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From the Street Influence Music Throwback Thursday Video

THROWBACK THURSDAY: One Mic

What do you hear rappers rap about today? It’s no wonder a lot of conservative America is quick to stereotype and denigrate hip hop with so little meaningful content hitting mainstream media waves. To be fair, I enjoy a catchy beat as much as the next person. But music needs to speak to people too. Whether or not I’m the intended audience, I feel like a lot of today’s music isn’t conveying as strong a message as music did in the past.

If you need an example of powerfully moving music, look no further than one of greatest MC’s of all time, Nas. His debut album Illmatic is lauded as one of the greatest hip hop albums of all time as it portrays his gritty childhood in the Queens projects in New York. Though he also succumbed to the allure of big money commercialization in his later albums, he brought it back to his roots with his fifth album, aptly named Stillmatic. His track “One Mic” has alway stood out to me in particular. It’s an incredibly moving song, with verses that start slowly and softly, but crescendo in speed, volume, and intensity as he paints a vivid picture of life on the streets. Removing the gangsta rap persona Columbia Records had created for him, Nas made this song all the more impactful by keeping it simple. “One Mic” is Nas’s interpretation of reality in the ghetto as well as a testament to the power of a man and his microphone – the power to educate, to embolden, and to inspire.

Nas – One Mic

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Influence Music Throwback Thursday

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Spit Your Game

No…tor…ious! This song is off of Biggie’s posthumous studio album titled Duets: the Final Chapter, and it features Biggie’s verse from “Notorious Thugs”, which is cool because he adopts a much faster pace than his usual smooth flow. This song also features dope rhymes from Twista and Krayzie Bone at his greatest with Bone Thugs-n-Harmony – even though Eightball & MJG’s verses were meh, Biggie, Twista, and Krayzie Bone are enough to make this song worthy of Throwback Thursday.

Check it!

The Notorious B.I.G. – Spit Your Game

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Music Throwback Thursday

THROWBACK THURSDAY: Beautiful

It’s crazy that 2002 was a decade ago – life sure has changed since then. Unfortunately, some things haven’t progressed as far as we’d like – namely the influence society has on one’s self-esteem. If anything, today’s critics are even harsher on every little perceived physical imperfection. As cheesy as it is, I can personally attest to knowing people who are beautiful not for their physical attributes, but for their unique personalities – each inspiring me to better myself in their own way. Without these role models, I would never have grown comfortable in my own skin, loud and obnoxious though I may be.

Christina’s song holds true just as much today, if not more than the past – her soulful voice highlights the enduring conflict between what one thinks about oneself versus what the rest of the world thinks. It’s much too easy to let the latter bleed into the former, and happens much too often. So hopefully, this artfully performed ballad reminds you that true beauty is visible to us all; we just need to focus beneath the surface more 🙂

Christina Aguilera – Beautiful

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Apparel Music Video

Mungo’s Medley

Check out our friend Andy Mungo as her performs a medley of musical hits, all the while sporting our grey Shutter Shades tank. Keep up the tunes Andy, cause we’ll keep an eye out and always support our friends!

Just Friends | Ordinary People | Sunday Morning By Musiq | John Legend | Maroon 5

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Fresh Friday From the Street Music Swag

FRESH FRIDAY: Lights Down Low

Alright alright alright. I’ll be the first to admit, I don’t think Waka Flocka Flame is a real musician. He is, however, a real entertainer. So I ain’t gonna hate on someone who is out getting his. Bei Major has also blown up recently with his hit single “Trouble”, and since it’s Fresh Friday, you know “Lights Down Low” is a club BANGAH! Nothing special with the lyrics, but lace the track with dope beats and Bei’s smooth voice and you have a song that will get me in trouble for dancing to while at work. It might also be interesting to know that Bei Maejor graduated from Michigan-Ann Arbor, worked with Ne-yo in Atlanta, and was a driving force behind the production of Trey Songz and Monica’s albums, Passion, Pain & Pleasure and New Life, respectively. The dude is no slouch, and you gotta respect his multitude of talents.

Have a Fresh Friday….WAKA!

Bei Maejor – Lights Down Low feat. Waka Flocka Flame