Blunted on Reality- The Fugees

First of all I would like to thank my beautiful friend, Caitie Gibbs for bringing this album into my life...because it is one of my favorites! The other day I was at work and we usually have a nice jazz band on Friday nights. And I was enjoying that moment when out of nowhere everyone starts clearing all the tables and the most awful hipster electronic DJ starts penetrating his horribly aggressive beats into my brain. I immediately left work and put on this album to help me get back to a better mental place. THIS ALBUM is aggressive in the best of ways. The Fugees are obviously mad, as one can tell by their beats and their impressive lyrics. They obviously wanted to make a strong impression on their first album and even though this album is often overshadowed by their other masterpiece THIS ALBUM ROCKS. And it has some of the best delivery I have ever heard.
Vocab-This is one of my favorite songs...ever. Its like I am sitting around a fire on a mountain listening to this song unfold. And Wyclef rocks it in this song, well everyone does...this song is just great.
Boof Baf- I LOVE this song and on occasion play it on repeat because of the wonderful Ms. Lauryn Hill's verse in this song. She says it with such attitude too, I truly think its one of the best verses from a female rapper; "I'll love your theory like the chi-chi-woo-woo-boogie-man
You say I'm balanced but you're Silence of the Lambs ,And when I call your name I say Candyman, Candyman, Candyman , cause I can, can, yes, I can, can" you really though need to hear ms. hill say it.
Temple- I just like the reggae vibe of this beat, beautiful.

Mos Dub

This album is one of those beautiful remix albums that you wish you had thought of. Even though Mos Def's lyrics are not always the most uplifting these tracks backed with reggae songs give the songs a new feeling without losing the original meaning of the lyrics. And although its October I discovered this album in the summertime and this is a PERFECT summer day soundtrack, so try to remember that in a year...I wish I knew where to download the whole album, I'm sure its not hard to find, I just listen to it on youtube but I also know its avaliable on grooveshark. Here are my favorites on it.
History Town- Taken from Shanty Town (great song!) for the beat and History (great song!) for the lyrics these two powerful songs (with a similar message to them) into an amazing laid back but extremely intelligent song.
In My Math- Embarrassingly I don't know the name of the reggae song this is sampled from...but the Mathematics lyrics take on something else with the sample in the back...SO GOOD.
Johnny Too Beef- Johnny Too Bad mixed with What's Beef is obviously amazing. "Beef is not what Jay said to Nas, Beef is when the working class can't find jobs" OHH.

KRS-One- Return of the Boom Bap

I was told recently I need to get acquainted with DJ Premier and all of the early New York hip hop visionaries. So, like the white girl I am I did a little research and came across Return of the Boom Bap. This album is PHENOMENAL and a great intro to DJ Premier. Just listening to the album and hearing what KRS-One raps about makes you feel like a more intelligent and aware person when the albums over.
Black Cop- I didn't know black cops were a bad thing, but KRS-One makes a compelling argument, and shit its catchy.
Uh Oh- With a simple beat KRS-One tells a great story. His delivery on this song is crazy engaging too.
I Can't Wake Up- this HILARIOUS song is about a dream about being a blunt. actually. and its awesome, the best part of the song is when the blunt gets passed to Bill Clinton. And if you are looking for more great rappers just look up some of the people mentioned int his song.

The Kinks- The Village Green Preservation Society

The kinks are one of the most underrated classic rock bands. I truly do not understand why some of their albums don't rank among those of The Rolling Stones, The Who etc...because they are just as good, if not better! Especially this album. This album is about the simple country life! There's a time in everyone's life (at least mine) where you just wanna live the simple small town life and this album perfectly exemplifies that. GOD SAVE THE VILLAGE GREEN. TO ME, in this day and age, lets just stick with the simple things and the simple way of life, what it might have meant back then is them taking the side of the more conservative stance of the British society, mocking it probably. But, I like thinking of it as living with no technology, blogs twitter etc... AND it has my favorite Kinks song...
Big Sky!- This is my favorite Kinks song. The guitar in this song is incredible, one of my favorites in any Kinks song. And I like the personification of the Big Sky in this song. "Big Sky looks down on all the people who think they got problems..."
Johnny Thunder- Despite my intense fear of thunder, this song still makes me happy. It reminds me of a some 50's rebel James Dean type.
Animal Farm- Kind of going along with the theme of the small town, simple life...you just wanna go to Animal Farm! And I love Davies voice in this song it goes back and forth from pleasant to sometimes a little tougher. "Girl, it's a hard, hard world, if it gets you down, Dreams often fade and die in a bad, bad world, Ill take you where real animals are playing, And people are real people not just playing."
I recommend these songs but EVERY SINGLE SONG on this album is awesome. And you must listen to it in order, all the way through, in my opinion.

Black on Both Sides- Mos Def

Mos Def's first album, released in 1999 (the year Britney Spears was introduced to the world and Cher's album Believe was #1) takes everything that was happening at the time and provides intelligent commentary on it as only Mos Def can do. Now, 1999 was before the music industry went into a tailspin, before Sept. 11th. Mos Def was already ahead of his game by providing us with intelligent underground hip hop that the world was so desperately in need of at this time. If you are a hip hop fan and you are not familiar with this album, you will probably be made fun of at some point in your life. Oh and by the way, this whole hipster fashion with the skinny jeans and shades, Mos Def started that.
Fear Not of Man- I just love this song cause I think its the perfect way to start this beautiful album. It just sounds like he's in some small Brooklyn club and he's trying to peacefully usher us into the new millennium with positivity "We gunna get it together right? I believe that." WE ARE HIP HOP, so wherever we go hip hop goes. Oh, Mos Def its been 30 seconds and I'm already deeply in love.
Ms. Fat Booty- This beat is NASTY. As a woman who lacks this feature I like vicariously living through this song.
Rock 'N' Roll- As a punk fan, I like how he rocks out at the end. I also like how he sings the melody the minions of the Witch in the Wizard of Oz sing. I DO NOT like how he bashes the Stones, I get what he's saying...but they know that they didn't come up with that. Anyways, this song is great.
Mathematics- some of the best hip hop lyrics ever. "40% of Americans own a cell phone
so they can hear, everything that you say when you ain't home
I guess, Michael Jackson was right, "You Are Not Alone"...this was before the Patriot Act, man's ahead of his time

Jay-Z and Kanye- Watch the Throne

I have been waiting for this album for a while, as have other avid Jay-Z fans (maybe some Yeezy fans too but they are probably too embarrassed to admit it). I'll just start by saying this, if you appreciate hip hop music that came out in the 00's decade, then you like Kanye, because he has produced some of the most enchanting and legendary albums of the past decade. I would include this one in the mix. I have heard complaints that they are rapping too much about being rich...but what do you expect? They are! And Jigga's past three albums have all pretty much emphasized "celebrating black excellence." They've made it! And they're celebrating. It's interesting because we don't know what Tupac and Biggie would have rapped about had they reached the level of success that Jay-Z has. Jay-z is the trailblazer in respectable rappers making it to the level of business and musical success that he has. WITH THAT SAID. This album is great...here are my favorite tracks.
Otis- this soulful sampling makes you wanna GET DOWN. All my favorite beats come from classic amazing old funk and soul samples...this is something Kanye is very good at (Touch the Sky).
Murder to Excellence- the track where they make the big statement about violence in black communities...back by a greaaattt beat
Ni**gas in Paris- They sample Blades of Glory....awesome.

The Harder They Come

This is the best reggae album ever. Now I admit I don't know that much about reggae, but this album is a GREAT one to get started on. I found out about this album cause I heard Robert Plant tried to get it played before the Led Zeppelin '75 tour. And you know if the Golden God thinks is good...it is. This is also ranked in many circles as one of the best soundtracks of all time. Now, I've never seen the movie, but I'm sure its great. What I really like about this album is that its every other outstanding reggae artist besides Bob Marley, this compilation's so good it doesn't need him. Here are some of the best songs on this album...
Pressure Drop- All Toots songs are awesome, but this album def has the best ones, and this one is at the top.
Pomp and Pride- This is probably my favorite Toots song. Which I became reacquainted with thanks to this album.
Guava Jelly- "Here I am, Come rub up on my belly like guava jelly" BEST. LYRICS. EVER.
Viet Nam- Bob Dylan said that this was the best protest song he'd ever heard.

The Pharcyde- Bizairre Ride II

At the pool this weekend this one older woman asked why there were so many people in Faneuil hall, it was because of some weird little Boston rapper, I didn't say that but I did say "Oh a rap show I think, in which this woman replied "BLECK I don't like rap do you? Too much swearing" ALRIGHT. I hate this attitude towards hip hop. Some of the most intelligent music is hip hop, of course there is awful rap where they are just trying to sound tough and swear unnecessarily, luckily I only listen to exquisite hip hop music...such as THE PHARCYDE. This album (and I'm pretty sure I'm alone in this thought) sounds like a bunch of gay (and I mean that word in the 40's sense of extremely joyful) rappers came together and they're just having a ton of fun, its their first album in the early days of hip-hop, what is there to lose? Its funny, has some great lyrics and stories and the jazz influenced beats really get you into it. Here's some of the best songs from this album:
I'm that type of ni***r- I love the drums and the bass with the "um um well excuse me" added. The best lyric? "I'm that type of ni***r to catch a bullet in my teeth then call you St. Nick dick cause you'll get hung like a wreath"
Soul Flower (remix)-I LOVE this song, the beats great and they make a ton of P-funk references, which I always appreciate and the lyrics... "I got more flava than 7/11 slurpees if Magic can admit he has AIDS, fuck it, I got herpes" HAHA
Passin Me By- the most popular song on the album, and it usually ranked among the best hip hop songs of all time. To me it has this great innocence, he just has a crush on this girl, just give him some attention!!
The skits are also just extremely entertaining on this album like when everyone randomly busts out singing "Quinton's on his way with another J, and its okayyy" now Quinton is memorialized in hip hop history cause he was nice enough to bring his buddies a joint.

3. Let it Bleed

The Stones first album after Brian Jones' death this album displays some of the turbulent times the Stones went through in that time period.
Gimme Shelter- The #1 guest appearance in any song...ever, is Mary Brown in this song. If you listen closely you can actually hear someone go "Wo!" in the background after one of her "Murder!" cries. OH! It gives me chills!
Live With Me- This song is a great sexual plea. And it has my favorite lyrics EVER "My best friend shoots water rats and feeds them to his geese, don't you think there's a place for you, in between the sheets?"
Monkey Man-a great, often underrated song.

2. Sticky Fingers

This album has actually been my favorite Rolling Stones album since I can remember. And I still love it, But Exile and I started developing a closer relationship which has unfortunately put it at #2. BUT it still has my favorite Rolling Stones songs on it.
Midnight Mile- This is one of my favorite Rolling Stones songs. As Keith wrote, this was Mick and one of his most prolific moments. This is a song that really takes you to a different place.
Dead Flowers- This song is fun as hell to sing and dance around too. Keith's bromance with Gram Parsons inspired the country style of this song. And the lyrics are great, "I know you think you're the queen of the underground."
Wild Horses- Another song influenced by Gram Parsons, the perfect summer driving song, and so romantic.
Can't You Hear me Knocking- This song just a good song to groove to, and as a friend pointed out to me, the sax solo is definitly the best part of it.

Balls Deep in the Stones

Excuse the vulgar phrase but it really has described my summer so far. I am currently at the very end of Keith Richards' Life, which has been wildly entertaining. I have had dreams about dating Keith Richards, which has been a little scary and to top it all of I have been listening to some of their various albums over and over and over...so! to celebrate my Stones Summer I would like to share my favorite albums and those songs on the albums...Let's do my top 3, because top 3 lists clarify everything I need to say in a punctual, organized manner.

1. Exile On Main St.

This album ROCKS. Written in a summer the Stones spent in the Mediterranean (for tax reasons) it is all together a ridiculously joyful album.
Here are some of the bests on a great album:
Rocks Off-When the music climaxes and Mick Jagger shouts "The sunshine bores the daylights out of me!" At that moment you'll never be more excited to listen to the rest of an album. AND THE HORNS. They just make you so happy! Which brings me to...
Happy- Keith just randomly wrote this song in one night when he was just hanging out with some of the guest musicians on the album. They got it in something like four takes, one night. And when the rest of the band heard it, it didn't need any changes, because this is one of those great songs that just comes from a night of spontaneous great music from rock geniuses.
Tumbling Dice- This is actually one of my favorite songs. The background singers make it for me, its soulful.