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Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Feel The Rhythm: The Power of Music

Recently I've been kind of feeling a little BLAH I guess.  Contrary to popular belief I'm a pretty emotional person and something that always evokes emotions from me is when I hear certain songs from the past.  They can take me back to my childhood, dreadful years of puberty, a party, heartbreak, or whatever to name a few.  A person who has been highly involved in all of this has to be Beyonce (yes I'm a member of the Bey-hive, but not a crazy one), but this whole post won't be dedicated to her.

Ghost Town DJs:  My Boo
This song can come on at any moment and I will SANG every lyric ya'll.  I can remember riding in my Dad's truck coming back from the mall and when this song came on it was OVER.  Everyone had to be quiet as I belted my heart out to my imaginary "boo."  I had no idea what they were talking about when saying they wanted this boo to "please" and "freak" them.  All I knew was this song was the best thing ever since the "I Love You" song on Barney.  I feel bad for all the kids who didn't have the chance to experience the summer that this song came out.  I'm pretty sure they live very dark lives right now.

Akon:  Nobody Wanna See Us Together
When I started dating my first boyfriend this was OUR song.  If I remember correctly he chose it.  Pretty much there were people who felt he could do better.  Interesting enough this particular opinion stuck with me through out that relationship.  The opinions of others mattering to me has always been a major flaw I guess you can say with me.  This was probably at the height of Akon's career before everything fell apart with him. When I listen to the song now it kind of seems like Akon was a dog to his girlfriend in the second verse with the whole "putting other girls before you" thing.

Jay-Z:  Hard Knock Life
Remember the first time you fell in love with hip hop?  This was my moment.  This song came out in 1998 when I was at the young age of 8 years old.  Before that I pretty much hated rap with the exception of Tupac and LL Cool J, he was my husband until I discovered Taye Diggs and made a vow to love dark skin men only.  I love, love, LOVED Annie with a passion.  It's still in my top musicals of all time actually.  So when this video came on BET in the middle of the day with it's hard New York beat and "It's a hard knock life for us.  It's a hard knock life for ussss" came out of the television I knew from that moment on Jay-Z would be my best friend.  It doesn't matter how many albums he comes out with this particular song will always have a special place in my heart.

Juvenile:  Back That A$$ Up
I recently posted this to my Facebook with these exact words
Back when booty shaking music had some class. Juvenile was the first to incorporate violins with the art of twerking. Pay homage!
When this song came out Black folks went crazy!  This song was the anthem to our popping sessions (back when you danced more with your shoulders than a$$ i.e. Pre-Twerking).  I would come home everyday and turn to MTV or BET in hopes of seeing this video.  If I were in my parents room I would close the door and try to imitate the dances all the women did on the video. I was a "twerk master" back then I believe, but now I can't even get my butt to jiggle right.  My parents and I actually went to New Orleans either the Summer 1999 or Summer 2000 and I just prayed that the Cash Money crew would walk by me in the hot New Orleans heat.  They didn't so I just sat there sweating bullets.


Jamie Foxx & Beyonce:  When I First Saw You
When Dreamgirls came out I bought the soundtrack as a Christmas gift for myself and fell in LOVE with this song.  When I heard it all I could think of was, "This has to be the first song that I dance to with my husband at my wedding reception."  For my cotillion the escorts and debs danced to it actually.  I told myself even if this isn't the first song that I dance to at my wedding the other version with only Jamie Foxx will be played as I walk down the aisle.  Both songs have always made feel like this has to be the ultimate love for someone.  I'd love to be able to look at whomever my husband is and feel like, "This is the person that I only imaged having and now I have it."  I can actually remember some of the choreography from that cotillion to this song.

Crime Mob:  Knuck If You Buck
Back when I was a goon.  That's all I need to say.


Beyonce:  Why Don't You Love Me
THIS SONG RIGHT HERE!  My first break-up ya'll!  I use to remember the exact date, but it's been two years.  All I know is the day after things ended I got online and found that Beyonce had released the video to this song.  All I could think was, "Damn Beyonce knows me so well."  I think I sat and listened to that song ten times back to back and each time evoked a different emotion.  Actually with every listen I got angrier that day.  I even remember posting the video on my Facebook page and my friend Skarlet worrying that it would send the wrong message to my brand new ex-boyfriend.  I think for a pretty good chunk of Summer 2010 I would randomly sit in my room listening to this song when I felt down about my situation.  Two years later when I hear it I remember that time, but now I feel grateful for the entire thing.


Beyonce:  1+1
When the "L" word started to hit me again it was the Summer of 2011.  It was a feeling that I said, "No, you will NOT overpower me!"  Then Beyonce performed this song on American Idol.  Just like her other song Why Don't You Love Me I sat on my bed and listened to the leaked version over and over again.  "Dang I want to be in love."  That's all I could think about honestly.  We all knew that this song was for Jay and we all wanted to feel the same way about somebody else that was in our lives.  We all wanted someone who we felt we'd be willing to die for.  When I listened to the song I chose these lyrics out particularly to quote
If I ain’t got nothing I got you/If I ain’t go something I don’t give a damn/Cause I got it with you/I don’t know much about algebra but I know 1+1 equals TWO!/And it’s me and YOU! 
Yep, those are the lyrics I posted on my Tumblr.


Most of these songs are fairly "recent," but you get the picture.  What songs take you back to certain moments in your life?
  

3 comments:

  1. My Boo is like... it reminds me of the 90's. And it reminds me of my older sister, cousin, and brother. Like, they're apart of that generation. Songs like this and like, Shorty Swing My Way... I don't dislike 'em. They cool. But I don't quite identify with 'em on a personal level, but they do take me back to that time.

    As for Akon... man, I don't think the rest of his music is bad or anything, but I just like "Locked Up". That's all I'll say there.

    Back That Azz Up fascinated me when I was little. Not because of the ass shakin', but just because it seemed so "different" from anything people were doing back where I'm from. And I used to like saying "wobble-dee wobble-dee".

    I'm not at all familiar with that Jamie Foxx song because I still have never seen Dreamgirls. Don't shoot me.

    ‎1+1 is my favorite of all the "new" Beyonce songs too.

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  2. I think the whole Confessions CD got me feeling like I was tryna get wifed. I got the deluxe edition on my 15th birthday (maybe 14th)!!

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  3. I will say Bobby V's "Anonymous" is one that sticks out. I had a crush on a girl around that time and this was the song that best described it.

    I will agree with Beyonce 1+1, the song is powerful and one of her new songs that I lIke the best.

    I remember the TipDrill song by Nelly and my whole way of seeing girls dance was blown. I was in amazement along with anyone who saw that. The infamous 'Credit card Swipe' still plays in my mind with a O_O look from me.

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