30 Days/30 Songs. Day 19: A Song from your Favorite Album

Let's Go Crazy -Prince (and the Revolution)


"Dearly Beloved..." Prince seductively declares over a funeral organ.
 
"We are gathered here today to get through this thing called LIFE.
Electric word, 'life' it means: forever.and that's a mighty long time...but I'm here to tell ya, there's something else...
The afterworld. A world of never ending happiness. You can always see the sun; day, or night..."

Suddenly the eulogy for 'this thing called life' picks up and we are invited to a celebration of daily opposition of de-elevators and words of misplaced authority by Dr. Everything Will Be Alright.

Exactly. Let's Go Crazy.
This song opens up my favorite album of all time, and invites the listener to shrug off all expectations of what's coming and just enjoy the experience. Not my favorite song on the album, but definitely stands out as one of the most important ones.

I thought it was awesome when I heard Public Enemy's 1990 single 'Brothers Gonna Work It Out' and recognized the sample from Prince's guitar solo. Dopeness.
I also heard that the Minnesota Twins play this song whenever someone hits a homerun. Props to Minnesota I suppose.

He's coming.
Take me away!

30 Days/30 Songs. Day 18: A Song That you Wish you Heard on the Radio

Shaka - Q-Tip

Let's just be real here.
Fact: (well should be universally accepted as a fact) Q-Tip is the greatest producer/rapper in hip-hop history. (Some of you are gonna scream, Dilla. I love you guys.)

Before RZA was making 'Bobby Digital' records, there was 'The Brother Abstract'

Before T.I. was fighting himself on records, there was Tip. (which in reality is why T.I. had to change his name from Tip when he hit the mainstream)

Now why you wanna go and do that, love huh? (see what I did there?)

Before Kanye was stroking his ego and ya'll were stanning him for basically biting the RZA's approach to music- there was Q-Tip.
Hell, before Kanye decided to croon about 808s and Heartbreaks, Andre invited us to The Love Below, and before that-
Q-Tip got laughed at and shelved for making Kamaal/The Abstract

Yes. The brother from The Tribe ...who introduced us to Dilla.

So it really pisses me off when in 2008 all I heard on the radio was 'Lollipop' and 'Heartless' and whatever trash Gucci Mane was talking about at the moment. I never once- not once heard anything from Q-Tip's offering, The Renaissance. 

Even to this day, as I scan the iPods of friends and so called hip-hop heads I see every single Lil' Wayne mixtape but I don't see anything from Tribe or Q-Tip. But I digress. 

This particular song was not released as a single, it's the last track on The Renaissance and it's a sweet but banger worthy yet poetically calm tribute to his fallen brothers. If this (or any of the actual singles from the album) would've gotten radio play I'm sure you would've agreed. ...but it didn't.

Good thing I don't listen to the radio.

(I couldn't find a decent video for 'Shaka' so I embedded another song from the album called 'Gettin Up')

30 Days/30 Songs. Day 17: A Song That You Hear often on the Radio

Niggas In Paris -The Throne (Jay-Z and Kanye West)

SIGH.
I am so sick of hearing this fucking song. I think I enjoyed it ONE good time. The night Watch the Throne was released. I played the album and said to myself- ok. "This is a standout track"
I should've expected that the radios, DJ's, sunday school teachers, mimes and every body else would play this song over...

...and over.
I took a drive the other day and I had to have been in the car for about 23 minutes, and I swear this song got played on the SAME station three times. THREE TIMES.
I once saw a woman pull over on the side of the road just to dance to this song.

Seriously. There's only one other song that I hear on the radio more than this one- and that's that Beyonce song.

The strongest beer in the world

I freaking love the times we live in!
Yes.
That IS A BEER INSIDE A SQUIRREL.

Learn about it here: http://www.asylum.com/2010/07/22/its-the-worlds-strongest-most-expensive-beer-inside-a-squi/

30 Songs/30 Days. Day 16: A Song that you Used to Love, but now Hate

Diwali Riddim - Steven "Lenky" Marsden

or as YOU may better know it as:

No Letting Go - Wayne Wonder
Never Leave You (Uh Oooh, Uh Oooh) - Lumidee
Get Busy - Sean Paul
Elephant Message - Elephant Man

...and a shit load of other songs

No other song got played more times in 2002-03 more than THIS damn song. I kinda feel shitty complaining about it, because not only did I party to all 20+ renditions of the damn song, but I own a lot of them. (especially the four I just named)

AND I don't know when it happened, but I am sick. and. tired. of hearing that clap clap drum of this fucking song. JUST TIRED.

In retrospect, HOW the hell the American music industry allowed ONE song- not a sample, not an interpolation, but THE EXACT SAME DAMN SONG to not only dominate the charts, but do it disguised as all these other damn songs beyond my scope of comprehension.

But I can't think about it too hard... because like I said:

"I partied to all 20+ renditions of it."

Somebody on YouTube decided to show you what I'm talkin' 'bout.

0:00 : Wayne Wonder - No Letting Go
1:18 : TOK - Galang Gal
2:15 : Elephant Man - Elephant Message
3:41 : Sean Paul - Get Busy
4:25 : Lumidee - Never Leave You (Uh Oooh Uh Oooh)
5:34 : Brick & Lace - Love Is Wicked
6:30 : Crissy D - Make It Real Good
7:08 : Danny English & Eggnog - Party Time
8:20 : Sufferer - Bounty Killer