We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Every time I see or hear about another black life unfairly taken, I hear the words "We the people" echo in my head. They ring hollow as I see another name, another life become a hashtag. The hate and prejudice that built this white supremacist country needs to be rebuilt for present day reality. Death, fear and anxiety is the reality of so many black Americans today. While this country was founded on unspeakable horror and injustice, it has to do better. Every person has a part to play to Make America Greater than it ever was before. We The People have to put pressure on politicians to make legal changes on behalf of the people at risk every day. We The People have to demand offenders be brought to trial for their unjust, life-threatening actions. We The People need to take action to protect people we love and care about. Even more importantly, it's everyday actions that show consistent support. Defend their dignity, have courage to speak out when something is wrong, and listen when you don't need to speak. Change has to happen, for silence favors the oppressor. Black people deserve fair and equitable treatment. They deserve life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness in a country they built. End of discussion. Now is the time to speak up folks, especially white people. Too many innocent people have been accused of a crime they didn't commit and are dying for it. With that said, I asked myself what I could do to lend my voice to the cause. I wanted to do something, and the first thing my mind went to was music. If you've been listening, you'll know the pain and truth of the black experience in America is in the music. Countless stories woven in the lyrics. Here's to the revolution for The People of the United States. Together, we rise.
While I recognize my position as a guest in the community, I want to do what I can. This seemed like a good place to start - by elevating the voices who need to be heard. We just have to listen.
Some other more popular song selections: This is America (Childish Gambino), Lemonade (Beyonce), and so much more from hip hop legends (Dr. Dre, Nas, 2Pac).
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Originally, this was going to be something related to life after graduation. With corona virus going on and everybody learning from home, I wanted to do a collection of motivating songs about school to get through it. It's something I've been collecting over the years, and now seems like a great time to share that. Music has a strong influence over my productivity and flow. It really depends on the mood. Either way, at the end of the day, the work still has to get done. My personal favorite on the list is "I Can" by Nas. It's powerful, resonating, and always applicable. I feel it gets better with age too. Maybe you find something interesting here, even if it's just for fun. Proud of U - EarthGang feat. Young Thug I'm proud of you Dreams - Solange I grew up a little girl with I Can - Nas I know I can NCAA - 2 Chainz NCAA, yeah, we the young and dangerous, yeah Bigger - Beyonce If you feel insignificant, you better think again More - Mereba Freedom to fight more Good luck on the studies, work, and general wellness. You can do this. Have a beautiful day. Thanks for reading.
2019 was the end of an exciting decade for music. Here are some of the album highlights which I found particularly favorable. Over It - Summer Walker
Ni**as be insecure Anti - Rihanna
Don't get it twisted Channel Orange - Frank Ocean
We'll run to the future, shining like diamonds Lemonade - Beyoncé
Platinum Fire - Arin Ray
Say what's on your mind so I get the message (Uh) Pink Friday - Nicki Minaj
All these bitches is my sons Whack World - Tierra Whack
Worry 'bout yourself and don't worry about nobody Fever - Megan Thee Stallion
I keep it realer than real P3 - PartyNextDoor
How hard is it to let you know when I'm coming home Hozier - Hozier
When my time comes around Thank you for visiting - Happy New year - Enjoy!
This is the spookiest time of year: a time for horror, dread, thrill, and a time for all the creepiest creatures to thrive. Halloween doesn't seem to get a signature music other than rock music, and I wanted to present a different perspective to the scariest holiday of the year. These are some pieces I feel thrive in a dimly lit environment of darkness. I have been curating this playlist over many years. adding a wide variety of genres and eras to this list. Lyrics, beats, and melody which can make you feel like somebody is looking over your shoulder is very powerful. I admire artistry that can evoke a strong reaction like this. It's more fun to have an upbeat dance song when dressed in your costume. Both are necessary to a good holiday. The following is a mix of both vibes. Have a creepy sweet Halloween and enjoy! Cake - 88GLAM This is a rap group I am a huge fan of. I love the entire album this song comes from. Something that makes them special is their textured vocal sounds. Even as good as they are, their beats - and particularly in this song "Cake" - are enchanting. Part of the flavor of this song is the piano keys. It adds a mystical twinkle. But, combined with the haunting chorus consistent throughout the background of the song, it comes off as ominous. It's like a ballerina winding in her jewelry box, but you know something is going to happen when the song stops. This one may or may not be a party bop, but it gets me in a spooky mood. True Blood - Justin Timberlake Do you remember when the TV show True Blood was really popular? It feels like this song was made with that show in mind. I never watched the show, but I feel like I did from the secondhand exposure. This song has a sassy dance beat, clever lyrics, and is extremely long. Why is this song nine and a half minutes long? The beginning is bangin', and the rest is good too, but the problem is that it goes on for such a long time, I feel weary by the end of it. This song is like he's invited you on a roller coaster ride which, when you boarded, you were excited for. But now, you're halfway through and wishing you could get off the ride, but you can't because you're invested already, so there's no turning back. This song only has around 16,000 views on YouTube and 9,300,000 plays on Spotify which is somewhat unusual seeing as his songs may have hundred of millions of plays. It's one of the underrated gems. Drop - Chloe x Halle "Drop" made me want to drop like the hard hitting drum that is the backbone behind this song. It's power, knowledge, and mystery intertwined to establish a sick track. Not only that, but the visuals are stunning for this video. There is a man who is dancing in grotesque shapes, looking crooked and writhing. That is a perfect representation of how this song sounds. That combines with their voices rising in the most perfect harmony is chilling. I would pick this song to listen to while carving pumpkins or maybe brewing some delicious drinks. So many spooktacular options. Human - Maggie Lindeman If there was a song that embodied an October Halloween party bop, I vote this song. It is a pop bop, and this genre is meant to be fun. This is useful to get a group of people excited and feeling upbeat. The video and lyrics create a very spooky mood. I like that she suggests she is not human because it makes you wonder what she is then. Is she vampire? Werewolf? Alien? I have so many questions. Also I appreciate the appearance of one of my favorite guys in entertainment comedy, Rickey Thompson (who also narrated Amine's album "ONEPOINTFIVE"). Zombies - Childish Gambino Our fav abstract creator has made us a creepy, slinky slippery song that you definitely want to groove to. So groove to a funkalicious beat. Not only that, but Zombies is a very literal interpretation here. Sometimes, it is okay to take things at face value. The beat is relaxing and makes me want take a bubble bath but also watch "Austin Powers" - so many vibes. I may not play it at a party to turn up to, but definitely would play it at other lowkey social gatherings. Once Upon A Dream - Lana Del Rey If anyone can haunt me, Lana Del Rey is the most qualified being. Her whole brand is founded in chanting deeply haunting tones. It seems that she sings through smoke, has you squinting through fog, and hunting after her shadow. To me, this is the ultimate Halloween song to keep you feeling sensual, spooky, and empowered. Disney Princesses are always a popular costume for dressing up on this holiday, so it seems fitting that this is a Disney production. I find it even more satisfying that this movie (Maleficent) is about a categorized villain. People love dressing up as the bad guy. Here we have the perfect song to enjoy while we do so. Oldies of Honorable Mention There are some absolutely phenomenal songs that deserve to sit in the top spot in regards to Halloween jams. The performance by Screamin' Jay Hawkins is interesting but very peculiar! His shouting and animal style grunts with snorts makes me think of demonic sounds. It's aggressive and bold. This song has been covered so many times by many that most people would probably recognize it. However, this version is so special and unique. Tom Waits had his music making days back in the 1970's, but this song in particular came out in 2011, so not very old. I feel that his style and influences came from an older generation, and in some ways similar to Screamin' Jay. Tones of tension and devilish allure draw you through the song.
Here we go again with the creepy suggestive tones, but the The Coasters have hit it on the head with this track, making the listener feel paranoid and watchful. Quite deceiving. Leonard Cohen has a rasp that works well when describing demonic company. A smoky feeling.
There is a lot of media here to digest, but all together, it makes a fabulous playlist. To end this musical celebration of Halloween, I present one last track which was released in 2016. It is honestly just great song for Halloween time and non-spooky times. Get your creep on, always. METAL: IRON. COPPER. SILVER. TITANIUM. OZZY. Wait, I think one doesn't belong among the others there... For this, I wanted to highlight the modern metal rap getting fairly big in recent times! I very much enjoy this genre. Sometime in the past, I read this genre was dubbed "Florida rap" made popular by artists like Xxxtentacion (RIP). As a controversial a past he had, he truly made some outstanding music. I would like to appreciate his contributions to community artistry and to inspiring so many others. People like $uicideboy$, Xxxtentacion, Scarlxrd, Princess Nokia, Rico Nasty. These are artists I listen to literally all the time. Some of their other songs have angrier messages than others, but all to their own. I want to start out with the most intense representation of metal rap I like: Scarlxrd. He's edgy as hell, brings mad energy, and delivers so smoothly. His videos on YouTube has streamed millions of views, only to show how popular and widespread his message is reaching. My favorites of his are "King, Scar" for the message and "Heart Attack" which is below. The intro to this song cracks me up because to me, it shows the craziness of humanity and how deep we are connected in a comical way. Every time I hear it, it makes me groan with an smh expression. Alas, it's a groan with a smile. The bottom left video gives a proper explanation as background to who this artist is, what inspires him, and how he came to be where he is now. It provides some insight to his creative process and mental map. His visuals are intense - the eye contact, the scratching - which seem to be ripping him apart. I advise to listen first, then watch. Nobody knows where my passion is
$uicideboy$ has been popular for a long time, accruing 58 million views on YouTube and growing. This underground scene is seeing the day of light. I found out about this duo two years ago while talking to a coworker of mine about music he was into. I'm always asking people who they like, what they like, a favorite song. Music preference tells me more about who a person is than any surface conversation about weather or what you did yesterday with your family. It's more personal, deeply complex, and we demand different music for those different layers of ourselves. Sometimes this music demand may change, other times it remains constant. The evolution and growth is expected and necessary to survive. If anyone reading this as ever been in a mosh pit, you understand what a feeling that is. I watched this video, and the river of people flowing in unison brought me back. To summarize. I lost my wallet and my keys that night because I thought wearing a small backpack that everything would be safe?? I was jumping around and sweaty bodies on every side caused friction, leading the zipper to come undone. Everything fell to the ground. I only knew my stuff was missing when someone tapped me on the shoulder and handed me another escaped item. Luckily the venue wasn't huge, and I was able to recover my things. Moral of the story: don't bring anything to a mosh pit if you're tryna have a good time. RICO NASTYYYYYYYY YAAASSSSS I AM HERE FOR THIS. She wild honestly. But I appreciate her for her bad bitch vibes. It's often time the case where women are shamed into not expressing anger or loud energy. It's about making sure other people are comfortable, and women don't lose their composure. But she comes off as very in control and with enough of the chaos to keep it interesting. "Rage" is pretty dope. The video is artistically interesting as well with very cool effects. In this song, I imagine a whole squad with their arms slung over each others shoulders, a few people are doin some weird shit in the center, and everyone hyping each other up. Communal madness. "Smack a Bitch" is a song of surmounting power. It makes me want to squat low, fists up to box, and maintain aggressive eye contact into a camera lens. The energy is here, and I support it.
Dis lil beezy called Princess Nokia is pretty badass. She's very Tomboy (as referenced in one of her songs), but she brings it home. Her style is harder rap, less dark, but very much about real life. "Kitana" is more akin to metal rap, and "Brujas" is too, but with slightly softer notes. The video to "Brujas" is absolutely beautiful too. The aesthetic in the beginning is haunting. Breathtaking. Mesmerizing. Definitely worth the minute of that itself.
XXXTENTATION (RIP). He's been a hit on the radio, and well known for being controversial. The reasoning being his past violence towards women and if he should be famous because of this. I don't know how to reconcile this as I cherish his music but condemn his actions. Either way, he will remain in the hearts of many and on millions of playlists. This song in particular compared to others he's done just seems to work. It's a very short song, but everyone knows it when I bring it up in conversation. I'm not super familiar with the inspiration behind it or anything, but it has that screaming energy, passion, intensity, confidence, carefree air people seem drawn to. Also darkness among other things. Everything here is of opinion, meaning it's only personally relevant and simply to share some good pieces. One thing I appreciate about all these artists in the larger picture is the intensity, amount of self they identify with, and their willingness to express that. All of these ingredients combined has produced some bangers we love, so bless. It's summer, and that means travel, relaxation and free time! I recently just returned home from a trip myself and thought it seems perfect to compile some of my favorite road trip/ travel songs. When creating my playlist, I imagine myself listening to this song in the car with people, but usually on a plane to some exciting destination. I always ask myself before adding the song to my playlist: What is going to hype me up? What vibe or beat will make me excited and feel positive when I arrive? Will this improve my experience? Across all genres, there is something for everyone :) Pop-Electronic-Synth
These songs are more pop/synth based, leaving the listener feeling warm and cheery. Usually good for any trip - car, plane, by foot. Whatever floats your boat. Fergie is classic pop, Arizona is def electronic, Theophilus is more r&b with synth, and Jon Bellion is more pop/synth with hip hop roots. Lowkey Vibes
These songs are meant to relax you while you wait to arrive. Headphones are on, looking out the window imagining the great time you will have. The first three are more hip hop/rap with produced beats, but Berhana makes songs for a warm beach-side relaxation vacation. Destinations
I love songs that speak about a specific location in the world. It allows me to create a vision around the song, applying context and imagery to what I imagine would be happening in this music video or situation. George Ezra is indie, Swae Lee is hiphop, Huncho Jack is a rap duo, and Famous Dex is definitely rap again. Imagine listening to these songs on your way to that place! Now that is cool. Additionally, I have been to a lot of amazingly beautiful places around the world. I want to share with you some of the pictures I've taken. Perhaps they're not the best composition or angle or lighting, but my photography skills have been evolving over the years so bless. I hope everyone gets the opportunity to visit another country, city, or region different than their own. Truly, even a town only five miles away may have a different culture. Exposure leads to more understanding, and I would hope everyone grows on their journey. Before I leave you, if there is any song I would hope you listen to out of all of these, it would be by a highly acclaimed artist of our time. A genius. An icon. Someone I have written about previously. Frank Ocean's "Lost" is the perfect song for any trip, anywhere, anytime. If you listen to nothing else on this post, this song is the one to stick through. It has warmth, relaxation, motivation - almost an ambiance. Please enjoy, and remember to take some time for yourself during the summer months. What's good everyone? A lot has happened in the past couple of days. Lil Yachty released his album, Logic released his Bobby Tarantino 2 album, and SZA has released bonus tracks and verses from her Ctrl album. Exciting things!! However... I've been thinking about International Women's Day, about the great woman in music that inspire me every day. I went looking through the top charts on Spotify for R&B, Rap, Hip Hop playlists looking for SZA, Rihanna, and women in general who are major influencers. I was sorely disappointed to find that almost all the songs were by men. Those names who I love weren't getting much of the shine they deserve. 'Tis a tale as old as time though. I wanted to give this moment to cherish those whose craft stands out. Music is as powerful a communication tool and creative outlet as painting or photography. To the women in our lives, forever and always. I'm a huge fan of many women in the music industry, and one of those lovelies is SZA. I have been a fan since her Z album, and everything she has done since has made me a wholehearted supporter. I'd like to share some of my favorite songs of hers, why she is such an inspiration, and why she deserves even more than what she is being served right now. Done with these n*ggas First of all, this video is absolutely stunning. I love the aesthetic of her with the butterflies, and Travis joining, just existing. It gives a vibe of existing in the moment, like a slow motion version of exactly right now. Whatever right now is. When I first watched the video, I was pretty into it, like okay I can roll with this. The end completely threw me off and I loved it even more because of that. So that's cool. The single album cover is super beautiful too. I personally loved it so much, I went looking for stickers music related and found the single album cover on Redbubble. It's almost like little metaphors, with varying influences of importance on your daily life, but nonetheless plays a factor. I have no idea the inspiration, but that's what I like to think of. Her single cover designer also designed her tour poster. The link to the Instagram should be active if you click on either picture, allowing you to check out the artist herself. I guess I fell in love with Love Galore immediately. She hadn't even released her album yet, it was only her single, and I was bumpin' that shit for months before the album release. Sometimes you know a banger when you hear one! I appreciate her graceful approach of take me or leave. My next song of hers from this album that I died over was Doves in the Wind featuring Kendrick Lamar. These two have collaborated previously on her album "Z" on the song called Babylon. Real spicy (the video gave me hella wide eyes), but this right here is the good good we all should get behind. How many niggas get mistaken for clitoris in a day? Like truly, how fucking savage. I love that Kendrick hypes it up as well. The rhythm and flow, powerful ass bars. This song is the a neatly wrapped gift, ends tucked in nice and neat, but is so underrated for how perfect it is. It's not big and flashy, but bold. I def fuck wit bold. *major heart eyes* My other favorite song off this album is Normal Girl. Probably not the most artistically metaphorical or interpretative, but that's okay. I genuinely enjoy it. She did not make one bad song off this whole project, so the "best" songs are only based off personal preference in my opinion.
Normal girl I love the flow of this as well. The background has a light twinkle sound, almost magical, like running through a green pasture in the spring, but the reason you're running is because you're a princess running away from the burdening responsibilities of the kingdom, and you def just want to run off wit yo' man. Almost a Sound of Music/Julie Andrews scene. Makes me feel a little wistful. The interview is on the Breakfast Club as she talks about her album and the meanings of different songs, her background and whatnot. The video is very long, but it should start right at the part where they begin to talk about the meaning and interpretations behind Normal Girl. This woman is an artist of melody and rhythm. The vibes are wavvy, able to transport you to another dimension completely. I cannot wait for more from this gift of a human. Legit, this girl is real af. The rest of her post can be found on her Instagram, linked if you click on the picture. She is transparent enough to allow you to understand her honest struggles in justifying making music still. She almost quit making music. I also have so much love and appreciation for her style. Her hair is her trademark at this point- well known for having big natural hair- and a comfortable but edgy fashion sense. Her aesthetic is ethereal and grounded at the same time. She puts off this angelic vibe but also very secure in her sense of individuality. I respect that a lot. Her Instagram is one of the best displays of that, but I would like to share some of these beautiful examples. This video link magnifies it. These last few pictures came from a Fader article about her album Ctrl - link in pictures. She has a dark sweetness that is alluring.
In addition to her album, she has featured on some poppin' ass songs. 1. Consideration - Rihanna (btw this video is fukin DOPE AF and kinda weird/ not sure if official but looks like it) 2. All the Stars -Kendrick Lamar (my heart hurt watching this video out of love, symbolism, and vivid visual quality) 3. The Need to Know - Wale 4. 9 - Willow Smith 5. What is Love - Kingdom Honestly, there are so many interesting and cool things to learn about SZA, in addition to building a deeper appreciation of the music craft in general. It's mesmerizing. Bless those who helped her get to where she is, and bless SZA for believing in herself. With this brief overview of a wonderful woman, I conclude with more fantastic images of a living goddess. Dave East: My Motivation Hey y'all, Welcome to the YED Heads and the first post of this blog journey. I decided to create this because I wanted a platform to discuss music that I am so passionate about and feel deserves recognition and a shout out. There's so much music being made everyday and wonderful music hiding in our pasts. The piece that motivated me, moved me, stirred emotions so strong within me it actually gave me chest pains, was this new -at the time- album called P2 (Paranoia 2) by Dave East. I was scrolling through Spotify's new releases and saw this album. It attracted me initially because it's monochromatic with blues and sepia, and I love monochromes. What made me click and listen was I had remembered Nicki Minaj posted about Dave East awhile ago, giving him a shout out on another, earlier album he had released called Paranoia. At the time she posted that, I clicked and listened to his song Paranoia and liked it, but didn't explore much further. I added the album to my queue and continued looking around for music to play in the background as I did some physics homework. I never got around to starting a problem because the album started off with an immediate banger, and I was vibing. I love a good rhythm and when the lyrics flow seamlessly with the peaks and lows of a beat. It fills my heart with happiness. The first song, Talk to Big, felt like the perfect set up. It said (not the lyrics but how I feel about it) "I'm coming with flow, bars, instruments of power, so prepare yourself." Prosper got bigger, then Woke Up featuring Tory Lanez was a definite vibe of being a boss, confidence, and allegiance to the grind. A fair feature sure to elevate him even more. At this point in the album, I am definitely vibing for real, and it's only three songs in. Powder is chill. I like the beat. It almost sounds like there is a harp or something which adds a nice soft piece. Corey tells a story of someone from his home. Thank You is hella jumpy, like shoulder shrugging, summer car rides sipping on a cold drink, laughing with your friends getting into all kinds of mischief. If you hatin' I just wanna say "Thank you" I Can Not is pretty hard. I would definitely play it at a party. Regular Harlem Shit is actually great. The woman in this audio file fucking kills me. "Donkey dickin'..." Annoying IS PROBABLY THE HARDEST SONG ON THE ALBUM. It's the actual shit. I play this song all the time, play it so loud it rattles the rear view mirrors. T.I. is in this song, as well, and he adds some nice lines in there. Mostly it's a sound change up and different verses, so not super outstanding to me, but I love it regardless. My favorite lines are... I just made a hundred Next is What Made Me which is nice and catchy. There's a trumpet or something in the background? Not entirely sure, but it holds the center of the sound of the song. Violent reminds me of an old western standoff with this twang guitar sound in the background, but also there's this kind of flute sound which sounds distinctly Asian, like cherry blossom, meditation type of image. I definitely like it. It's a different sound combination, and I appreciate that. I had seen I Found Keisha on a list of songs to love. I don't remember where I saw it, but it got me curious. This is a good song, well rounded. I would probably play this which chillin with my friends as good upbeat, hard, proactive background music. Hopefully I will soon be able to put up the videos I took, but I was fortunate enough to be able to attend his concert. Let me say that it was absolutely amazing and changed my life. His energy, confidence, and aura was outstanding. This was taken during one of his songs. I was so close to the front of the stage which was so incredible. I could've reached out and touched him if I had wanted to. Let me also say that while I was listening to this whole album the first time through, I was continually impressed by each consecutive song which came on. It was like each was building on the other before it, and I was blown away. Never have I felt before that a rapper told such a story. I know there are many others who have done the same, but this was the first time one of those stories really and truly impressed me and made me feel so deeply. This last piece of the album I don't even really remember listening to it because I was so overwhelmed by how I loved everything so much that was playing. Maintain is next to come up and I hellllllllaaaaa like it. I also play this one probably daily. It's badass, bumping in the car music, get a party started, f- it up type of lyricism and beat. He doesn't have a music video for it at this time of posting, so this decent lyric video can suffice. Also when this song was finished, I was falling over in my seat, like waving my arms in the air because I was on this beat so much. A crazy thing to walk in to see actually. Good thing nobody did. Never Been is legit. It made me feel like I was yearning for something, almost sad and reflective on what has happened in the past, but still recognizing the grind is what makes us productive and gets us to our goals. Pushing forward. This video by far is the best one, and I've watched half of the lyric videos on his Vevo; I love the ferns and his look at the end of the video. This song motivates me to do better, to keep moving, because better things will come your way as long as you keep working for what you want. Finally, my heart, my soul, the song that changed everything for me, is named Grateful. Something about it being at the end of a hard ass album, something about its softness, somehow he arranged the lyrics in a way that broke my heart and put it together again. It encompassed strong will and awareness for the necessity of hardships, this process of growing from the shitty parts in life. It embodies being thankful for those who come and go in our lives, for the hardships our caretakers and parents went through to get us to where we are now. More or less, I think it's him being grateful he was able to make this album and music altogether, that he is still alive to be successful, that he is still around to take care of his daughter. The precious status of our lives is out of our control, subject to anyone we surround ourselves with. I don't think this even needs the religious aspect to still make an impact. Some may disagree, but it's besides the point that we live because of those around us. This may mean those who motivate us, inspire us, provide for us, or who want us dead. We are who we give our time and attention to. Everything about the soft music arrangement and heartfelt words pointed towards a reckoning and acceptance. This is an expression for those who feel they have it tough now, who need to know they can make it, and to have the compassion to live gratefully. The sound of the woman's voice, Marsha Ambrosius, topped me off and had me fucking dead. She took my heart away and it's no longer mine. Her tone sounds to me what confidence, understanding, love, and empathy all sound like. (btw in this lyric music video, just listen and absorb more than watching because it's not the most visually interesting) The lines of the chorus which most influenced me are... Loyalty and love over everything |
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