- 5,009
- 119
- Joined
- Aug 17, 2004
Illmatic? Close, but nope.
Lord Willin'? .......Hmmm....nah.
Doggystyle? The Infamous? Midnight Marauders? No, no, and no.
My favorite album of all time is actually two albums, co-joined into one with the help of iTunes. N.E.R.D.'s first album In Search Of is by far my favorite album in the universe. Both the Neptunes electro sounding and later Spymob rock enhanced versions. I first heard the Spymob version the summer of 2002 during a pretty rough period in life. I worked during the day at Wal-Mart in the furniture section and at night at some %%+% hole restaurant called Steak-N-Shake in the worst state in the Union, South Carolina. At that point in time I only spent my money on music and videogames. One payday in the local Best Buy, I glanced at this weird looking album out of curiosity, noticed it was produced by The Neptunes who were all over the radio back then, figured it'd be worth a listen, threw it in the basket and kept it moving.
Upon first listen I had a serious look of disgust on my face. "What the +#*%", I thought to myself...I skimmed from track to track, letting each play for about 15 seconds. I glanced at the cd cover again to make sure these were the same Neptunes who made all those songs playing non-stop on the radio. This has to be a joke.
I don't think I listened to the album again for a couple of months.
By now things are looking pretty bleak for the kid. Homeless, penniless, possible felony charge looming, totally unsure of my future. It's kind of hazy now but somehow I ended up listening to the album again, only this time all the way through and holy %%+%....it's like Pharrell was sitting in the room with me, singing things as I'm thinking them. All of a sudden I couldn't stop listening to this album.
My best friend Darius and my dude Young Chris always said I had a thing for "slow", "dark" music and In Search Of is lowkey one of the gloomiest albums ever made. Songs like "Things Are Getting Better", "Brain", "Tape You", and "Baby Doll" might convince you otherwise but this is a deeply dark and disturbing album if you're listening right.
The song that initally caught my interest was "Provider". It pretty much summed up everything going on in my 18 year old life. Pefectly. Even down to the video where dude joins the military. I had just recently visited a recruiter office and all that jazz. In retrospect my favorite song is "Am I High".
Beyond that $%#%+@ up period in time it just reminded me so much of myself. Growing up in VA around all of these different cultures. The skaters, surfers, drug dealers, gamers, gangbangers, athletes, etc. Being ashamed to listen to rock'n'roll out loud, bein the awkward guy in school, never fitting in anywhere, not having a real place to call home, etc. All of this was brought out in those dozen songs. I became a lifelong fan off that one album and to this day (despite the overall oddness of "Nothing") support them 110%, I finally got to see them in person back on Kanye's Glow In The Dark Tour in Denver.....amazing experience. I don't remember if they played any songs from In Search Of but just seeing these guys in person was like meeting Jesus or something. I dunno.
Quick rundown of my favorite songs:
"Provider" (Spymob):
One of the most amazing songs ever recorded. Straight rebel music. "Someday, this'll be over. We'll raise a family, I'll get a job and I'll be a voter". Written from the bottom up perspective like, things are so $%#%+@ up that we can only look up from here. One day I'm going to get my %%+% together and live a normal life. In the meantime I'm doing whatever I can to survive. Crazy to think but at one point in time I totally identified with that. Crazy.
""Truth Or Dare" (Neptunes):
The original Star Track crew was amazing. Neptunes, Clipse, Kelis and Kenna...they were unstoppable. I think this is the dopest posse cut they ever made. Plus isn't this the flyest %%+% ever? Playing truth or dare with models with N.E.R.D. blasting, everybody chilling and having a good time. I've yet to live out this idea. Coming soon. The breakdown after Pusha's verse is so dope......OMG.....#swag.
"Run To The Sun": (Neptunes):
The Spymob version is amazing in it's own right but I love, love, LOVE the Neptunes version. Seems more intimate and personal for some reason. One of those songs man....I was young, thought I was in love with this girl. Wrong one for me. Song deeply resonated with me and that situation. Almost a decade later, it's laughable. I honestly don't understand the attraction or my infatuation but back then, it was the deepest thing ever. +@#!%!@ childish. Super duper amazing song tho'. Never understood how this song isn't more widely known. And loved.
"Am I High" (Spymob):
I want to die to this song. Seriously. Like if I ever get shot or just into some really life or death situation and it looks like I'm not going to make it, just play this on my phone over and over until I curl up. This song is absolutely brilliant. Positively flawless. Inspiring and haunting at the same time. It's like the weird dude anthem, people that just think different. My favorite part "I NEVER SAID I WAS AN ANGEL, but I said I AINT LIKE THOSE OTHER GUYS---LISTEN!!"...brilliant. Song goes on a loud $%@ car system too. Plenty of memories speeding my $%@ off up to Denver with this on full blast on two 10's and whatever other speakers I had on the inside.
"Tape You" (Neptunes):
Classic Neptunes joint. I've never understood the US and it's prude outlook on sex. I believe sex is art and thought about it and had a lot of it through the years. The statue of limitations is almost up on one story from my dorm days involving a tape. Makes me laugh everytime I hear this song. We were wiiiiiiild back then. Wild, wild, wild.....
"Bobby James":
Such a weird, weird song that absolutely makes sense to me for some reason. Sounds like you're on drugs for real. Like the happy ending to a bittersweet movie that you can't wait to end but it makes you sad that it's actually ending.
Technically, Fly Or Die and Seeing Sounds are technically better albums and get played more often from me but this particular album has a deep connection with me. It's one of those albums where I prefer to listen to it alone away from people so I can just zone and reflect. It still sounds as fresh as it did in '02 when I fell in love. I seriously can't ever see myself not loving this album. My kids will be forced to listen to it and hear stories about how better music was back in the 00's and all that...lol.
And not to contradict everything I just wrote but my actual favorite N.E.R.D. track is "Waiting For You" off of Fly Or Die. FYI
Swag.
Dominick.
Lord Willin'? .......Hmmm....nah.
Doggystyle? The Infamous? Midnight Marauders? No, no, and no.
My favorite album of all time is actually two albums, co-joined into one with the help of iTunes. N.E.R.D.'s first album In Search Of is by far my favorite album in the universe. Both the Neptunes electro sounding and later Spymob rock enhanced versions. I first heard the Spymob version the summer of 2002 during a pretty rough period in life. I worked during the day at Wal-Mart in the furniture section and at night at some %%+% hole restaurant called Steak-N-Shake in the worst state in the Union, South Carolina. At that point in time I only spent my money on music and videogames. One payday in the local Best Buy, I glanced at this weird looking album out of curiosity, noticed it was produced by The Neptunes who were all over the radio back then, figured it'd be worth a listen, threw it in the basket and kept it moving.
Upon first listen I had a serious look of disgust on my face. "What the +#*%", I thought to myself...I skimmed from track to track, letting each play for about 15 seconds. I glanced at the cd cover again to make sure these were the same Neptunes who made all those songs playing non-stop on the radio. This has to be a joke.
I don't think I listened to the album again for a couple of months.
By now things are looking pretty bleak for the kid. Homeless, penniless, possible felony charge looming, totally unsure of my future. It's kind of hazy now but somehow I ended up listening to the album again, only this time all the way through and holy %%+%....it's like Pharrell was sitting in the room with me, singing things as I'm thinking them. All of a sudden I couldn't stop listening to this album.
My best friend Darius and my dude Young Chris always said I had a thing for "slow", "dark" music and In Search Of is lowkey one of the gloomiest albums ever made. Songs like "Things Are Getting Better", "Brain", "Tape You", and "Baby Doll" might convince you otherwise but this is a deeply dark and disturbing album if you're listening right.
The song that initally caught my interest was "Provider". It pretty much summed up everything going on in my 18 year old life. Pefectly. Even down to the video where dude joins the military. I had just recently visited a recruiter office and all that jazz. In retrospect my favorite song is "Am I High".
Beyond that $%#%+@ up period in time it just reminded me so much of myself. Growing up in VA around all of these different cultures. The skaters, surfers, drug dealers, gamers, gangbangers, athletes, etc. Being ashamed to listen to rock'n'roll out loud, bein the awkward guy in school, never fitting in anywhere, not having a real place to call home, etc. All of this was brought out in those dozen songs. I became a lifelong fan off that one album and to this day (despite the overall oddness of "Nothing") support them 110%, I finally got to see them in person back on Kanye's Glow In The Dark Tour in Denver.....amazing experience. I don't remember if they played any songs from In Search Of but just seeing these guys in person was like meeting Jesus or something. I dunno.
Quick rundown of my favorite songs:
"Provider" (Spymob):
One of the most amazing songs ever recorded. Straight rebel music. "Someday, this'll be over. We'll raise a family, I'll get a job and I'll be a voter". Written from the bottom up perspective like, things are so $%#%+@ up that we can only look up from here. One day I'm going to get my %%+% together and live a normal life. In the meantime I'm doing whatever I can to survive. Crazy to think but at one point in time I totally identified with that. Crazy.
""Truth Or Dare" (Neptunes):
The original Star Track crew was amazing. Neptunes, Clipse, Kelis and Kenna...they were unstoppable. I think this is the dopest posse cut they ever made. Plus isn't this the flyest %%+% ever? Playing truth or dare with models with N.E.R.D. blasting, everybody chilling and having a good time. I've yet to live out this idea. Coming soon. The breakdown after Pusha's verse is so dope......OMG.....#swag.
"Run To The Sun": (Neptunes):
The Spymob version is amazing in it's own right but I love, love, LOVE the Neptunes version. Seems more intimate and personal for some reason. One of those songs man....I was young, thought I was in love with this girl. Wrong one for me. Song deeply resonated with me and that situation. Almost a decade later, it's laughable. I honestly don't understand the attraction or my infatuation but back then, it was the deepest thing ever. +@#!%!@ childish. Super duper amazing song tho'. Never understood how this song isn't more widely known. And loved.
"Am I High" (Spymob):
I want to die to this song. Seriously. Like if I ever get shot or just into some really life or death situation and it looks like I'm not going to make it, just play this on my phone over and over until I curl up. This song is absolutely brilliant. Positively flawless. Inspiring and haunting at the same time. It's like the weird dude anthem, people that just think different. My favorite part "I NEVER SAID I WAS AN ANGEL, but I said I AINT LIKE THOSE OTHER GUYS---LISTEN!!"...brilliant. Song goes on a loud $%@ car system too. Plenty of memories speeding my $%@ off up to Denver with this on full blast on two 10's and whatever other speakers I had on the inside.
"Tape You" (Neptunes):
Classic Neptunes joint. I've never understood the US and it's prude outlook on sex. I believe sex is art and thought about it and had a lot of it through the years. The statue of limitations is almost up on one story from my dorm days involving a tape. Makes me laugh everytime I hear this song. We were wiiiiiiild back then. Wild, wild, wild.....
"Bobby James":
Such a weird, weird song that absolutely makes sense to me for some reason. Sounds like you're on drugs for real. Like the happy ending to a bittersweet movie that you can't wait to end but it makes you sad that it's actually ending.
Technically, Fly Or Die and Seeing Sounds are technically better albums and get played more often from me but this particular album has a deep connection with me. It's one of those albums where I prefer to listen to it alone away from people so I can just zone and reflect. It still sounds as fresh as it did in '02 when I fell in love. I seriously can't ever see myself not loving this album. My kids will be forced to listen to it and hear stories about how better music was back in the 00's and all that...lol.
And not to contradict everything I just wrote but my actual favorite N.E.R.D. track is "Waiting For You" off of Fly Or Die. FYI
Swag.
Dominick.
