I decided to do a typical decade-end list of all my favorite things in music, and I can't fit half of the albums that have become anthemic or epic for me over the past 10 years, so I decided to put a random list up of albums I liked. There's no specific order, just how they came to me. Clearly my sound has evolved over 10 years, but the music is all still real to me. What's the next 10 years going to be like?
Time off from the blogosphere equals reflection and jumping back into the hustle of daily life. I need inspiration, if we're gonna be real. Things that make me reevaluate everything around me just a little bit more.
I bleed because I feel....and I live because I embrace the pain
"Hurt" Dirty Money ft. Drake. It's Diddy, and he's not exactly the reincarnation of Tupac, but this song just kind of hit the right emotions at the right time. Love lost isn't an atypical thing to sing about, but the idea of loving someone more than you love yourself and letting it drain you was just a powerful ass concept that I couldn't get past. And the fact that the song has Dawn Richard (who has one of the most beautiful vocal tones I've heard in a while), Drake (yes, the hype for his official debut is still on one-hundred), and a dope instrumental combo (piano and drums, doesn't get better). It's a song that has to stay on repeat not just because it's dope, but because the vibe is on a deep level.
Kudos Dirty Money.
"Beautiful Bliss" Wale To keep it real, I could've chosen a bunch of different Wale songs for this, because he's just that legit, but 'Beautiful Bliss' doesn't deal with love, loss, or pain, but it creates a desire for success. Basically, it's a story of what life is like at the top, and how good it feels to have busted your ass to get there. I most definitely can get with it. I do this for me and myself, and damn it feels tight. And Melanie Fiona and J.Cole go in on their parts of the songAttention Deficit is a painfully underrated album.
"Un-Thinkable (I'm Ready)"- Alicia Keys Co-written by the hip-hop prince of the moment, Drake, 'Un-Thinkable' is one of the standout tracks from Alicia's new album The Element of Freedom. It has to be a single, but the good songs never are, which is good, because sometimes the best stuff should stay hidden. Love is revisited again, but this time, it's not a fairytale. It addresses the uncertainty of falling in love,being hurt, and failing at it all, but being ready for the challenge. Vulnerability is not a bad thing, and Drake and Alicia knocked it out with this one.
Wieden_+Kennedy (one of my favorite ad agencies for a reason) have released one of the few commercial campaigns that I even pay attention to, much less attach any emotional meaning too. Americana pride, personal declarations, whatever you get out of it, it's interesting to me at least.
We were going to a blogcast of this, but life gets in the way. Anyway we move on.
I'm mad for a few reasons. Kanye-snubbed. Whitney-snubbed. Beyonce-Overhyped. Maxwell-not hyped enough. And I have a few other issues really.
Female Pop Vocal- I don't think B. Spears is the greatest vocalist, but she dominated these categories when she first came out (at least with consistent nominations), but when she actually puts out decent music she doesn't get recognized?
Best New Artist- I don't care about Academy policies, like it or not, GaGa should've been nominated. And if Drake can get 2 rap nods, why not a BNA nod?
R&B Categories- Whitney should've been all up and through these categories (Album, Female), but as usual Beyonce's money gets her places she doesn't need to be. Good (albeit EXTRA surprising) look for Pleasure P (aka Marcus Cooper) on his 3 grammy nods. Did not see that happening. Brandy should've been nominated. Anyone who is smart knows she'll never win, but she definitely had material worth being nominated for.
Country- Carrie's "Carnival Ride" should've been nominated as an album, not just for "Just a Dream", but I can deal with that.
Rap- Kanye will go postal, and I actually think he has a right to. 808s was a lot better than half of the rap albums out now, despite it's leaning to emo-rock sound.
I'm sure there are other things that I could argue about, but I don't have the energy to review all the nominations. Maybe later.
Usher has somewhat fallen off of the musical recently. His last album "Here I Stand" wasn't exactly a commercial hit, and somewhere along the lines marriage, fatherhood and divorce shifted his focus.
Well thankfully he's back. The official single off of his upcoming album "Monster" is entitled Papers, but a new track just leaked named Rockband. Yes, like the game.
But guess what? The song is hot. Granted Usher is moving in a more pop-oriented direction for this album, but the RedOne produced song is slick, uptempo, and classic Usher that keeps people on the dance floor. Plus he mentions the Rolling Stones in the song, so that's automatic cool points for him.
Next up is Wale, who's track is Letter featuring John Mayer. I don't know what to say other than I love it.
I will admit I'm a huge Wale fan, so maybe I'm a little bit biased, but his music is the truth. Lyrically he's real, raw and honest, and outside of a few artists in the game now, that sort of reality is sorely lacking. Hip-hop as a culture has been suffering from a over saturation and infatuation with money, girls, and fame, but Wale, Kid Cudi and others are finally bringing back the heart of what hip-hop used to be.
I could type out all of the lyrics and reiterate what is so amazing about this track, but the song will speak for itself. His album "Attention:Deficit" hits stores Nov. 10
Yes, the one and only Lupe Fiasco recorded a bonus track for the Twilight: New Moon Soundtrack and it's definitely more rock than Lupe is known for, but it still goes in hard because lyrically he's a beast.
The College Dropout
The Fray
19
FutureSex/LoveSounds
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Riot!
Confessions
Diary of Alicia Keys 
Stripped
The Black Album
Speakerboxx/The Love Below
Aaliyah
In This Skin
Breakaway
8701
Attention Deficit 
Blackout
My December
So Far Gone
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