A Change In Music

Over recent years, there has been a prominent rise in White rappers. Now in 2011, it has become less of a joke or uncommon to see one. These artists are also gaining their respect based solely off of their skill, rather than the fact that they are White. As a lover of different sounds and genres of music, it's very pleasing to see artists getting the respect they deserve because they make great music and less because of the color of their skin.
As many of you may have heard of these artists, you should actually take the time out to listen to their music. Yelawolf, who just dropped his first album "Radioactive" under Shady Records; Rittz, who has a dope mixtape out by the name of "White Jesus"; Mac Miller, who so far has the number one album in the country "Blue Slide Park"; Asher Roth, who has a number of mixtapes under his belt as well as an album "Asleep In The Bread Aisle"; and Action Bronson, who's most recent work is his collaborated album with Statik Selektah "Well Done".
I'd like to especially take the time out to tell you about Action Bronson. I'll keep it short and simple for you, though: Dope Rapper. He has a very nice flow, from Queens, New York. He doesn't fall into the common styles of rapping you often hear today, and even has a line in his song Miss Fordham Road (86 87 88) joking about just that. The production on his latest album Well Done was perfect. I got an old school hip hop feel from it, that just puts you in a feel good place. I definitely recommend giving him a few listens and grabbing up his music, you won't be disappointed.
I decided to do this post and highlight some of these artists for the simple fact that some people ignore great music just because of the appearance of these artists. If you've checked out the site before or know me and the team, you know we won't steer you wrong with good music. So open your minds and give these artists a few good listens before passing judgement. Enjoy.

Fuck The Radio

I have been highly pissed lately. My CD player in the Candy Painted PT Cruiser has failed on me so I have been forced to listen to the radio. Sum N a Bitch. Songs I really enjoy from albums... I absolutely hate now. There is no need to play the same song on 4 stations 8 times each in an hour.

The radio's daily rotation is one of the most god awful things I have ever heard.

I used to love the song "Ni**** In Paris" by Jay & Ye... Cant fukkin stand it now. I think it was once a good song. Hearing it played fast, 7 times in 30 minutes, etc. This song is ass now.

Every time I seem to turn on the radio "Marvin Gaye & Chardonnay" by Big Sean is wailing in my ear drum. I cant stand to listen to anything after that.

Not a minute goes by where they wont play "Someone Like You" by Adele. I think the girl is very talented. That talent seems to go away after hearing this track 50 times in a day.

One song from a while ago I still cannot listen to is "Roses" and "Hey Ya" by Outkast. One of my favorite groups of all time, made 2 excellent songs that almost lost all meaning to me.

I understand now why the generation a few years older than me say the 90's were the glory days. They explain how you would hear a song maybe 2 times in one day, not 40. This is the generation these days though. These little teenie boppers love hearing the same shit over and over claiming its "their song." Does this not get old to them?

The 25 Crew

Because I am such a prick, love 1up'ing people, and prooving a point, I just did a little tally of who contributes most to this site. Between myself, Fred, and the creator Chase Alexander... The #3 spot for contributions goes toooooooo.....

#3 CHASE ALEXANDER with 15 total posts since the site has been created.

And the runner up to the top prize coming in at

#2 FRED with 23 posts.

Well well well that leaves yours truly.

#1 contributor to 25below is

A DAY DA NAME. YAAAAAAYYYYYYYYY this is now my 24th post, barely passing Fred. Great run competitors. Who will take home the 25below ICE TROPHY NEXT YEAR.....?

2011: A Year For Music Pt. 2

Back in March I did a post about anticipated projects. Some came out and were phenomenal, others were very disappointing, or some anticipated projects didn't even drop (Ahem: Muscle Car Chronicles). Well with a month left there are some projects coming out im sure people are waiting to listen to.

November 29:

Jet World Order: Curren$y

December 13:

In Non We Trust Ep: Crooked I
Rejuvination: Juvenile
Mac & Devin Go To High School: Snoo Dogg & Wiz Khalifa

December 20:

The Dreamer, The Believer: Common
Careless World: Rise Of The Last King: Tyga
Thug Motivation 103: Hustlerz Ambition: Young Jeezy


AND MY MOST ANTICIAPTED... THAT I DIDN'T MENTION TO TO A SPECIAL SUB POST IS.....

THE ROOTS: UNDUN



Their 2010 Album How I Got Over, was one of my favorite albums of that year. If it wasn't for the voters (friends) in the year end countdown I would of gladly put this album at #1. There is nothing better than live instruments, great lyrics and rhymes on an album. This should be a well crafted follow up

Be Knowledgeable

Almost everyone has heard the phrase, "We fear what we don't know." That is pretty much a basis of human nature. At times, it may not even necessarily be fear; it's the fact that if we don't understand it we don't feel that it is important enough to try to understand it. Either way, you should try to learn what you don't know.
There are so many advantages of learning new things, whether it's someone else's reasoning behind an opinion or just a skill. Many people say they don't like something simply because they don't understand it. You will truly never know what you don't like if you don't give an honest effort. You never know what could come up where you'll have the skill or knowledge to help out because you took the time to learn something new.
So try your hardest to step out of your comfort zone; keep a clear, open mind; and do/learn something new. You never know, you just may gain a new interest.

What's Real?

REAL: Being or occurring in fact or actuality; having verifiable existence.
Synonyms: actual - true - genuine - veritable - virtual - factual

Nowadays, many people hate on music and artists for being too soft. A question to ask if you find yourself saying this is, "Is this real music?" Of course, we all have our own opinions and often times, very different. But before saying an artist or their music sucks, make sure you're not shooting down real music. Just because it may be "soft"--or most of the time something you can't connect to--does not make it any less real to those who do connect to it. Just because you may not connect with the music because it's not your cup of tea doesn't mean that the artist sucks and doesn't make real music. No matter who denies it, any given emotion is something every person in this world will go through on some level at some point in their lives. So how is it right to call certain music that you may not connect with yet soft, yet music that you may never in your life connect with (gangs, murdering, having sex with tons and tons of girls) is a completely acceptable choice of music?
As a lover of music, I like and listen to music that I can connect with to a certain extent. In these times, if a man raps about drugs and sex, he is widely accepted; even if you're a nerdy white kid from the suburbs that clearly does neither. Yet, if a man raps about how he has been heartbroken or played by so many women, it is still seen as soft by that same kid who always gets shut down and knows first hand what that artist is talking about.
When and why did it become so wrong for a male rap artist to honestly share how he feels? Would you rather said artist rap about a fictional life that he's only heard others live? As an adult, does it really make sense to say a man is any less of one because he is honest about how he feels, in a not-so-unmanly way? And most of all, how is it not soft or unmanly for a male artist to sing about these same "soft" topics? I would think, if anything, it would be less manly for a man to 1) sing and 2) sing about how he feels. Now don't get me wrong, I love R&B, male and female, but if sharing how you truly feel and what's true to you is an unmanly thing to do, why is it solely seen as wrong by male rappers?
Hating on an artist for showing their real self is quite an unreal thing to do; and in this day and age when everyone is quick to call someone else fake, the next time you hear a male artist rap talk about a woman he wanted but couldn't have, think about how real it is to their life and how much it honestly may connect to yours.

Are You Living Your Life?

How many people wake up and are truly happy to go to a tedious job or school everyday? You get up; get ready; head out; to go to a place where you do the same, exact thing everyday. Are you even doing something that makes you happy? Something that can help others? Are you getting something tangible out of it? Or are you just doing what you "have" to do...that you've basically been told you have to do all of your life?
When you think about it, life is one big box that most of us are put into. The box is the "standard" to how we live our lives: go to school; graduate high school; go to college; get a ["good"] degree; start your career; marry someone; have kids; put them into the same box; and support them until they can support themselves. Now, with all of that being said, I'm sure you can imagine the type of people that automatically get the opportunity to be outside of the box.
For most, this is not an ideal life. What person wants to live such a structured, monotonous life where they have no control in the bigger picture? Yes, you can control which career you go into; who you marry; when you have kids, but essentially, you do this because it is what you know you are "suppose" to do. Let's take a step back and look at our school structure. Unless you go to a special school, you will learn what "they" want you to learn. You get the same, typical education that everyone else gets...but are you like everyone else? You know when you graduate high school the next step is college. You're "prepared" for this your whole life, but are you really prepared to make the huge decision of what you want to focus on in college, to do for the rest of your life, at the young age of 18? You go to college for at least four years and you basically do the same thing just about everyday. You graduate, [hopefully] get into the career field of your choice, and work until you're stable enough to create a family. Now outside of the given nights out with your friends; birthdays; vacations, have you ever really had time to yourself to figure out what it is that you really want to do with your life? Outside of any other influences--not because of how financially set you will be or because it's what someone has, in a way, forced upon you, but because you 100% made the decision to do what you are doing with your life thus far, were you the one that made the decisions to get you where you are today?
Not to lessen your life and accomplishments thus far, but often times we accept being in this box because it is simply the norm. And deep down, many people have the urge; the drive; the passion to do so much more with themselves but suppress that feeling because it strays away from what we're "suppose" to do.
It sometimes can be the simple decision to pick up a pen and write down your thoughts to start a book; you may not do it because of the fear that it is not what you are "suppose" to be doing. As simple as it sounds, and truly is, many of us fear to do what we truly want to do because we are afraid of what it will effect. Those fears come in different ways, though. You may not see it as fear, but that's all that it is from stopping you from living outside of the box. The fear can come off as a fear of success: What if what you want to quit your 9-5 for really becomes a success for you? Are you ready for that to happen? The fear can come off as a fear of failure: What if what you want to quit your 9-5 for actually fails? What will you be able to do then? Sometimes that fear manifests in you as a feeling of it being wrong: You may crave wanting to live outside of the box, but you fear that you won't be accepted the way you should be if you try to do so. Most of us don't tell anyone that we feel as though we are living inside of this box; when we get the feeling and urge to live outside of it, we feel like it's not that big of a deal, it'll pass, and that we can just keep living the "standardized" life that we are used to.
When you have that passion and drive for something other than what you are doing with your life, it's time to answer your calling and fulfill your purpose. Don't fight the feeling that you have because you may be the next great thing outside of the box. All great people that you may look up to made the decision to step and stay outside of the box. Life is obviously not promised and is way too short for us to not live the way we want to live. Don't be afraid to try to step out of the box, let alone fear feeling that way. When it gets down to it, you know who you are better than anyway else ever will so you should never let anyone tell you to stay inside of a box that doesn't fit you. Live your life the way you want, and however you can.