28 Songs that Changed My Life: U.T.F.O., “Roxanne, Roxanne” (8 of 28)

28 Songs that Changed My Life: U.T.F.O., “Roxanne, Roxanne” (8 of 28)

Posted inMusic
Is this one of the great songs in hip hop history? Absolutely not. I can't lie: it hasn't aged well. It's pretty dated. But it legit changed my life. U.T.F.O.'s "Roxanne Roxanne" is probably my earliest rap memory, a song that took over the playground of my small New Jersey town, passed around on mix tapes recorded from the radio and memorized by half the school. There are still lyrics I quote to this day (including for some damn reason, "dermatology is treatment of the skin"). It also sparked the so-called "Roxanne Wars," a series of songs hitting back and…
28 Songs that Changed My Life: De La Soul, “The Magic Number” (6 of 28)

28 Songs that Changed My Life: De La Soul, “The Magic Number” (6 of 28)

Posted inMusic
Hip hop entered my life at a fairly early age, making its way to the New Jersey sticks by way of transplants from New York City. Early cuts like "Roxanne Roxanne," "Rock Box" and others were elementary school playground jams that stick with me to this day. But let's be honest: The early years of rap were pretty samey. Awesome, yes, but not particularly varied in sound, approach, or lyrics. There was a formula and most acts stuck with it. Then in 1989, De La Soul dropped Three Feet High and Rising, and everything changed for me. Hip Hop could…
28 Songs that Changed My Life: Public Enemy, “Night of the Living Baseheads” (1 of 28)

28 Songs that Changed My Life: Public Enemy, “Night of the Living Baseheads” (1 of 28)

Posted inMusic, Random Musings
It's no exaggeration to say that Public Enemy helped change how I view the world. Much like George Orwell's 1984, it helped me clarify thoughts I'd had and refine my overall worldview, putting to words an sounds the way I saw politicians, authority figures, media, justice, and more. I've extensively written about Public Enemy's impact on me, so here I'm going to skip the formalities and get right to the song. I still remember the day I first saw the video for "Night of the Living Baseheads." The blaring horns, pounding rhythm, thought-provoking lyrics, and insane multimedia assault of a…
What Is The Best Equipment For Listening To Hip-Hop?

What Is The Best Equipment For Listening To Hip-Hop?

Posted inContributed Posts, Music
Contributed Post Audiophiles put so much time and effort into their sound systems in an attempt to get the absolute best sound that they can get. When it comes to classical and jazz, the balance between all of the separate parts is massively important, but a lot of these enthusiasts maintain that when it comes to listening to hip-hop records, it doesn’t really matter about your setup. While there might be fewer levels to balance if you’re serious about your Public Enemy and Wu-Tang records, the right equipment can make all of the difference. If you’re not getting the sound…
Beat is for Eric B and LL as well

Beat is for Eric B and LL as well

Posted inMusic, Videos
It's not often that music changes your life, but Public Enemy managed the trick for me. I quote the more famous "Bring the Noise" in the title, which was covered by metal/thrash band Anthrax, but the song and video (because during this time videos were a HUGE part of music) that really blew my mind was "Night of the Living Baseheads." Check it out, and see how video could be seen as an art separate from song, but one that worked together with music to create something entirely new: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fyR09SP9qdA To this day I can't quite put my finger on what it was…