Greetings, mutants!
As you may (or should) have read by now, my favorite 30 songs of 2015 are in the books. Awesome anthems like 'Bad Blood', 'I Can't Feel My Face' and 'Uptown Funk' made last year magical. But not magical enough. Sadly, musical geniuses like Taylor Swift, The Weeknd and Bruno Mars were outnumbered by tone deaf trolls who continue to pollute the airwaves with their over-saturated tunes.
In an effort to highlight the biggest offenders, last year I began to list my LEAST favorite songs of the year. Because they need some love, too. And I'm not gonna lie... I am starting to enjoy this more than listing my actual favorites. This is like my therapy... being able to pound on the keyboard and shit on all these scam artists posing as recording artists.
Well, my friends, this year will be no different. My wrath will be unleashed once again! *clears throat* OK quick reminder... I only focused on songs that were mainstream relevant. No need to point the finger on some fucktard's mixtape that he's harassing tourists to buy in Times Square. The bigger the impact these songs made, the more likely they were to piss me off.
It's go time. I present to you... my least favorite songs of 2015.
Fetty Wap 'Trap Queen'
From the moment I heard this travesty, I knew it would be on this list. The fact that this is arguably one of the biggest hits of 2015 is an indictment on how dumbed down the audience has become. Fans of this trash are going to say I am unreasonably sour on this song but tell me, what do you like about it? Is it the off-key belting? Or maybe it's the solid content, praising birds who handle drugs for their scumbag boyfriends? Oh, that's right... it's catchy. If you have this on your playlist, there's a warm place in hell for your tasteless ass.
Pitbull feat. Ne-Yo 'Time Of Our Lives'
After appearing on my top songs of the year list repeatedly, Pitbull appeared on the worst song list last year for his collaboration with that skank Ke$ha. Now he drags poor Ne-Yo into the mix with one of the worst written songs of '15. Here's the gem of a chorus:
I knew my rent was gon' be late about a week ago
I worked my ass off, but I still can't pay it though
But I got just enough to get up in this club
Have me a good time, before my time is up
Wonderful message. Hey kids, fuck your rent... go to the club and waste your money on overpriced alcoholic beverages while you listen to rubbish like this!
Meghan Trainor 'Dear Future Husband'
I really wanted to put anything this culture vulture sings but I will narrow it down to one of her corny ass songs. Ever since I heard 'All About That Bass', I knew this snowflake was up to no good, defacing old school soul music by slapping a big, fat pasty face on it. It's a shame we struggle to highlight black soul singers but are quick to promote melanin-challenged muthafuckas like this who are nothing but cheap imitations. Speaking of which...
Charlie Pugh feat. Meghan Trainor 'Marvin Gaye'
You thought you were off the hook, Meghan? Well not so fast! Now your equally annoying sidekick is gonna get some, too. It's one thing ripping off black music, but then having the audacity to use a legendary black singer as the title of the song? Oh no he didn't. Yeah, I know Charlie, you were aight on that Wiz track and maybe your chorus made a few folks shed some tears for Paul, but that doesn't earn you a 'get out of jail free' card. 'Let's Marvin Gaye and get it on?' Both of you, go somewhere deserted and take your watered down, soul-lacking 'soul music' with you.
Usher feat. Juicy J 'I Don't Mind'
Just when you thought Pitbull & Ne-Yo had the 'worst written song of the year' award wrapped up, here comes this little gem. So apprarently, this song is about dating a stripper and being able to see past the obvious obstacles because, despite her shaking her culo in front of a bunch of derelicts, she's still leaving the club with you. And you know what? I'm willing to look past that, because there are a handful of dancers who are swallowing their pride so they can put themselves through school or feed their kids. But here's the problem...
'I make enough for the both of us, but you dance anyway'
Yes, that's an actual lyric from this shit-fest of a song. Ursher makes it clear that his income can comfortably support himself and this trick, but she still chooses to drop down and get her eagle on for singles. And here I thought stripping was a last resort to make some money. How foolish!
Rihanna & Kanye West feat. Paul McCartney 'Four Five Seconds'
Kanye West is married to Kim Kardashian... and I HATE Kim Kardashian. That association alone could land this song on this list. The biggest reason? Kanye's awful singing. Look, everybody can't be Drake. And really, why would someone as talented as Kanye want to follow that blueprint anyway? That singing shit ain't for everyone. To make matters worse, Rihanna slayed the track. Take out Yeezy, factor in the Beatles connection and RiRi might be taking home a grammy. You hear that, Kanye? You just cost Rihanna a grammy. Selfish prick.
Drake & Future 'Jumpman'
Speaking of Drake, what the fuck was this? Is this what the kids are listening to now-a-days? This is another case of addition by subtraction. Admittedly, this song would've avoided this list with just Drizzy. But just like practically everything in life, Future ruins it. What is the obsession with this dude? He sounds like someone with down syndrome being autotuned. Google the lyrics to this rubbage and tell me if I'm missing something. I know style has always played a big part in rap music but when it's 95% style and 5% substance, something has gotta change.
I think I got enough off my chest for one year. Let this be a message to all artists, regardless of genre... I'm watching you. Drop some basura in 2016 and I'm gonna be on yo' ass. GeeQue, out.
Showing posts with label list. Show all posts
Showing posts with label list. Show all posts
Saturday, February 6, 2016
Saturday, January 16, 2016
My favorite 30 songs of 2015
Feliz año nuevo, pendejos!
Hope 2015 was kind to you. Musically... truthfully... it was another sub-par year. I would love to lie and tell you it was the extravagant comeback we have been anticipating for years but frankly, it was more of the same. Thankfully, by the grace of God, I was able to gather 30 songs that I deemed worthy enough to be featured in this annual masterpiece.
I'm sure I say this every year so let me continue the tradition... this is my favorite blog to write. Matter of fact, this is the 5th annual list! *confetti falls* I understand the responsibility... I don't take this list as a joke. Throughout the year, I am closely monitoring the tunes that get my culo shaking. I say this also to remind you that these aren't the BEST songs of the year, but rather my FAVORITE. I expect your list to look very different than mine, because we different muthafuckas. But don't let that stop you from debating or even shittin' on my list. I welcome the war, hoe.
OK enough suspense... let's get to it, folks. My favorite 30 songs of the past year.
30. Nicki Minaj feat. Drake & Lil Wayne 'Truffle Butter'
Not sure what I enjoy more... the song or the definition on Urban Dictionary
29. Calvin Harris & Disciples 'How Deep Is Your Love'
Making great dance music and boning Taylor Swift. Calvin Harris, you lucky son of a gun
28. Hailee Steinfeld 'Love Myself'
96% sure this song is about masturbation
27. Halsey 'New Americana'
Getting high on legal weed? Check. Raised on Biggie & Nirvana? Check. Top 30 song? Duh
26. Selena Gomez 'Same Old Love'
Trying my hardest not to be sexually attracted to her and failing miserably
25. Gente de Zona feat. Marc Anthony 'La Gozadera'
In case you didn't believe I'm Latino
24. Melanie Martinez 'Soap'
My all-time favorite contestant from 'The Voice'
23. Miguel 'Waves'
Slowly becoming my go-to guy in the R&B department
22. DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge 'You Know You Like It'
21. Skrillex & Diplo feat. AlunaGeorge 'To U'
Still unclear about who AlunaGeorge is/are but welcome to the top 30, you infectious asshole(s)
20. Justin Bieber 'What Do You Mean?'
In 2016, there shall be no more Belieber shaming
19. Walk The Moon 'Shut Up & Dance'
Would've been higher if I didn't hear it 35325647 times
18. Elle King 'Ex's & Oh's'
Mmmm bring your lil chubby, tattooed ass over here
17. G-Eazy feat. Bebe Rexha 'Me Myself & I'
Are we positive this isn't Drake?
16. Troy Ave 'Doo Doo'
Shittin' on haters, literally
15. Luke Bryan 'Kick The Dust Up'
A country song made my top 30! History has been made!
14. Tori Kelly 'Nobody Love'
Taylor is lucky she has my heart, 'cuz I'd taste a scoop of Tori Kelly's vanilla ice cream any day
13. Fifth Harmony feat. Kid Ink 'Worth It'
Come & show me that you're wit it, wit it, wit it, wit it
12. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 'Downtown'
You recruit Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz and Kool Moe Dee for a song... in 2015?! Awesome
11. Missy Elliott feat. Pharrell 'WTF (Where They From)'
Missy could literally drop wet farts on this electric Neptunes beat for three minutes and still make my list
10. Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars 'Uptown Funk'
I know what you're thinking... every time Bruno Mars makes the countdown, I reference his 'Moonshine Jungle' show that I attended at the Barclay's Center in the spring of 2013. How it was the best live performance I have ever attended. How energetic, lively and overall entertaining he was. I promise you, I will not do that this year.
9. Meek Mill feat. Tory Lanez 'Lord Knows'
Look, I know he battled Drake and got embarrassed. I know he was the subject of many mean-spirited memes. I could care less. Maybe I'm swayed because this was the backdrop to the most epic scene in 'Creed'. Whatever the case, this BANGS. So yes, Meek Mill might have caught an L to Drake, but that Canadian clown didn't sniff a spot on my top 30, so who really won?
8. Demi Lovato 'Cool For The Summer'
I couldn't name you three Demi Lovato songs if my life depended on it. I mean, I know she is... the kind-of-cute judge from the X-Factor that used to be depressed. But her music never struck a chord with me. That is, until she dropped this anthem that is sure to be played during our warmest season for the next century.
7. The Weeknd 'Can't Feel My Face'
Justin Timberlake has been trying his best to channel Michael Jackson for years now, even 'collaborating' with MJ on his posthumous release 'Xscape' in 2014. He never got close. THIS song? This feels like MJ reborn. No one will ever come THAT close to the greatness that is Michael Jackson, but I applaud the Weeknd for his valiant effort.
6. Yelawolf feat. Eminem 'Best Friend'
Group me in with the people that find Yelawolf to be a bit corny. Not to say he doesn't have redeeming qualities, I just don't get it. That surely didn't stop me from having this in rotation for at least half the year. In 2016, let's make a plea to release more gully songs about Papa Dios.
5. Lupe Fiasco 'Deliver'
Last year, I found it in my heart to forgive Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, two artists I had previously despised, and reward them with much deserved top 3 spots. Those close to me know why I'm at war with Lupe, and you will know one day when I write my New York Times best seller. Let's just say shit ain't sweet. I may be a lot of things but dammit, I am fair. Lupe's look on poverty in the inner city while using something as delicious as pizza as a metaphor is everything I wish rap was today.
4. J. Cole 'No Role Modelz
'First things first, RIP Uncle Phil... for real.' Captain Save-A-Hoe's beware, this is not the song for you. It's been over a year since Cole dropped his new age classic '2014 Forest Hills Drive' and I still can't get enough. It's refreshing to hear an MC chastise reality show hoes when most of this coon rappers put out trash to attract them.
3. Zedd feat. Jon Bellion 'Beautiful Now'
Usually when I'm running my ass off on the treadmill, the fast paced dance music that gets my legs moving tends to be a bit empty in terms of emotion or content. Ahhhh, at last, I have discovered the perfect mix. The ultimate backdrop to what was a wonderful 2015 for your boy.
2. Major Lazer X DJ Snake feat. Mo 'Lean On'
I have a tight knit group of friends. A lot of them, I have known for over half my life. They understand why I am the crazy mutant I am today. So when I hear something like 'focus, fire a gun, we all need someone to lean on', it gets my spidey sense tingling. The only thing that would make it better is if it were over a thumping Indian-influenced beat. Oh it has that, too? Badass.
1. Taylor Swift 'Bad Blood'
This isn't like last year where 'Happy' was my clear cut #1. Any of the top five songs could have had this spot. So let's look at the tie breakers. Video? Taylor, surrounded by various models and actresses, posing as blood-thirsty heroines. Impact? You already know the numbers '1989' did, and this was arguably her biggest hit off the album. Can I mention how Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorite current MC's, yet I refuse to sync the remix of this song that he's featured on onto my iPod because his verses essentially equate to less Taylor? And finally, and most importantly, let's factor in how I am utterly obsessed with her. I have her calendar on my wall, for crying out loud. Yes, Taylor Swift is #1... on this list, and in my heart.
And there you have it... another year in the books. Can Taylor Swift go back to back next year? Which artist who I currently hate will I forgive? Stay tuned! Until then, I hope 2016 finds you much success, whatever that means to you.
Hope 2015 was kind to you. Musically... truthfully... it was another sub-par year. I would love to lie and tell you it was the extravagant comeback we have been anticipating for years but frankly, it was more of the same. Thankfully, by the grace of God, I was able to gather 30 songs that I deemed worthy enough to be featured in this annual masterpiece.
I'm sure I say this every year so let me continue the tradition... this is my favorite blog to write. Matter of fact, this is the 5th annual list! *confetti falls* I understand the responsibility... I don't take this list as a joke. Throughout the year, I am closely monitoring the tunes that get my culo shaking. I say this also to remind you that these aren't the BEST songs of the year, but rather my FAVORITE. I expect your list to look very different than mine, because we different muthafuckas. But don't let that stop you from debating or even shittin' on my list. I welcome the war, hoe.
OK enough suspense... let's get to it, folks. My favorite 30 songs of the past year.
30. Nicki Minaj feat. Drake & Lil Wayne 'Truffle Butter'
Not sure what I enjoy more... the song or the definition on Urban Dictionary
29. Calvin Harris & Disciples 'How Deep Is Your Love'
Making great dance music and boning Taylor Swift. Calvin Harris, you lucky son of a gun
28. Hailee Steinfeld 'Love Myself'
96% sure this song is about masturbation
27. Halsey 'New Americana'
Getting high on legal weed? Check. Raised on Biggie & Nirvana? Check. Top 30 song? Duh
26. Selena Gomez 'Same Old Love'
Trying my hardest not to be sexually attracted to her and failing miserably
25. Gente de Zona feat. Marc Anthony 'La Gozadera'
In case you didn't believe I'm Latino
24. Melanie Martinez 'Soap'
My all-time favorite contestant from 'The Voice'
23. Miguel 'Waves'
Slowly becoming my go-to guy in the R&B department
22. DJ Snake & AlunaGeorge 'You Know You Like It'
21. Skrillex & Diplo feat. AlunaGeorge 'To U'
Still unclear about who AlunaGeorge is/are but welcome to the top 30, you infectious asshole(s)
20. Justin Bieber 'What Do You Mean?'
In 2016, there shall be no more Belieber shaming
19. Walk The Moon 'Shut Up & Dance'
Would've been higher if I didn't hear it 35325647 times
18. Elle King 'Ex's & Oh's'
Mmmm bring your lil chubby, tattooed ass over here
17. G-Eazy feat. Bebe Rexha 'Me Myself & I'
Are we positive this isn't Drake?
16. Troy Ave 'Doo Doo'
Shittin' on haters, literally
15. Luke Bryan 'Kick The Dust Up'
A country song made my top 30! History has been made!
14. Tori Kelly 'Nobody Love'
Taylor is lucky she has my heart, 'cuz I'd taste a scoop of Tori Kelly's vanilla ice cream any day
13. Fifth Harmony feat. Kid Ink 'Worth It'
Come & show me that you're wit it, wit it, wit it, wit it
12. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 'Downtown'
You recruit Melle Mel, Grandmaster Caz and Kool Moe Dee for a song... in 2015?! Awesome
11. Missy Elliott feat. Pharrell 'WTF (Where They From)'
Missy could literally drop wet farts on this electric Neptunes beat for three minutes and still make my list
10. Mark Ronson feat. Bruno Mars 'Uptown Funk'
I know what you're thinking... every time Bruno Mars makes the countdown, I reference his 'Moonshine Jungle' show that I attended at the Barclay's Center in the spring of 2013. How it was the best live performance I have ever attended. How energetic, lively and overall entertaining he was. I promise you, I will not do that this year.
9. Meek Mill feat. Tory Lanez 'Lord Knows'
Look, I know he battled Drake and got embarrassed. I know he was the subject of many mean-spirited memes. I could care less. Maybe I'm swayed because this was the backdrop to the most epic scene in 'Creed'. Whatever the case, this BANGS. So yes, Meek Mill might have caught an L to Drake, but that Canadian clown didn't sniff a spot on my top 30, so who really won?
8. Demi Lovato 'Cool For The Summer'
I couldn't name you three Demi Lovato songs if my life depended on it. I mean, I know she is... the kind-of-cute judge from the X-Factor that used to be depressed. But her music never struck a chord with me. That is, until she dropped this anthem that is sure to be played during our warmest season for the next century.
7. The Weeknd 'Can't Feel My Face'
Justin Timberlake has been trying his best to channel Michael Jackson for years now, even 'collaborating' with MJ on his posthumous release 'Xscape' in 2014. He never got close. THIS song? This feels like MJ reborn. No one will ever come THAT close to the greatness that is Michael Jackson, but I applaud the Weeknd for his valiant effort.
6. Yelawolf feat. Eminem 'Best Friend'
Group me in with the people that find Yelawolf to be a bit corny. Not to say he doesn't have redeeming qualities, I just don't get it. That surely didn't stop me from having this in rotation for at least half the year. In 2016, let's make a plea to release more gully songs about Papa Dios.
5. Lupe Fiasco 'Deliver'
Last year, I found it in my heart to forgive Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, two artists I had previously despised, and reward them with much deserved top 3 spots. Those close to me know why I'm at war with Lupe, and you will know one day when I write my New York Times best seller. Let's just say shit ain't sweet. I may be a lot of things but dammit, I am fair. Lupe's look on poverty in the inner city while using something as delicious as pizza as a metaphor is everything I wish rap was today.
4. J. Cole 'No Role Modelz
'First things first, RIP Uncle Phil... for real.' Captain Save-A-Hoe's beware, this is not the song for you. It's been over a year since Cole dropped his new age classic '2014 Forest Hills Drive' and I still can't get enough. It's refreshing to hear an MC chastise reality show hoes when most of this coon rappers put out trash to attract them.
3. Zedd feat. Jon Bellion 'Beautiful Now'
Usually when I'm running my ass off on the treadmill, the fast paced dance music that gets my legs moving tends to be a bit empty in terms of emotion or content. Ahhhh, at last, I have discovered the perfect mix. The ultimate backdrop to what was a wonderful 2015 for your boy.
2. Major Lazer X DJ Snake feat. Mo 'Lean On'
I have a tight knit group of friends. A lot of them, I have known for over half my life. They understand why I am the crazy mutant I am today. So when I hear something like 'focus, fire a gun, we all need someone to lean on', it gets my spidey sense tingling. The only thing that would make it better is if it were over a thumping Indian-influenced beat. Oh it has that, too? Badass.
1. Taylor Swift 'Bad Blood'
This isn't like last year where 'Happy' was my clear cut #1. Any of the top five songs could have had this spot. So let's look at the tie breakers. Video? Taylor, surrounded by various models and actresses, posing as blood-thirsty heroines. Impact? You already know the numbers '1989' did, and this was arguably her biggest hit off the album. Can I mention how Kendrick Lamar is one of my favorite current MC's, yet I refuse to sync the remix of this song that he's featured on onto my iPod because his verses essentially equate to less Taylor? And finally, and most importantly, let's factor in how I am utterly obsessed with her. I have her calendar on my wall, for crying out loud. Yes, Taylor Swift is #1... on this list, and in my heart.
And there you have it... another year in the books. Can Taylor Swift go back to back next year? Which artist who I currently hate will I forgive? Stay tuned! Until then, I hope 2016 finds you much success, whatever that means to you.
Tuesday, January 27, 2015
My least favorite songs of 2014
OMG there's a blizzard outside! Ahhhhh!
Well... not really.
I used to think NYC was gangsta. However, here I am, in a big city that's shut down because of flurries. It got me a day off from work so I'm not complaining, just disappointed in the thoroughness of my hometown. Man up, sissies.
The good news is you get this blog as a treat! A few days ago, I posted my annual 'favorite songs of the year' blog. If you haven't read it, GO NOW. It's splendid. But for the first time, I'm gonna do the yin to that yang. That's right... my LEAST favorite songs of 2014.
I know, I know... this list could be endless. I plan to use laser-like focus and shine the (dim) light on a select few that pissed me off the most. I'm sure there's plenty of unpopular songs that suck just as much as the mainstream ones, but picking on those lil-known jams wouldn't be right. I ain't no bully, y'all. The songs below can be considered hits in some regard, and by hits I mean I wanted to hit my head against the fuckin' wall whenever I heard them. Because they were played non-stop on the radio, they deserve the lashing they're about to get. Justice is about to be served.
Let's cue the garbage...
Rich Gang 'Lifestyle'
Migos 'Handsome & Wealthy'
I grouped these two songs together for a few reasons. One, they're equally horrible. Two, they represent a genre who supplied the majority of shitty music in '14. Three, I can't understand a word that either of these ass clowns are saying. I set my alarm to Power 105 in the AM and guess what I usually woke up to? This toxic waste. No wonder I was aggravated before I even set foot in the shower. Twenty years ago, I was listening to a young, illmatic Nas. 'Ready To Die', arguably the greatest hip-hop album ever dropped. The Wu were branching out with their solo projects after their monumental debut. Two decades later, I'm listening to rappers who sound like they have down syndrome. Seriously, these idiots aren't even audible. I've listened to the chorus of 'Lifestyle" carefully and I made out three words, max. Rap world, this is unacceptable. Step your effin' game up.
Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX 'Fancy'
First things first, you're the wackest. Have you heard this fraud speak in an interview? SHE'S AUSTRAILIAN. Why is she sounding so stereotypically 'urban' on all of her wack ass songs? This is a straight-up mockery of the culture and I won't stand for it. I feel bad for Charli XCX's fine ass who had to try and save this shit with the only thing salvageable about it, the chorus. Even with the vailiant effort, this was still a fail. Oh yeah, I hated 'Black Widow' too, beeyotch.
Jessi J feat. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj 'Bang Bang'
The inclusion of this song is important because A) I hate the song and B) I hated everything the featured artists dropped last year. 'Problem', 'Break Free', 'Anaconda'... HATED IT ALL. How anyone can listen to Ariana Grande's voice without their ears bleeding is beyond me. Nicki sounding like a psycho slut on every record? Yawn. And then this catastrophe. Save yourself from these pitiful puppets, Jessi J. Good thing I don't own a firearm or it would be 'bang bang' for real for real. *thug voice*
Pitbull feat. Ke$ha 'Timber'
Pitbull, mi primo! Que paso? For years, you've entertained the universe with your electric energy. But last year? No bueno. Your chants of 'Dale' were finally starting to get stale. Your beat selection, usually top notch, was bottom shelf. And then you got this trashy hoe to sing this horrible hook. Your last album, 'Globalization', was a sign that there might be a sudden end to your Cuban reign. I know this song wasn't on there but it was still the biggest turd you dropped in '14. Ay Dios mio.
Magic! 'Rude'
Just what I wanted to hear, a bunch of reggae-influenced Canadians whining about their future father-in-law. No wonder he doesn't want you to marry his daughter... because of garbage like this. Shit, I'd be rude too if this was my potential son-in-law's plea. I have a handful of Caribbean-themed songs on my iPod but I can assure you, this ain't one of them. The real magic would be if we could make these fucktards disappear.
Jason Derulo 'Trumpets'
Can this guy dance? Sure. Am I hating on him because he was boning that goddess Jordin Sparks? Maybe a lil. But that doesn't change the fact that this is one of the most poorly-written songs in recent memory. 'Is it weird that your ass remind me of a Kanye West song?' Yes, it's fuckin' weird. And borderline homosexual. Why the hell would you write (or sing) such a thing? The songwriter should be banned from ever lifting a pen in his lifetime.
John Legend 'All Of Me'
And here is where the female demographic loses their shit. I fully expect riots over this selection but guess what? I DON'T CARE. Let's call a spade a spade. I love a beautiful ballad as much as the next person, but this overly sappy, insincere ode to his overrated wife? No thank you. I want that Luther-type shit, feel me? I'm sure this song will be played at weddings for years to come, and if you're planning to play this at your ceremony and you want me there, I'M NOT COMING.
OK, let me stop there. I feel my blood pressure rising and I'm not trying to catch a heart attack over a blog. While I take some deep breaths, I hope you enjoy the rest of the day, especially my fellow NYers who are 'snowed in'. *Rolls eyes* Peace, punks.
Well... not really.
I used to think NYC was gangsta. However, here I am, in a big city that's shut down because of flurries. It got me a day off from work so I'm not complaining, just disappointed in the thoroughness of my hometown. Man up, sissies.
The good news is you get this blog as a treat! A few days ago, I posted my annual 'favorite songs of the year' blog. If you haven't read it, GO NOW. It's splendid. But for the first time, I'm gonna do the yin to that yang. That's right... my LEAST favorite songs of 2014.
I know, I know... this list could be endless. I plan to use laser-like focus and shine the (dim) light on a select few that pissed me off the most. I'm sure there's plenty of unpopular songs that suck just as much as the mainstream ones, but picking on those lil-known jams wouldn't be right. I ain't no bully, y'all. The songs below can be considered hits in some regard, and by hits I mean I wanted to hit my head against the fuckin' wall whenever I heard them. Because they were played non-stop on the radio, they deserve the lashing they're about to get. Justice is about to be served.
Let's cue the garbage...
Rich Gang 'Lifestyle'
Migos 'Handsome & Wealthy'
I grouped these two songs together for a few reasons. One, they're equally horrible. Two, they represent a genre who supplied the majority of shitty music in '14. Three, I can't understand a word that either of these ass clowns are saying. I set my alarm to Power 105 in the AM and guess what I usually woke up to? This toxic waste. No wonder I was aggravated before I even set foot in the shower. Twenty years ago, I was listening to a young, illmatic Nas. 'Ready To Die', arguably the greatest hip-hop album ever dropped. The Wu were branching out with their solo projects after their monumental debut. Two decades later, I'm listening to rappers who sound like they have down syndrome. Seriously, these idiots aren't even audible. I've listened to the chorus of 'Lifestyle" carefully and I made out three words, max. Rap world, this is unacceptable. Step your effin' game up.
Iggy Azalea feat. Charli XCX 'Fancy'
First things first, you're the wackest. Have you heard this fraud speak in an interview? SHE'S AUSTRAILIAN. Why is she sounding so stereotypically 'urban' on all of her wack ass songs? This is a straight-up mockery of the culture and I won't stand for it. I feel bad for Charli XCX's fine ass who had to try and save this shit with the only thing salvageable about it, the chorus. Even with the vailiant effort, this was still a fail. Oh yeah, I hated 'Black Widow' too, beeyotch.
Jessi J feat. Ariana Grande & Nicki Minaj 'Bang Bang'
The inclusion of this song is important because A) I hate the song and B) I hated everything the featured artists dropped last year. 'Problem', 'Break Free', 'Anaconda'... HATED IT ALL. How anyone can listen to Ariana Grande's voice without their ears bleeding is beyond me. Nicki sounding like a psycho slut on every record? Yawn. And then this catastrophe. Save yourself from these pitiful puppets, Jessi J. Good thing I don't own a firearm or it would be 'bang bang' for real for real. *thug voice*
Pitbull feat. Ke$ha 'Timber'
Pitbull, mi primo! Que paso? For years, you've entertained the universe with your electric energy. But last year? No bueno. Your chants of 'Dale' were finally starting to get stale. Your beat selection, usually top notch, was bottom shelf. And then you got this trashy hoe to sing this horrible hook. Your last album, 'Globalization', was a sign that there might be a sudden end to your Cuban reign. I know this song wasn't on there but it was still the biggest turd you dropped in '14. Ay Dios mio.
Magic! 'Rude'
Just what I wanted to hear, a bunch of reggae-influenced Canadians whining about their future father-in-law. No wonder he doesn't want you to marry his daughter... because of garbage like this. Shit, I'd be rude too if this was my potential son-in-law's plea. I have a handful of Caribbean-themed songs on my iPod but I can assure you, this ain't one of them. The real magic would be if we could make these fucktards disappear.
Jason Derulo 'Trumpets'
Can this guy dance? Sure. Am I hating on him because he was boning that goddess Jordin Sparks? Maybe a lil. But that doesn't change the fact that this is one of the most poorly-written songs in recent memory. 'Is it weird that your ass remind me of a Kanye West song?' Yes, it's fuckin' weird. And borderline homosexual. Why the hell would you write (or sing) such a thing? The songwriter should be banned from ever lifting a pen in his lifetime.
John Legend 'All Of Me'
And here is where the female demographic loses their shit. I fully expect riots over this selection but guess what? I DON'T CARE. Let's call a spade a spade. I love a beautiful ballad as much as the next person, but this overly sappy, insincere ode to his overrated wife? No thank you. I want that Luther-type shit, feel me? I'm sure this song will be played at weddings for years to come, and if you're planning to play this at your ceremony and you want me there, I'M NOT COMING.
OK, let me stop there. I feel my blood pressure rising and I'm not trying to catch a heart attack over a blog. While I take some deep breaths, I hope you enjoy the rest of the day, especially my fellow NYers who are 'snowed in'. *Rolls eyes* Peace, punks.
Tuesday, January 14, 2014
THE ULTIMATE (MOSTLY) 90'S RAP/R&B PLAYLIST!!
Dear Beloved Reader,
I love my blog. I know I neglected it for almost a year but I really do. My favorite posts are usually my favorite songs of the year posts. Why? Because I get to rank and write blurbs about tunes I love, duh. Like... who WOULDN'T love doing that? But I have to say... I think this one tops all of those posts combined.
A lil' backstory: First, you must know that I'm an 80's baby. While I appreciate 80's culture, I spent my glory years(?!) in the 90's. I have a special admiration for that decade and, for some odd reason, I've recently regressed to my teenage years. I started collecting baseball cards again. I copped Mortal Kombat for my PS3 (if any of y'all wanna buy me a PS4, please feel free). But most of all, I've been listening to 90's music non-stop. The reasoning? A combination of those songs being legendary, the reminiscing and reliving memories as I get older, and today's music (especially rap) being pathetic and brainless.
A few months ago, I started working on an iPod playlist that featured my favorite songs from that decade. Initially, I hand-picked about 150 songs I had in my personal collection. I was so excited about it, I posted a Facebook status mentioning it. And I may have told some folks in my inner circle. And outer circle. Basically, anyone who was willing to listen to me, I was telling them about this playlist. You may have expected people to tell me to stfu, but no! They were actually interested! They wanted a copy of it! Begging! Pleading! Well... maybe not all of that... but the point is, they were intrigued, curious... for many of the same reasons I made the playlist in the first place. Their excitement got me even more excited, and I felt it was my duty to release this list to the masses. The world needed this.
I felt a huge responsibility before I just leaked this list out there. While I was perfecting it, it became quite clear that 150 songs wasn't gonna cut it. The 90's was packed with so many timeless tunes that I had to increase the capacity. And I did, adding 50 more songs, making it an even 200. But wait, what about this song? And that song? Surely, I can't leave those off. Let's add them! OK, now I'm up to 250. I was still missing songs. Shit, this isn't easy. The truth is, I could make this playlist 500 songs and still miss some crucial material, but I had to draw the line somewhere. And that line was 300. For Sparta, muthafuckas.
So here we are. 300 of the 90's finest jams. A few things you should know before I present the list: This is strictly a rap/R&B playlist. I think that should be clear by the title but you know there's gonna be some oblivious asshole asking 'where's Madonna?' You should know I'm more of a rap head, so this is a rap-heavy list. No H-Town, Shai or Silk here, ladies. Your panties will likely have to get moist elsewhere.
Also, I'm a born and raised New Yorker, so there is some regional bias here. There's a lot more NY/East coast shit because that's what I listened to growing up. So yes, your list, depending where you're from, is likely to vary from mine. And that's cool. If you're from the Midwest, South, West coast... shit, if you're from another country... feel free to share some of your favorite songs that I missed. I'll check them out if I haven't heard them (who are we kidding? I'm a 90's rap guru. Of COURSE I've heard them!) and maybe I'll even revise my list.
Two strict guidelines I also enforced: 1) No more than 10 songs per artist (not including features) and 2) No hokey songs. Even though the latter may sound that way, I don't mean it as disrespectful. I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of those songs. Coolio's 'Fantastic Voyage', Skee-Lo's 'I Wish' and Naughty By Nature's 'OPP' will always hold a special place in my corazon, just not a special place on my playlist. Basically, if it gets played in a sports arena, you won't see it on here. If you're not a hardcore 90's rap addict, a lot of these songs will look unfamiliar to you. And I love that. In my world, being obsolete is a good thing.
Lastly, while I made sure not to include any songs that were released after December 31st, 1999, I MAY have snuck in some 80's songs on there. Sue me. It's a handful, I promise. I didn't do this to complicate the list, just that the specific 80's songs on there were too good to leave off a playlist that ultimately is meant for me to recapture the feeling of that era. When you're making your playlist, leave them off if you're a stickler for the rules. If anything, use my list as a template... of complete and utter awesomeness.
Enough talking, here's the list. Hit me up on Twitter (@geequenyc) and share your thoughts!
(In alphabetical order by artist name)
Aaliyah 'Are You That Somebody?'
Aaliyah 'One In A Million'
Adina Howard 'Freak Like Me'
Ahmad 'Back In The Day (Remix)'
Artifacts 'Wrong Side Of Da Tracks'
A Tribe Called Quest 'Electric Relaxation'
A Tribe Called Quest 'Find A Way'
AZ 'Gimme Yours (feat. Nas)'
AZ 'Sugar Hill (feat. Missjones)'
Bad Meets Evil 'Scary Movies'
Beatnuts 'Off The Books (feat. Big Pun & Cuban Link)'
Beatnuts 'Watch Out Now'
Big L 'Ebonics'
Big L 'Put It On'
Big Punisher 'I'm Not A Player'
Big Punisher 'Still Not A Player (feat. Joe)'
Big Punisher 'Twinz (Deep Cover '98) (feat. Fat Joe)'
Black Moon 'Buck 'Em Down (Remix)'
Black Moon 'I Got Cha Opin (Remix)'
Black Rob 'Whoa!'
Black Star 'Definition'
Blackstreet 'Before I Let You Go'
Blackstreet 'Joy'
Blahzay Blahzay 'Danger'
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 'Thuggish Ruggish Bone'
Boyz II Men 'Motownphilly'
Brand Nubian 'Don't Let It Go To Your Head'
Brandy 'I Wanna Be Down'
Busta Rhymes 'Everything Remains Raw'
Busta Rhymes 'Fire It Up'
Busta Rhymes 'It's A Party (feat. Zhane)'
Busta Rhymes 'Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See'
Busta Rhymes 'Tear Da Roof Off'
Busta Rhymes 'Woo-Ha! (Got You All In Check)'
Camp Lo 'Black Nostaljack (Come On)'
Camp Lo 'Luchini (This Is It)'
Cam'ron '357'
Canibus 'Buckingham Palace'
Canibus 'Get Retarded'
Canibus 'Second Round K.O.'
Capone-N-Noreaga 'T.O.N.Y. (Top Of New York)'
Case 'Touch Me, Tease Me (feat. Foxy Brown & Mary J. Blige)'
Changing Faces 'Stroke You Up'
Channel Live 'Mad-Izm (feat. KRS-One)'
Children Of The Corn 'American Dream'
Cocoa Brovaz 'Black Trump (feat. Raekwon)'
Common 'I Used To Love H.E.R.'
Common 'Resurrection (Extra P Remix)'
Craig Mack 'Flava In Ya Ear (Remix feat. Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, Rampage & Busta Rhymes)'
Craig Mack 'Get Down'
Crooklyn Dodgers 'Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers'
Cypress Hill 'Boom Biddy Bye Bye (Remix feat. Fugees)'
D'Angelo 'Brown Sugar'
D'Angelo 'Devil's Pie'
Da Brat 'Da B Side (feat. Notorious B.I.G.)'
Da Brat 'Funkdafied'
Da Bush Babees 'We Run Things'
Das EFX 'Real Hip Hop'
De La Soul 'The Biziness (feat. Common)'
De La Soul 'Itsoweezee (Hot)'
Diamond D '5 Fingas Of Death (feat. Big L, Lord Finesse, AG & Fat Joe)'
DJ Honda 'Travelling Man (feat. Mos Def)'
DJ Muggs feat. Wyclef Jean 'John 3:16'
DMX 'Get At Me Dog (feat. Sheek)'
DMX 'Ruff Ryders Anthem'
DMX 'Stop Being Greedy'
Domino 'Sweet Potato Pie'
Dr. Dre 'Forgot About Dre (feat. Eminem)'
Dr. Dre 'Nuthin' But A G Thang (feat. Snoop Dogg)'
Dr. Dre 'Still D.R.E. (feat. Snoop Dogg)'
Dru Hill 'How Deep Is Your Love (feat. Redman)'
Dru Hill 'In My Bed'
Eminem 'If I Get Locked Up (feat. Dr. Dre)'
Eminem 'Just Don't Give A Fuck'
Eminem 'Role Model'
EPMD 'Crossover'
EPMD 'So Whatcha Sayin''
Eric B & Rakim 'Paid In Full'
Erykah Badu 'On & On'
Eve 'Gotta Man'
Eve 'What Y'all Niggaz Want'
Fab 5 'Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka'
Faith Evans 'You Used To Love Me'
Fat Joe 'Don Cartagena (feat. Diddy)'
Fat Joe 'Envy'
Fat Joe 'Firewater (feat. Raekwon, Big Pun & Armageddon)'
Fat Joe 'John Blaze (feat. Nas, Big Pun, Raekwon & Jadakiss)'
Fat Joe 'Success'
Firm 'Desperados (feat. Canibus)'
Firm 'Phone Tap'
Flipmode Squad 'Cha Cha Cha'
Foxy Brown 'Get You Home (feat. Blackstreet)'
Foxy Brown 'I'll Be (feat. Jay-Z)'
Fugees 'Fu-Gee-La'
Fugees 'Killing Me Softly'
Fugees 'Nappy Heads'
Fugees 'Ready Or Not'
Gang Starr feat. Inspectah Deck 'Above The Clouds'
Gang Starr 'Full Clip'
Gang Starr 'Mass Appeal'
Gang Starr 'Work'
Gang Starr 'You Know My Steez'
Geto Boys 'My Mind's Playin' Tricks On Me'
Ghostface 'Winter Warz (feat. U-God, Masta Killa & Cappadonna)'
Gina Thompson 'The Things That You Do (Bad Boy Remix feat. Missy Elliott)'
Ginuwine 'Pony'
Goodie Mob 'Cell Therapy'
Grand Puba 'I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are)'
Groove Theory 'Tell Me'
Group Home 'Supa Star'
GZA 'I Gotcha Back'
GZA 'Liquid Swords'
GZA 'Shadowboxin' (feat. Method Man)'
Heltah Skeltah 'Operation Lockdown'
Heltah Skeltah 'I Ain't Having That (feat. Starang Wondah & Doc Holiday)'
Horace Brown 'Things We Do For Love (Remix feat. Jay-Z)'
Ice Cube 'It Was A Good Day'
Ill Al Skratch 'Where My Homies'
Ill Al Skratch 'I'll Take Her (feat. Brian McKnight)'
Jagged Edge 'I Gotta Be'
Jay-Z 'Ain't No Nigga (feat. Foxy Brown)'
Jay-Z 'Brooklyn's Finest (feat. Notorious B.I.G.)'
Jay-Z 'Dead Presidents'
Jay-Z 'Feelin' It'
Jay-Z 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)'
Jay-Z 'Jigga My Nigga'
Jay-Z 'So Ghetto'
Jay-Z 'Streets Is Watching'
Jay-Z 'Where I'm From'
Jeru The Damaja 'Come Clean'
Jodeci 'Come & Talk To Me'
Jodeci 'Freakin' You (Remix feat. Raekwon & Ghostface)'
Joe 'All The Things (Your Man Won't Do)'
Junior Mafia 'Get Money (Remix)'
Junior Mafia 'I Need You Tonight (feat. Aaliyah)'
Junior Mafia 'Player's Anthem'
Junior Mafia 'Realms Of Junior Mafia'
Juvenile 'Ha (Remix feat. Jay-Z)'
Keith Murray 'Most Beautifullest Thing In This World'
Keith Sweat 'Nobody'
Killarmy 'Fair, Love & War'
Kool G Rap 'Fast Life (feat. Nas)'
KRS-One 'MC's Act Like They Don't Know'
KRS-One 'Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight)'
Lauryn Hill 'Lost Ones'
Lil Kim 'Crush On You (feat. Lil Cease)'
LL Cool J 'Doin' It'
LL Cool J 'Hey Lover (feat. Boyz II Men)'
LL Cool J 'I Shot Ya (Remix feat. Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe & Foxy Brown)'
LL Cool J 'Loungin' (Remix feat. Total)'
LL Cool J '4, 3, 2, 1 (feat. Method Man, Redman, Canibus & DMX)'
Lord Finesse 'Hip 2 Da Game (Buckwild Remix)'
Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz 'Deja Vu'
Lost Boyz 'Beasts From The East (feat. Canibus & Redman)'
Lost Boyz 'Lifestyles Of The Rich & Shameless'
Lost Boyz 'Jeeps, Lex Coupes, Bimaz & Benz'
Lost Boyz 'Music Makes Me High'
Lost Boyz 'Renee'
Lox 'If You Think I'm Jiggy'
Lox 'Money, Power, Respect (feat. Lil Kim & DMX)'
LSG 'My Body'
Luniz 'I Got 5 On It'
Mad Skillz 'The Nod Factor'
Mariah Carey 'Breakdown (feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)'
Mariah Carey 'Fantasy (Remix feat. ODB)'
Mary J. Blige 'Be Happy'
Mary J. Blige 'I Love You'
Mary J. Blige 'Real Love (feat. Notorious B.I.G.)'
Masta Ace 'The I.N.C. Ride'
Mase 'Feels So Good'
Mase '24 Hours To Live (feat. Lox, DMX & Black Rob)'
MC Lyte 'Cold Rock A Party'
Method Man 'All I Need (Remix feat. Mary J. Blige)'
Method Man 'Bring The Pain'
Method Man 'Make Ups 2 Break Ups (feat. D'Angelo)'
Method Man 'Release Yo Delf'
Method Man & Redman 'Da Rockwilder'
Method Man & Redman 'How High'
Mic Geronimo 'Masta I.C.'
Mic Geronimo 'Shit Is Real'
Missy Elliott 'All N My Grill (feat. Nicole & Big Boi)'
Missy Elliott 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)'
Missy Elliott 'Sock It To Me (feat. Da Brat)'
Mobb Deep 'Drop A Gem On 'Em'
Mobb Deep 'Give Up The Goods (Just Step) (feat. Big Noyd)'
Mobb Deep 'Hell On Earth'
Mobb Deep 'Quiet Storm (Remix feat. Lil Kim)'
Mobb Deep 'Shook Ones (Part II)'
Mobb Deep 'Survival Of The Fittest'
Mona Lisa 'Can't Be Wasting My Time (feat. Lost Boyz)'
Monica 'Don't Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem Days)'
Monica 'Like This & Like That'
Monifah 'I Miss You (feat. Heavy D)'
Mos Def 'Ms. Fat Booty'
Mya 'Best Of Me (Remix feat. Jay-Z)'
Mya 'It's All About Me (feat. Sisqo)'
Nas 'If I Ruled The World (feat. Lauryn Hill)'
Nas 'It Ain't Hard To Tell'
Nas 'The Message'
Nas 'Nas Is Like'
Nas 'One Love'
Nas 'Sweet Dreams (Remix feat. R. Kelly)'
Nas 'The World Is Yours'
Next 'Too Close'
Nine 'What Cha Want'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Big Poppa'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Hypnotize'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Juicy'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Mo Money, Mo Problems (feat. Mase & P. Diddy)'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Notorious Thugs (feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)'
Notorious B.I.G. 'One More Chance (Remix)'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Sky's The Limit (feat. 112)'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Unbelievable'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Warning'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Who Shot Ya'
Noreaga 'Banned From TV (feat. Nature, Big Pun, Cam'ron & Lox)'
Noreaga 'Super Thug'
NWA 'Straight Outta Compton'
O.C. 'Time's Up'
OGC 'No Fear'
Ol Dirty Bastard 'Brooklyn Zoo'
Ol Dirty Bastard 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya'
Onyx 'Last Dayz'
Onyx 'Shut 'Em Down (Remix feat. Noreaga & Big Pun)'
OutKast 'ATLiens'
OutKast 'Elevators (Me & You)'
OutKast feat. Goodie Mob 'Git Up, Git Out'
OutKast 'Skew It On The Bar-B (feat. Raekwon)'
OutKast 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik'
OutKast 'Wheelz Of Steel'
Pete Rock & CL Smooth 'I Got A Love'
Pete Rock & CL Smooth 'They Reminisce Over You'
Pharcyde 'Drop'
Pharcyde 'Runnin''
Pharoahe Monch 'Simon Says'
Playa 'Cheers 2 U'
Public Enemy 'Public Enemy No. 1'
Puff Daddy 'All About The Benjamins (Remix feat. Lox, Lil Kim & Notorious B.I.G.)'
Puff Daddy 'Been Around The World (Remix feat. Mase)'
Puff Daddy 'Can't Nobody Hold Me Down (feat. Mase)'
Puff Daddy 'Victory (feat. Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes)'
R. Kelly 'Bump N' Grind'
R. Kelly 'Your Body's Callin''
Raekwon 'Criminology'
Raekwon 'Ice Cream (feat. Ghostface, Cappadonna & Method Man)'
Raekwon 'Incarcerated Scarfaces'
Rakim 'It's Been A Long Time'
Rakim 'New York (Ya Out There)'
Rampage 'Wild For Da Night (feat. Busta Rhymes)'
Ras Kass 'Soul On Ice (Diamond D Remix)'
Redman 'Da Goodness (feat. Busta Rhymes)'
Redman 'I'll Bee Dat'
Redman 'Time 4 Sum Aksion'
Redman 'Tonight's The Night'
Roots 'Clones'
Roots 'Concerto Of The Desperado'
Roots 'Proceed'
Roots 'What They Do (feat. Raphael Saadiq)'
Roots 'You Got Me (feat. Erykah Badu)'
Royal Flush 'Iced Down Medallions (feat. Noreaga)'
Royce Da 5'9 'Boom'
Show & AG 'Next Level'
Slick Rick 'Children's Story'
Slick Rick 'Mona Lisa'
Slick Rick 'Sitting In My Car'
Smif-N-Wessun 'Bucktown'
Smif-N-Wessun 'Sound Bwoy Bureill'
Smif-N-Wessun 'Wreckonize (Remix)'
Smoothe Da Hustler 'Broken Language (feat. Trigga The Gambler)'
Snoop Dogg 'Gin & Juice'
Snoop Dogg 'Who Am I (What's My Name?)'
Sparkle 'Be Careful (feat. R. Kelly)'
Subway 'Fire'
Soul For Real 'Candy Rain'
Soul For Real 'Every Little Thing I Do'
SWV 'Can We (feat. SWV)'
SWV 'Right Here (Human Nature)'
Tha Alkaholiks 'Daaam!'
TLC 'Creep'
TLC 'Red Light Special'
Total 'Can't You See (feat. Notorious B.I.G.)'
Tracey Lee 'The Theme (It's Party Time)'
Usher 'U Make Me Wanna'
Warren G 'Regulate (feat. Nate Dogg)'
Westside Connection 'Bow Down'
Wu-Tang Clan 'Ain't Nuthing To Fuck Wit'
Wu-Tang Clan 'C.R.E.A.M.'
Wu-Tang Clan 'Protect Ya Neck'
Wu-Tang Clan 'Triumph'
Wyclef Jean 'Gone Till November (Remix feat. R. Kelly & Canibus)'
Wyclef Jean 'Guantanamera (feat. Celia Cruz)'
Xscape 'Just Kickin' It'
Xzibit 'Foundation'
Xzibit 'Paparazzi'
112 'Only You (Remix feat. Mase & Notorious B.I.G.)'
2 Pac 'Dear Mama'
2 Pac 'Hail Mary'
2 Pac 'So Many Tears'
2 Pac 'Temptations'
702 'Steelo (feat. Missy Elliott)'
Thank you for the read and God bless the 90's!
Sincerely,
GeeQue
90's Rap Guru
I love my blog. I know I neglected it for almost a year but I really do. My favorite posts are usually my favorite songs of the year posts. Why? Because I get to rank and write blurbs about tunes I love, duh. Like... who WOULDN'T love doing that? But I have to say... I think this one tops all of those posts combined.
A lil' backstory: First, you must know that I'm an 80's baby. While I appreciate 80's culture, I spent my glory years(?!) in the 90's. I have a special admiration for that decade and, for some odd reason, I've recently regressed to my teenage years. I started collecting baseball cards again. I copped Mortal Kombat for my PS3 (if any of y'all wanna buy me a PS4, please feel free). But most of all, I've been listening to 90's music non-stop. The reasoning? A combination of those songs being legendary, the reminiscing and reliving memories as I get older, and today's music (especially rap) being pathetic and brainless.
A few months ago, I started working on an iPod playlist that featured my favorite songs from that decade. Initially, I hand-picked about 150 songs I had in my personal collection. I was so excited about it, I posted a Facebook status mentioning it. And I may have told some folks in my inner circle. And outer circle. Basically, anyone who was willing to listen to me, I was telling them about this playlist. You may have expected people to tell me to stfu, but no! They were actually interested! They wanted a copy of it! Begging! Pleading! Well... maybe not all of that... but the point is, they were intrigued, curious... for many of the same reasons I made the playlist in the first place. Their excitement got me even more excited, and I felt it was my duty to release this list to the masses. The world needed this.
I felt a huge responsibility before I just leaked this list out there. While I was perfecting it, it became quite clear that 150 songs wasn't gonna cut it. The 90's was packed with so many timeless tunes that I had to increase the capacity. And I did, adding 50 more songs, making it an even 200. But wait, what about this song? And that song? Surely, I can't leave those off. Let's add them! OK, now I'm up to 250. I was still missing songs. Shit, this isn't easy. The truth is, I could make this playlist 500 songs and still miss some crucial material, but I had to draw the line somewhere. And that line was 300. For Sparta, muthafuckas.
So here we are. 300 of the 90's finest jams. A few things you should know before I present the list: This is strictly a rap/R&B playlist. I think that should be clear by the title but you know there's gonna be some oblivious asshole asking 'where's Madonna?' You should know I'm more of a rap head, so this is a rap-heavy list. No H-Town, Shai or Silk here, ladies. Your panties will likely have to get moist elsewhere.
Also, I'm a born and raised New Yorker, so there is some regional bias here. There's a lot more NY/East coast shit because that's what I listened to growing up. So yes, your list, depending where you're from, is likely to vary from mine. And that's cool. If you're from the Midwest, South, West coast... shit, if you're from another country... feel free to share some of your favorite songs that I missed. I'll check them out if I haven't heard them (who are we kidding? I'm a 90's rap guru. Of COURSE I've heard them!) and maybe I'll even revise my list.
Two strict guidelines I also enforced: 1) No more than 10 songs per artist (not including features) and 2) No hokey songs. Even though the latter may sound that way, I don't mean it as disrespectful. I thoroughly enjoyed a lot of those songs. Coolio's 'Fantastic Voyage', Skee-Lo's 'I Wish' and Naughty By Nature's 'OPP' will always hold a special place in my corazon, just not a special place on my playlist. Basically, if it gets played in a sports arena, you won't see it on here. If you're not a hardcore 90's rap addict, a lot of these songs will look unfamiliar to you. And I love that. In my world, being obsolete is a good thing.
Lastly, while I made sure not to include any songs that were released after December 31st, 1999, I MAY have snuck in some 80's songs on there. Sue me. It's a handful, I promise. I didn't do this to complicate the list, just that the specific 80's songs on there were too good to leave off a playlist that ultimately is meant for me to recapture the feeling of that era. When you're making your playlist, leave them off if you're a stickler for the rules. If anything, use my list as a template... of complete and utter awesomeness.
Enough talking, here's the list. Hit me up on Twitter (@geequenyc) and share your thoughts!
(In alphabetical order by artist name)
Aaliyah 'Are You That Somebody?'
Aaliyah 'One In A Million'
Adina Howard 'Freak Like Me'
Ahmad 'Back In The Day (Remix)'
Artifacts 'Wrong Side Of Da Tracks'
A Tribe Called Quest 'Electric Relaxation'
A Tribe Called Quest 'Find A Way'
AZ 'Gimme Yours (feat. Nas)'
AZ 'Sugar Hill (feat. Missjones)'
Bad Meets Evil 'Scary Movies'
Beatnuts 'Off The Books (feat. Big Pun & Cuban Link)'
Beatnuts 'Watch Out Now'
Big L 'Ebonics'
Big L 'Put It On'
Big Punisher 'I'm Not A Player'
Big Punisher 'Still Not A Player (feat. Joe)'
Big Punisher 'Twinz (Deep Cover '98) (feat. Fat Joe)'
Black Moon 'Buck 'Em Down (Remix)'
Black Moon 'I Got Cha Opin (Remix)'
Black Rob 'Whoa!'
Black Star 'Definition'
Blackstreet 'Before I Let You Go'
Blackstreet 'Joy'
Blahzay Blahzay 'Danger'
Bone Thugs-N-Harmony 'Thuggish Ruggish Bone'
Boyz II Men 'Motownphilly'
Brand Nubian 'Don't Let It Go To Your Head'
Brandy 'I Wanna Be Down'
Busta Rhymes 'Everything Remains Raw'
Busta Rhymes 'Fire It Up'
Busta Rhymes 'It's A Party (feat. Zhane)'
Busta Rhymes 'Put Your Hands Where My Eyes Can See'
Busta Rhymes 'Tear Da Roof Off'
Busta Rhymes 'Woo-Ha! (Got You All In Check)'
Camp Lo 'Black Nostaljack (Come On)'
Camp Lo 'Luchini (This Is It)'
Cam'ron '357'
Canibus 'Buckingham Palace'
Canibus 'Get Retarded'
Canibus 'Second Round K.O.'
Capone-N-Noreaga 'T.O.N.Y. (Top Of New York)'
Case 'Touch Me, Tease Me (feat. Foxy Brown & Mary J. Blige)'
Changing Faces 'Stroke You Up'
Channel Live 'Mad-Izm (feat. KRS-One)'
Children Of The Corn 'American Dream'
Cocoa Brovaz 'Black Trump (feat. Raekwon)'
Common 'I Used To Love H.E.R.'
Common 'Resurrection (Extra P Remix)'
Craig Mack 'Flava In Ya Ear (Remix feat. Notorious B.I.G., LL Cool J, Rampage & Busta Rhymes)'
Craig Mack 'Get Down'
Crooklyn Dodgers 'Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers'
Cypress Hill 'Boom Biddy Bye Bye (Remix feat. Fugees)'
D'Angelo 'Brown Sugar'
D'Angelo 'Devil's Pie'
Da Brat 'Da B Side (feat. Notorious B.I.G.)'
Da Brat 'Funkdafied'
Da Bush Babees 'We Run Things'
Das EFX 'Real Hip Hop'
De La Soul 'The Biziness (feat. Common)'
De La Soul 'Itsoweezee (Hot)'
Diamond D '5 Fingas Of Death (feat. Big L, Lord Finesse, AG & Fat Joe)'
DJ Honda 'Travelling Man (feat. Mos Def)'
DJ Muggs feat. Wyclef Jean 'John 3:16'
DMX 'Get At Me Dog (feat. Sheek)'
DMX 'Ruff Ryders Anthem'
DMX 'Stop Being Greedy'
Domino 'Sweet Potato Pie'
Dr. Dre 'Forgot About Dre (feat. Eminem)'
Dr. Dre 'Nuthin' But A G Thang (feat. Snoop Dogg)'
Dr. Dre 'Still D.R.E. (feat. Snoop Dogg)'
Dru Hill 'How Deep Is Your Love (feat. Redman)'
Dru Hill 'In My Bed'
Eminem 'If I Get Locked Up (feat. Dr. Dre)'
Eminem 'Just Don't Give A Fuck'
Eminem 'Role Model'
EPMD 'Crossover'
EPMD 'So Whatcha Sayin''
Eric B & Rakim 'Paid In Full'
Erykah Badu 'On & On'
Eve 'Gotta Man'
Eve 'What Y'all Niggaz Want'
Fab 5 'Leflaur Leflah Eshkoshka'
Faith Evans 'You Used To Love Me'
Fat Joe 'Don Cartagena (feat. Diddy)'
Fat Joe 'Envy'
Fat Joe 'Firewater (feat. Raekwon, Big Pun & Armageddon)'
Fat Joe 'John Blaze (feat. Nas, Big Pun, Raekwon & Jadakiss)'
Fat Joe 'Success'
Firm 'Desperados (feat. Canibus)'
Firm 'Phone Tap'
Flipmode Squad 'Cha Cha Cha'
Foxy Brown 'Get You Home (feat. Blackstreet)'
Foxy Brown 'I'll Be (feat. Jay-Z)'
Fugees 'Fu-Gee-La'
Fugees 'Killing Me Softly'
Fugees 'Nappy Heads'
Fugees 'Ready Or Not'
Gang Starr feat. Inspectah Deck 'Above The Clouds'
Gang Starr 'Full Clip'
Gang Starr 'Mass Appeal'
Gang Starr 'Work'
Gang Starr 'You Know My Steez'
Geto Boys 'My Mind's Playin' Tricks On Me'
Ghostface 'Winter Warz (feat. U-God, Masta Killa & Cappadonna)'
Gina Thompson 'The Things That You Do (Bad Boy Remix feat. Missy Elliott)'
Ginuwine 'Pony'
Goodie Mob 'Cell Therapy'
Grand Puba 'I Like It (I Wanna Be Where You Are)'
Groove Theory 'Tell Me'
Group Home 'Supa Star'
GZA 'I Gotcha Back'
GZA 'Liquid Swords'
GZA 'Shadowboxin' (feat. Method Man)'
Heltah Skeltah 'Operation Lockdown'
Heltah Skeltah 'I Ain't Having That (feat. Starang Wondah & Doc Holiday)'
Horace Brown 'Things We Do For Love (Remix feat. Jay-Z)'
Ice Cube 'It Was A Good Day'
Ill Al Skratch 'Where My Homies'
Ill Al Skratch 'I'll Take Her (feat. Brian McKnight)'
Jagged Edge 'I Gotta Be'
Jay-Z 'Ain't No Nigga (feat. Foxy Brown)'
Jay-Z 'Brooklyn's Finest (feat. Notorious B.I.G.)'
Jay-Z 'Dead Presidents'
Jay-Z 'Feelin' It'
Jay-Z 'Hard Knock Life (Ghetto Anthem)'
Jay-Z 'Jigga My Nigga'
Jay-Z 'So Ghetto'
Jay-Z 'Streets Is Watching'
Jay-Z 'Where I'm From'
Jeru The Damaja 'Come Clean'
Jodeci 'Come & Talk To Me'
Jodeci 'Freakin' You (Remix feat. Raekwon & Ghostface)'
Joe 'All The Things (Your Man Won't Do)'
Junior Mafia 'Get Money (Remix)'
Junior Mafia 'I Need You Tonight (feat. Aaliyah)'
Junior Mafia 'Player's Anthem'
Junior Mafia 'Realms Of Junior Mafia'
Juvenile 'Ha (Remix feat. Jay-Z)'
Keith Murray 'Most Beautifullest Thing In This World'
Keith Sweat 'Nobody'
Killarmy 'Fair, Love & War'
Kool G Rap 'Fast Life (feat. Nas)'
KRS-One 'MC's Act Like They Don't Know'
KRS-One 'Step Into A World (Rapture's Delight)'
Lauryn Hill 'Lost Ones'
Lil Kim 'Crush On You (feat. Lil Cease)'
LL Cool J 'Doin' It'
LL Cool J 'Hey Lover (feat. Boyz II Men)'
LL Cool J 'I Shot Ya (Remix feat. Keith Murray, Prodigy, Fat Joe & Foxy Brown)'
LL Cool J 'Loungin' (Remix feat. Total)'
LL Cool J '4, 3, 2, 1 (feat. Method Man, Redman, Canibus & DMX)'
Lord Finesse 'Hip 2 Da Game (Buckwild Remix)'
Lord Tariq & Peter Gunz 'Deja Vu'
Lost Boyz 'Beasts From The East (feat. Canibus & Redman)'
Lost Boyz 'Lifestyles Of The Rich & Shameless'
Lost Boyz 'Jeeps, Lex Coupes, Bimaz & Benz'
Lost Boyz 'Music Makes Me High'
Lost Boyz 'Renee'
Lox 'If You Think I'm Jiggy'
Lox 'Money, Power, Respect (feat. Lil Kim & DMX)'
LSG 'My Body'
Luniz 'I Got 5 On It'
Mad Skillz 'The Nod Factor'
Mariah Carey 'Breakdown (feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)'
Mariah Carey 'Fantasy (Remix feat. ODB)'
Mary J. Blige 'Be Happy'
Mary J. Blige 'I Love You'
Mary J. Blige 'Real Love (feat. Notorious B.I.G.)'
Masta Ace 'The I.N.C. Ride'
Mase 'Feels So Good'
Mase '24 Hours To Live (feat. Lox, DMX & Black Rob)'
MC Lyte 'Cold Rock A Party'
Method Man 'All I Need (Remix feat. Mary J. Blige)'
Method Man 'Bring The Pain'
Method Man 'Make Ups 2 Break Ups (feat. D'Angelo)'
Method Man 'Release Yo Delf'
Method Man & Redman 'Da Rockwilder'
Method Man & Redman 'How High'
Mic Geronimo 'Masta I.C.'
Mic Geronimo 'Shit Is Real'
Missy Elliott 'All N My Grill (feat. Nicole & Big Boi)'
Missy Elliott 'The Rain (Supa Dupa Fly)'
Missy Elliott 'Sock It To Me (feat. Da Brat)'
Mobb Deep 'Drop A Gem On 'Em'
Mobb Deep 'Give Up The Goods (Just Step) (feat. Big Noyd)'
Mobb Deep 'Hell On Earth'
Mobb Deep 'Quiet Storm (Remix feat. Lil Kim)'
Mobb Deep 'Shook Ones (Part II)'
Mobb Deep 'Survival Of The Fittest'
Mona Lisa 'Can't Be Wasting My Time (feat. Lost Boyz)'
Monica 'Don't Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem Days)'
Monica 'Like This & Like That'
Monifah 'I Miss You (feat. Heavy D)'
Mos Def 'Ms. Fat Booty'
Mya 'Best Of Me (Remix feat. Jay-Z)'
Mya 'It's All About Me (feat. Sisqo)'
Nas 'If I Ruled The World (feat. Lauryn Hill)'
Nas 'It Ain't Hard To Tell'
Nas 'The Message'
Nas 'Nas Is Like'
Nas 'One Love'
Nas 'Sweet Dreams (Remix feat. R. Kelly)'
Nas 'The World Is Yours'
Next 'Too Close'
Nine 'What Cha Want'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Big Poppa'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Hypnotize'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Juicy'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Mo Money, Mo Problems (feat. Mase & P. Diddy)'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Notorious Thugs (feat. Bone Thugs-N-Harmony)'
Notorious B.I.G. 'One More Chance (Remix)'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Sky's The Limit (feat. 112)'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Unbelievable'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Warning'
Notorious B.I.G. 'Who Shot Ya'
Noreaga 'Banned From TV (feat. Nature, Big Pun, Cam'ron & Lox)'
Noreaga 'Super Thug'
NWA 'Straight Outta Compton'
O.C. 'Time's Up'
OGC 'No Fear'
Ol Dirty Bastard 'Brooklyn Zoo'
Ol Dirty Bastard 'Shimmy Shimmy Ya'
Onyx 'Last Dayz'
Onyx 'Shut 'Em Down (Remix feat. Noreaga & Big Pun)'
OutKast 'ATLiens'
OutKast 'Elevators (Me & You)'
OutKast feat. Goodie Mob 'Git Up, Git Out'
OutKast 'Skew It On The Bar-B (feat. Raekwon)'
OutKast 'Southernplayalisticadillacmuzik'
OutKast 'Wheelz Of Steel'
Pete Rock & CL Smooth 'I Got A Love'
Pete Rock & CL Smooth 'They Reminisce Over You'
Pharcyde 'Drop'
Pharcyde 'Runnin''
Pharoahe Monch 'Simon Says'
Playa 'Cheers 2 U'
Public Enemy 'Public Enemy No. 1'
Puff Daddy 'All About The Benjamins (Remix feat. Lox, Lil Kim & Notorious B.I.G.)'
Puff Daddy 'Been Around The World (Remix feat. Mase)'
Puff Daddy 'Can't Nobody Hold Me Down (feat. Mase)'
Puff Daddy 'Victory (feat. Notorious B.I.G. & Busta Rhymes)'
R. Kelly 'Bump N' Grind'
R. Kelly 'Your Body's Callin''
Raekwon 'Criminology'
Raekwon 'Ice Cream (feat. Ghostface, Cappadonna & Method Man)'
Raekwon 'Incarcerated Scarfaces'
Rakim 'It's Been A Long Time'
Rakim 'New York (Ya Out There)'
Rampage 'Wild For Da Night (feat. Busta Rhymes)'
Ras Kass 'Soul On Ice (Diamond D Remix)'
Redman 'Da Goodness (feat. Busta Rhymes)'
Redman 'I'll Bee Dat'
Redman 'Time 4 Sum Aksion'
Redman 'Tonight's The Night'
Roots 'Clones'
Roots 'Concerto Of The Desperado'
Roots 'Proceed'
Roots 'What They Do (feat. Raphael Saadiq)'
Roots 'You Got Me (feat. Erykah Badu)'
Royal Flush 'Iced Down Medallions (feat. Noreaga)'
Royce Da 5'9 'Boom'
Show & AG 'Next Level'
Slick Rick 'Children's Story'
Slick Rick 'Mona Lisa'
Slick Rick 'Sitting In My Car'
Smif-N-Wessun 'Bucktown'
Smif-N-Wessun 'Sound Bwoy Bureill'
Smif-N-Wessun 'Wreckonize (Remix)'
Smoothe Da Hustler 'Broken Language (feat. Trigga The Gambler)'
Snoop Dogg 'Gin & Juice'
Snoop Dogg 'Who Am I (What's My Name?)'
Sparkle 'Be Careful (feat. R. Kelly)'
Subway 'Fire'
Soul For Real 'Candy Rain'
Soul For Real 'Every Little Thing I Do'
SWV 'Can We (feat. SWV)'
SWV 'Right Here (Human Nature)'
Tha Alkaholiks 'Daaam!'
TLC 'Creep'
TLC 'Red Light Special'
Total 'Can't You See (feat. Notorious B.I.G.)'
Tracey Lee 'The Theme (It's Party Time)'
Usher 'U Make Me Wanna'
Warren G 'Regulate (feat. Nate Dogg)'
Westside Connection 'Bow Down'
Wu-Tang Clan 'Ain't Nuthing To Fuck Wit'
Wu-Tang Clan 'C.R.E.A.M.'
Wu-Tang Clan 'Protect Ya Neck'
Wu-Tang Clan 'Triumph'
Wyclef Jean 'Gone Till November (Remix feat. R. Kelly & Canibus)'
Wyclef Jean 'Guantanamera (feat. Celia Cruz)'
Xscape 'Just Kickin' It'
Xzibit 'Foundation'
Xzibit 'Paparazzi'
112 'Only You (Remix feat. Mase & Notorious B.I.G.)'
2 Pac 'Dear Mama'
2 Pac 'Hail Mary'
2 Pac 'So Many Tears'
2 Pac 'Temptations'
702 'Steelo (feat. Missy Elliott)'
Thank you for the read and God bless the 90's!
Sincerely,
GeeQue
90's Rap Guru
Thursday, January 2, 2014
My favorite 40 songs of 2013
Remember me? :D
Let's get the obligatory "Happy New Years!' shit out the way. Hope 2014 is kind to ya. Truth is, for all the great shit 2013 brought to me, more blog posts was not one of them. But it's a new year, new me! Just kidding... I hate when people say that. However, I am gonna start on a positive note and give you an original piece... and one that often stirs up some emotion.
It's my favorite songs of 2013!
I doubt anyone besides myself will notice that I didn't post one of these for 2012. Was it because the music was so atrocious that I decided to skip one altogether? No, actually. I have the list, and it's delightful! It may sound like a lame excuse but I just never got around to posting it. I vowed to never make that mistake again so I'm giving y'all muthafuckas this list. Read it and love it.
One slight change from the last time I posted one of these: I made it a top 40 instead of a top 50. This was not something I planned on doing before making the list but I felt like I was reaching by adding on 10 more songs just 'cause. Less is more and all that. To compensate, I added blurbs to just about every song, because I'm sure you wanted to read more of my expert analysis.
As always, a refresher to the criteria: These are MY favorite songs of the past year. Not the BEST. Not the most POPULAR. Just my FAVORITE. (Envision me yelling every time you see something in caps) I write this because while you can offer your opinion and feelings on what your fav jams of 2013 were, this list is hard to debate because it's the shit I like. You'll notice a lot of dance songs on here. Yeah, 'cause a dude was hitting the treadmill hard last year (until that one day in November when I killed it running 3 miles in something like 25 minutes and sprained my foot so bad I could hardly walk on it for the next week). In response to the lack of hip-hop (my preferred genre of music, if you didn't know), I say show me where to get some and I'm there. Unfortunately, I'm not able to be online all day searching for underground shit to satisfy my rap urges (I just put on some 90's shit for that) and the new shit, especially the mainstream stuff, is horrible.
OK, here's the list. Have fun and hopefully I will speak to you guys a lot more in 2014. Enjoy!
40. Bruno Mars 'Treasure'
Saw him in concert last year, amazeballs!
39. Daft Punk feat. Pharrell 'Get Lucky'
How smooth was this? Perfect summer song
38. Avicii feat. Aloe Blacc 'Wake Me Up'
Liked Aloe Blacc ever since 'I Need A Dollar'
37. Haim 'The Wire'
Thought they were strange when I saw them on SNL but this rocks
36. Action Bronson feat. LL Cool J & Lloyd Banks 'Strictly 4 My Jeeps'
Would love to see hear more NY rap like this in '14
35. B.o.B 'Missing'
Underappreciated MC who always speaks his mind
34. Jay-Z 'Picasso Baby'
33. Drake feat. Jay-Z 'Pound Cake'
Surprisingly, my fav MC ever doesn't crack the top 25
32. Big Sean feat. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica 'Control'
Verse of the year candidate by Kendrick. Got damn!
31. Icona Pop 'I Love It'
Two Swedish chicks yelling about crashing their car? Yes, please!
30. M.I.A. 'Y.A.L.A.'
This is what happens when you shazam songs from commercials
29. Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull 'Live It Up'
Every time these two hook up, they make it on here
28. Rihanna 'What Now'
Finally dropped as a single. Best song off of 'Unapologetic'
27. Sevyn Streeter feat. Chris Brown 'It Won't Stop (Remix)'
She might not have the best voice but this is so smooth
26. Ludacris 'Hell Of A Night'
Luda always kills these light, fun club songs
25. Britney Spears 'Til It's Gone'
24. Pitbull feat. Kelly Rowland 'That High'
Both dropped at the end of the year but they've been on repeat heavy
23. Sam & The Womp 'Bom Bom'
22. Fergie, Q-Tip & GoonRock 'A Little Party Never Killed Nobody'
This is what happens when you occasionally watch 'Dancing W/ The Stars'
21. Afrojack feat. Chris Brown 'As Your Friend'
20. Will.I.Am feat. Chris Brown 'Let's Go'
Fuck rehab, Breezy. Just make a dance album with shit like this on it
19. J. Cole feat. Amber Coffman 'She Knows'
Couldn't get into the album but this bangs
18. Mack Wilds 'Own It'
This feels so New York. Kudos to the remix w/ Jadakiss, too
17. Kid Cudi 'Young Lady'
'Indacud' was one of my fav albums in '13
16. Eminem 'So Much Better'
When Em drops an album, he's guaranteed a spot on my list
15. Sia feat. The Weeknd & Diplo 'Elastic Heart'
The 'Titanium' chick strikes again!
14. Tegan & Sara 'Closer'
I can now cross 'liking a song by Canadian lesbian twins' off my bucket list
13. One Republic 'Counting Stars'
'No more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars' YES
12. Ylvis 'The Fox (What Does The Fox Say)'
Anyone who knows me knows this could easily be my #1. Hilarious!
11. Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding 'I Need Your Love'
Loved this even more after I saw the video
And now, I present my favorite 10 songs of 2013!
10. Miley Cyrus 'We Can't Stop'
I tried to fight it. I really did. But the fight was not a fair one. For all the negative things I can say about her (and trust me, I realize that she's an industry puppet who's playing out this ridiculous character for attention), I have to give credit where it's due. Shit, even I was twerking to this.
09. A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera 'Say Something'
Jay-Z famously said 'sensitive thugs, y'all all need hugs.' Well, dammit, I need a hug and I need it now. Is this depressing? Uhhhh HELL YEAH. This is the song you play right before your disaster of a relationship comes to an end. Pillows are soaking up tears to this shit right here. You're gripping your teddy bear extra tight. But sometimes pain sounds so beautiful.
08. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 'Can't Hold Us'
Are they corny? Sure. A song like 'Thrift Shop' wasn't going to change that (although I love the message). This? Yeah, this is serious. Any MC who would've rapped over this beat with that hook would've made it into a banger, but they didn't get that chance. Macklemore did. And that makes him one lucky, successful ass dude.
07. Pusha T feat. Future 'Pain'
I hate Future. Seriously, I do. If you replaced him with T-Pain on any song he's on, the song is instantly 10000x better. But that's how much I love this song... that I could bare his down-syndrome sounding ass on the hook. And for that, and many other reasons, Push wins rap album of the year accolades in my book.
06. Joell Ortiz 'Roll Deep'
Let's see what we have in play here: A dope NY MC, who just so happens to be Puerto Rican, rhyming over a hard beat that samples Big Pun AND Frankie Cutlass? How can this NOT be in my top 10? 'I'm in here going pernil, that's one step up from ham'. Songs like this remind me that I still love H.E.R.
05. Drake feat. 2 Chainz & Big Sean 'All Me'
From the moment Drake says 'Got everything, I got everything', you know shit's about to go down. Wouldn't consider myself a fan of any of these dudes but when you can get the best out of all 3 of them over a beat like this with a memorable hook, you have a great anthem.
04. Neighbourhood 'Sweater Weather'
It wasn't until recently (and by recently, I mean last night) that I realized that the lead singer is a dude. And that's probably not a great sign. But trust me when I tell you that something about this song just feels good. Maybe because it feels like California and I was in LA in June (show-off alert!) but I digs this.
03. Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell 'Blurred Lines'
Here's where I brag about downloading this song (and not illegally, either!) in April, way before the frenzy. I'm a visionary! May I add that I previously hated Robin Thicke. He didn't feel authentic to me, and in his past efforts he sounded like he was trying too hard. But Pharrell LACED him. Add the simplistic, yet genius video and you have what was possibly the biggest song of '13.
02. Capital Cities 'Safe & Sound'
A cool dude like myself (ahem) listens to cool music. And this, my friends, is cool. Although they're essentially repeating the same four lines over and over again, the vibe of this song (mainly due to the awesome use of horns) is just... cool. Also doubles as one of my favorite videos of the year.
01. Lorde 'Royals'
I remember the day so vividly. I was in the passenger side of the whip, radio on blast, and both Hot 97 and Power 105 (NYC desperately needs a better 'urban' station) had commercials on so I (tentatively) switched to z100. And that's the moment I fell in love with this song. And then Rick Ross added a verse on it and, surprisingly, didn't ruin it. Yes, this song is amazing. Yes, this is my favorite song of 2014. And yes, you can call me queen bee.
Another year, another list. What were your favorites of 2013? I probably won't care but feel free to let me know. Just kidding! Kind of.
Let's get the obligatory "Happy New Years!' shit out the way. Hope 2014 is kind to ya. Truth is, for all the great shit 2013 brought to me, more blog posts was not one of them. But it's a new year, new me! Just kidding... I hate when people say that. However, I am gonna start on a positive note and give you an original piece... and one that often stirs up some emotion.
It's my favorite songs of 2013!
I doubt anyone besides myself will notice that I didn't post one of these for 2012. Was it because the music was so atrocious that I decided to skip one altogether? No, actually. I have the list, and it's delightful! It may sound like a lame excuse but I just never got around to posting it. I vowed to never make that mistake again so I'm giving y'all muthafuckas this list. Read it and love it.
One slight change from the last time I posted one of these: I made it a top 40 instead of a top 50. This was not something I planned on doing before making the list but I felt like I was reaching by adding on 10 more songs just 'cause. Less is more and all that. To compensate, I added blurbs to just about every song, because I'm sure you wanted to read more of my expert analysis.
As always, a refresher to the criteria: These are MY favorite songs of the past year. Not the BEST. Not the most POPULAR. Just my FAVORITE. (Envision me yelling every time you see something in caps) I write this because while you can offer your opinion and feelings on what your fav jams of 2013 were, this list is hard to debate because it's the shit I like. You'll notice a lot of dance songs on here. Yeah, 'cause a dude was hitting the treadmill hard last year (until that one day in November when I killed it running 3 miles in something like 25 minutes and sprained my foot so bad I could hardly walk on it for the next week). In response to the lack of hip-hop (my preferred genre of music, if you didn't know), I say show me where to get some and I'm there. Unfortunately, I'm not able to be online all day searching for underground shit to satisfy my rap urges (I just put on some 90's shit for that) and the new shit, especially the mainstream stuff, is horrible.
OK, here's the list. Have fun and hopefully I will speak to you guys a lot more in 2014. Enjoy!
40. Bruno Mars 'Treasure'
Saw him in concert last year, amazeballs!
39. Daft Punk feat. Pharrell 'Get Lucky'
How smooth was this? Perfect summer song
38. Avicii feat. Aloe Blacc 'Wake Me Up'
Liked Aloe Blacc ever since 'I Need A Dollar'
37. Haim 'The Wire'
Thought they were strange when I saw them on SNL but this rocks
36. Action Bronson feat. LL Cool J & Lloyd Banks 'Strictly 4 My Jeeps'
Would love to see hear more NY rap like this in '14
35. B.o.B 'Missing'
Underappreciated MC who always speaks his mind
34. Jay-Z 'Picasso Baby'
33. Drake feat. Jay-Z 'Pound Cake'
Surprisingly, my fav MC ever doesn't crack the top 25
32. Big Sean feat. Kendrick Lamar & Jay Electronica 'Control'
Verse of the year candidate by Kendrick. Got damn!
31. Icona Pop 'I Love It'
Two Swedish chicks yelling about crashing their car? Yes, please!
30. M.I.A. 'Y.A.L.A.'
This is what happens when you shazam songs from commercials
29. Jennifer Lopez feat. Pitbull 'Live It Up'
Every time these two hook up, they make it on here
28. Rihanna 'What Now'
Finally dropped as a single. Best song off of 'Unapologetic'
27. Sevyn Streeter feat. Chris Brown 'It Won't Stop (Remix)'
She might not have the best voice but this is so smooth
26. Ludacris 'Hell Of A Night'
Luda always kills these light, fun club songs
25. Britney Spears 'Til It's Gone'
24. Pitbull feat. Kelly Rowland 'That High'
Both dropped at the end of the year but they've been on repeat heavy
23. Sam & The Womp 'Bom Bom'
22. Fergie, Q-Tip & GoonRock 'A Little Party Never Killed Nobody'
This is what happens when you occasionally watch 'Dancing W/ The Stars'
21. Afrojack feat. Chris Brown 'As Your Friend'
20. Will.I.Am feat. Chris Brown 'Let's Go'
Fuck rehab, Breezy. Just make a dance album with shit like this on it
19. J. Cole feat. Amber Coffman 'She Knows'
Couldn't get into the album but this bangs
18. Mack Wilds 'Own It'
This feels so New York. Kudos to the remix w/ Jadakiss, too
17. Kid Cudi 'Young Lady'
'Indacud' was one of my fav albums in '13
16. Eminem 'So Much Better'
When Em drops an album, he's guaranteed a spot on my list
15. Sia feat. The Weeknd & Diplo 'Elastic Heart'
The 'Titanium' chick strikes again!
14. Tegan & Sara 'Closer'
I can now cross 'liking a song by Canadian lesbian twins' off my bucket list
13. One Republic 'Counting Stars'
'No more counting dollars, we'll be counting stars' YES
12. Ylvis 'The Fox (What Does The Fox Say)'
Anyone who knows me knows this could easily be my #1. Hilarious!
11. Calvin Harris feat. Ellie Goulding 'I Need Your Love'
Loved this even more after I saw the video
And now, I present my favorite 10 songs of 2013!
10. Miley Cyrus 'We Can't Stop'
I tried to fight it. I really did. But the fight was not a fair one. For all the negative things I can say about her (and trust me, I realize that she's an industry puppet who's playing out this ridiculous character for attention), I have to give credit where it's due. Shit, even I was twerking to this.
09. A Great Big World feat. Christina Aguilera 'Say Something'
Jay-Z famously said 'sensitive thugs, y'all all need hugs.' Well, dammit, I need a hug and I need it now. Is this depressing? Uhhhh HELL YEAH. This is the song you play right before your disaster of a relationship comes to an end. Pillows are soaking up tears to this shit right here. You're gripping your teddy bear extra tight. But sometimes pain sounds so beautiful.
08. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 'Can't Hold Us'
Are they corny? Sure. A song like 'Thrift Shop' wasn't going to change that (although I love the message). This? Yeah, this is serious. Any MC who would've rapped over this beat with that hook would've made it into a banger, but they didn't get that chance. Macklemore did. And that makes him one lucky, successful ass dude.
07. Pusha T feat. Future 'Pain'
I hate Future. Seriously, I do. If you replaced him with T-Pain on any song he's on, the song is instantly 10000x better. But that's how much I love this song... that I could bare his down-syndrome sounding ass on the hook. And for that, and many other reasons, Push wins rap album of the year accolades in my book.
06. Joell Ortiz 'Roll Deep'
Let's see what we have in play here: A dope NY MC, who just so happens to be Puerto Rican, rhyming over a hard beat that samples Big Pun AND Frankie Cutlass? How can this NOT be in my top 10? 'I'm in here going pernil, that's one step up from ham'. Songs like this remind me that I still love H.E.R.
05. Drake feat. 2 Chainz & Big Sean 'All Me'
From the moment Drake says 'Got everything, I got everything', you know shit's about to go down. Wouldn't consider myself a fan of any of these dudes but when you can get the best out of all 3 of them over a beat like this with a memorable hook, you have a great anthem.
04. Neighbourhood 'Sweater Weather'
It wasn't until recently (and by recently, I mean last night) that I realized that the lead singer is a dude. And that's probably not a great sign. But trust me when I tell you that something about this song just feels good. Maybe because it feels like California and I was in LA in June (show-off alert!) but I digs this.
03. Robin Thicke feat. T.I. & Pharrell 'Blurred Lines'
Here's where I brag about downloading this song (and not illegally, either!) in April, way before the frenzy. I'm a visionary! May I add that I previously hated Robin Thicke. He didn't feel authentic to me, and in his past efforts he sounded like he was trying too hard. But Pharrell LACED him. Add the simplistic, yet genius video and you have what was possibly the biggest song of '13.
02. Capital Cities 'Safe & Sound'
A cool dude like myself (ahem) listens to cool music. And this, my friends, is cool. Although they're essentially repeating the same four lines over and over again, the vibe of this song (mainly due to the awesome use of horns) is just... cool. Also doubles as one of my favorite videos of the year.
01. Lorde 'Royals'
I remember the day so vividly. I was in the passenger side of the whip, radio on blast, and both Hot 97 and Power 105 (NYC desperately needs a better 'urban' station) had commercials on so I (tentatively) switched to z100. And that's the moment I fell in love with this song. And then Rick Ross added a verse on it and, surprisingly, didn't ruin it. Yes, this song is amazing. Yes, this is my favorite song of 2014. And yes, you can call me queen bee.
Another year, another list. What were your favorites of 2013? I probably won't care but feel free to let me know. Just kidding! Kind of.
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