Henry Ward Beecher once said that "one's greatest success comes after
their greatest disappointments". Is disappointment a failure of some
sort? I think it's an apt description, considering some cosmic gear of
the universe has to fail a being's hope in order for that person to
experience disappointment. So there it is: Disappointment, then is
the failure of hope. And in the realm of Mr. Beecher's notion, it is
through our greatest defeats, our greatest successes are realized.
Whether it's by way of perseverance or some other means of will,
disappointment makes us stronger humans. I think disappointment is one
of those rites of passage as a human being. Just like up needs down,
we wouldn't hold on so dearly to hope if we had never been
disappointed in our lives. And of course, the painful irony there is
that while disappointment fuels hope, it also discourages it at the
same time. Disappointment fosters fear, making hope that much more a
difficult concept to grasp. So I guess in the end, disappointment
tempers the will of a man, challenging him to live his life without
fear.
For those lucky few of you that are living in slightly cooler climes this summer may not need this post as much as the rest of us from the South. But I still think you'll dig this.
It's not even officially summer yet, and I've been sweating my balls off on a consistent basis (true story: It's been quite laborious trying to track down my balls every time I sweat them off). This Houston humidity is no joke. I usually like to listen to hip-hop or rap during the sunny months since it matches my mood--more upbeat, more excitable, etc. But this time around, I don't know. I've recently posted that it's officially okay for us to start listening to hip-hop again, and while I still stand by that, this summer just seems too hot throw your hands in the air and get buck wild. Wouldn't your rather just sit back, relax, and groove with the opposite sex this summer? It's hotter than Satan's taint out there, and dammit, we need something cool to keep the temperature down. We need comfortable grooves, relaxed beats, and catchy lyrics. Dammit, we need R&B. Here are a few joints to keep cool this summer.
Best for the morning:
Chris Brown - First Day of Spring
Simplistic drums, a repetitive guitar riff, and Chris Brown's signature style. Do you really need much more for a successful R&B song? There really is no stopping this guy. He could record nothing but him farting on a track and it would sell.
Best for the afternoon:
Lloyd ft. The Dream - I Need Love
Sweeping synths in the background, a trotting bassline, and The Inc.'s hottest artist (Sorry, Ja). If Chris Brown wasn't doing his thing right now, Lloyd would be alone at the top. While the lyrics are a little bit meloncholy, the beat exudes a easiness guaranteed to keep you cool during mid-day.
And for that evening drive home:
Ne-Yo - Set It Off
The one thing I've always liked about Ne-Yo is that he always maintains some sense of maturity in his music. He's not afraid to his lady know his intentions, but he still keeps it tasteful. The bassline here can best be described as whimsical, while the synth keyboard keep the melody exciting.
Honorable mention:
Dwele - I'm Cheatin'
Alright, the content isn't the happiest of topics, but the beat is still nice. It's the perfect down-tempo R&B song--It doesn't make you want to clap your hands, and that's evident from the first second. Just snap your fingers and enjoy the rhythm, dammit. Dwele's Sketches of a Man is in stores now.
Ya'll stay cool.
Five weeks. He was five weeks in and he had done nothing short of
completely changing his life for the better. It was one of those turn
arounds where the term "complete 180" would be a gross understatement.
He was the underdog. He was the guy you wanted to see succeed. He was
the type of guy you wanted to see beat the odds. His was the case that
made you want to put forth more effort than you normally would. And
while you might get discouraged by the occasional set back, you
persevered because he was worth it. And when he finally got it--when
he saw that light at the end of the tunnel--you felt like it was more
than just his victory. It was yours, too. And the final time you shook
his hand you knew and believed in your heart that his life was going
to be different--better--and you had some small, nearly insignificant
impact on that. So when you received word that he had gone back to
that place in his life he had fought so hard to avoid, you were
crushed, to say the least. All of your efforts were for naught. In one
fell swoop, everything you had thought you accomplished was dashed
away. As a result, you looked back at everything you've ever done in
this capacity and a strange insignificance settles in the pit of your
stomach. And while you pray that he gets back up and gets the second
chance he so rightly deserves, there's that nagging bit in your heart
that knows you WERE his second chance.
So what do you do? You remember and do better, leaving nothing to
chance. Never again.
