On a lighter Note…
Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof
This quote can be translated thus in contemporary local Nigerian speak “I cannot come and kill myself!”.
Let me deviate from my social analysis for a bit and talk about the music that I love.
Over the past few years, a few songs have been the bedrock of my playlist. They are my heavy rotation. From work outs to long drives to evening chills. I play them so much that they are part of my top 25 most played songs on Apple music.
The list tells a story of feelings and experiences from a period of about 5 years in my life. Memories of wins, losses, joy and pain are stamped in my mind with these songs as the soundtrack.
Without further delay, I present to you my 25 most played songs(2014–2019).
Intro (2014 Forest Hills Drive)
J Cole
This one is special. It is the opener of an album that dropped without hype but was full of gems. 2014 Forest Hills drive went platinum without a single feature. The album is introspective and energetic. It cemented J Cole as one of the stand out rap artists of his generation. The track itself isn't a rap song. It’s Cole, singing about happiness, freedom and love with his usual lyricism and depth. Accompanied by a piano and a small orchestra, the song is therapeutic and up lifting.
“look where I came, look how far I done came, they say that dreams come true and when they do that there’s a beautiful thing” — J Cole
January 28th
J Cole
From the same album. Following immediately after the soft and introspective Intro is a track full of bravado and character. The piano and horn riff of the intro is transformed to an underlying soulful sample underneath hip hop drums and bass guitar which fill up the track. Cole is relentless with his punch lines and his persona shines through the song. His lines are full of confidence and delivered with authority. Personally the song gives me a lift every time I listen to it. Imagining that Cole is a young man like me and can be capable of such artistry is inspiring to say the least. The song is full of quotables, not least the chorus which carries a deep message.
“Don’t give em too much you, don’t let em take control, Its one thing you do, don’t let em taint your soul, if you believe in God, one things for sure, if you ain’t aim too high, then you aim too low” — J Cole
Weston Road Flows
Drake
You can say what you want about Drake but he sure does make some good music. This is officially my favorite drake song. That’s saying a lot considering just how deep his catalogue goes. The song connects with me deeply on an emotional level. Listening to this Canadian speak about his come up and where he came from interloped with bragging about his success reminds me of my experience growing up in Surulere. Dreaming of someday hitting it big. It takes me back to Bode Thomas road which I walked down countless times with my friends as a kid. The 90s RnB sample also adds to the nostalgic effect. Drake goes hard without a chorus and executes some solid lines. Its difficult to pick a stand out line as the entire rap is sewn together in such a way that it works together as a whole to tell the story and deliver the feeling.
“Used to have secret handshakes to confirm my friendships, nowadays they just shakin my hand to hide the tension” — Drake
Africa Must Wake Up
Damian Marley and Nas
Distant relatives is one of my top albums of all time. Its an amazing album full of meaningful and melodious rap and reggae music that will be relevant for a long time to come. Out of the all these great songs however, Africa must wake up has the most relevant message to me. Anyone that is close enough to me has probably heard this song playing in my car. The Damian Marley sung chorus is an epic cry for Africa to translate all her potential (motherland and diaspora)into better living conditions for its people.
“Yesterday we were kings, can you tell me young ones, who are we today?” — Damian Marley
FEEL
Kendrick Lamar
There are times when we feel alone, when we feel down and depressed, when we don’t feel good about ourselves. I cant speak for anyone but I’ve my days down in the dumps. This song is a literal documentation of such feeling from one of the most famous people in the world. The song is far from up beat. Kendrick unloads his mind on a somber beat talking about how no body is praying for him. Prayer starts with a thought so he is more or less saying no one cares about him. That’s quite alarming coming from someone who is so famous, but it gives you some insight into the workings of the human mind. It shows me how much he struggles with negative emotions like fear and self hate. If Kendrick can FEEL this way maybe i’m not so fucked up after all.
“The feeling of an apocalypse happening but nothing is awkward” — Kendrick Lamar
To be continued…..
