2 posts tagged “music”
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.
But I digress. Aside from these shining examples of what hip-hop used to and should be (to me, at least), there really hasn't been anything out there that has grabbed a hold of my ears and screamed, "Jam this as loud as possible immediately, good sir!" And then I picked this up.
Without going into too much detail about this album, let me be as clear as possible when I say that in my opinion, this is their best album since the Grammy award-winning Things Fall Apart. This is one of those cover-to-cover albums. The type where you just pop it in your CD player and just let it go. The album as a whole flows nicely from song to song, yet each individual track leaves its own unique impression on the listener. From solid guest spots by artists ranging from well-known to not-so-well-known, to the refined musicality The Legendary Roots Crew has nearly trademarked, Rising Down deserves all the critical praise it's received since it's April 29th release.
But if you're lazy, uncivilized, and don't want to burden yourself with experiencing this aural masterpiece, then I humbly submit this for your approval. After you hear this song once, you just can't not want to immediately replay it. What is in this song that makes it ok to love hip-hop again? Is it Chrisette Michele's sultry chorus? Perhaps. Is it Black Thought's commanding flow? Could be. Maybe it's Wale's penchant for riding such a jive beat. Getting closer. How about the symbiotic mix of guitar, bass, drums, and other instruments? Warmer. Is it that damn cowbell? Bingo. That cowbell and the simple, repetitive beat it cycles throughout the song is the single reason it's ok to love hip-hop again. In an almost reflexive action, your shoulders begin to shake and your head begins to nod when cowbell is on the track. Just listen to the opening of "Rapper's Delight". How can you listen to that and not want to shake your posterior? The same rings true for this first single off of Rising Down. By deftly making use of the cowbell, The Roots have succeeded in making hip-hop fun again. You should thank them by buying their album. Notice I went this entire post without once referencing this. Oh wait, I just did. Dammit.
