Song of the Day #174

Lupe Fiasco feat. Jill Scott- "Daydreamin'" from Food & Liquor

"Daydream

I fell asleep beneath the flowers

For a couple of hours

On a beautiful day

Daydream

I dream of you amid the flowers

For a couple of hours

Such a beautiful day

[Lupe Fiasco]

As I spy from behind my giant robot's eyes

I keep him happy 'cause I might fall out if he cries

Scared of heights so I might pass out if he flies

Keep him on autopilot 'cause I can't drive

Room enough for one I tell my homies they can't ride

Unless they sittin on the shoulders but that's way too high

Let's try not to step on the children

The news cameras filmin

This walkin project buildin

Now there's hoes sellin hoes like right around the toes

And the crackheads beg at about the lower leg

There's crooked police that's stationed at the knees

And they do drive-bys like up and down the thighs

And there's a car chase goin on at the waist

Keep a vest on my chest

I'm sittin in my room as I'm lookin out the face

Somethin to write about

I still got some damage from fightin the whitehouse, just a

Daydream

I fell asleep beneath the flowers

For a couple of hours

On a beautiful day

Daydream

I dream of you amid the flowers

For a couple of hours

Such a beautiful day

[Lupe Fiasco]

Now come on everybody, let's make cocaine cool

We need a few more half naked women up in the pool

And hold this MAC-10 that's all covered in jewels

And can you please put your titties closer to the 22s?

And where's the champagne? We need champagne

Now look as hard as you can with this blunt in your hand

And now hold up your chain slow motion through the flames

Now cue the smoke machines and the simulated rain

But not too loud 'cause the baby's sleepin

I wonder if it knows what the world is keepin

Up both sleeves while he lay there dreamin

Me and my robot tip-toe 'round creepin

I had to turn my back on what got you paid

I couldn't see half the hood on me like Abu Ghraib

But I'd like to thank the streets that drove me crazy

And all the televisions out there that raised me, I was

Daydream

I fell asleep beneath the flowers

For a couple of hours

On a beautiful day

Daydream

I dream of you amid the flowers

For a couple of hours

Such a beautiful day

Daydream

I fell asleep beneath the flowers

For a couple of hours

On a beautiful day

Daydream

I dream of you amid the flowers

For a couple of hours

Such a beautiful day"

Song of the Day #171

Lupe Fiasco- "The Show Goes On" from L.A.S.E.R.S

"Alright, already the show goes on

all night, till the morning we dream so long

anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up

just remember when you come up

the show goes on!

Have you ever had the feeling that you was being had

Don’t that shit that make you mad

They treat you like a slave, with chains all on your soul,

and put whips up on your back,

they be lying through they teeth

hope you slip up off your path

I don’t switch up I just laugh

put my kicks up on they desk

unaffected by they threats than get busy on they ass

see that’s how that Chi-Town made me

That’s how my daddy raised me

that glittering may not be gold, don’t let no body play me

if you are my homeboy, you never have to pay me

Go on and put your hands up, when times are hard you stand up

L-U-P the man, cause a brand that the fans trust

so even if they ban us they’ll never slow my plans up!

Alright, already the show goes on

all night, till the morning we dream so long

anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up

just remember when you come up

the show goes on!

One in the air for the people that ain’t here

Two in the air for the father that’s there

Three in the air for the kids in the ghetto

Four for the kids who don’t wanna be there

None for the niggas trying to hold them back

Five in the air for the teacher not scared to tell those kids thats living in the ghetto that the niggas holdin back that the World is theirs!

Yeah yeah, the World is yours, I was once that little boy

Terrified of the World

Now I’m on a World tour

I will give up everything, even start a world war

for these ghettos girls and boys im rapping round’ the World for!

Africa to New York, Haiti then I detour, Oakland out to Auckland

Gaza Strip to Detroit, say hip-hop only destroy

tell em’ look at me, boy!

I hope your son don’t have a gun and never be a D-boy

Alright, already the show goes on

all night, till the morning we dream so long

anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up

just remember when you come up

the show goes on!

So no matter what you been through

no matter what you into

no matter what you see when you look outside your window

brown grass or green grass

picket fence or barbed wire

Never ever put them down

you just lift your arms higher

raise em till’ your arms tired

Let em’ know you’re there

That you struggling and survivin’ that you gonna persevere

Yeah, ain’t no body leavin, no body goin’ home

even if they turn the lights out the show is goin’ on!

Alright, already the show goes on

all night, till the morning we dream so long

anybody ever wonder, when they would see the sun up

just remember when you come up

the show goes on!"

Song of the Day #135

Lupe Fiasco feat. Matthew Santos- "Streets On Fire" from The Cool

"[Chorus: Matthew]

Death is on the tip of her tongue and dangers at the tip of her fingers

Streets

Are

On

Fire

To-

Night

Death is on the tip of her tongue and dangers at the tip of her fingers

Streets

Are

On

Fire

To-

Night

[Verse 1: Lupe]

Disease the virus is spreading in all directions

No safe zone no cure and no protection

No symptoms to find the signs of an infection

No vaccines remedies and no corrections

Quarantines the dreams and cut off our connections

Don't let em in not a friend not a reflection

Everybody's got it and want you to have it next and

Don't accept em if you wanna stay as an exception

No pill

Can heal

The ill of this

Sickness some are still in doubt of it's existence

Some call it forgiveness and some call it the vengeance

Some say it's an exit and some say it's an entrance

The poor say the rich have the cure

The rich say the poor are the source

Revolutionaries say it's psychological war

Invented by the press

Just to have something to report

Some say the first case came from a maternity ward

Some say a morgue, some say the skies, some say the floor

Whores say the nuns, nuns say the whores

And everybody is sure

The scientists said it only infects the mind

The little boy said it only infects the girls

The Preacher man said it's gonna kill off the soul

A bum said it's gonna kill the whole wide world

[Chorus: Matthew]

Death is on the tip of her tongue and dangers at the tip of her fingers

Streets

Are

On

Fire

To-

Night

Death is on the tip of her tongue and dangers at the tip of her fingers

Streets

Are

On

Fire

To-

Night

[Verse 2: Lupe]

Believe some say the neon signs

Might allow speakers repeating

And everything is fine

A subtle silence

To demolish the troubled conscious

Of a compass with no knowledge

And every freedom denied

Every dream is designed and broadcasted

From the masters to the masses

From the antennas on top of the shrines

As far as the receiving planet during a panic is shorted

It reports back everything in your mind

Everything is lying

Everything is dying

Everything is a rule

And everything is a crime

Everything was healed

And everything rewinds

And new weather burn a feathers off everything's line

[Matthew]

And she likes it

And she loves it

[Lupe]

The sadness

The madness

The bad shit

The lavish

The fastness

To clashes the ashes

To ashes everything intertwined

My femme fatale my darling fraudulent angel

Once caught her changing her batteries in her halo

Receipt for her wings and everything that she paid for

And the address to the factory where they made those

The scientist says she all inside mind

The little boy said "What happened to all the girls?"

The preacher man says she gonna kill off the souls

The dope boy said it's the whole wide world

[Chorus: Matthew]

Death is on the tip of her tongue and dangers at the tip of her fingers

Streets

Are

On

Fire

To-

Night

Death is on the tip of her tongue and dangers at the tip of her fingers

Streets

Are

On

Fire

To-

Night"

Song of the Day #86

Lupe Fiasco feat. MDMA- "Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)" from L.A.S.E.R.S.

"[Hook: MDMA]

There's only 2 ways out of here

You'll be too late, you'll be trapped here forever

There's only 2 ways out of here

One's through the door, the other's through me

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

Sometimes living in a world like this

It's pretty hard not to go insane

Not pretty if you don't comply

Pretty easy if you don't complain

Stand there like you don't feel pain

No tears in the face of defeat

Pretend til the end that you don't feel change

Don't admit that your faith is weak

Don't say that you feel like dying

Life's hard and it feels like diamonds

Your home's just far too gone

Much too late to even feel like trying

Can't understand what I'm saying

Can't figure out what I'm implying

If you feel you don't wanna be alive

You feel just how I am

I'm on the dark side

And you can't come find him

How when it's light all around you

Yeah, But it's dark all inside him

No winners when it's me against me

One of us just ain't gonna survive

My heart been broke for a while

Your's been the one keepin' me alive

[Hook]

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

This world is such a fucked up place

My mind's such a fucked up shape

Everything down here sucks

Maybe what's up there is great

We all gotta go one day

I just wanna cut to the chase

I wanna stop these nightmares

I just wanna touch her face

All you see is all my feats (feets)

All you see is all my flaws

All I hear is all my demons

Even through your applause

All you see is all my flights

Well all I see is all my falls

All you see is all my rights

All I see is all my wrongs

Door, keep telling me to fight

Gun on my table telling me to come home

Telling me to to put him inside my hand

Then put it up right next to my dome

Door keep telling me to find a reason

Anything to keep me from squeezing

Simplest things, yea you really like summer

You really like music, you really like reading love

I can't win if it's me against me

One of us ain't gonna survive

And my heart been broke for a while

Your's been the one keepin' me alive

Your's been the one keepin' me alive

Your's been the one keepin' me alive

[Hook]"

A Day In Music #5

"Tonight

We are young

So let’s set the world on fire

We can burn brighter than the sun

Tonight

We are young

So let’s set the world on fire

We can burn brighter than the sun

Carry me home tonight

Carry me home tonight

Carry me home tonight

Carry me home tonight

The moon is on my side

I have no reason to run

So will someone come and carry me home tonight

The angels never arrived

But I can hear the choir

So will someone come and carry me home"

One Republic- "Good Life" from Waking Up

Kanye West feat. T-Pain- "Good Life" from Graduation

Streelight Manifesto- "point/counterpoint" from Everything Goes Numb



Owl City- "Vanilla Twilight" from Ocean Eyes

fun. feat. Janelle Monae- "We Are Young (Acoustic)" from Some Nights

Lupe Fiasco feat. MDMA- "Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)" from L.A.S.E.R.S.

"This world is such a fucked up place

My mind's such a fucked up shape

Everything down here sucks

Maybe what's up there is great

We all gotta go one day

I just wanna cut to the chase

I wanna stop these nightmares

I just wanna touch her face

All you see is all my feats (feets)

All you see is all my flaws

All I hear is all my demons

Even through your applause

All you see is all my flights

Well all I see is all my falls

All you see is all my rights

All I see is all my wrongs

Door, keep telling me to fight

Gun on my table telling me to come home

Telling me to to put him inside my hand

Then put it up right next to my dome

Door keep telling me to find a reason

Anything to keep me from squeezing

Simplest things, yea you really like summer

You really like music, you really like reading love

I can't win if it's me against me

One of us ain't gonna survive

And my heart been broke for a while

Your's been the one keepin' me alive

Your's been the one keepin' me alive

Your's been the one keepin' me alive"

A Day In Music #1

My "Song of the Day" posts are cool and all but everyday (or whenever I do it) re-titling it "Song(s)" irks me for some reason. So on days when I have multiple songs I'll be doing these posts. Mix-Blogs you could call 'em. I'll run down my track-list of songs I listened to that day. Good? Good. So here, enjoy if you listen to one, all, or even just read what I listened to.

Nicki Minaj feat. Eminem- "Romans Revenge" from Pink Friday

Kanye West feat. John Legend- "Blame Game" from My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy

Nicki Minaj feat. Kanye West- "Blazin'" from Pink Friday

KiD CuDi feat. Kanye West and Common- "Make Her Say" from Man on the Moon: The End of Day

Kendrick Lamar feat. Ab-Soul- "Ab-Soul's Outro" from Section.80

B.o.B. feat Rivers Cuomo- "Magic" from B.o.B. Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray

KiD CuDi- "Soundtrack 2 My Life" from Man on the Moon: The End of Day

Kanye West feat. Lupe Fiasco- "Touch the Sky" from Late Registration

Song of the Day #11

Lupe Fiasco feat. MDMA- "Beautiful Lasers (2 Ways)" from L.A.S.E.R.S

[Hook: MDMA]

There's only 2 ways out of here

You're way too late, you'll be trapped here forever

There's only 2 ways out of here

One's through the door, the other's through me

[Verse 1: Lupe Fiasco]

Sometimes living in a world like this

It's pretty hard not to go insane

Not pretty if you don't comply

Pretty easy if you don't complain

Stand there like you don't feel pain

No tears in the face of defeat

Pretend til the end that you don't fear change

Don't admit that your faith is weak

Don't say that you feel like dying

Life's hard then it feels like diamonds

Your home's just far too gone

Much too late to even feel like trying

Can't understand what I'm saying

Can't figure out what I'm implying

If you feel you don't wanna be alive

You feel just how I am

I'm on the dark side

And you can't come find him

How when it's light all around you

Yeah, But it's dark all inside him

No winners when it's me against me

One of us just ain't gonna survive

My heart been broke for a while

Your's been the one keepin' me alive

[Hook: MDMA]

There's only 2 ways out of here

You're way too late, you'll be trapped here forever

There's only 2 ways out of here

One's through the door, the other's through me

[Verse 2: Lupe Fiasco]

This world is such a fucked up place

My mind's such a fucked up shape

Everything down here sucks

Maybe what's up there is great

We all gotta go one day

I just wanna cut to the chase

I wanna stop these nightmares

I just wanna touch your face

All you see is all my feats

All I see is all my flaws

All I hear is all my demons

Even through your applause

All you see is all my flights

Well all I see is all my falls

All you see is all my rights

All I see is all my wrongs

Door, keep telling me to fight

Gun on my table telling me to come on

Telling me to to put him inside my hand

Then put it up right next to my dome

Door keep telling me to find a reason

Anything to keep me from squeezing

Simplest things, yea you really like summer

You really like music, you really like reading

Love!

I can't win if it's me against me

One of us ain't gonna survive

And my heart been broke for a while

Yours been the one keepin' me alive

Yours been the one keepin' me alive

Yours been the one keepin' me alive

[Hook: MDMA]

There's only 2 ways out of here

You're way too late, you'll be trapped here forever

There's only 2 ways out of here

One's through the door, the other's through me

This Week In Song #3

Now I haven't really gone through any new albums this week, but sometimes I don't go through them. And like this week, sometimes I just blast one genre. This weeks was, you guessed it rap and hip-hop. But with the exception of Watch the Throne, I was largely stuck in the 2000-2007 years. People write off the 2000s as the start of the decline of hip-hop. I've always highly disagreed with that. If you wade through and push aside the Souja Boy's and the Wiz Khalifa's you can find great songs and albums.

Eminem- The Marshall Mathers LP

Now these are two of the best songs off what I call Eminem's best album. This first song is dark humored rant at women over a catchy beat in "Kill You". Why does is go off on women? Cause he can, and it makes for a damn good open to the album. Then we get the other end of the spectrum with "Kim". If you've heard this song before you know it's the story of a man who has been cheated on (and cheated himself) and he reaches the breaking point in an anger filled rage chronicling the last moments of his wife's life. This song hit's me HARD every time I listen to it, but it's too damn good to just skip over. 

----------

Jay-Z- The Blueprint

Now I featured "Heart of the City (Ain't No Love)" in last weeks post, but I remember listing off a ton of runner up songs from the album. Well here's two of them and one even includes the man from above, Eminem. The Blueprint, I've always said is Jay's best album. All the tracks are top notch, beasts crisp, and lyrics on point. Fun fact Jay-Z wrote this entire album in 24 hours. If ya'll didn't think he was good, listen to this in his prime Jay-Z. He'll change your mind. Here's "U Don't Know" and "Renegade"

----------

Lupe Fiasco- Food & Liquor

This is a classic for me, even though it's only 5 years old it's still a damn good listen and gave me hope that new ideas and great lyricists are in this world. Lupe's voice and timing, down to breathing technique is smooth. Not to mention he can spit fire and sounds good doing it. The beats are all nice, and even though it's about my 50th listen to the album it never feels old to me. That's the sign of a good album with retaining value in my book. This is Lupe's freshman album too, last time I was impressed with a rappers first album was Kanye with The College Dropout. Not I featured "Daydreamin'" feat. Jill Scott last week. But please do enjoy "Kick, Push" and "Sunshine" from this great album.

----------

Talib Kweli- Eardrum

Now Talib you've probably never heard of outside of being on a few guest spots. BUT if you're a hip-hop head like me you know he's one half of Black Star with Mos Def and one of the best rappers in the last ten years. He's a true wordsmith and even his slow raps are usually quick and well done. Now most people would say Talib's best album is Quality from 2002 ("Get By" is an epic song), but Eardum has always been my favorite of his. The lyrics, beats, and multitude of guests make it a great album all around to listen to. The two tracks I've singled out from this album are "In The Mood" feat. Roy Ayers and Kanye West and "Oh My Stars" feat. Musiq Soulchild.

----------

Kanye West- The College Dropout

Haha you knew it was coming. What's a list of mine without my personal favorite. Mr. Kanye West. And with My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy being like 1 millionth on a notch lower than The College Dropout this is his best album. He came in roaring with "Jesus Walks" and "Through The Wire" and kept the rap with songs like "Spaceship" and "Two Words." The beats are still great to me, though I can see how they could be heard as a bit dated after MBDTF. His rapping is great, this album has his best lyrical content,  and the guests are bountiful (Jay-Z, J. Ivy, Common, GLC, Consequence, Mos Def, Ludcris, Twista, and Jamie Foxx). This is what the mid-2000s hip-hop scene needed and after 2010s MBDTF he's changed the style yet again. Please enjoy "Spaceship" and "Through The Wire" (both mentioned above).

This Week In Song #2

No need for an intro this time, if you read my last one, it's all about good songs and what I've been listening to all week. The two of you reading this wants songs, so here we go.

Throwback of the Week

Jay-Z- "Heart of the City"

Now every week I'm going to starting picking a song that is at least 10 years old, that I've been jamming to. This week it's "Heart of the City" and I chose it cause I decided to listen to Jay-Z's The Blueprint...about 4 times. Now arguably there are better songs on what I've always called Jay's best album (such as "Renegade", "Girls, Girls, Girls", "Izzo (H.O.V.A)", "Hola Hovito" and "U Don't Know"). But this one has always been a dark horse for me. The lyrics are on point, as always, the beat and sample are just beautiful.

Killswitch Engage- The End of Heartache

Now I know Killswitch Engage because I'm a wrestling fan and more importantly been a CM Punk fan since he first entered the WWE. So since 2006 I've had "This Fire Burns" on my play lists, but I never listened to a full album. Thanks to me taking requests from friends (shout out to Eddie_Ruckus) on albums I've finally listened to one, The End of Heartache. All I can say is that I like them a lot, I'm not an expert or very knowledgeable about metalcore, but if they all sound like this it's a genre I need to listen more of. The hard riffs, lyrics, and even slow down parts (and couple of interlude-like tracks) made this a very fun album to listen to. I'll admit the songs sort-of ran together for me, but once I get a few more listens in, that should fade. KSE, I like 'em more now.

Simple Plan- Get Your Heart On!

Now I'm pretty sure this is the first full, pure, pop punk album, I've ever listened to. It started off quite strong. Relate-able lyrics, some nice riffs and a couple of good guests. But once I hit "Anywhere But Here" it started to decline in musical value to me. All the songs either experimented with things or became hugely generic and boring. And not to be nit-picky but "Summer Paradise" doesn't belong on the main album cause it's just BAM, too different, outta nowhere. Otherwise it's not something I completely disliked and I'd be open to other albums like this. Now I'm not saying I'm turning into a pop punk fan, or I'm going to bump this driving around. But I will say it is a shame "Jet Lag" (which I linked to above) won't be a top 10 pop hit. Great start, bad finish, ok overall. Thanks for the album recommendation _maggikins_.

Say Anything- In Defense of the Genre

Did not know this was a double-disc album when I was recommended, by the awesome Michael_Ryne, and downloaded it, nor that it would be different from other pop punk albums. But there's that point where being overly different ant doing it over and over AND over hurts the album as a whole. Now there is twinges of folkish piano and even hip-hop, as well as other genres mixed in. Sometimes it works, like in the song I linked above, "That Is Why". But most times it just failed to impress me. Not saying that the pop-punk lyrics and music fails, actually those are the better parts in all this. Cause at the core,they're pop punk. Again the problem is, as with most double-disc albms, it that THERE ARE A TON of songs and with most of them sounding somewhat the same it takes a toll to find good songs/lyrics/spots. That being said, I wanna go back and listen to ...Is A Real Boy, cause right now this is too much Say Anything for a non-Say Anything fan.


Lupe Fiasco ft. Jill Scott- "Daydreamin'"

All that needs to be said is that I think Lupe Fiasco is in his lyrical prime here, Jill Scott's voice is so vibrant and beautiful, and the sample of I Monster's "Daydream" is apparent and so very powerful. Just listen, this great music.

Kendrick Lamar- Section.80

Finally a hip-hop album on this week haha. It's classified as a mixtape, but it feels like a studio album to me. And as Kendrick Lamar's first big release, Section.80, couldn't have sounded better to me. From the start the beats engage you. From head boppin' beats, to experimental stuff ("Ab-Souls-Outro" which I linked above, is fucking amazing), to melodic beats that make you feel relaxed, it's all here. Also I'm not a huge fan of rappers who over use rapping about women and drugs, but this works for Kendrick as the most beat accompany the drug/sex themes.  But along those lines he also delves into real life, with conscious hip-hop twinges. Religion, politics, and anything aren't off limits, yet the lyrics don't distract you from the music you're listening to. Also his timing and flow are good. He can slow it down for melodic beats or go absolutely nuts (like in "Rigamortus" which I linked above). All in all I can say I'm a fan now, and I can't wait for Good Kid in a Mad City to drop next year.