caught from mcnab with :02 seconds left for 90 yards.

then we "fillered" each other til we were sick

"can i tell you that "lazy afternoon"......

"can i tell you that "sullen girl"......

"oh fuck!!! you know about "slow like honey"?!?!?!?"

"if you start doing elo's verse on "dynamite" imma have a cow...stop
fi---..oh god imma gonna faint...."

this went on for fucking ever.

i'm the biggest fan of my biggest fan!

and to make matters worse....here comes jon brion's genius ass to make
this circle jerk even more confusing. cause i'm like...."dude---the
vibes on "monday.."---

he didn't even let me finish....

"wait im about to cry.....you know about MONDAY?!?!?!??!"--(monday is
the ongoing theme on the score to "huckablebees"---a samplers dream if
you know what i mean)

so now--it's

fiona compliments me

i compliment jon

who compliments me

who compliments fiona

who compli----

yall get the point. i mean there isn't even a narrative here. the 7 of
us (assistant/merchjawn dawn, kirk, fion, jon, tiffany, fiona and
jon's manager (forget name), and i headed to get breakfast---

where the groupie in me was working overtime--

i had so many questions about how he got that authentic ass tonight
show feel for magnolia's game show theme (what do kids know?), and
what the hell is holding up her third album? (man....i thought i had
drama with the label), and what idol broke his heart when he went into
the studio to record with him, and what happend that night when i was
supposed to meet her at roseland in nyc ("the breakdown night"), and
his mic techniques, and what happened when she met mya angelou.

man.

i know this don't make no sense.

but if you love fiona apple like i do. AND you hung out with her for 4
hours (not to mention having the day off in LA and hanging with her
somemore soon as i press "send" on this post)---then this HAS to be
cool to you.

man.

this was the fucking best night ever!"

Genres, styles and hip-hop....oh my!

The type of music I'm into at the moment always depends on the kind of mood I’m in. I don't necessarily mean that it changes from day-to-day, but more like what 'stage' I'm in for that part of my life. I go through many stages /moods /feelings for genres of music throughout the course of a year. I'd probably say I go through this transition an average of five times every 12 months.

Think of it like the rollercoaster of life. Sometimes in life, there is nothing that can get you down, you want to be outside, the sun is shining, and you can't possibly understand how somebody can't turn a frown upside down. Then there are those other times when you can’t possibly understand how people could be happy and you want to punch them ‘cause they are so damn smiley.

Music isn’t quite as extreme as that metaphor, but there are times when certain types of music, like soul or down-tempo or acoustic, are the only thing I want to listen to, and everything else just doesn’t ‘do it’ for me like what I’m craving.

Don’t get me wrong, I still have that genre of music that overshadows the other stuff, mainly because I know more about it, I make an effort to expose myself to as much as I can, and I simply enjoy the style all together.

The genre of music that I love a little more than everything else is hip hop. It’s hard for me to actually write that, ‘cause I don’t like being limited to one style of music, by any means, but it’s true. I have a greater knowledge of it, I can hold my own when it comes to discussing it, and I LOVE to expose and enlighten people to it when they think they hate it. Also, hip-hop has so many different layers to it…you can love it for the lyrical complexity, the topics that are discussed, the production (i.e. the beats), if it makes you dance, the consistency, the range, and how it can incorporate other genres of music.

Hip-hop is a multifaceted genre of music. There are MCs, producers, and groups who meet these layers and they, in themselves, create subgenres that are endless. I know, I know, rock, electronica, soul, jazz, and all other genres have subgenres that seem to do the same, but it seems when people hear of ‘hip-hop’, they assume it’s ‘rap’. When they assume it’s ‘rap’, they assume it’s all the same. These people have argued endlessly about the kind of music they listen to and like so many different styles, yet they refuse to listen to rap…’cause they “get enough of Eminem and Snoop from the radio, and it all sounds the same”. The conversation usually ends with a refusal to listen on their part.

My initial reason for this post was to introduce my love of music as a ‘stage-system’, where I go through different genres at different times. I wanted to express that on the top of my list is hip-hop, followed closely by pretty much everything else. I want to write this blog as a testament to my diversity, yet I’m finding that I’m into the hip-hop stage as of late. Here are my other musical passions…in terms of style and genre:

- I love electronica music. DJ Shadow is one of my hero’s and if I could create music, he would be my inspiration.

- I love old soul music like Marvin Gaye and Al Green

- I love new soul music (neo-soul?) like Erykah Badu, Jill Scott and Zap Mama

- I love some r&b too, like John Legend and D’Angelo

- I love indie-rock….too many to even begin to describe and the ‘subgenres’ are too extensive to even throw a name out

- Experimental music? Yeah! Give me some! I like it all!

- Jazz? Ooooooh goodness. I love Jazz…I could listen to Nina Simone ALL day and still want more. Vocal jazz to instrumental jazz…there are so many kinds that I love

- Blues? Yup…it’s nice too

- Folk? Hell yeah. Jack Johnson has the talent that I wish I had

- I even love piano-driven folk singers…Sarah Slean? If I had the opportunity and she accepted my proposal? I would marry her in a second. Same goes for Fiona Apple.

- Classical? You bet’cha. If I hear some piano and violin in that bitch, I’m putty.

- I even enjoy some mainstream bands…there are some reasons why some bands and artists have mass appeal

You know what kind of music is able to incorporate all these styles? Hip-hop. It’s all there. Jazz style, electronica style, folk-or-rock style (sometimes the production can have a great guitar…and it works!), r&b, soul, blues…it can have it all.

My other point is that I love almost all kinds of music. I’m not really into country and celtic music very much…although I do enjoy singing that song that starts out, “Blame it on my roots, I showed up in boots”, by Garth Brooks. I can't believe that I just wrote that.

Damn. I really meant to write about my favourite hip-hop albums and look what spewed out. Next time my friends, next time.

Delicious Songs...mmmmm

This is my compromise.

I will list a few of my favourite food songs. If I can think of it off the top of my head and it has anything to do with food...I'm going to try to list them.

To begin, I don't think I could leave this list without mentioning a recent MF Doom album, "MM..Food?" , in which all the songs deal with mouth-watering delicacies. Some of my favourites from that album are Potholderz, Hoe Cakes, Kookies, One Beer, Poo-Putt Platter (not really...but the name alone deserves recognition).

Who can forget a little blue monster and his hit, "C is for Cookie"? Damn, that was a nice song. I can still remember rockin' out to that record when I was little, or maybe last week. I sure could empathize with that guy, 'cause seriously, who didn't like cookies? Really, though, C is for cookie, and that was good enough for me!

That brings me to another song that I remember singing...but this time it was in high-school German class. It went something like this: "Ich habe....hunger hunger hunger, habe hunger hunger hunger, habe hunger hunger hunger, habe durst". Pretty self explanatory but I'll try to translate. Basically, the message is that you're hungry x9 and then you are thirsty. Deep.

"Yummy, yummy, yummy, I've got food in my tummy"....ahhh...that's true after I eat. I actually thought that's how that song went, until I heard it recently on some show where they substitute 'food' with 'love'. Blah...who's got 'love' in their tummies? Those are freakin' butterflies, dammit!

"Eat it" by Weird Al Yankovic. Am I saying too much if I tell you I was really into this guy when I was little? I think I was introduced to more 80's songs in the parody form from Weird Al than original songs. Sad...but true. Honorable mentions go to "Girls Just Wanna Have Lunch", "I Love Rocky Road", "Spam", and "My Bologna". Wow...I'm getting a flood of old Weird Al memories.

"Peaches and Cream" - by Beck.
"Strawberry Fields Forever" - The Beatles
"Lunchlady Land" - Adam Sandler

Holy crap. I just did a google search on food songs 'cause I'm drawing a blank right now. Some guy has created a giant list here

That's all I can do!

Electro

Okay, I always love hearing new styles, even if they are becoming the new 'thing' at the moment. Lately, probably with the release of the Postal Service a couple of years ago, I've been a sucker for the new electro-pop / indie-rock blend. As well, I've also become quite fascinated with electro groups such as Chromeo and Ratatat since the end of last year, after a friend recommended them to me. I would put them both in the same category of music, which is a retro sounding electronica sound that is both funky and smooth, which I think is called 'Electro'.

I just wanted to discuss these two groups for a moment, that being Chromeo and Ratatat. I would try to put more groups in this group as well, such as those on Chromeo's record label, Turbo Records, but I won't 'cause I don't know enough about them.

Chromeo - She's In Control - "Needy Girl" is just too nice to pass by. That song is audio-heroine; a little scary and unsual at first, but hooks you within a minute or two. That was kinda a weak-ass metaphor...oh well. Just listening to a couple of tracks makes you understand why it's called 'electro'.

Ratatat - Self-titled - This album is awesome...until it starts to sound the same by the end and you get a little tired of the sound. Until that point, usually by the eigth track or so, it is pure fire. Check it out and tell me what you think.

The 4/5 Starred Song List #1

So in case you didn't know, I have an iPod. It's my baby. I love this machine more than I ever knew was possible to love something...machine-like. I go on a shuffle rampage once in a while and when I hear a song that I have loved for a long time or I hear it for the first time and instantly love it, I will "star it", making sure I will remember it.

Word of the day: love. I used it waaay too much in that last paragraph.

Anyway, here's my recent list of stars:

Amon Tobin - Chocolate Lovely
The Arcade Fire - Neighborhood#3 (Power Out)
Ben Harper - Another Lonely Day (it'll never get old)
Big Pooh - Heart of the City (ooh....listening to this right now as I type...love it)
Big Pooh - Between the Lines (that production...LOVE it)
Common - Testify (cool story and beat)
Dead Prez - Don't Forget Where You Came From (it's an intro, but it's so nice)
Erykah Badu - Appletree
Fatboy Slim - The Journey (hehe...Lateef is on this!)
Fiona Apple - Paper Bag (*shudder* What can you really say?)
The Herbaliser - Who's the Realest
Jay-Z - Peoples Court
Heaven Only Knows (remix) - K-Os
Kings of Leon - California Waiting
Little Brother - I See Now feat. Kanye West & Consequence
Masta Ace - Take a Walk
Nada Surf - Blonde on Blonde
One Be Lo - True Love feat. Decompoze (it's nice to see Binary Star together again for this track)
Quantic - Don't joke with the hungry man
Quantic - Perception
Rage Against the Machine - Ghost of Tom Joad (Wow..I used to LOVE this song and was recently re-introduced)
Saul Williams - List of Demands (This track always pumps me up)
The Shins - Kissing the Lipless
The Shins - Young Pilgrams
Ben Kweller - In Other Words
Common - Thelonius
DITC - Day One
Elefant - Misfit
Greyboy - Gotta be Love
Immortal Technique - Leaving the Past
Mr. Lif - Live from the Plantation
Murs - Bad Man
N.E.R.D. - Things are Getting Better
Oh No - Getaway
One Be Lo - Rocketship
Urban Thermo Dynamics - My Kung Fu (Mos Defs' old crew)

Okay, that's about it for today. The star thing is great and all, but I'm still getting used to it and I only do it when I remember to. I'll have more at another date.

Current albums that I'm lovin'

Hello blog world. I would like to share some of my recent albums that I have been listening to.

Zion I - True and Livin' - Wow! Brand new Zion I! I really like Deep Water Slang 2.0, so I was excited to see that they had a new one coming out. The production is nice and doesn't go into any crazy directions. I always think of Zion I as the more capable and better version of what K-Os wants to sound like. They don't do the singing thing like K-Os, but they are much better MCs than him...and more consistent. The guests on this album are nuts. Talib Kweli sounds like he did back in the day, Del sounds like he's got something to prove, and Gift of Gab reminds me why I used to like him. If you haven't heard this disc, check it out.

Lyrics Born - Same Shit, Different Day - WOW!! This man is my hero. Although this is really a remix album of Later that Day... and doesn't have the same appeal that a brand new album would, I still love it. Even all the 'old' songs have a new feel to them. DJ Shadow, Jumbo (Lifesavaz), DJ Spinna, Dan the Automator and others are all on here, and definitely do it justice. I think this man, along with his Latyrx partner Lateef, are the most underrated and creative MC's / producers in hip hop. Please listen to this if you have a chance!

Sa-Ra Creative Partners - I feel like I've slept on this group for a while now. I've seen the name so many times over the last few months and I always fail to check it out. I don't know enough about them to say anything, except for the music I've heard. I finally got a bunch of tracks by them and I'm glad I got to hear it. They are really good and have a soul / funk sound to them that they seem to do so well. Check them out.

Apostle of Huslte - Folkloric Feel - I just started listening to this recently. Thanks M! I just thought I'd throw it out 'cause they're on my recently played list and I don't really know what else to say about them. They are an offshoot of Broken Social Scene, so if you haven't heard them before and love BSS, check it out.

On a side note, has anyone heard the new Weezer? I listened to it twice and that was over a week or so ago and I haven't went back since. I thought I kinda liked it, but I think I'm getting over them or something. Anyway, if you have, any thoughts? I think I was expecting more, especially when I heard Rick Rubin was going to be a part of it, then I heard they scrapped those recordings and started again.

Another side note, I hope everyone is having a great day.

Favourite hip hop songs - best replay value

Holy crap.

This is getting exciting. I can actually just rant about the music I'm listening to! I don't even care if anybody is really reading this right now (but if you are, I'm happy you came to check it out). It's late, so I'm going to rush through this one.

I can do random things, like give you a link to this or that...or whatever. No rules in this bitch(!).

I feel like throwing out (not literally) a couple of my favourite hip hop songs. These have become those songs that just get better every time I listen to them, refusing to play out. I don't mean songs that I really love because I'm all hyped over them for the last little while, I'm talking more than two years of solid rotation. Most of these songs are really my favourite because of the beat, so I'll refrain from posting any highlight lyrics. I have many faves, so I'll see what I can come up with at this particular time...in no particular order:

1) Binary Star - Reality Check - Why do I love this song so much? Mostly because of the second verse. Listen 2 minutes into the song as to how he rhymes "lines" through the rest of the song. The production as well...it's so nice, from the violin, piano, and smooth bass line. Damn.

2) Little Brother - Whatever You Say - Mainly because of the beat. 9th Wonder amazes me with this one. I kept hearing new things from this beat every time I heard it. The running soul sample kills me. I really think this took a while to fully appreciate it to the point that I do now, since I don't remember loving it this much the first time I heard it. I still remember wanting to hear it a few times...probably because I'm a sucker for soul samples.

3) The Roots - Distortion to Static - It's hard for me to choose a 'best-of' Roots song, especially considering this is from '94 ('95?). Black Thought is fierce on this track. He just rolls through his verse and pretty soon his voice starts jumping over the great drum beat that Questlove delivers. It's so good.

4) Outkast - Jazzy Belle - I can't explain why I love this song so much. The moan...woman sing thing that begins it to the subtle scratching that occurs during the chorus...it's just nice.

5) Common - Resurrection - I'm sure many may question this choice, given his extensive catalogue of goodness, but I love the piano, scratching, and jazz-style feel that it possesses. It's on his second album, 11 years old, and he's released other songs that I would probably replace with this one if I was doing this on another day. It's impossible for me to get sick of this one.

6) I need to give an honorable mention to Zap Mama (featuring Black Thought) - Rafiki - It's really not a pure hip hop song since it's on a soul album, but who am I to judge? I love this woman, this beat, and Black Thought. You must hear this song if you've never heard it before. Hopefully you will find the reason as to why I can't get enough of it.

That's it. I'm tired and it's late. Must work in the morning.

I'm actually going through with this

Yes. I'm actually going through with this.

I never thought I'd start a blog.

I only thought people who were aspiring writers and journalists would use a blog as a means to get their writing out to the public. I even figured that those who were very opinionated or enjoyed initiating a topic of debate would use blogs as a medium for their passions. I never saw myself as this kind of person. I never wanted to become a journalist, nor did I have any kind of drive to write for a living. My writing isn't very good, to tell you the truth. It can be awkward to read...but I'm sure the message will be delivered. Regardless, I'm starting a blog because of two main reasons:

1) I want to use this as a way to expose people to new music and learn about new music.

2) I want to use this as some form of outlet. Call it "therapeutic". That's all I'm getting into on that topic, although I'm sure the 'psych' stuff will find it's way nicely in due time.

Essentially, this blog will be used to discuss my latest music trends and get stuff off my chest.

So with all that said and done, let's get this blog started up!

My current rotation this week

So I'm sitting here at work trying to get some reports done, yet I can't seem to get this incredible urge to tell the world what I'm currently listening to. This is an ever changing, very eclectic mix of music. So much so, that I am going to spout off (in written form) my "Recently Played" playlist, as seen on my baby, aka iPod. Keep in mind, my music moods are like a rollercoaster, as I'm sure you will witness in the next few months.

Bloc Party - They released "Silent Alarm" over a month ago and it has been on strong rotation since. The drumming on this record is nuts. I'm loving the fact I can listen to the whole album and feel like I'm not listening to the same song over and over. If you haven't checked it out, listen to "Like Eating Glass", "Helicopter", "She's Hearing Voices", and "Price of Gas"....or just listen to the whole thing.

Fela Kuti - Lately I've been diggin' the '69 Los Angeles Sessions album. If you've never heard of Fela, check out "The Best of Black Pres", which is his best-of, so you can get a good feel of this man. He's from Nigeria, he's a political activist, and he invented the 'afro-beat'.

Common - Holy crap! His new album, "BE", comes out in less than a month, although it was leaked a little while ago. I caved. The amount of hype it's getting and the fact it's one of my favourite MC's has pushed me to the point where I needed to get this as soon as possible. All hype aside, this an incredible album. Every single song gives me a chill and reminds me why I love hip hop so much. Kanye produces most of the songs, although Dilla has a few tracks that fit nicely in the mix. I'm also on a Common kick, so I've been listening to all his albums lately. If you've never heard him before, begin with "Resurrection" (released in '94), and go through the catalogue.

At the Drive-In - What's to say about these guys? If you don't know, they aren't together anymore. They split into 2 group, Sparta and Mars Volta. I like to think of them as the beginning of that 'Brand New', 'Taking Back Sunday', 'The Used' style-sound. I think 'they' call it 'emo-core' or something. Whatever....I love this group and from time to time, I still need to get my fix from them.

D'Angelo - I've been listening to the albums, "Voodoo" and "Brown Sugar" quite a bit lately. More specifically, I can't seem to get the song, "Jonz In My Bonz" out of my head. If you have a decent pair of headphones or speakers, turn it up and get lost in this song. You won't regret it.

Quasimoto - The Further Adventures of Lord Quas - This album just came out yesterday. If you aren't familiar with producer great Madlib (Madvillian with MF Doom, Jaylib with Jay Dee, his re-mix work of the old Blue Note jazz recordings....etc.), then I don't really know what to say about this. I like it, but it's definitely not for everyone. This is Madlib's alter-ego, Quasimoto. He speeds up his voice to make it sounds like he's been sucking on helium and he has some of the most random and innovative production that's out right now.

Okay, so those are the last few albums that I've been playing in the last day or so. Random songs that I've been listening to lately are:

Closer - Slum Village feat. Dwele
Players - Slum Village
Diamonds - Kanye West (new song!! great except for his damn intro...'neva neva...neva neva?)
Hold On remix - Dwele feat. Kanye West & Consequence
(see any connections?)

Okay, I can't think of anything more to write and I need to get back to my work. I'm sure I'll be writing soon. Thanks for reading! My recent list is ALWAYS changing.