Music

So I was trying to think of something fun to post, but was pretty much drawing a blank.  So I decided to share some of my favorite artists/albums of all times.  Let me know what you think.  If you haven’t heard of them or given them a chance, do it! 

Artists:

Taking Back Sunday – They have an awesome sound and I love their style of lyrics.  Very sarcastic yet somewhat poetic also.

T.I. – Awesome rapper.  Love the lyrics.  He is not like your typical radio artists that just sing about ice and grills.  Don’t let confidence be mistaken as cockiness.

Eminem – I have a lot of respect for this artist.  I get a lots of crap for it but I don’t care.  He puts a tons of passion into his music which is more than most christian artists can even say.  Although his passion may misdirected at times and not necessarily what I believe, I respect him for what he has been through and his musical and lyrical talent.

Honorable mention: Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown, Damien Rice

Moving up the Favorites list: Underoath, Thrice, Usher, Ludacris

Albums:

Future Sex / Love Sounds by Justin Timberlake – I don’t care how gay it sounds (haha) I love this album.  definitely in my top albums of all time.  It’s one of the few that I can sit down and listen to all in one sitting without getting sick of.  The guy is extremely talented and has a lot of song that have have good topics and really catchy beats and melodies.  Not only that, but the interlude add a whole new dimension and make the album a blast to sit down and listen to in order from start to finish because it flows so well….even if it’s not what type of music your normally into.

Where You Want to Be by Taking Back Sunday  - Obviously, it’s one of my favorite artists, however there are none of my all-time favorite songs on this album.  Really, there are not even any that truly stick out in my mind.  What makes this such a great album is that it is great as a whole.  It has a bunch of great songs that are not just radio hits.  It never really gets old.  Just quality music from start to finish.

The Eminem Show by Eminem – Quite a controversial album (just as he is himself and the rest of his music).  However, I can’t get over how much I appreciate it as a whole.  Even if it is harsh at times, I love how straight forward and honest he is in all his lyrics.  He is who he is and I appreciate that.  The album seems rough and dark at many points, however the albums style is what makes it stand out as unique even 5 (almost 6) years later.

Paper Trail by T.I. – Not much detail for this one.  Just awesome!!  I know people that do not like rap/hip-hop but still have come to like this album.  That’s saying something.  Doesn’t seem to have the negative messages often expected from the genre.  all around good music filled with talent and well thought out lyrics.

Songs:

Cute Without the “E” (cut from the team) by Taking Back Sunday – One of the best arrangements of any of my music.  The band’s vision for the final product and how it turned out is amazing.  I love the feeling of emotion and sarcastic bitterness put into the lyrics and performance.  The overlapping dual vocals take the song (in my opinion) to the next level.

Forgot About Dre by Dr. Dre – Classic Rap featuring Eminem and Dr. Dre.  A song appreciated by listeners of many genres.  Nothing more needs to be said.  The song defends itself.

Love Stoned/I Think That She Knows by Justin Timberlake – A little long, but that is what makes it seem so epic to me.  Starts off with a great kickback beat and then ever so smoothly transitions into an amazing melodic tune.  Kinda hard to explain…listen for yourself. Below is a sample of the second half.

Honorable Mentions: Forever – Chris Brown, Til’ I Collapse – Eminem, My Love – Justin Timberlake, Live Your Life – T.I., Whatever You Like – T.I., Stronger – Kanye West

A Bloated American Dream

“He is Hitting

Us Where it

Will Hurt

Most………

Our Pride”

So if anyone has been paying the slightest bit of attention to the news lately, they would clearly know about the financial and economic crisis that is ongoing right now.  First I would like to point out (since we are clearly in an American Bubble  here) that this is in no way just an American problem.  Economies and financial systems all over the world are falling apart due to this problem.  However, I am not here to report the news.

I am here to bring up an interesting point of view.  If you have researched or understand business and economics at all, you can trace these issues way back to the sub-prime mortgage issue or defaulting loans or the fall of the housing market.  However, the issue is far more simple than this.  It boils down to the simple fact that we as a nation and human race have gone completely wrong.  Where is it that we get off thinking that we can spend 12 trillion dollars more than we have and think that nothing will go wrong.  How can we expect to take loans for houses that cost 20 times more than our annual family income. 

The issue is that we as humans are greedy and prideful (especially as Americans).  We simply spend too much money.  True, we as a government are trying to solve all the problems in society, however if there was enough money to fix EVERY issue, then no issues would be existent.  Clearly we can not afford everything we are paying for right now.  Americans need to learn to live within their means.  Americans are following a bloated American Dream.  The media is giving today’s generations a false truth that happiness and status comes from what you where, where you live, what you drive and what you own.  This could not be any more dangerous of a lie.  Our current generations have been raised on these morals and are suffering the consequences. 

Our economy is teetering on the edge of collapse and rightfully so (as scary as that sounds).  Someone once told me, “all sin has consequences even in this life.”  How true.  We should consider this economic situation as the rightful consequence for our greed.  Now I am not saying that I necessarily believe that America will fall completely off the map (if we repent), but we definitely will lose some of our global influence and power.  And in my opinion, God couldn’t get our attention in any better way.  He is hitting us where it will hurt most…………our pride.

New Tile???

So this is somewhat of a random post I know, but I just have to bring it up. So just last week (I think it was) me and my buddy Mark noticed that the caf at school is getting new tile. Call me crazy, but......did they really need new tile. Was there some serious danger being caused by the old tile that created a need for new tile???? I don't know, however Mark and I had quite a bit of fun coming up with some cool things to put on comment cards. One example was "Swipe to save........FOR NEW TILE!!!!" or "we can't give our extra meals to the homeless....but at least we can afford new tile!!" Anyway, I don't mean to sound overly bitter or anything, however it seems like the caf is always so strict about letting you swipe for someone else (even when you have tons of extra meals) and letting you take anything to go, and then they turn around and get brand new tile that they didnt even need at all. It just seems absolutely ridiculous!! Tell me your thoughts.

Explicit Lyrics

"To me music is more than just a beat or good sound; music is a doorway into another person’s mind, heart, and soul."

My roommate and I are always at odds with our music. Not that we enjoy different genres because we both enjoy hip-hop and alternative. However it is the lyrics within the music that we disagree on, more specifically the explicit lyrics. You see, I am very passionate about music; I love good beats and strong lyrics. However, many of my favorite artists have explicit lyrics in their music. This is where the debate comes into play. My roomie does not like to hear unedited music. He gets all edited music because he prefers not to hear bad language or content. I completely respect him for this; however it can be difficult to listen to my music sometimes because I feel differently about this topic. Don’t get me wrong, I do not necessarily approve of explicit lyrics in music but I do strongly believe that music should be heard for what it is and how the artist intended for it to be heard.

With that said, I want to make it clear that I often do not agree completely with the ideals of some of these artists lyrics, but I feel that it allows me to see into who they are and what they believe. You see, to me music is more than just a beat or good sound; music is a doorway into another person’s mind, heart, and soul. I want to truly know what the song I am listening to is about and in my opinion that simply cannot be done with edited lyrics. For example, I like the rapper Eminem. Not because I agree with everything he sings about and believes (because I am a follower of God and I clearly do not live a lifestyle like that of Eminem), but rather because he sings about real things in his life and is true to who he is. And that I have to respect.

Many people disagree with me on this subject, for example, I have been told countless times how “distasteful” such music can be and how strong of a negative effect it can have on the listener and their morals. Now this brings up a few questions:

Lil’ Wayne is one of the biggest names in rap and album sales at this time with his newest album, “Tha Carter III.” He is the author of such hit songs as “lollipop” and “a milli.” As many people may know, his lyrics can be very explicit. So I pose a few questions. First, if Lil’ Wayne’s next album had no explicit lyrics, would it sell nearly as much? Second, do such explicit lyrics have an effect on the listener? (if you respond, please explain).

Please feel free to respond. I wish to hear anyone’s opinion on anything in this post. Thank you.