Music And Lyrics

Growing up in Sri Lanka, it was only hip-hop music. We had a friend who used to listen to Metallica and Nirvana back in the early 90's, and we used to label him a freak (he is now the lead singer of one of our leading metal bands, but anyway). After heading to India though I was introduced to modern rock, right about the time mainstream rock was undergoing a revival of sorts. Over the last few years I may have sort of lost touch with the hip hop scene, but I am rapidly making amends.


Recently I discovered this song by Sage Francis, which is beautiful in its lyrical content, but is made even better by this video I found for it on Youtube.








Another song which I stumbled upon is "Dreamin' " by Young Jeezy featuring Keyshia Cole. It's an old song, but certain parts of it stood out for me.

Moms smokin rocks same shit im sellin
So who's wrong her or me
She addicted to tha high im addicted to tha cash
Almost put my hands on here when i caught her in my stash
How could i do her like dat lord knows im wrong
Why would i do her like dat lord know she strong
I kno its been hard but we made it baby
10 years clean so she still my lady i must be dreamin

--------


There's two types of niggas : predator and prey
I'm a predator, I pray three times a day
Mat Lue once said one day you'll have kids
And how you gon' explain all that shit you did?
I'm a soul survivor, far from a crook
She always said I was a lot smarter than I look
So I took my dreams and I made it some thousands
Then I took my life and I made it an album, I must be dreamin'

I've often said I'm no poet, neither do I 'get it' half the time, but I definitely appreciate the lyrical genius one can find in song. These two are by no means the best examples of that, but it was something I felt like sharing.


One more courtesy Talib Kweli - "Around my way":

This is for my soldier niggaz looking in the mirror who
Sitting home scratching off serials eating cereal
The way we find a way to survive, shit is a miracle
We got mice in the crib and roaches in the toasters, rice in the fridge
Bread in the oven by the roaster
We be takin' gypsy cabs and chasin' 50 bags
They be laced with shitty swag and it really get me mad
The way we saluting flags, wrapping them around our heads
when niggaz ain't become American till 9/11
Feeling like you gotta sneak into heaven
When the reverend looking like a pimp and the pimp look like the reverend

And rounding it off with the late great 2Pac - Better Dayz:

I got a girl and I love her but she broke too and so am I

I can't take her to the place she wanna go to

So we argue and play fight all day and night

Making passionate love 'til the daylight

'Cos we about to be evicted, can't pay the rent

Guess it's time to see who really is your friend

Tell me you're pregnant and I'm amazed

So many blessings while we stressin', lookin' for them better days

What about you? Feel free to send it in.


Cheers!


G