For those that know me, I do music.  Not all music.  I complain about a lot of music, but for the most part I can tolerate most of it.  The problem with a lot of the music I listen to (rap) is that after a certain number of plays, it gets really annoying.  But that’s how I know what songs I truly like, the ones that I can keep on my car stereo even when that are 10 years old.  So with that, I’m going to take this time to compile my list of music.

Favorite Non Rap Albums
James Blunt’s Back to Bedlam - Yeah yeah I know, but I can listen to this whole CD without skipping a track.  Favorite track on the album,  High.
Usher’s 8701 – This is probably my favorite album of all time, with 9 songs that I keep in regular rotation.  Favorite tracks on the album, U Remind Me, Twork it Out, U Don’t Have to Call
Usher’s Confessions – Another Usher classic, the end of the album gets boring but the first 15 or so tracks are good enough.  Favorite tracks on the album, That’s What it’s Made For and Simple Things
Gorillaz’s Demon Days – Just a great album with great music.  You can throw the album in on the background and just let it loop over and over.  Favorite tracks on the album, Feel Good Inc, Kids with Guns, O Green World
Fort Minor’s The Rising Tied – From Mike Shinoda, we get a more hip-hop Linkin Park album.  Maxed out at #51 on Billboard, so I’m guessing people aren’t too familiar with it.  Favorite tracks on the album, Remember The Name, Where’d You Go, Cigarettes, Kenji, Red to Black
Tony, Toni, Tone’s Hits – Tony, Toni, Tone was my favorite R&B group.  Great music, great lyrics, great flow.  Favorite tracks, If I Had No Loot, Anniversary, Feels Good, Let’s Get Down, Lay Your Head on my Pillow, Whatever You Want.

Favorite Rap Albums
Atmosphere’s Seven’s Travels - This is typically celebrated as Atmosphere’s worst album, but I don’t give a shit, I still like it.  Why?  Because I can put it in and listen to every song.  That’s what makes a good album for me.  Favorite tracks, Trying to Find a Balance, Always Coming Back Home to You, Shhh, Shoes,  National Disgrace
Bone Thug’s E 1999 Eternal - One of my first rap albums, I actually took it from my sister.  Favorite tracks, E 1999, Shotz to the Double Glock, Mo Murda, Budsmokers Only.
DMX’s Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood – DMX’s second album and still full of classics.  My favoirte thing about DMX albums is the intro tracks.  Everyone of his albums has an amazing intro.  Favorite tracks, Bring Your Whole Crew, Slippin (I can only listen to the edited version, unedited is horrible), My N!&&@%,
DMX’s It’s Dark and Hell is Hot – DMX’s fist album.  Amazing.  Favorite tacks, Ruff Ryders Anthem, How’s it Going Down, Intro, Damien.
Kanye West’s The College Dropout – His first album is hands down his best album.  All of his awards should have been won for this and not his later work.  I can listen to every song on this album except for Spaceship.  Favorite tracks, Never Let Me Down, Slow Jams, Two Words, Through the Wire, Family Business, Last Call
Nas’ God’s Son - Favorite tracks, Made You Look, Book of Rhymes, Dance, Thugz Mansion, P@$$!# Kills
Warren G’s Regulate…G Funk Era and Take a Look over your Shoulder – Regulate was on of the best rap albums ever made.  I really really liked the sounds of the “G Funk era”.  Favorite Warren G tracks, Do You See, This DJ, What’s Next, Young Fun, Smokin Me Out.

Favorite R&B Songs
Boyz II Men’s Motown Philly
Mario Winan’s I Don’t Wanna Know
Montell Jordan’s Something for the Honeys
Notorious BIG’s F@cking You Tonight
R Kelly’s Keep it on the Down Low
Tank’s Missing You
TQ’s Westide
Everysong that samples One Way’s Don’t Stop (Ever Lovin Me)

Favorite Rap Songs
2Pac’s Still Ballin, To Live and Die in LA, and Dear Mama
Black Star’s Astronomy and Above the Clouds
Da Brat’s Da B Side
Ludacris and Jermaine Dupri’s Welcome to Atlanta Remix
Method Man and Redman’s Da Rockwilder
Murphy Lee’s Regular Guy and What da Hook gon Be
Nas & AZ’s - The Essence
Nas & Quan’s - Just a Moment
Onyx’s Slam
Outkast’s Ms. Jackson, BOB, ATLiens, Elevators
Trick Trick & Eminem’s – Welcome to Detroit City

Favorite Non Rap Songs
I chose not to put any non-rap, non-R&B songs because I honestly do not listen to any on a regular basis.  I enjoy 80’s music, but I get sick of it easily if I listen to it too much.  Same with the guitar players (Dave, John, Jack, Jim, Joe, the guy in the hat, etc),  enjoy their music, but only for a while.

To conclude.  No MJ.  No Nirvana.  No Coolio.  No Notrious or other Bad Boy rap tracks.  No Cash Money or Lil Wayne.  No Mystikal.  Again, these are my favorites, my top 1%ers.  Notorious and Cash Money have songs that I will definitely bump, but after a few listens they turn into nails on a chalkboard.  I’m sure I’m missing some individual R&B and rap songs, but this is my current list, and I want to publish it before Friday.

Mos Def put on a pretty poor show, but Shawn Kemp showed up nonetheless.

The Pharcyde was the last act to play and they actually were not terrible.  Lil Jon might have introduced them.  The guy sounded like Lil Jon, kept screaming “Yeah”, but I’m not sure why Lil Jon would come to St Paul just to introduce a hip-hop group from the 90’s.  The highlight of the Pharcyde was when they busted out Bobby Brown’s “My Prerogative.”

The end of the concert was terribly planned.  We were not allowed to set foot on one of the two bridges that led back to St Paul.  But when we got the the second bridge, we were not allowed to cross it.  So we were stuck on a bridge.  Hippies got mad and some marched around spreading the good word about “Don’t back down to these people, that’s what they want you to do.”  Inspiring.  After about 15 minutes we were allowed to finish crossing.

Earlier in the day we got to witness some of the smaller protesters, and these were terrible.  One group of maybe 80-100 people blocked an intersection, turned up the Green Day on the boombox, dragged newspaper dispensers infront of traffic, and flipped three dumpsters onto the roads.  It sounds like two store-front windows are broken downtown.  I can understand why people are protesting, but I don’t understand how smashing store-front windows and flipping garbage cans over relates to the War or anything else.  It was just abunch of sheep following the herd of morons.

To conclude, I hate hippies.

1. Like the Rest of Us – i really don’t know what to say, but i like it.
2. Puppets – as i mention later on another track, there aren’t many artists (especially hip-hop artists) who can do a song with barely any beat.  drums kick in about 2/3rds of the way through, but more the majority of the song, its just him and the piano.
3. The Skinny – dark beat. dark lyrics. classic sluggo.
4. Dreamer – alright, every track sounds like it’s being played by a band, and it sounds great.  this is my 3rd or 4th favorite on the album.
5. Shoulda Known – the first single off the album (if independent labels have singles).  great beat.  great flow.  this one you can bump in the car.  “i’ve got a restraining order against satan’s daughter / and I keep it at the bottom of this Jameson and water”
6. You – I don’t like the intro, it’s the beat of come shitty 70’s or 80’s song.  Really can’t stand it.  Shit, is that the Fraggle Rock beat?  Oh jesus, what was Ant thinking.  Hopefully it grows on me.
7. Painting – My favorite song on the album
8. Your Glasshouse -
9. Yesterday -
10. Guarantees – It’s hard to get used to Slug singing, he has a bit of a Anthony Kiedis sounding voice.  But how many other hip-hop artists can pull of a song with only a guitar…..besides 2Pac, post-mortem.  Great chill song.
11. Me -
12. Wild Wild Horses -
13. Can’t Break -
14. The Waitress -
15. In Her Music Box – i see why they call it “music box,” it sounds like there’s a girl’s music box bring played over the beat.  no need to lie, it’s annoying.  UPDATE – Alright, after watching the DVD, I’m starting to like this one.  I don’t know why.  Sean just knows how to perform.

one of the reason why I list atmosphere as my favorite artist is because you can put in any of their albums and listen to it intro to outro.  it is extremely difficult to find this same characteristic in other hip-hop albums.  this album can be listened to from track 1 to 15.  like most atmosphere songs, the beats are chill and the flow is slow and smooth.  perfect for driving, chilling at the house, or in the background will drinking or doing something else with friends.  while no one song stands out in my mind, it’s a great album.  i can’t use the BWD rating system for this, i’ll give the album alone a 4/5, but comine the album with the dvd and book and the way the whole deluxe edition was packaged, a 6/5.  i haven’t heard of another artist doing anything like this.  and that’s why atmosphere is the best.