"Faith -- Kendrick Lamar"

faith  

/fāTH/

Noun Complete trust or confidence in someone or something. Strong belief in God or in the doctrines of a religion, based on spiritual apprehension rather than proof.

So in case the world wasn't already aware that Lamar is a genius--this is your reminder. Unfortunately, a lot of his best work comes from older mix-tapes that aren't available on iTunes. Luckily, I found a good one and posted it right here for you to take a listen. "Faith" is a series of vignettes about people, including Lamar, whose circumstances have caused them to lose or question their faith. 

Here's verse two:

                                                     "Single black parent from Compton raising children of four

                                                  That's four innocent bastards, cause papa they don't know

                                                Her day consists of working back and forth with babysitters

Can't find no one to watch her kids so she pay her sister

Her baby daddy ain't bout shit, that nigga ain't bout shit

Spent his daughter milk just to cop a new outfit

She pray to God every night hoping that he'll mature

and maybe one day his kids, something that he'll live for

Baby wanna go back to school but she need some help

because it's hard tryna pay the bills when you're by yourself

She thought about credit card scams till she heard a voice

that said the Devil is a lie, make a better choice

And so it's back to McDonald's and every month dealing

with them crazy ass people at the county building

Looked to the heavens and asked 'em to make a better way

Then got a letter in the mail, lost her section 8

Then lost her faith again"

Down to the word choice, syntax, and line breaks, every detail helps to further illustrate the concept of the song. His decision to keep the language raw and the images clear & simple allows the story to become real to the listener. He may not know the "single black parent from Compton," but his lyrics give you no reason to doubt that she exists, not as a representation of a larger group but as her own entity.

At its most simplistic, "Faith" really just presents a concept we can all relate to one some level. Whether it be faith in God, a higher power, relationships, ourselves--I think everyone battles with doubt and aversion. Lamar just does an awesome job of making it something we can see and hear clearly.

"Every Ghetto , Every City" -- Lauryn Hill 

Take a listen first and pay really close attention to the lyrics. Wow. When I think of perfect albums, there are only two that come to mind. Adele's flawless "21" and Lauryn Hill's "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill." The latter has a number of famous and critically-acclaimed tracks (i.e. Ex-Factor, To Zion, Doo Wop, etc.), but for some reason "Every Ghetto, Every City" has never received as much attention. Perhaps due to the subject matter? 

Lauryn takes us on a journey through her childhood in New Jersey, describing herself as a "little girl, skinny legs and a press and curl," then talking about some of her most vivid memories of her hometown. The song progresses throughout each verse from detailing a fairly innocent worry-free childhood, leading to her teenage years when she became increasingly aware of a level of injustice, often related to race-crime relations, the local police, and cultural mixing.

There's something really nice about a song that actually requires you to think. Even more so when the vocals and instrumental track integrate seamlessly. 

With all of her recent legal and financial struggles, who knows if we will ever get another Lauryn Hill album. Luckily, she did it so well the first time there's no need to even worry about a potential sophomore slump. 

Hi guys! So today I wanted to do a comparison between two versions of one of my favorite songs. The original was written and recorded by British indie band The Kooks in 2006, the highest selling single of their career thus far, with Lily Allen recording her own version in 2008 for the "Angus, Thongs, and Perfect Snogging" soundtrack. At its most basic the song seems to describe a relationship ruined by betrayal. Even though the lyrics are the same in both versions, the vastly different performances seem to alter the meaning. 

Naive - The Kooks

Naive - Lily Allen Cover 

How important is the stylistic approach to the connotation of a song? Which version do you prefer?

"What Is It About Men -- Amy Winehouse"


There will never be another Amy and there will never be another album quite like Frank. At only 20, the rawness and often darkness of Amy's music had been realized and strongly developed. To me one of the most thought-provoking track's on the album is What Is It About Men. 

The song is written about the break up of Amy's parents marriage, the result of her father's infidelity. 

Here are the opening lyrics:

Understand once he was a family man
So surely I would never, ever go through it first hand
Emulate all the shit my mother hated
I can't help but demostrate my Freudian fate

It seems as though Amy is expressing the notion that she too was destined to fall into the type of relationship that resulted in heartbreak and separation. Unfortunately she was correct, foreshadowing her drug-fueled marriage and divorce from Blake Fielder-Civil. 

In 2008, Amy interviewed with Mojo magazine, where she spoke about the process of writing this song and how she later viewed her parents relationship,"I don't know what my mum feels about it, but I felt it was important to write that song. I was 9 or 10 when my dad left. My mum was upset every night, falling apart. I thought she was weak until I realized that my dad was the weak one, 'cos he couldn't make something work. My mum was the strong one."

The song continues with Winehouse commenting on her own negative tendencies when in a relationship.

I'm nurturing, I just wanna do my thing
And I'll take the wrong man as naturally as I sing
And I'll save my tears for uncovering my fears
For behavioral patterns that stick over the years

As heartbreaking as the lyrics may be the song does such a great job of handing a difficult subject poetically, and not at the expense of the music. The melody and instrumental accompaniment, though simple, are crucial to sustaining the mood of the song. 

Do you have a favorite Amy Winehouse track?