You love this guy. You love this song. And you and I debated the merits of Prince (my choice) vs MJ (your choice) going back to before we should have been able to…I will say it was while watchin’ NY Rocking Eve entering ’85. Well sis, here you have it, as we step up to what will be a great upcoming birthday,
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful that you are my sis, our sis, and Tito Foi to the max…and know this song might as well have been written by all of us for you Anu Kiran.
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Can sing. I know. I shared a wall with our shower growing up and heard her every morning. 
Her voice is magical. She’s the only person I will listen to intently when a religious song is being represented. When Anaiya was young, she would gravitate toward my sis when she was singing. Maybe it’s why Anaiya sings so much right now.
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for my sis finding her passion…and for her HAPPY BDAY JUST AROUND THE CORNER!!!
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I’m a bit late to the game. I caught the album when it a while back thanks to some folks on FB, but then it just fell off. The past few weeks I’ve found myself skipping my commitment to NPR (this sh*t is just too much for me all the time folks) and wouldn’t you know, some DJs are fanning on this song (I guess it’s a round 3 for it?) Redbone wasn’t my favorite when I first listened to the album but now … it’s past great. I haven’t had a song get this into my bones in years (and when I do it’s rarely a song from today and usually one from 40 years ago). Man, #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for all things Donald Glover, and to my little sis who was on this train following the most talented man in America for, years (2009?)
Anyway …. if you’ve got about 20 minutes, I encourage you to give all of these a listen. He’s coming around to NJ with Dave Chappelle in like 2 months, and I’m trying to figure out how to make it work.
Redbone Album Version (to set a baseline): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kp7eSUU9oy8
Gambino Singing “So Into You” from Tamia (skip his live performance on Fallon, I think it was more surprise and hype — this does his voice more justice): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UfQHEpf2q8k
Gambino Freestyling just after his last Album):https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NfM_fb1onoI
How to Construct a Hit (seed, production, evolution of a song): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lGKlIJsz7bM&t=5s (this is for Andy Fox)
STAY WOKE!
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What song would break your spirits and have you cry mercy? I woke up to an NPR report this morning that Manuel Noriega had passed away. I’m old enough to remember him playing a starring role opposite Peter Jennings on ABC News. My family ate dinner together every night, from 6-7pm, with the ABC Local and then National News Broadcasts every evening. I realize more and more these days that I learned so much from even the ambient noise the news provided. I also learned that the most important time — quiet time — was from about 6:21-6:25 when they covered the weather forecast. With no internet around, if we missed that forecast, hell broke loose. Nevertheless, I digress. The biggest thing I think of when I think of Noriega is how we broke him with Rock music. Almost 30 years later, I wonder what songs would we be able to use to have our competitors cry uncle these days?
http://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-40090809
(Note: It’s also hard not to think of what Daryl went through on last season’s walking dead, listening to Easy Street over and over again.)
#iamgrateful and #iamthankful for what I hope turns into a discussion around the most torturous songs ever written; knowing full well that my passion for pop of all sorts means that my iTunes playlist is probably torture for the rest of the world.
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You all read my take on Ed Sheeran and how I love cultures, songs, music, anything, being mashed up. Well #aimgrateful and #iamthankful for Chris Cornell always taking on new music to put his stamp on it. Whether Prince, Bob Marley … or in one of my favorite cases, bringing together U2 and Metallica. He did something to take mashups to a new level with a guitar and a voice that even the best DJs ITW have to appreciate. Enjoy. If you’re a fan of any of the three, I think you’ll know be a fan of all of ’em. Rock in Peace, CC.
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I heard this song, for probably the 1,000th time in the past month, and I have to say, I’m still kind of fine with it. What’s fascinating to me is that most of the times I hear it now are with some amazing adaptation of it. Seriously, google all of these …
Dance:
> Shape of You Lia KIm
> Shape of You Kyle Hanagami
> Shape of You Bhangra Empire
Cover:
> Shape of You Hari Ravi + Anil Chitrapu
> Shape of You Akriti Kakar
> Shape of You (cover by 彭偲禹) CHINESE VERSION
> Shape of You Acoustic Cover (< neat to see his talent … dude is pretty legit)
I’m kind of feeling like this is evidence of the fact that nothing heals like music. Nothing transcends boundaries like music. And nothing brings people together like music.
And to that end, I feel like Ed Sheeran’s video for this song showcases all the progressive social steps I’d like to see us take by the time my kids are active participants in the world. Post-racial. Strong women. Let the feedback be blowback. But good pop is capable of some powerful things.
Let’s do this, as #iamgrateful and #iamthankful for the reach of a pop song like this, and it’s great to see so many unifying threads at a time where we keep hearing more about the frayed ones.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JGwWNGJdvx8(PS – I dig that he has an official lyric video too, and Castle on a Hill acoustic is pretty legit, too.)
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If you were taught well, teach well. If you weren’t taught, teach yourself first, then get to teaching well.
Teach your children well,
Their father’s hell did slowly go by,
And feed them on your dreams
The one they picks, the one you’ll know by.
Don’t you ever ask them why, if they told you, you will cry
,So just look at them and sigh
And know they love you.
#Iamgrateful and #Iamthankful … for Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young
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Happy Mother’s Day, Mom. You’re on fire. And this blog is about to be reignited as well. The music video below says it all, doesn’t it.
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Suneet Bhatt 