2011 was an incredible year for Hip-Hop and music as a whole. As you can probably tell by now I can never seem to stick to one song for these challenges so here’s a few songs released in 2011 that I love;
1. Big Sean Ft Chris Brown – My Last (2011)
Wow! I remember exactly where I was when I first heard this song! It was being premiered on the old BET hit show ‘106 & Park’. I remember it being the day I fell in love with Big Sean and his music. The song definitely was the song that propelled Sean into stardom. We can’t forget the impact Chris Brown’s vocals have in this song, I’m sure Chris Brown can slay every feature.
2. Drake – Headlines (2011)
This was the first song to be released from Drake’s legendary “Take Care” album. To be honest, the whole album could be in this post but I’ll stick to one for now. The song gave us the impression that Drake was developing a lot of confidence from his success and was ready to share it with the world. The song was produced by ‘Boi-1da’ and ‘Noah “40″ Shebib’ and the production is incredible especially towards the end of the song. Favourite line has to be ; “I guess it really is just me, myself and all my millions”! What a line!!!
3. Wretch 32 Ft Josh Kumra – Don’t Go (2011)
UK music was big in 2011 and this song in particular was a popular one. Wretch 32 could be argued to be one of the country’s great rappers. Wretch 32’s clever wordplay and Josh Kumra’s soothing voice make a match made in heaven.
Today is the 10th which means it’s time for Day 10 of the challenge! As I gave 12 songs that make me happy it’s only right I give a few songs that make me sad.
1. Jennifer Lopez Ft. LL Cool J – All I have (2002)
Something about this song that can just put you in your feelings. “Be easy don’t make decisions when you’re mad”…that quote stuck with me throughout the song. The video is memorable too with the snow and the fur and the pinkness!
2. Fantasia – Lose to Win (2013)
“if it makes you cry, cry, cry”, Fantasia has the ability to demonstrate her emotions perfectly in a song. This song implies that in life sometimes you have to take a loss in order to win / be happy again. The song also shows how no matter how hard you try with someone, sometimes it’s not enough for them & you have to accept it.
3. Chris Brown – The Breakup (2015)
This song wasn’t released officially but it was on Chris Brown’s “Before the Party” Mixtape. The song resonates with me because I believe it’s a vulnerable side to Chris. He talks about how he was stuck between being happy about the fact he was due to be a father but also sad about the fact he has hurt his girlfriend at the time. The song reminds me of Usher – Confessions to an extent.
4. Rihanna Ft. Ne-Yo- Hate that I Love you(2007)
Love this song but the content gives me an element of sadness. That feeling when you can’t let go of something and you hate that you don’t have that control!
5. Diddy Ft Faith Evans & 112 – I’ll Be Missing You(1997)
This song was released as a tribute to the late Notirious B.I.G & is such a beautiful tribute at that. The blending of Faith Evans and Diddy with 112 makes this song the perfect classic. The song will have you missing people yourself.
6. Brandy & Ray J – Another Day in Paradise (2002)
7. Aretha Franklin – Bridge over troubled water(1971)
8. K-Ci & JoJo – All My Life (1997)
9. Nas – Dance (2002)
10. Maxwell – This Woman’s Work (2001)
This song was originally by Kate Bush but Maxwell’s version was featured in the classic film “Love & Basketball“. The high notes in this song are enough to pull at your heartstrings.
As today is the 9th…I will include 12 different songs that make me happy & explain my reasoning behind the choices.
1. Notorious B.I.G – Juicy (1994)
Okkkkkkkk!!! I am a HUGE Biggie fan but this song does things to me! Whatever my mood, as long as I hear “IT’S ALL GOOD BABY BABY. IT WAS ALL A DREAM”, I’m sold! This song is probably already in the hall of fame for one of the most iconic songs of the past few decades.
2. Notorious B.I.G – Mo Money Mo Problems Ft.Mase & Diddy (1997)
Another Biggie entry!!! The video in particular for this song was released after his death and is probably why people have a sense of love for this song! The nostalgic feel of Diana Ross’ song “I’m coming Out” also provides the track with a unique feel. “B.I.G. P.O.P.P.A”….another legendary and memorable intro to a Biggie verse! Eugh! This song to me is the definition of happiness!
3. Blue – U make Me Wanna (2002)
My music preference is very wild I’m aware. I was a huge fan of Blue when I was younger and this song in particular has such a positive feel. The video is of them on a yacht and it used to make me so happy to watch when I was younger.
4. Westlife – World of Our Own. (2001)
Another pop classic! Another song I remember memorising when I was younger! The lyrics are beautiful and I love how pop music was just about happiness and love in those days. The harmonies in this song were also way ahead of their time! Even listening now, I am amazed! Have a listen below!
5. S Club 7 – Bring it all Back (1999)
I was also a huge fan of S Club 7 when I was younger & even now listening to this song I believe the message is relevant. “Don’t stop, never give up
Hold your head high and reach the top”…such an inspirational song.
6. Cam’Ron Ft Juelz Santana – Hey Ma (2002)
A CLASSIC! How can you NOT be happy listening to this song!? Even the beat makes me smile! Reminds me of simpler times when rappers were polite….when bandannas were in fashion, people used to crip walk, when men used to wear oversized clothes! Good times.
7. Bow Wow Ft Chris Brown – Shortie Like Mine (2006)
I was a huge Bow Wow fan for a very long time. I have all of his old albums and this particular song was huge when it came out! Chris Brown was just becoming big and this collaboration definitely had every girl in love! This song definitely makes me happy.
8. Ja Rule Ft Ashanti – Mesmerize (2002)
The video for this was a parody of Grease and I will never forget it! The blending of Ja Rule and Ashanti’s voices will always sound beautiful. They always has hits but listening to this song again makes me feel nostalgic and that will always bring out my happiness.
9. Drake Ft Young Thug – Ice Melts (2017)
A more recent song from Drake featuring Young Thug. This song makes me happy due to the fact the beats is wonderful, the drop is wonderful and Drake’s harmonies are a wonderful sound. The lyrics are also pretty sweet and all in all, this song definitely makes me feel a sense of happiness when listening.
10. Kanye West Ft. Chris Brown – Waves (2016)
“Sun don’t shine in the shade….A bird can’t fly in the cage”. Those intro lines resonate with me. This is definitely a song that needs to be played out loud to appreciate the beat!
11. Jay Z Ft. J Cole – A Star is Born (2009)
This song is so amazing to listen to now because Jay Z really predicted a lot of greats. “Drake’s up next…see what he do with it”…amazing to hear.
12. Keri Hilson Ft Kanye West – Knock You Down (2009)
OK so there’s been a few new releases the past week! I am going to put my 3 favourites below.
1. City Girls – In my Feelings (Remix)
OK so this version (of Drake’s hit “In My Feelings” featuring the City Girls) contains the full version of the ladies’ verses. I really like these girls and I’m so glad they are finally getting the recognition they deserved. It’s such a shame that one of the members JT is I’m jail but it’s nice to see that Reesha is still keeping it going. Im sure these girls are going to go far.
2. Nicki Minaj – Barbie Dreams
OK OK! So Nicki Minaj finally released her highly anticipated album “Queen”. This song in particular got the world talking. The song name drops a number of male rappers in a roast kind of style. For me what is more exciting is that the song pays homage to Biggie’s song “Just Playing (Dreams)”. As a big Biggie fan I could instantly hear the similarly in the flow delivered by Nicki and the one by Biggie. In addition we are used to hearing songs from male rappers dissing females or female celebs and it is refreshing to hear a female rapper call out men without sugar coating. The song shows why Nicki is one of the best female rappers about as her unique punchlines and flow stand out throughout the song.
Have a listen to Nicki’s song and the original by Biggie below;
3. Travis Scott – Sicko Mode Ft Drake.
“Sun is down, freezin’ cold, that’s how we already know, winter’s here”. As soon as you hear Drake you know the song is about to be good! This is one of the tracks from Travis Scott’s new album and one of my favourites. The switch in flow after the 3 minute mark is incredible, you could think it was two songs in one!
Queen became popular as part of a couple with her now ex partner Chris Sails on YouTube. After the end of the relationship she began to publicly work more on her music and we were gifted with her song ‘Medicine’. Queen is definitely talented and her voice can be argued to be a sound we are missing at the moment. She released her first EP titled “Queen Naija” and the EP is filled with 5 beautiful R&B songs. The songs featured are based on her life and what she has experienced; being heartbreak, love and also being a mother.
For me R&B is definitely a genre that can be argued to be dying down unfortunately. This EP is simply classic R&B and reignites the feel for the genre. The songs are very personal and you can feel the emotion in every single song. A sign of a good song is when the listener can either relate or get a good sense of what the singer is feeling or has felt. I believe this EP does everything…raw emotion, great melodies and all the while keeping us entertained.
I really hope she is here to stay because her voice is definitely a beauty to hear.
Today’s throwback track is by the one and only Lauryn Hill. Her 1998 single “Ex Factor ” was released from her critically acclaimed album “The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill”.
Cardi B sampled this song on her 2018 song “Be Careful” and most recently Drake sampled this song on his 2018 hit “Nice for What” & reaffirmed people’s love for the original. The song is mostly Lauryn pouring out her love and pain to this ex which is why it is considered a song that people associate with breakups. The first line of the song “It could all be so simple but you’d rather make it hard” could be argued to relate to the end of a relationship. Sometimes there will always be that person that is willing to hold on while the other is not cooperating. There a few songs that the first line when played captures people’s ears and is enough to make them sing in unison, this is one of the songs.
A line that sticks out to me and highlights the desperation one may feel towards the breakdown of a relationship; “Tell me, who I have to be to get some reciprocity”… When you love someone so much you want to do anything you can to make it work. In addition you want them to be on the same page and to feel the exact same way you do about them. The common theme in this song is the fact Lauryn’s love is not mirrored in this partner.
One of the most famous lines and a line that Drake himself sampled in his song is “I keep letting you back in, how can I explain myself “. Some point in everyone’s life there is that one person we may keep running back to. No matter how hard you try to move on, it may be too hard to let them go. The success of this song definitely has something to do with the relatability we all may feel to the situation.
The final verses and the outro are a repetition of lines such as; “Care for me, care for me, I know you care for me…There for me, there for me! Said you’d be there for me“. The repetition reminds me of questions you may ask yourself when thinking back to the relationship and the reminder of the empty promises.
Overall this song can be considered a classic. What makes a song a classic in my opinion is a song that can relate to you everytime you hear it.
Bob Marley and Lauryn Hill are arguably and respectably considered two of the some of the greatest musicians of all time.
‘Turn your lights down Low’ featuring Lauryn Hill, released in 1999 is a remix of Bob’s original song. The song almost sounds like it was made for a voice like Lauryn. The song is marinated with so many harmonies as Lauryn repeatedly sings “I wanna give you some love…I wanna give you some good, good lovin'”. Lauryn even provides a rap voice to expand her already talented range. The song is definitely one of the greats and if you haven’t had a listen, please do.
I love listening to old school music because the messages are always timeless. A song to start your week is an old song by artist Donell Jones. The song was part of his 2006 studio album entitled ‘Journey of a Gemini’.
The song is a serenade to a mystery women where Donell sings that he is willing to go anything she wishes. “I dont want you to think about none of the problems you got going on baby”. The song features Bun B and he provides a nice rap balance to the soft song.
It’s a great song to start your week so take a listen below!
‘IDGAF’ was one of the hit songs of 2017 and now Dua Lipa has remixed it with the help of woman of the moment Saweetie. I’ve mentioned Saweetie before and I really believe she is going to go very far in the music industry. She provides a new angle to female rap and is quite unique. This song is such a female empowerment song and I love the fact Saweetie brings her sassisness to an already sassy song. My favourite lines are: “Glowing up and blowing up, that’s what I’m about to do. When it’s all been happening since I left you”.<<<<(How can you not love her?)
2. Professor Green Ft Dutch – Mercedes Riddim
Professor Green is back!!! It’s been quite a while since he’s released a song & he definitely came back with a bang. It’s no secret that Professor Green is a big fan of Mercedes-Benz cars so this song was inevitable. The song features Steff Lon Don’s brother ‘Dutch’ who is fairly new to the scene. His unique tone of voice (quite husky) balances with Pro Green’s distinctive voice. The beat on this song is amazing too and is a song you’d want to play with a loud volume. Pro Green is definitely famous for his funny punchlines and he did not disappoint on this song. One of my favourites: “My skin colour ain’t nothing to make light of, we’re all the same colour when you turn the light off”
3. Post Malone – Taking Shots
Post Malone recently released his debut album “beerpongs and Bentley” The album is filled with great songs that have amazing vibes to it. This song is one of my favourites on the album. The song started with: “Drinkin’ all night, but we ain’t done yet” and straight away you find yourself bopping your head. Honestly this song is the kind of song you’d want playing in the background when you’re trying to chill. Take a listen below.
I love this song because I think everyone can relate. No one enjoys having their time wasted. I never would have put Keyshia Cole on a song with Young Thug but it blends quite well. The track is produced by ‘London on Da Track’ who is most famous for producing Young Thug’s hit song “Lifestyle” as well as many other hits.
I also enjoy the fact Thug sings and raps on this song. One of my favourite lines is rapped by Thug; “I’m stackin’ bread and it’s wheat like Timbs”. I like his use of wordplay comparing wheat to the colour of timbs.
The beat on this song is so good. I would recommend playing this song in some very loud speakers!!!
