Blast From The Past

If you know me pretty well, I strongly dislike the radio stations out here in the Lower Mainland. I can't stand the Top 40, the repetitiveness, the outplaying, the spoon-feeding of what's supposed to be so called "good music". On the contrary, the radio does support local artists and other genres that I wouldn't necessarily listen to on my own. It can open my eyes or should I ears to new artists and songs that do not choose to follow the medium or conform. But other than that, I prefer my cd's, mix-tapes, soft beats and summer mixes. I guess I like the freedom of choosing what songs I can sing at the top of my lungs while driving, ultimately making the drive an entertaining one.

But back to the radio and the music getting airplay nowadays. Sometimes I just can't believe that we've fallen so low to hear music that has no depth, no heart, no soul or meaning. It seems as if the hip hop world has collapsed to being only mercenaries of music rather than true artists, making music for the love of it. We've fallen hard, landing flat on our faces to so called "rappers" or "artists" leaving behind imprints of 'crank that', 'lollipop', 'love in this club' and 'low'. The catchy lines and the simplistic phrases with constant beats simply make them imbedded in our minds. I won't lie, they're fun to dance to and party with, but that's about all it's good for. Unfortunately, I don't think these songs will soon disappear. So where does that leave me? It leaves me to resurrecting music from the past. I wish I could bring my 18 year old self and travel through time to hear the music played on the radios back in the day. I have to admit it, even though I'm young and might not have 'grown up' listening to it while it was all still fresh, I love the 90's. If only I could turn back the hands of time and bring the world today to re-introduce itself to the world of yesterday, I certainly would. If only I could turn on my radio, bob my head and be fully satisfied listening to..

• SWV - Weak
• TLC - What About Your Friends?
• En Vogue - My Lovin'
• Montell Jordan - This Is How We Do It
• Blackstreet - No Diggity
• Erykah Badu - On and On
• Bell Biv Devoe - Poison
• 702 - Where My Girls At?
• Ghost Town Dj's - My Boo
  
• Lauryn Hill - Doo Wop
• Mase - Feels So Good
• Common - Used to Love Her
• Snoop Dogg - Gin and Juice
• The Notorious BIG - One More Chance
• The Fugees - Ready or Not
• Method Man ft. Mary J. Blige - You're All I Need
• Nas ft. Lauryn Hill - If I Ruled The World
• Ice Cube - Today Was A Good Day
• Dr.Dre ft. Snoop Dogg - Ain't Nothing But a G Thang
• Tupac - Keep Ya Head Up
• A Tribe Called Quest - Electric Relaxation
• Mary J. Blige - Real Love

Come to think of it I wouldn't just be satisfied, I'd be overjoyed. To listen to soft melodies with actual soul from the heart and simple beats with flowing rhymes would simply escape me from the realities of life and throw me back into a flashback. I don't know what it is about this music -- it's real, true, honest, fun, and heartfelt. Even though it might have gone down the drain and apparently laid to rest, it will always live on in those who appreciate what is was. Nas might have been right that 'hip hop is dead' but it's up to artists and even the listener to make it resurrect.