Something I Can Feel

Growing up in a household where music was supreme, I grew to love good music at an early age. My dad played drums in a popular, local band. They even opened a few concerts for national groups at the time like the Stylistics and the Delfonics. My father, mother and I sang around the house constantly and there was always music playing. I love, love, love music. I like all genres, as long as it moves me. I need to believe that you really love him and don't want him to leave. I gotta really feel that you're heartbroken that she's gone. I need to understand how much you want to make love tonight. I want to feel the beat so intense that I must dance - whether in my car, at the club or in my bedroom in my jammies! Music can make a bad day feel like a distant memory. It can enhnace some of lifes most beautiful moments. Every song that I hear to tied to a year, a specific place, person, thing or event. It's like the soundtrack to life.

My parents loved Motown and everything 60's, so that's in my soul. My favorite older cousin was a dance/disco head, so that's in my heart. I am a child of the eighties, so the decade where anybody could be a one hit wonder still makes me smile. I was around during the birth of rap/hip hop (or whatever term you fancy) so that's in my psyche. MTV was all there was for many years so I'm also a little country and a little bit rock and roll. Ten songs that recently played on my IPOD:

1. These Arms of Mine - Otis Redding
2. She's Gone - Hall and Oates
3. Until it Happens to You - Corrine Bailey Rae
4. Cappuccino - MC Lyte
5. So Much Love Here - B Angie B
6. We're Still Friends - Donny Hathaway
7. Isn't She Lovely - Stevie Wonder
8. Encore - Jay-Z
9. No Happy Holidays - Mary J. Blige
10. Last Night a DJ Saved My Life - Indeep

Yep, ya girl is all over the place and I love it. You'll notice no current rap/hip hop on there with the exception of Jigga. Overall, I'm pretty disappointed with hip hop music over the last 3-5 years; again, with the exception of Jigga. There are a few folks that I like - Common, The Roots, a little L.L., a little Busta, and a random sprinkling of other songs. But, in general, that's not my first love right now.

However, I love Jay! So focused, intense, talented, business savvy and a hell of an MC. I love about 80% of the music he makes. Even when I don't like the beat, I usually can respect the creativity and the wordplay. He's not conventionally attractive, but there's something about the confidence of his swagger.

On my way in to work this morning, I was listening to the new Jay-Z CD. Yes, it's a bootleg. Don't shoot me. I'll still be buying it on November 21st, but I just couldn't wait to hear it. It's hot! And, I hope this will usher in the beginning of "Grown Up Hip Hop". Of course the lyrics run the gamut, but the overwhelming feeling that I get from the album is, "I'm a grown ass man, dog, and I still love hip hop."

I like tracks 1-8 and 13, 9 and 10 will need to grow on me, don't like 11 and 14, and 13 is a great for putting some folks on blast. One of my favorites is a track entitled, "30 something", in which he compares the 38 year old that he is today to the youngsta that he was and to the youngsta's of today. For example, in one line he says, I'm young enough to know which cars are hot, but old enough to not put chrome on em. (Haven't listened closely enough to get the lyrics exactly right. Sorry!) The chorus reminds us that 30 is the new 20. :) Yeah, I'm definitely feeling the new Jay-Z CD. I love it when new music gives me that feeling!