OutKast - Synthesizer

Life is made of half illusion, forty percent confusion

Whatever's left I'm usin to keep myself from losin

I cannot even begin to tell you how much I wish I was writing about a new OutKast song. I'm hoping 2009 will be the year the Atlanta, Georgia duo will bless us with a new album. But until then, I have to pay tribute to one of my favourite rap groups of all time (with Andre 3000 being most probably my favourite rapper--period). I don't feel that I need to provide some sort of background information on them cause I'm confident that, by now, almost everyone has heard them. Whether it be from their OG Southernplayalisticcaddliacmusik days (have fun reading that) to "Ms. Jackson," to "Hey Ya," we're all more or less familiar with Andre 3000 and Big Boi.

I could pick so many songs by them and go on and on about them, but I'll try to keep to the point. "Synthesizer"(featuring George Clinton of the Parliament/Funkadelic) is one of the first rap songs I heard that, not only was "weird" but actually about a topic that is rarely ever rapped about. As the title suggests, this song is about all the fake/plastic people and things there are in this world. And if you ever don't like something about yourself, well, you can always count on science to provide you a new one. Even the beat is synthesized with robotic background vocals.

Favourite Part: Andre's entire verse starting around 2:06. His flow is fired up and his lyrics are, as always, great.

This song is a perfect example of how different OutKast is. I mean, they've even labeled themselves as pariahs. This track is from their third LP, Aquemini--a combination of the rappers signs. Now I'm gonna be honest, as much as I like OutKast as a whole, it's really Andre that does it for me. His lyrics are almost always more meaningful and clever than Big Boi's. But that's why they're a perfect balance for each other, cause we all know how much people seem to love rap songs about bullshit.

Although the duo have gone their seperate ways more or less, rumours have been flying around for almost two years now about a new album. And this time, it won't be two solo albums released as a double disc. In the meantime, Big Boi has been touring with the Atlanta Ballet company for his stage production, "Big." How cool is that?

Synthesizer - George Clinton

Macklemore - Inhale Deep

If I'm not making music

Why the fuck am I existing?

When I first found out in January of 2007 that there was a hip hop scene in Seattle, I was shocked. I'd been listening to hip hop all my life from the east to the west to the dirthy south, but never had I heard of any Seattle-based or "Pacific Northwest" rappers. I was skeptical. I gave some a listen and found that they're just as good as rappers from the rest of the country.

One of the first, and possibly my favourite, that I've heard thus far is Macklemore. Despite being a white boy, he sure can rock the mic. His lyrics are meaningful and he flows well, which is a must if you're rapping, and the beats are solid. "Inhale Deep" from The Language of My World is a good example along with many more from this album. You know by listening to him that he's doing it for the love.

2Pac - Brenda's Got a Baby

I hear Brenda's got a baby

But Brenda's barely got a brain

There are several reasons why I chose this as my first song. Firstly, to pay homage to 2Pac, one of the greatest and one of my favorite rappers of all time. Secondly, to hope to convince anyone who doesn't like rap or 2Pac that it still deserves some respect and is more than the crap you hear on the radio. Lastly, I grew up listening to hip hop and like to think of it as my first love. Although my musical taste has expanded way beyond hip hop by now, it still holds a special place in my heart.

"Brenda's Got a Baby" is 2Pac's first ever hit off his first full length album--2Pacalypse Now. The song, according to the music video is based on a true story about a girl named Brenda. But 2Pac uses her personal story to illustrate the larger struggles those living in urban black communities face. This is by no means the first time a rapper has attempted to provide social or political commentary through a song. What stands out about this song in particular (vs. for example, "Fight the Power" by Public Enemy), other than the fact that it's a better song overall, is that it was a song that anyone could understand regardless of race or social status.

Sometimes I wish 2Pac was still alive (that's right, 2Pac is dead), but then I look at what's become of mainstream hip hop and am kind of glad that he died when he did. He's left behind a memorable legacy and will always continue to live in spirit and in my speakers.

THUG LIFE!