The Justa's League

Lupe Fiasco- Around My Way(Freedom Ain’t Free)

When the song started my inner-hip-hop elitist almost appeared front and center. Thinking to myself “Is that is the T.R.O.Y beat, that hear “what is he thinking?”.  Fortunately, it’s long past the days when The Source magazines mic ratings mattered, and I can’t remember the last time I have seen MTV’s Jam of the Week(I don’t watch much TV, does this still exist), and I can allow myself to listen to a song through to the end. Aside from the beat, Lupe does what he does very well. Shares his outlook on American society as a whole.

This song might appeal to me a little more than others, because I as i have previously said I don’t watch much TV, and I spend a lot of time reading books(Charles Eisenstien, Vine Deloria Jr, and James Baldwin…) that address a lot of the content that he is referencing in the song. Then again, I wasn’t one of the internet hip-hop heads that thought LASERS was the worst album ever, nor was it my favorite(but that story is not important), but none the less I enjoyed what it was.

What’s insane though, is how people can sit and hate, when a quality artist with a positive message decides to put out something, and continue to support other messages that are detrimental to communities at large? Doubt that question will ever be answered in my lifetime though.

(Source: Spotify)

Kirk Franklin-Always 

I often wonder what forces come together in the process of creating something as beautiful as this song. From the humble beginnings of a few chords on piano, to the addition of strings, brass, and voice a there definitely is something greater at work here. By the time of performance(this was recorded live) the forces at work come together to produce a pleasure to the soul like no other. 

(Source: youtube.com)

Common ft Cee Lo-Between Me, and You & Liberation

When one looks back at this period of Commons music, I would hope they would not forget one of his best pieces of work. Years before Lil B’s I’m Gay, the was this often neglected piece that dealt with homosexuality in a non-negative light on his third verse. A encounter with a friend that would reveal to him his sexual orientation ends the song, while tales of a victim of sexual abuse, and a conversation with a family member who is passing on are the other tales. A powerful take on liberation from the perspective of who we might initially might view as victims in our society, and the power they themselves find in their pain.  From a album that I feel like often is thrown under the bus too often, this jewel is a must listen too.

(Source: youtube.com)

Esperanza Spalding & The Southern California Children’s Chorus - “What a Wonderful World”

Sometimes it’s good to have reminder about all the wonderful things we are share on this Earth. 

(Source: youtube.com)

Tyga ft Nas Wale-Kings And Queen

Tyga had no business on this song. The only reason I can think that Tyga would even imagine that he was belonged on the track, was that he had that same surgery that Leonardo Dicaprio did at the end of Shutter Island and forgot that at best, his verse is Drake-lite. Here is a classic case of how business continues to do it’s best to kill the culture. Because why else would an artist like Tyga be able to deliver the sub-par verses along with  Wale(as much as I hate his new direction, dude can spit) and The Legendary Nas(God’s Son). Especially considering that any contribution in the last 13 months that Nas contributed a verse to, equals us staring into space in awe of the lyrics that were just unleashed upon us.. Wale is able to hold his own, he has some nice lines, and it’s not a one listen verse unlike Tyga’s(who comes off as more a kitten) entry-level submission, The beat also lends to the featured artists on the track, this sounds like something that would either be on a Nas or Wale album versus the guy who I forgot had a hit single with Chris Brown a few months back…The game aint the same.  

(Source: youtube.com)

Blu & Exile ft Miguel- Cold Hearted 

This song reminds me always of a point in a film where the main protagonist after encountering the worse, sees a bit of light to motivate them through the rest of their tale. Or even better, it reminds me of hitchhiking through Europe, when you would head out early morning and the sun would be just right on your shoulders, and no matter what happened the day before, you were just looking at the present.

(Source: youtube.com)

Diggy Simmons - Unforgivable Blackness [Unexpected Arrival] (by Diggy simmons)

Last week I read a book titled How to Be Black (yep, I  needed help in this area)byBaratunde Thurston. I enjoyed reading this narrative quite a bit, relating to the subject matter of the book which sometimes dealt the experience of growing up black in America from a comical point view, and others quite seriously. Which to some might immediately communicate the work was about struggle(rightly so), poverty(dash of that), and BET(). While some of the above might have a hand in the story, the interesting thing I felt that was provided by that what it means to be black goes beyond those stereotypes.

Which brings me to Diggy’s song Unforgiveable Blackness, which questions as well what blackness means from the perspective of rap royalty. Son of Rev Run who was part of the first rap groups to meet crossover success,  and nephew to Def Jam founder multi-millionaire Russell Simmons ask why is “black card” is in question, because he has a “black card”? While his family’s wealth has afforded him opportunities and experiences that most will never be able to encounter, it will never change the fact that his skin is black.

A positive reflection, that encourages us who to share the skin, to move the identity that black must look like this and that, or is this, or that as a human being.  And if the current national attention of the murder of Trayvon Martin has proven anything, it’s that that we need more voices like these two artist two shed more positive light amongst ourselves(while not completely ignoring the effects that the negatives have had on us) and just maybe that will inspire the George Zimmerman’s of the world to think twice about dominate society’s negative definition of what  blackness is.

Odd Future - “NY (Ned Flander)” [feat. Hodgy Beats & Tyler, The Creator] 

I was reading some hipster review of the Odd Future Vol 2 Tape and it always upsets me that he find need to define the artist. Instead of focusing in on the music, he instead beings with the videos that preceded the album, which have little to do with what’s being played in your earphones at the moment. Anyways, Hodgy Beats will be getting plenty of repeat plays from me this year. The progress from Mellowhype to now is quite impressive. Then there is Tyler the Creator whose verse is nice and whose beat is even nicer. The eerie synth and baseline is head nod music at it’s finest. A nice middle finger to those who continue to nitpick at every move the crew makes right here.

(Source: youtube.com)