Happy Wednesday aka hump day!

And in honor of hump day, we are going to listen to some rap. That’s right, RAP MUSIC!!

I LOVE opera, and classical music in general… it has SUCH emotional breadth and depth to it, and it allows me to express and feel things in a different way than most men in modern America. I literally would not be who I am (my internal life, that is) if it weren’t for my relationship with music. It often feels as if I’m the clay and music is the potter… being a musician is weird. ANYWAY, I would argue that MANY people in this country feel the same way about rap and hip-hop as I (we) do about classical music. Thus we, the self-appointed ‘artistic elite’, owe it to our fellow Americans to give their contemporary musical philosophers a serious and thoughtful listen.

Before we jump into it, I just want to say that there is SO much good and important hip-hop being made right now and I’m barely going to scratch the surface (and suffer from an abundance of whiteness), so go find someone with a much better perspective than I, and listen to as much as you can. That said, since I’ve set this blog up as “what do I have on my phone”… what am I listening to at the moment?

Please be advised that most of these playlists will have language that some will find objectionable.

Childish Gambino – Donald Glover wrote for 30 Rock, acted on the sitcom Community, created and stars in the show Atlanta, and raps under the name Childish Gambino. This guy does it all, and does it REALLY well.

Kendrick Lamar – His album DAMN. has a lot to say about politics, inequality, violence, and a host of other topics. It is worth a listen, and then several more listens.

Run The Jewels – I first heard of Killer Mike (part of the RTJ duo) when he was campaigning for Bernie Sanders in 2015. He is fantastic, and I love the inescapability of politics in his writing. Their music is free on their website, and I encourage you to grab it and give it a listen.

KAMAU, Eminem, Macklemore, Vince Staples, and A Tribe Called Quest also have a place on my phone.

Now, on to today’s feature. Have you ever watched something and immediately wanted to share it with the world? Well, allow me to share with you Lil’ Dicky’s “Pillow Talking”. I recommend you also open a window for the lyrics, courtesy of genius.com (a fantastic resource for reading about rap lyrics). There is so much going on… it mostly revolves around the uncomfortable small talk after a hookup, but veers wildly, covering vegetarianism, Pangaea, the purpose of life, and aliens… am I lying? Maybe… only one way to find out… [watch “Pillow Talking” on vevo.com]

Tune in tomorrow for Heavy Metal Thorsday!!!