Music Tuesdays: How It All Began
(1 cent): Why Hip Hop Is Good To Me
Some people have questioned why I mainly listen to Hip Hop (and R&B) music while seemingly ignore all other genres. Well, it goes like this ....
Circa 1994 is when I acquired a taste for music in general. It seems to me that some of my friends had started to listen to music earlier because of older siblings (I was the oldest) or because they are much cooler than me. During this time and throughout high school was when Hip Hop started to become more mainstream, at least from what I recall from where I grew up in Central California. This is when Bad Boy Records started taking over the Hip Hop scene (in large part because of Sean "Diddy" Combs) with artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e, and R&B group 112. Also, the whole West Coast regime of Dr. Dre, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, etcetera were also blowing up air waves with their various hits. Just as Diddy said in his song "Don't Stop What You're Doing" on his Album No Way Out, "And out West, we want ya'll to understand; all we wanna do is make you dance." That's what Hip Hop -- generally -- makes me feel like doing: dancing, moving around, and having a good time. Also, Rap also had records that made me see the world through a different set of eyes. Although I wasn't living in the ghetto or projects; I was not a gangster by any stretch of the imagination, I was still able to relate to feeling like you don't fit in, and to a smaller scale being misunderstood.
Almost intertwined with Rap and Hip Hop is R&B. During the previously stated time I had also grown fond of R&B crooners such as said group 112, Ginuwine, and Dru Hill to name a few. Their songs were more geared towards relationships and the love or heartache they could bring -- those were feelings that I could and wanted to relate to.
Yes, yes, there is what some might call a "bad" side to Hip Hop (i.e. misogynistic and explicit lyrics, sometimes exuberant wasting of wealth, the glorification of gangster life, etcetera). I don't let a couple of songs or certain artists ruin the whole. One can find "bad" in almost anything in life -- it's up to you to find the good, if that's what you're seeking. I choose to buy the radio edit version of CD's since that's the version I get used to on the air waves anyway.
Now, don't get me wrong. I can and have appreciated the occasional rock song by, say, Green Day or Aerosmith. I've even found myself liking an Eagles song or Journey (wow, did I really type that?). But the only music that really makes my head nod; the only beats that evoke any real sentiment or allow me to reminisce is Hip Hop. I don't like it because it's the *cool* thing to do; I like it because I grew up with it, because it makes me want to dance; and not to be overlooked, because it isn't Country (sorry Garth).
(2 Cent): Skateboard P
My goal is to have one new CD review every week (on Music Tuesdays). In case I haven't made it clear enough in the previous paragraphs, I'm going to be focusing on the Hip Hop and R&B genre. For the weeks ahead that won't produce a new release of an artist that I want to buy, I will review a CD from my personal collection -- or something else, I'm kind of wingin' it right now.
As to give me enough time to listen thoroughly to the newly purchased CD, next week will be the review for today's new release. Last week's purchase and today's review will be Pharrell's "In My Mind."
Unbeknownst to me before the purchase (or the first time listening through), Pharrell produced all of the songs sans Chad Hugo -- the other half of the The Neptunes. I could tell that there was something a little different about the tracks, but not in a pejorative manner. I just figured the slight change in style was a conscious, minor change to keep their (Pharrell's) sound fresh.
With that said, if you like Pharrell, The Neptunes productions, or their band N.E.R.D., then you will find this CD pleasing to the ear. As with anything, there will always be people who like it and those who don't. With that in mind, if you have always thought Pharrell and company had crazy-keep-you-guessing beats and that he had a contagious elocution, then it is a solid buy.
**My Top 5 Songs** (in no particular order)
- Track 14: "Number One" featuring Kanye West ... very catchy beat, makes you want to get up and do a little jig ... Kanye and Pharrell on one track is a can't miss.
- Track 12: "Baby" featuring Nelly ... a get up out of your chair beat with a raw electric guitar ... add Nelly with his distinctive rap/croon voice and it's a hit.
- Track 09: "Young Girl" featuring Jay-Z ... it has a smooth synthesized, almost 80's beat ... perhaps their rapping about a topic that I could relate to? Hmm ....
- Track 07: "That Girl" featuring Snoop Dogg ... nice vibin' groove along with a nice hook ... Snoop adds that edge that makes this song worthy of 'repeat status.'
- Track 10: "Take It Off (Dim The Lights)" ... a hypnotic melody ... you can totally just sit back and chill to this track ....
**Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10 ... honestly nothing to complain about but missing that one song that could challenge for a song of the year contest.
(1/2 Cent): D to the X!
Today's new release purchase is none other than DMX with his entitled LP "Year of the Dog, Again." Based off of his last album "Grand Champ" -- which in my opinion had only about 3 really good songs peppered over slightly below average songs, by X's standards -- I predict a comeback with a strong 7 (saying that his last album was a 5). Until next Music Tuesday!
HCP
Some people have questioned why I mainly listen to Hip Hop (and R&B) music while seemingly ignore all other genres. Well, it goes like this ....
Circa 1994 is when I acquired a taste for music in general. It seems to me that some of my friends had started to listen to music earlier because of older siblings (I was the oldest) or because they are much cooler than me. During this time and throughout high school was when Hip Hop started to become more mainstream, at least from what I recall from where I grew up in Central California. This is when Bad Boy Records started taking over the Hip Hop scene (in large part because of Sean "Diddy" Combs) with artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., Ma$e, and R&B group 112. Also, the whole West Coast regime of Dr. Dre, Tupac, Snoop Dogg, Ice Cube, etcetera were also blowing up air waves with their various hits. Just as Diddy said in his song "Don't Stop What You're Doing" on his Album No Way Out, "And out West, we want ya'll to understand; all we wanna do is make you dance." That's what Hip Hop -- generally -- makes me feel like doing: dancing, moving around, and having a good time. Also, Rap also had records that made me see the world through a different set of eyes. Although I wasn't living in the ghetto or projects; I was not a gangster by any stretch of the imagination, I was still able to relate to feeling like you don't fit in, and to a smaller scale being misunderstood.
Almost intertwined with Rap and Hip Hop is R&B. During the previously stated time I had also grown fond of R&B crooners such as said group 112, Ginuwine, and Dru Hill to name a few. Their songs were more geared towards relationships and the love or heartache they could bring -- those were feelings that I could and wanted to relate to.
Yes, yes, there is what some might call a "bad" side to Hip Hop (i.e. misogynistic and explicit lyrics, sometimes exuberant wasting of wealth, the glorification of gangster life, etcetera). I don't let a couple of songs or certain artists ruin the whole. One can find "bad" in almost anything in life -- it's up to you to find the good, if that's what you're seeking. I choose to buy the radio edit version of CD's since that's the version I get used to on the air waves anyway.
Now, don't get me wrong. I can and have appreciated the occasional rock song by, say, Green Day or Aerosmith. I've even found myself liking an Eagles song or Journey (wow, did I really type that?). But the only music that really makes my head nod; the only beats that evoke any real sentiment or allow me to reminisce is Hip Hop. I don't like it because it's the *cool* thing to do; I like it because I grew up with it, because it makes me want to dance; and not to be overlooked, because it isn't Country (sorry Garth).
(2 Cent): Skateboard P
My goal is to have one new CD review every week (on Music Tuesdays). In case I haven't made it clear enough in the previous paragraphs, I'm going to be focusing on the Hip Hop and R&B genre. For the weeks ahead that won't produce a new release of an artist that I want to buy, I will review a CD from my personal collection -- or something else, I'm kind of wingin' it right now.
As to give me enough time to listen thoroughly to the newly purchased CD, next week will be the review for today's new release. Last week's purchase and today's review will be Pharrell's "In My Mind."
Unbeknownst to me before the purchase (or the first time listening through), Pharrell produced all of the songs sans Chad Hugo -- the other half of the The Neptunes. I could tell that there was something a little different about the tracks, but not in a pejorative manner. I just figured the slight change in style was a conscious, minor change to keep their (Pharrell's) sound fresh.
With that said, if you like Pharrell, The Neptunes productions, or their band N.E.R.D., then you will find this CD pleasing to the ear. As with anything, there will always be people who like it and those who don't. With that in mind, if you have always thought Pharrell and company had crazy-keep-you-guessing beats and that he had a contagious elocution, then it is a solid buy.
**My Top 5 Songs** (in no particular order)
- Track 14: "Number One" featuring Kanye West ... very catchy beat, makes you want to get up and do a little jig ... Kanye and Pharrell on one track is a can't miss.
- Track 12: "Baby" featuring Nelly ... a get up out of your chair beat with a raw electric guitar ... add Nelly with his distinctive rap/croon voice and it's a hit.
- Track 09: "Young Girl" featuring Jay-Z ... it has a smooth synthesized, almost 80's beat ... perhaps their rapping about a topic that I could relate to? Hmm ....
- Track 07: "That Girl" featuring Snoop Dogg ... nice vibin' groove along with a nice hook ... Snoop adds that edge that makes this song worthy of 'repeat status.'
- Track 10: "Take It Off (Dim The Lights)" ... a hypnotic melody ... you can totally just sit back and chill to this track ....
**Overall Rating: 7.5 out of 10 ... honestly nothing to complain about but missing that one song that could challenge for a song of the year contest.
(1/2 Cent): D to the X!
Today's new release purchase is none other than DMX with his entitled LP "Year of the Dog, Again." Based off of his last album "Grand Champ" -- which in my opinion had only about 3 really good songs peppered over slightly below average songs, by X's standards -- I predict a comeback with a strong 7 (saying that his last album was a 5). Until next Music Tuesday!
HCP
posted by HCP @ 4:28 PM
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