I finally finished watching Beck: The Mongolian Chop Squad is a slice of life anime about a timid 16 year old teen falling in love with playing the guitar and rock music. He quickly becomes obsessed with playing guitar and from early on in the series you can see Yukio, 16 year old main character, is a gifted guitarist. Getting praised and bullied for his progression in such a short time.
Outside of playing guitar, Yukio is a young teen trying to figure out his adolescence. He lacks a bit of confidence and is a genuine guy in a world where his classmates seek out personal vendettas against him for his talents. Extorting money, breaking his instruments, punching him in the face. Yukio goes through a lot and we haven’t even touched his love life. The only thing keeping him going, it looks like, is a new found musician friends
Yukio’s story is a righteous story. We’re the bad guys finally get their just due, where good music is above all, where the good guy wins. It is a story about fighting and sacrificing because you love what you do and nothing comes above your dreams.
I hadn’t looked up John Mayer in a while but John never disappoints, he’s always got something for me to sing along to. Something that catches me before I understand why I like the music. Imagine being in middle school and everyone’s listening to rap and your bumping John Mayer. No one was asking me for music recommendation. But from this latest album my favorite song is Wild Blue. It almost sounds like you’re underwater
Shaboozey had a hell of a year. I first came across him in Beyoncé’s Cowboy Carter but I think we all came to know him for his rendition of J-kwon’s Tipsy, putting a new flavor on an old song. I have a few songs that make my end of the year playlist but if I had one to share with you guys it would have to be Annabelle off his premier album Where I’ve Been, Isn’t Where I’m Going
I’m a new comer to country music, can you tell? My friends Sonia set it off with an invitation to Morgan Wallen’s Homecoming at the VOLS stadium this fall. Definitely a weekend to remember.
Since that weekend, we’ve been exchanging country song and I sent her a live performance of Paralyzed by Kevin Smiley on On The Radar’s Instagram. Someone commented saying that this was “crazy out country” which I found hilarious but interesting enough to go check him out on Spotify and listen to the rest of the singles he had on his profile. I’m glad a few months later he released his first album, Hurts Worse. Still have Broke as My Heart playing weekly.
Vince Staples has been one of my favorite artist in the last few years. He always delivers on thought provoking music that makes me reflect on what the fuck I’m doing in my life. You know what Vince is so special to me I’ll share my favorite song by him off the first project I ever heard from him. Producer by the late great Mac Miller, Stolen Youth, has a gem that always makes me stop what I’m doing and rap.
Knxwledge and Anderson .Paak did it again with another NxWorries Album to follow up the cult classic of Yes Lawd. You know that the beats are funky and Anderson .Paak has a way with words that damn near hypnotizing. It’s hard to pick my favorite on this one because there’s no skips on here for me but Distractions is one of them songs that you wish was longer
I know I’m late to the party on MIKE but I’m usually late to everything when it comes to music. To be honest I haven’t even listened to Kendrick’s GNX album. But MIKE caught me with this snippet of No Curse Lifted (rivers of love) I heard of instagram earlier this year. It’s GTA Vice City type dance sample that makes you wanna two step and Big MIKE gets down
Anthony Santos has been playing in my parent’s homes since I was a hair on my father’s nut suck. This year I finally decided to listen to his album Enamorado and it’s definitely a get up and move album. Get up and get something done. It’s Rum, Romance and Nylon Guitar strings at it’s finest. My favorite’s Esa Me La Doy Yo
I’m not really a Beyoncé fan, I think this might be the first album I’ve heard from her in it’s entirety and I loved it. I don’t really have anything say. Beyoncé just delivered on the years of hype I’ve been hearing about her. My top two are Blackbird and Bodyguard and I’m definitely going to take a deep dive into her discography this year.
Sir’s Chasing Summer album has been awaiting a sequel and for years it seem fans have been waiting on him to drop another album or project, something to supply the demand. And I believe Heavy fulfilled that, the vibe is a bit different because Sir himself has taken a new path of health and wellness. But understanding that you give an artist room to show us what he now has to say with this new perspective. I believe Poetry In Motion shows that the best. It’s a blend of the old with the new.
Burning in paradise 