Ty Listens to Prof

I wrote the other day about how I am trying out new music and new artists. My brother Seth has always been a reliable source when it comes to artists doing music I already like, but do not know. Seth is very much into hip hop as well, and he knows about many artists who are about to pop off, or just do some dope stuff. He was the first person to introduce me to Tribe Called Quest when I was a teen. He told me about RTJ before they blew up. He let me know about "Good Kid Maad City" before it became a chart topping smash. As I said, he always comes with the heat. So when he told me to check out Prof a while back I knew I was going to like his stuff. But I also kind of forgot about him for a bit.

Seth told me about Prof months ago, but I did not remember until I was scrolling through Instagram the other night and saw his stuff. I sent the video to my brother and asked him if this was the guy he told me about. He responded very quickly with a resounding yes. He also told me he saw him live a few days before this video was sent to him and he was even better in person. Yesterday after dropping my daughter off at school I decided it was time to dig into Prof's music. I went to Spotify and just let it play. I listened to the most played list. I like doing that first to get a taste of what his fans like most.

I was immediately into his music. The beats are super rad. They are slowed a bit and then have some heavy bass drops. And when he does speed up the beat it sounds even better over his rapping. His rapping is pretty awesome as well. He has a very cool style he uses to rhyme and I'm into it. He can be jokey at times. He can be serious. When he has a feature on a track he can go verse for verse with almost anyone. He also has a few tracks that he sings on and I dig that as well. There was a song I heard yesterday that was less than two minutes long, with an incredible beat, that Prof sang over the whole time. The song is called "Vulnerable God", and to this point it is my favorite song I have heard so far. I played it a few times in the twenty minute drive to my folks.

I mentioned the features earlier. One such feature was Redman from Wu Tang Clan. I am a very big Wu Tang fan and if a member is on another artists' song, they are the star. And while Redman crushed on this one song, Prof was right there with him the whole time. They traded verses and it was seamless. Redman also seemed to be having a blast recording with Prof as well. That came off on the recording. And one last thing that I really dig about Prof, that is a little out of left field, the artwork on his records is funny as hell. He has one where he is drinking a cocktail in a booth by himself and he looks very serious. It is hilarious to me. There is another one where he is a cartoon drawn as a mascot. The smile on his face is wild. There is his newest record where he is dressed to the nines, chain and all, and he has this very menacing look on his face. Again, it is wildly funny.

I'm in on Prof. I like his music. I dig his album artwork choices and I am definitely going to listen to more of his stuff. Thank you Seth for the recommendation. This is an absolute home run. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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The Greatest American Music: Beck's "Truckdrivin' Neighbors Downstairs (Yellow Sweat)"

I go back to Beck's music a lot. I am a fan, RD was the first to tell me about him and for that I am ever grateful and he is one of the better writers in the music industry. Lately I have been listening to his earlier stuff. When I revisit an artist I like to start at the beginning, and sometimes I stay at the beginning longer. That is the case right now with Beck. I adore his early stuff. The record that has been getting the most play for me right now is "Mellow Gold".

This album is awesome. I love the gruffness of the record. It sounds so primitive, especially considering his later work. And the song getting the most play is "Truckdrivin Neighbors Downstairs' '. This song is very simplistic, especially coming from Beck, but it is beautiful in its simplicity. There is not a whole lot to the song. It is four chords. And the four chords are easy chords. They can all be played barred. The song is an A major, followed by a G minor, then a F major with a little D major and finished off with a C minor. Those chords are all very close and I learned them all when I was first in guitar lessons. They are not that hard when you figure them out. But I think it is the construction of the chords and the genius lyrics. The lyrics are funny and perfect. I heard a rumor, probably from RD himself, that Beck wrote this song about literal truck driving neighbors that lived downstairs in the same apartment building as him. That is almost too perfect.

The song starts with some dudes yelling at each other and it makes me laugh every time. The two voices can be heard trading some of the craziest, most white trash insults. One calls the other a lousy lowlife that "can't do nothing for himself". The other guy comes back with, "I may be a lousy lowlife, but at least I'm not a drunk". One calls the other a "lousy puke", and tells him to "call your mommy". I mean, to start a track like this, chef's kiss. I love it so much and it never fails to make me laugh. Then Beck plays the chords and starts with the genius lyrics. We get some wonderful stuff like, "acid casualty with a repossessed car", which is followed by "Vietnam vet playing air guitar". I am instantly in and painting a picture in my mind of what these people look like. They are as white trash as white trash gets in my head. The chorus is glorious too. Beck gives us this gem, "it's just a shit kickin/speed takin/truck driving neighbors downstairs". Again, simplistic and beautiful. You get a great idea of what these people look and act like from one verse into the chorus. In the second verse we get another classic line, "whiskey stained buck-toothed backwoods creep/grizzly bear mother fucker never goes to sleep". I have to imagine Beck was so fed up with these people that he decided he was going to put his anger into a song that would become a classic with his fans, and it works to perfection. Some of my other favorite lines include, "belly floppin naked in a pool of yellow sweat/screamin jackass with a wet cigarette", or "psychotic breakdown double edged axe/growin hair like a shag rug on his greasy back", and the final chorus with Beck singing, "come on honey, feel the grease" over and over. This song is a perfect encapsulation of what it is like to live on your own and have to deal with people who only care about themselves.

I love that Beck took the time to record this. I love that you can see, very early on in his career, that his writing style is so different from everyone else's. I love this song so much and am so happy to live in a world where this song exists. Go listen and tell me I'm wrong about this song. I don't think that you can. "Truck Driving Neighbors Downstairs" is an almost perfect song. I love it so much. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Listens to "LSD"

I've been trying new genres of music lately. I've been in a rut with music lately, so I wanted to see if I liked something I never really gave a full go to just yet. I still do not like modern country, too twangy and misogynistic, and jazz is simply unbearable for me. But I have been checking out DJ's, and some of their side projects with other artists. In doing this I stumbled upon an album titled "LSD". Let’s discuss.

This record has three artists on it, Sia, Labrinth and Diplo. I heard of Diplo through my wife who reads gossip magazines. I guess he has dated a lot of famous people. But I also heard of him through "The Eric Andre Show". There is a great street bit they do in an early season where he goes out and talks about scientology. While speaking into a microphone he starts to play music with it and says, "this sounds like a Diplo song". I figured if Eric Andre liked him I'd give him a try. Sia is a massive pop star. I know she made a pretty insensitive movie recently, but she is a good singer. I enjoy her big hits. Labrinth I was not familiar with at all. Doing some research I found out he is an established rap and R&B artist in the UK. I also really enjoy his voice. I decided to give the album a listen because I knew 2/3 of the people, I like some of the stuff they do and the cover is rad.

I really like this record a lot. I'm glad that I gave it a go. This album kind of bounces all over the place genre wise, but that is a good thing. I feel like they let the artists use their strengths on the record. Sia doesn't rap, Labrinth can do that. Diplo picks out the beats. When they need a nice chorus or hook, they let Sia run with it. The songs flow very nicely on the record too. There is no real wasted space here. I have come to realize that the song "Thunderclouds" was a minor hit. I get it. They put it right in the middle of the album and it is an excellent bridge from the start to a wonderful finish. They have some bangers on the front half. Besides "Thunderclouds", the song "Genius" is awesome. It has a nice hip hop feel to it. Labrinth really shines on this song. They also did a remix with Lil Wayne and that version may be better than the original. The song "Audio" has a back and forth from Sia and Labrinth and it works. They both showcase their talents. The second half of the record shines. This is the part that made me love this album. The song "Mountains" is a perfect pop song. From the chorus to the time signature to the beat to the lyrics, it is electric. I also love the stuff Diplo does on this song, making it really, truly feel like this was his baby on the album. "No New Friends" is a fast, almost jarring song on the record, but it works. They then follow that up with "Heaven Can Wait". This is my personal favorite on the album. It bends from hip hop to dance to pop and a little R&B. They wrote a nearly perfect song with this one. The album finishes off with a sweet, slower song, "It's Time". This is a nice closer. It wraps everything up on the album.

I adore this record. I keep going back and finding more and more things I genuinely like with each new listen. Check this album out. It is very, very good. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Let's Take a Closer Look at the Lyrics of "Old Town Road"

My son has been a fan of Lil Nas X for a bit now. I find his music kind of blah, but I do appreciate his lifestyle and how open he is with everything. He leaves it all out on the table and he is very confident in his own skin. That is a feat and an accomplishment. I like that.

So, with my son and his friends enjoying his music, that means I listen to it a lot in my car. Again, the music is blah, but the message is dope. The way I consume music is the lyrics, like a lot of others. I really want to hear what the artist has to say. I try to figure out what they are trying to get across. Trying to memorize lyrics is very fun for me. I love it when I do figure them out as well.

With Lil Nas X and his biggest hit "Old Town Road", the realization of some of the lyrics is hilarious to me. The song is incredibly catchy and very easy to hum along to. I find myself singing the words while walking around my house. My wife does the same. And during one of these personal singalongs, I had to stop myself because I couldn't believe some of the words I was saying. There is some hilarious stuff in this song. In the first verse Lil Nas has two lines that crack me up. He says, "hat is black matte/got the boots that black to match". This is as simple a rhyming pattern as one can have. He even finds a way to rhyme black with black. It is kind of impressive. I also love the whole idea of mentioning multiple times that he has a black hat and he managed to get black boots so it all matches. Also, letting us know his hat is matte is simply wonderful. He also lets the listener know that we can all whip our Porsche's. It is hilarious to me that he thinks all his listeners have a Porsche. Cracks me up every time. I don't care to go into Billy Ray Cyrus' verse on the song because he is clearly doing a coattails thing. Lil Nas X is much more talented and Billy Ray is trying to stay relevant. He almost messes the song up in my opinion.

Lil Nas' second verse though, this is where the hilarity hits an entire new level. He has one lyric in particular that I constantly think about. It is definitely the reason why I wanted to write this blog. I'll touch on that near the end though. I first want to talk about a few other parts in verse two. Lil Nas says that, "my whole life is a movie/bull riding and boobies". First off, boobies, that is nuts. That is what my 11 year old calls them. My seven year old uses the word boobies as well. Also, I believe Lil Nas X is sexually fluid, I am almost positive he is gay. So why boobies? If he is talking about heftier dudes, okay. But he never clarifies that. Again, it is the rhyming scheme, and I get that, but it is still hilarious. Also, in Lil Nas X's mind, a life lived like the movies includes bull riding and boobies. That is iconic. I love that that is where his mind went when he wrote those lyrics. That rules.

He also says that his "cowboy hat from Gucci/Wrangler on my booty". So he will schill out the big bucks for a cowboy hat, but he has to save on jeans. That is almost relatable. Maybe he loves hats so he is willing to spend big bucks on them. But when it comes to pants he is thrifty. I get it. I spend big dollars on running shoes, but I have had the same set of t-shirts forever, with no intention of buying new ones anytime soon.

The creme de la creme of lyrics in this song are as follows, "riding on a tractor/lean all in my bladder". The riding on the tractor point is all fine and well. He is a cowboy on an old town road. The tractor makes enough sense. But the lean in his bladder. That is a chef's kiss if you ask me. Lean, to the uninitiated, is purple drank or sizzurp. Lean is a mixed drink consisting of codeine cough syrup, soda and hard candy. It is a dangerous opioid and highly addictive. I've never had it, but I do know people who have and they have let me know it is disgusting. So for Lil Nas X to say that he is on a tractor and his bladder is full of lean. I mean that is lightning in a bottle. It feels like a comedian wrote this lyric. It is too funny to not be a joke. When I figured out what he was singing I thought I misheard him. Nope, he was saying that he had so much lean and it is now just in his bladder until Lil Nas X goes to use the restroom. That is so wild and so weird and so genius. I cannot get enough of this lyric in this song. I have not stopped thinking about it since I figured out the actual words.

This song is wildly memorable and for people to just glide past that lyric, that makes it even more perfect. I will never not think of these lyrics, especially the lean lyric, everytime I hear this song from now on. I bet you will notice it now too. Keep doing your thing Lil Nas X. You are a true music wonder. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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The Music is Just One Part of Why "The Bear" is Television Perfection

Last night I finished season two of "The Bear". That show is something special. It is as near perfection as there is on tv today. I know some people do not like that it is all released in one day. I don't care about that. I took a week to watch all ten episodes. You can find a way to watch weekly if that is how you want to consume it. TV is in a streaming age, for better or worse, and we have to adapt as viewers. But, as I stated above, I adore this show. I am not going to review season two today though. I'd rather talk about the music, and how they used it, this season.

I saw some other publication, I cannot remember which one right now, say something about the music, this was before I finished the season, and that was when I started to clock the music this season. It is pretty awesome, and it harkens back to the 90's for me. Growing up in a house with three older brothers, all of which had differing tastes in music, this season of the show brought me back to that time in my life. There is a good amount of REM this season. I am a recent convert of their music, but I know RD has listened to them for a while now. I believe our oldest brother listened to them too. So whenever there was a somber, or even moving moment this season, a song like "Strange Currencies" would start and I would reminisce hearing that song as a pre teen. And it would be used so perfectly in the show. They would play it at pivotal moments. It was the perfect drop in for the perfect scene. They also played an Eddie Vedder song at the end of an episode this season and it moved me. I kid you not, hearing the song and seeing what I just saw, it made me tear up. A show about opening a restaurant took this very good Eddie Vedder tune and used it at the exact proper moment, and it moved me.They used Wilco in this season. A one hit wonder band, Fine Young Cannibals, had the perfect moment to play their hit. Steve Earle was peppered in and out this season. The Pixies would show up and amplify an important scene. The episode dedicated to Richie's moment of realization had this epic Taylor Swift soundtrack, but it was just one song. AC/DC was used for multiple scenes while they were breaking down the old restaurant to build the new one. They used Nine Inch Nails in a very fitting way for a viewer such as myself. They had one of my favorite David Byrne songs, "Glass, Concrete and Stone" playing during a montage that I adored. The end credits for the family Christmas episode had the best button of music with the Weezer song "The Christmas Song". Crowded House was featured. They played some solo George Harrison. The Bodeans had a song in this season. The Replacements, who are criminally underrated, had one of their songs used. Squeeze was there for a hot second. The Psychedelic Furs were featured. The season had some bangers by very famous musicians, but they also brought out some of the coolest, lesser known bands from the late 90's and early 2000's for all of the viewers to hear, and I dug it.

This is a soundtrack I will listen to multiple times. This is a season that when I revisit I will be even more focused on the music and how it is used. This is just another example of what makes this show so damn good. Watch "The Bear" for how great it is. But stay to see the food they make and to hear the excellent music they use. I love it and you will too. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Listens to Killer Mike's "Michael"

Killer Mike put out a new record a couple weeks ago. I finally got around to digging deep into it a few days ago. Let’s discuss.

The album is called “MICHAEL” and it is as good as I hoped. Killer Mike’s skills are not new to people who have listened to him since he was part of The Dungeon Family. He has this incredible ability to flip his cadence while rhyming. He can start slow and finish fast. Each song on this record shows that off. Killer Mike jumps from all speeds throughout the record. He is one of the best in the game right now. He also has something to say in his songs. He is telling truths. He is calling out the system. He is talking about family, relationships and the good and the bad of both. He calls out the government, the police and everyone else he feels is not up to snuff. The guest appearances on this album are wonderful. Andre 3000 is on this album. I haven’t heard new music from him in forever. It’s great to hear him, hear how excellent he still sounds and how effortless it comes for him. El-P is on a song here and it’s a great RTJ style song he guests on. These two have incredible chemistry and it constantly shows, especially on this track. 6lack is here, and he’s new to me, but I like his voice. He’s a rapper with a silky delivery. He’s like a young Pusha T. 2 Chainz pops up and this dude is underrated. I feel like people don’t take him seriously. They need to start now. He’s awesome. I could say the same about myself and doubting Ty $Ollar Sign. He’s dope. He can flow. This record starts strong, the middle is solid and finishes with a bang.

Killer Mike is at the top of his game. He had really put it all together and it really shows. I wish he was coming closer to STL on his upcoming tour. I’d love to see him perform these songs live. Until then, at least I have this record. It’s pretty awesome.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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R.I.P. Tina Turner

Another day, another legend gone. Tina Turner passed away at 83 years old yesterday.

This one hit almost as hard as Jim Brown. I never really listened to Tina Turner's music, but my mom did. She played it loud and proud in the house growing up. My mom is, and was, a fan of her music and her story. I also remember the movie "What's Love Got to Do With It" playing a lot in my house and my mom watching it a ton.

My mom worked in a battered women and children's center when I was growing up and Tina Turner's story was one that her clients could relate to. Tina Turner was abused to the brink while married to Ike Turner. Ike Turner was a fantastic musician, but he was a total asshole and a miserable human being. He used to abuse Tina Turner mentally and physically. She overcame it all to become an even better artist and person. But Ike, he was a prick. So my mom would show this movie to the attendants of her shelter to give them hope. Or least that was how I saw it as a kid. She wanted these women to know there was more out there than an abusive partner. Tina Turner lived that life and she came out on the other side. Tina Turner also worked with Mel Gibson on a "Mad Max" movie. I mean, she spent an inordinate amount of time with two of the biggest abusers in the business world, and she came out of both very scathed, but stronger and more powerful than she was before.

Tina Turner was an absolute legend in every sense of the word. But she was best known for her music and her dancing. Tina Turner was a powerhouse vocalist. She commanded the stage and took the crowd on a ride with how awesome her voice was. I mean, she had some serious pipes. I have gone back and listened to some of her early stuff, the work she did with Ike, and she was the reason to go watch them live. She was also the reason to listen to their music. She was such a commanding and dominating presence while perming music. When she split and became a solo artist I feel she got even better. She became this ballad singer and she absolutely crushed on her songs. I have seen so many people reposting her singing "Simply the Best" and each time, with each version, it gets better and better. I have been totally blown away at how incredible, and widely loved, she was as a solo artist. I always knew she was amazing, but never really listening to her until now, I missed out on a bunch of stuff I will have to familiarize myself with now.

Tina Turner was also an incredible dancer. That was another thing people talked about when I was younger that I never understood. But now, after going back and watching clips of live performances, it all makes sense. She was an absolute crowd pleaser. She knew what moves to do and when to do them. She would get these well deserved applause breaks after doing some amazing dance numbers.

Tina Turner was one of a kind. There is no one else from her early era to when she ended that was as powerful a stage presence. She rocked the house and was one of the best to ever do it. She will be missed by so many people. The response to her passing has been overwhelming. Rest in Peace Mrs Turner. Go amaze crowds wherever you may be now. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Listens to Lil Yachty's "Let's Start Here"

I've always been on the fence when it comes to Lil Yachty. He will make stuff I really like, then he will make some stuff that is too mainstream. He has this ebb and flow deal with me. Sometimes it hits, other times it doesn't.

I have this deal with a lot of artists. I'm sure other people do too. But I have had lots of people I know, people whose opinion I respect, tell me I have to listen to his new record. I was putting it off for a while. I just didn't think I was ready for it. I also heard it wasn't a rap record, but more of a psychedelic record. I have an odd history with psychedelic music. But I had some time by myself Saturday. I took my daughter to a birthday party, my son was over at his grandparents house and my wife was going out with a friend. So I went on a run and decided to give the record a shot.

I love this album, everyone. I have already gone through the record fully two times. I started to listen to it again this morning on the way to take my kids to school. My son seemed to dig it. My daughter said it sounded weird, but it wasn't bad weird. This was another feather in its cap. The record is called "Let's Start Here". The cover is also wild and I love it. It has all these presumably business people with faces that look like they are melting. They also have these odd permanent smiles on their faces. It is fascinating to look at people. It was scary at first, but now I am all about it. And the songs, these are works of art. I truly did not know that Lil Yachty had this in him.

This record is nothing like he has ever done before. It is so out there and different. He took a big swing and boy did he connect. From start to finish this record hits on every level. The music on this album is dope too. There are big guitars playing some good stuff. It sounds like something from the 70's but modernized. The drums have this rock groove, but also it skews very hip hop. It has the tempo and groove of hip hop. There is bass all over this record and it is great. Some songs are straight psychedelic. Lil Yachty will do some old school singing on these songs and it rules. He crushes the vocals. It is very impressive. There are a few songs where he slips back into hip hop, and it works with the music in the background. He even does some stuff where he is just speaking over instruments and I love it. I'm fully in on this album. I have loved every second of it to this point. I have been telling friends about it. I'm going to tell my dad about it tomorrow, and he is my barometer for how well new music translates to older generations. He is also the one who introduced me to psychedelic music, so I am very interested in his thoughts. But I adore this album. I'm all in. I think it is one of the better records I have heard in a very long time.

My hat is off to Lil Yachty. He has done something highly impressive and innovative here. I am hoping to see him live here in Saint Louis in October because I want to see these songs performed live. I definitely recommend checking this album out. It is great. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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I Miss "MTV Unplugged"

Recently I have gotten into watching old clips of bands I like playing their songs acoustically. I have always liked acoustic music, and to hear a song that is normally done electrically acoustically has always been something I enjoy.

This new passion has sent me down a Spotify rabbit hole that I am totally here for. I am being reintroduced to music that I used to listen to and adore. I heard some stuff from Alice in Chains, a band I don't even like, Nirvana, Tracy Chapman and Lauryn Hill. I have gone back and rewatched Blind Melon and Jay Z do their acoustic stuff. Hell, another band I don't like, Linkin Park, has some dope acoustic stuff. This all led me back to "MTV's Unplugged".

"MTV's Unplugged" one of the better shows that has ever existed. I used to live for this show. I would scout the TV Guide or the channel to see when the next "Unplugged" was coming. This was the best it got, especially after Nirvana showed how great this could be.  This begs the question, why did they stop doing this show? I know that MTV does not show videos anymore. Hell, they don't even show music anymore. Neither does MTV 2 or VH1 or any other "music channel". All these channels are all about reality shows. That is where they get their viewers. There is not a moment when I turn on MTV now and Rob Drydek's goofy internet show is on. VH1 seems to only feature shows about artists or athletes' wives. I don't even know what MTV2 shows anymore. So why not bring back "Unplugged" now? I would have to imagine it would be a humongous hit. When they did Jay Z unplugged it was a massive hit. And they sold a ton of records. They could pounce on the streaming numbers and make vinyls out of these shows featuring some big time artists. Taylor Swift could make a killing doing her new record acoustically. She already has the chops and millions of people would tune in. There are plenty of popular country artists that my wife listens to, and she loves acoustic music, so why not get some of them to do it? I would watch the hell out of someone like The Black Keys or Kendrick Lamar doing an unplugged set. That would be rad. You could even bring some older other artists to do it. I would love to see Talking Heads, or David Byrne, do one of these shows. Get David Gilmour an acoustic and let him rock some Pink Floyd. Foo Fighters would be a massive get, and Dave Grohl already knows how to deal with the whole unplugged thing. Get someone like Tobe Nwigwe to go out there and perform. He would crush. The opportunities are endless. I bet they could also get a bunch of artists to do it for charities they support. That would be cool and helpful. There is no shortage of options to book people to do it. Add on the fact that retro stuff is back in now, people, especially people from my generation, would eat this up. I mentioned making vinyls of these performances, I know all three of my brothers would buy the vinyl of the bands they like doing unplugged shows. I would be interested in the art work involved. The production of the show would be even better now due to advancements in technology. I cannot find a reason not to pursue this.

Bring "Unplugged" back. It would crush and be one of the coolest things MTV has ever done. It would also force them to revert back to music. The timing is perfect. Make it happen. It would be rad. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Watches Tenacious D Live

Last night I saw Tenacious D at The Factory here in Saint Louis. I'll do a proper review of the venue tomorrow. Today I want to talk about the show last night.

I have not seen The D live since 2002. Back then I saw them open for Weezer and it was pretty awesome. Last night they were the headliner and I am also older and more mature. This was a different experience. The opener was Steel Beans. This was an interesting and decent opener. Steel Beans is one dude who plays guitar, drums and sings. It was fascinating to see him do all this. But I felt like he had to be exhausted after his set. He played for 45 minutes, and it was solid. But some of his songs were a bit long. And he used a ton of distortion, which is smart on his part because it masks mistakes. But the use of distortion made it hard to hear him sing at times. All in all though he was a solid opener. I was never bored during his set. He did a good enough job.

Tenacious D came on stage after about a 30 minute intermission. Again, my expectations were high and different from 21 years before. They absolutely delivered. The set was fast and furious. They must have played something close to 20 songs. Jack Black is a true showman and he controlled the crowd and the stage for their entire 90 minute set. I am endlessly floored by Black. I was saying to my buddy after the show that he is a legit movie star who does music for fun, and he is extremely talented at it. His voice and playing is very good. He can hit some very high octaves. At one point he sang the beginning of "War Pigs" and it was amazing. He showed off his range on "Master Exploder". From song to song, all night long, he was on point. It was so enjoyable. Kyle Gass is the perfect sidekick to Black, and his guitar playing is exceptional. He is so proficient and technical, but he can also have fun with it. When he plays some of his wild solos on his acoustic guitar I am blown away. He is so good at his craft. He is also the perfect foil for all the bits The D do during their live shows. He plays off of Black so well. He performs like a true professional. I loved every second of their time together on stage. The backing band is truly wonderful. The lead guitar player shreds and has some pipes. He played the Devil during "Beelzeboss" and he hit a grand slam, both with his playing and singing. He is no Dave Grohl, but he is a damn good compliment. The bassist kept the rhythm going all night and when he got his chance to solo for the crowd, he was amazing. He was sliding up and down that bass and having the time of his life. It was dope. The drummer was pretty rad as well. He kept the tempo up and the band going strong. He also exploded during his solo. It reminded me of the playing in "Whiplash", except he was having fun playing. His solo was the best of the night in my opinion. He was pounding away on his kit. I was pleasantly surprised at all the love given to the crew throughout the night too.

This was a fun show through and through. It was also fantastic to hear all these songs again. It brought me back to my 20's when I really got into them. But I felt I appreciated it more last night. I got it all right away. I knew the words and was humming along. I was laughing at the jokes within the songs. To hear a song like "Double Team" as a 40 year old, it is so much more funny because I get every single joke within the song. It was great. The fact that The D is famous enough to headline a tour makes me very happy as an adult. I think it is rad that Jack Black and Kyle Gass still like doing this and are willing and able to tour. Neither of them have to do this, they want to do this. That much was apparent watching them perform last night.

I loved this show, the venue was cool, the band was great and I got to see an actual movie star in person. I had a blast. It was more than worth the price of admission and the exhaustion I have today. Good times. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Listens to Codefendants

I mentioned that I was going to write about two new musical artists I have been listening to recently. The second one I will talk about is happening today.

My buddy Kirk, sometimes a contributor to the site and podcast, go running together pretty much every weekend. I look forward to these runs for a myriad of reasons. It is one of the best times of the week for me when we meet up and go outside. We talk about a bunch of stuff when we are out there. It is a great space to vent, catch up and talk about new stuff, or even old stuff, that we are into at the time. One subject that comes up a ton is music. Kirk and I are both music lovers, and the genres we listen to, we are very passionate about. We have some similar interests, but he is more of a punk rock fan and I am more of a hip hop fan. Last weekend when we were out he told me about a new group that he was listening to who he thought I might dig. When I asked him why he thought I'd enjoy it he told me that it was hip hop adjacent. I was intrigued.

Kirk is a NOFX fan. We have talked about the band a good amount. I knew of them when I was younger, but I've grown to know more due to these conversations we have had. He mentioned to me that Fat Mike, a NOFX member, had started a new genre of music called "crime wave". The genre name is rad, and after some research I found out that Fat Mike came up with the term. Kirk also let me know that there was a hip hop artist involved with the new band, and that the other members were pretty good instrumentalists. My family went downtown to watch my son sing the anthem with his school choir and on the way I decided I was going to listen to the band Codefendants.

I was instantly struck by the music. The first song I listened to is called "Fast Ones". It does not start as a punk or hip hop song. Someone is reading poetry over a drum beat. Then it gets more hip hop. A bass comes in and the drum beat gets more rap like. Then the whole group comes in and the song sounds full. It worked. I was hooked. I found myself nodding along like I had heard the song a million times. I was ready for whatever Codefendants had for me.

What I have found that I like most about this band is how different each song sounds. "Fast Ones" is pretty much straight forward hip hop, with a few distinct changes. But the other songs I have heard fluctuate. They have strings in their music. They have a song that has an orchestra playing behind them. They play acoustic music. There is punk. There is rock. They expand genres and that makes them great. The mere fact that they are not handcuffing themselves to one genre is what makes them so intriguing to me. Most artists I listen to stick to their genre. The Black Keys are rock. Kendrick Lamar is hip hop. Gary Clark Jr is blues/rock. But Codefendants can do all of that, and more. This is a talented group of vocalists and musicians. I have been endlessly fascinated by how different each song sounds with each listen. It almost feels like I am hearing new music each time. It amazes me how I can find something new and different I like each time.

These new artists I have been introduced to have been great for me personally. It is getting me out of this music rut I am in. I am forever grateful for advice on new artists to listen to. Now if you'll excuse me I'm going to go listen to Tobe Nwigwe and The Codefendants for a while longer. You should do the same. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Listens to Tobe Nwigwe

At the start of the year I made it a point to find new music to listen to. I have been stuck in a rut and I want to get out of it. So far it has been kind of at an impasse, but the past week there has been a change. Thanks to a friend of mine and watching Instagram reels, I have been listening to two new artists that I am really into and I will be spending the next two days talking about each of them. The first one is Tobe Nwigwe.

I was watching Instagram reels the other night, my wife is on a work trip and I have trouble sleeping and watching videos helps me doze off, and I stumbled upon Tobe Nwigwe. The song I heard was called "BRAVO" and it struck me immediately. The video was a tight closeup of his face and he was rapping. I was struck by his voice and the way he flowed. It hit me right off the bat. I dug it right away. I followed him right away and started listening to his catalog on Spotify the very next day. I have been primarily listening to his music, and the artist I will talk about tomorrow, exclusively.

I am really into Nwigwe. He is a Houston born rapper and he has that Houston style, but sped up. You can tell he has the drawl, but the way he raps is really good. His lyrics are packed with words and the words mean something. He isn't rapping about money and chains and cars. Nwigwe is really talking about something. He is putting himself out there and he is nailing it. I took to doing some internet research on him and was very pleased to find out he seems like a very good dude. He was a former football player who had to stop playing after college due to an injury. Instead of letting this sidetrack him he started a non-profit. He worked at that for a long while and then met and started dating his now wife. They decided to do music and they kind of blew up during the height of the pandemic. Now that I know who he is I can remember people sharing a video of him early on in the pandemic that struck me but I never followed up on it. I regret that now. I have since listened to almost his entire catalog and I cannot get enough of it. I mentioned his rap style and that is what makes it so easy to listen to. He is a master at what he does. The beats are an added bonus. The beats are awesome. They are easy to vibe to. They make you want to nod along. I have found myself exclaiming how dope the beats are when I am listening alone in my car. And that is a big deal to me. When I can talk to no one about how great the music I am listening to, that is the best compliment I can give an artist I have just discovered. I find myself, when listening to Nwigwe, having the same feelings as I did when I first heard Run the Jewels. I find myself craving it. I find myself humming the music during the day. My son and I were driving home from his baseball game last night and he was vibing along with me. I love that. I want him to listen to better hip hop and him vibing to Tobe Nwigwe is a good sign. I also read that Michelle Obama is a big fan, which is a humongous feather in his hat.

Go check out Tobe Nwigwe. He is doing something really cool that is also pretty important. I am going to go listen to some more of his music now. I suggest you do the same. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Listens to T-Pain's "On Top of the Covers"

T-Pain rules. I am a fan. I liked his persona and how he carried himself a long time ago, but this dude is super talented. There is a reason he is a professional musician and I have now found it.

His new record, "On Top of the Covers" is amazing. I never really listened to his music prior to this record, but I have heard him on songs where he is featured. I also loved the episode he was featured in on the Netflix show "I Love Pop". He also made autotune what it is today and he has a place in music history. What was so great about his episode of "I Love Pop" was that it let him tell his story. He was also able to show off his singing ability. This was my first inkling that I liked his voice. I heard him singing without any help and it was damn good. Then I was listening to "CBB" recently and Scott Aukerman mentioned T Pain's new covers record. I thought it was a joke because they did a runner about it and then never mentioned it again. But then I was watching Instagram reels the other day, because I'm a hundred years old, and someone shared part of his cover of "War Pigs". I thought it was a one off, or maybe just something he did for fun, but hearing this made me seek out if there was an actual record. And much to my glee there it was. I found it on Spotify and started playing it right away.

I have been blown away by every listen. This record is an achievement. T Pain has some pipes and he showcases that on each and every song, except for the one instrumental, which I do not know if he is playing the instruments, or if he has a backing band. The record starts off with Sam Cooke's "A Change Gonna Come". This is one of the greatest songs to ever be recorded, and to try and cover it has been quite the process. T Pain does an excellent job. When I saw this was the first song I was skeptical, but then I listened and it took my breath away. T Pain nails it. It is one of the better covers of this song. Sam Cooke himself would be proud. T Pain does it justice and then some. He follows that up with "Don't Stop Believing". I am not a fan of Journey, or this song, but T Pain makes me like it. I really enjoy his take on this rock song. From there we get songs like "Stay With Me", "Tennessee Whiskey", "Sharing the Night Together" and the aforementioned "War Pigs". Each song is different and very well done. "Stay With Me" rivals Sam Smith's version. T Pain sings it the same, but brings maybe even more soul. I love this song and I love T Pain's take on it. "Tennessee Whiskey", according to my wife, is like a gospel version of one of her favorite country songs. I was nervous to play it for her, but she said she really liked it. She was humming T Pain's version of it the rest of the day. "Sharing the Night Together" is way more soulful and way more fun that the original. The original is usually the best version, but I prefer T Pain here. And "War Pigs" is rad. I like Black Sabbath. I enjoy their music. But it can be a bit much sometimes. T Pain does this classic song, one of my all time favorites in fact, justice. He crushes the vocals. You can tell he really wanted to show off on this tune. He puts his voice out there for all of us to hear and he is absolutely incredible. I feel like this is a song I can hear over and over again and never get tired of it at all.

I really, really enjoy this album. I'm usually critical of a covers record, but not here. This record rules. This is one of the best albums of 2023, and may go down as one of my favorites of the year. It is number one with a bullet right now. T Pain has done something amazing here and I applaud him for his effort. He hit a homerun here. Go listen to this album right now. It will blow you away. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Let's Talk About the Greatness of De La Soul

I have been going back and listening to a bunch of De La Soul lately. Let’s discuss.

Their music was just added to all streaming services and it has been an absolute breath of fresh air to hear them again. I was a fan of theirs in my younger days. I am lucky enough to have three older brothers who listen to cool music, mostly, and were more than willing to let me hang out with them and listen when I was young. They, along with my dad, really shaped my love for music, and are responsible for my taste in music to this day. I think they would take that as a compliment as well. All three of my brothers listen to hip hop, but my brother closest in age to me guided me the most in my journey. He introduced me to hip hop and has not stopped giving me recommendations since. When I was about 12 or 13 he introduced me to A Tribe Called Quest, who may be my all time favorite hip hop group. My love for Tribe grew from that moment tremendously. I devoured their music. Everything I heard from them blew my mind. Phife Dawg is one of the greatest rappers to ever do it. I was lucky enough to see them perform live on one of their reunion tours before Phife passed away. It was awesome and they were, and still are, awesome.

In listening to Tribe I found out about other groups from their era. I like Black Sheep. Digable Planets is one of the most underrated hip hop groups ever and I may see them live this summer. Queen Latifah is criminally underrated as a rapper. The Pharcyde is dope. I love most of the hip hop from this era. In listening to all these artists I eventually found Native Tongues, which was a collective of these artists. This was the first time I heard anything from De La Soul.

I asked my brother who these other dudes were that were keeping pace and sometimes surpassing Q Tip and Phife. He told me it was a group of three dudes called De La Soul. I immediately started to devour their music. I instantly fell in love. They sounded like Tribe to me, but maybe better as rappers. Q Tip and Phife are otherworldly, but Kelvin Mercer, AKA Posdnuos, David Jolicouer, AKA Truogy the Dove (RIP), and Vincent Mason JR, AKA Pasemaster Mase, are neck and neck. They also had a much better vibe as a group. There was no hiding the fights between Q Tip and Phife Dawg. They were two alphas trying to each run the show. De La Soul never really had that, or at least it never got out of hand. They managed to stick together and make wonderful, classic hip hop for decades. I feel like they don't get the shine that some other contemporaries do. I'm part of the problem here. I could go on and on about Tribe. I cannot do that about De La Soul. What I can do though is vibe out to their music for hours on end. I was listening earlier today and I was so into what I was hearing that my wife had to shake me to tell me to turn it down. She was in a meeting, she works from home on Friday's, and the music was blasting so loud that she couldn't hear her co workers. I was just bobbing head along and cleaning. I was fully immersed in De La's music. They are like the quintessential hip hop group. They are like a vet that a NBA team brings in to help win a title. They are steady. They didn't make bad music. They never sold out. They were ahead of their time. De La Soul was about as solid as it gets not only in hip hop, but in all of music.

De La Soul is one of the greatest groups ever. And now their music is on all streaming platforms. That is a big, big deal. This means a younger group of people will get to experience them for the first time. I hope they are as blown away as I was when I first heard them in the mid 90's. At the very least, with their music now streaming, they will get their due. They will not be underrated anymore. Everyone is going to listen and remember what made them so great and so beloved by their fans. I'm very happy I can listen whenever I want now. In fact, let me go bump some De La right now. I suggest you do the same. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Listens to The Gorillaz "Cracker Island"

The Gorillaz put out a new record last Friday, "Cracker Island". I am a fan and was very excited to hear some new music from them. I have listened to the album from start to finish two full times already and started a third today. Usually when a new album comes out from a band I enjoy I tend to listen to what I consider the hits after one full listen.

The good thing about "Cracker Island" is all the tracks are really, really good. I have not found a song that I want to skip or feel I can just breeze through. I am a Damon Albarn fan as well, and I especially like the work he does with the Gorillaz. This record feels like it is a mix of what made them great when they started in 2001 and what has help them sustain that all the way through to today. From their self titled album, which was all I played when I went to college, to "Demon Days" which showed this band exploring new genres, to "Plastic Beach", which was recorded completely on an iPad to this new one, it has all come together to form something close to a perfect dance pop record.

Like other Gorillaz’s ablum’s, this is not short on big time cameos. Thundercat plays the bass on the opening track and adds some vocals. Thundercat is awesome and anytime he is on a track from an artist I like I get very stoked. Stevie Nicks is on the second track, "Oil". She sounds as great as ever and adds some real rock star vibes. An artist I have never heard of, Adeleye Omotayo, appears on "Silent Running" and I instantly became a fan. Tame Impala and Bootie Brown add a great layer of alternative rock and hip hop on "New Gold". It is currently my favorite track on the album. Bad Bunny, one of the most streamed artists ever, shows up on "Tormenta" and it is the first time I have heard his music and I am dig it. I will be checking out more. The record closes with a feature from Beck, and it is amazing to hear him and Albarn trade vocals back and forth. The music that accompanies the song is really rad too.

The Gorillaz also do songs just the four of them, and there is some very good stuff here. "Tired Influencer" is nice and soft. It has a very cool and calming vibe to it. "Baby Queen" and "Tarantula" are very cool and remind me of old school Gorillaz. And "Skinny Ape" is a very fun very well played song.

Basically, the whole record works on every level. Albarn is a genius and has gotten genius people to work with him on all of their records. I was listening earlier today with my dad and told him that I was never able to get into Blur, try as I might, but I really like Albarn's solo work, but I truly love what he has done with Gorillaz. This whole concept seems odd and pretentious, but it is neither of those things. Instead, this band works. They make great music. Albarn put a gimmick to Gorillaz, maybe to sell the idea, but it has gone beyond any expectations I could have ever had. The gimmick works and does not feel gimmicky at all anymore. I see the videos of the band and I relate the cartoon characters to the music, knowing good and well that it is Albarn and one of the most talented group of musicians I have ever listened to.

"Cracker Island" is an achievement. It is one of the best Gorillaz records to date and one of the better records I have heard in some time. Now excuse me, I am going to listen to the record another time, and then a few more. I suggest you do the same. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Remember When We Danced and Did Not Care Who Was Watching?

Driving to school this morning I was made a witness to something I had yet to see, but was waiting for. My son goes to school early on Thursday's, so it is just my daughter and me for regular dropoff. I usually pick the music because I am an adult and I want to. Sometimes I do let my kids pick, and that happened this morning.

My daughter is really into these Netflix movies called "Zombies". I have only seen bits and pieces of one of these movies. She usually watched them downstairs by herself. This is by choice. I once asked why and she told me she "needs to focus". I cannot imagine the story is that intriguing, but she is 7 and she loves it. I guess there is a ton of music played during these movies as well. She did a one day show choir camp last week and one of the age groups danced to a song from the "Zombies" franchise. When the song came on my wife said that if she had this song she would have gone nuts. That was the song I put on for her this morning.

The song is called "Fired Up". As soon as the song started, she started to vibe out. She was dancing like no one was watching. But I was paying close attention. As soon as the song came on she started to bounce back and forth in her seat. She was going off. She then started to tell me all about the song and the movies. She asked me if I would watch with her. She told me all about the song. I learned everything from who was singing it to how that singer is revealed, spoiler alert, to be an alien. She was amped. Then she went back to dancing.

It was at this moment that I realized she was so into this song that she didn't care what anyone saw. I have had this feeling before. I know you all have had this feeling before. It happens to us all, and it seems to happen more the older we get. Her reaction to this song was like the first time I heard The Black Keys. I didn't care who saw me vibing out and dancing to their music. I went out and learned all the lyrics to every song on every record since then. I even learned some of their songs on guitar. The first time I heard Kendrick Lamar blew me away. I remember just bobbing my head back and forth to "Backseat Freestyle" and thinking it was one of the best rap songs ever created. I still do. That was the mindset my daughter had this morning. It was so awesome to see. She likes certain songs, but not like this. She will listen to Arctic Monkeys or Run the Jewels with me, but she has never reacted to any of their songs the way she did this morning. She will listen to artists like Emmy Meli and Karen O with my wife and I, but has never been grooving like she was this morning. And I am so pleased I got to see it in person. To see her having the time of her life, dancing the way she was dancing, having the time of her life, it made me so happy.

Music is a big deal to me. I love music and have very strong feelings about the music I like. Maybe this was my daughter's way of letting me know she will be the same, and I love that. It is so awesome to see your kids being kids and vibing out and having a good time. It is even better when you can see it in a venue or area you have interest in as well. This was a moment that I will never forget. This is a memory I will have forever and share with everyone close to me. This has made my day and been my favorite moment of 2023. It was the best. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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2022 Top Five - Music

We have 12 days until the new year. 2023 is upon us. Since we are close to the new year I'm going to spend this week doing my best of lists. I'll do music, movies, tv, podcasts and sports. I will do a top 5 like I do every year as well. Take it or leave it, but these are my top 5 in all the listed categories. Today we will start with music.

Music has been different this year for me. I am getting into a territory where I am stuck. I listen to the same stuff over and over. I like what I like. I need to branch out, and that is a goal for 2023 in music for me, but as of now, I am stuck in my ways. My top 5 this year will be different than in the past, but it is still music based.

At number 5 I have my refound love for bands I listened to 20 years ago and stopped for some unknown reason. I may have let my music snobbery get in the way or moved on to something else, who knows. But this year I have found that I like a good amount of the bands from my past. Franz Ferdinand is back in my life. They are rad. They play cool pop music. I saw them in the "Sparks Brothers" movie and that reinvigorated my want to listen to them. I am dabbling with the band Clutch again. They play older blues songs with a heavier sound. They use lots of reverb and distortion while playing classic tunes. They are great. I also got very much back into The Strokes. They are a good band. They are what The Ramones wished they could have been. The Strokes are a much more talented Ramones. I am happy that I let my snobbish ways go and rediscovered these bands. That makes me happy.

At number 4 I got to see Nas and Wu Tang Clan perform live this summer. Busta Rhymes was there as well. This is the perfect concert for me. I feel like they asked 15 year old Ty what he would want to see live. These 3 artists would have been very high on my list. Wu Tang Clan was great. This is one of the best collections of rappers to ever be assembled. Even without some original members, I still got to see Raekwon, RZA and Inspectah Deck. It rules. Nas was amazing. He crushed the venue. The whole crowd was vibing to him when he stepped on stage. He had this incredible presence. It's a show I won't soon forget. And to see Busta, he showed up at the end, that was the cherry on top. It was a dream. I loved this show. I'm glad I went. Now to the album portion of my list.

At number 3 I have "Dropout Boogie" by The Black Keys. The Black Keys are one of my all time favorite bands. I have been in love with their music since I first heard them in 2001. Their sound is unique to only them. People have tried to replicate it, but they cannot do it as well as The Black Keys. That is why I love "Dropout Boogie" so much. It is a return to form. They are going back to their roots on this album. They are more bluesy and rock forward. The reverb and distortion is back. The album is fast and it flows wonderfully. I really enjoy it. I was a little taken aback when I didn't see it on anyone else's best of lists, but that is neither here nor there. "Dropout Boogie" is like going back in time for me in the best possible way.

At number 2 I have "Cheat Codes" by Danger Mouse and Blackthought. This record rips. It is such a good hip hop album. Danger Mouse is continuing to show that he is the best and most versatile producer in the game. He is at the top of the mountain on this record. The production, the beats, the sound, the extra instruments, it all works and blends so perfectly. He is a master of his craft. Speaking of masters in their craft, Blackthought shreds on this album. His rapping is pitch perfect. Verse for verse he is the best one on the record, and this record has a ton of big time cameos. Artists like Raekwon. Michael Kiwaunka and the last known recording of MF Doom. These are heavy hitters, and they are all great. But Blackthought blows them all out of the water. I have these weird feelings where I don't think Blackthought is good anymore, and then I hear something like this. It makes me feel like a dummy. But then I sit back and enjoy it. Balckthought is an amazing artist and "Cheat Codes" further proves that point.

My number 1 album of the year is "Mr Morale and the Bigsteppers" by Kendrick Lamar. This is a masterpiece. Kendrick further proves why he is the best in the game on this album. This record is deep and introspective and overwhelmingly wonderful. This is like an hour long therapy session and Kendrick bares his soul on the album. I must have listened to this record dozens of times but I still find something new and different that I love with each new listen. This is a work of art. This is a masterclass in recording an album. There are no bad tracks. Everything works. The flow of the album, the tracklisting, it is all perfect. The accolades are very, very well deserved. I got to see him while he toured with this album and that was an amazing experience. Kendrick Lamar is the GOAT. "Mr Morale and the Bigsteppers" further hammers that home.

That is it for music. Come back tomorrow for my top 5 movies of 2022. 

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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DMX Gave Us All a Big Gift with His Version of "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer"

Last weekend my wife and I went to Memphis. Memphis is our favorite getaway. It is close, there is a ton of cool stuff to do, good food and it is relatively cheap. There are a ton of historical landmarks. On this visit we went to a Grizzlies game, hit up Silky O'Sullivan's, had BBQ and pizza and had a very nice brunch.

In the spirit of the holidays, we did a carriage ride and that is always a good time. We did a longer one this year, an hour, and the driver let us pick the music. He had a bluetooth speaker setup and told us we could play music or have him give us a tour. We have had the tour proper before, so we opted for music. Most of the music being played was Xmas music. My wife loves Xmas music and I find some of it tolerable. There was some hip hop and classic rock in there, but for the most part it was Xmas music.

At one point we listened to DMX, who I have a complicated past with, but I love his music. We did his famous stuff and it was kind of hilarious to listen to this hard core hip hop with a ton of people walking around Beale Street listening to every word. But, like a breath of fresh air, DMX's version of "Rudolph the Rednosed Reindeer" came on.

I had never heard this before. I have heard a ton of hip hop artists do Xmas versions of songs. Run DMC is classic. I have heard a ton of others. But hearing someone like DMX, whose voice was so iconic and unique, do this particular Xmas song was incredible. It was also one of the funniest things I have ever heard. First off, hearing that DMX did this song as a dare essentially is amazing. The fact that someone said it would be funny to hear him do this, and then he did it, that makes me happy. Then, when you hear this version of the song sung by DMX, it is stunning. It is typical DMX. He has that gruff, grinding and hard core edge to his voice. But then the words start to come out of his mouth and it is jarring. When he starts to sing it, hearing him say stuff like, "all of the other reindeer/used to laugh and call him names", or "rudolph the red nosed reindeer/had a very shiny nose/", it is simply amazing. It sounds like one of his songs done by the world's best soundalike. It is all DMX, but there are no swear words. There are no dog barking noises. There is no reference to demean anyone. It is non-existent. It is just DMX doing a clean DMX version of this classic kids Xmas song. I did not stop laughing the whole time. I was literally doubled over when it was playing.

After we left the carriage ride and got back to the Air Bnb, I did a ton of research. I found out a ton about DMX recording this song. I watched videos of him doing this song. I read articles about the recording. I was amazed to see how seriously DMX took this insane situation.

I think this may be my new favorite Xmas song. I have listened to it a ton since we got home. I do not listen to a lot of Xmas music when I am home doing stuff, but this version of this song has shown up on a few of my holiday playlists since Saturday. I implore you all to go check this out. You do not have to be a hip hop fan or a fan of Xmas music to enjoy this whole process. I guarantee you will find something to love about DMX doing this type of song. And you will find something to love about his full process. Just putting this in front of your face or ears will bring the most Grinch like person some kind of joy. Go, go check this out now. I know you will love it.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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Ty Listens to "Cheat Codes"

I've been in a bit of a personal music rut lately. The only new album that I have been super into is the new Kendrick Lamar. I have been going back to old classics a lot more lately. I feel like, as I get older, newer music just doesn't appeal to me. I feel like I have reached that age where new music sounds different and bad to me. There are some new artists I like, but the stuff my kids listen to, I am not a fan of. But I do have a buddy that lets me know when there is new music from artists I used to listen to all the time is coming out. One such record is "Cheat Codes" by Danger Mouse and Black Thought.

I adore Danger Mouse. Next to Rick Rubin he is the best producer in the game in my opinion. He works with so many different artists and each time a record comes out that he has produced and worked on, I love it. The work he did with Norah Jones is amazing. It is my favorite Norah Jones record. The stuff he did with The Black Keys is great. His work as one half of Gnarls Barkley is timeless. The stuff he did on his own, taking "The Black Album" and "The White Album" and making it work was a true bit of magic.

Black Thought is one of the best emcees to ever do it. The Roots are an all time hip hop group. Part of that is due to the way he rhymes and writes. I feel like Black Thought is a tad underrated which is nuts because he has been doing this at such a high level for a very long time. Black Thought is a true genius and everything he touches seems to work. So put the two of them together on a record, it is bound to work. And boy oh boy does it work.

As I said, I was late to listen, but I feel like I haven't stopped since my buddy brought it to my attention. I listened to the album three times just yesterday and was nodding along each time like it was the first listen. This album works on every level. The production is incredible, as one would expect when seeing Danger Mouse as the producer. The beats are clean, the way it is composed is pure hip hop, the songs mesh so well and the record runs like a well oiled machine. Then you put Black Thought on there as the main rapper, beautiful. His voice is so unique and pure. He sounds like an old head in the new age. He cruises through each song and takes over on some tracks. He is a genius. Then you add on the guest list and that takes this album from great to classic. This is the last record to feature MF Doom, that I know of to this point. It was so nice to hear his voice on an album nearly two years after he passed away. There is a song that features ASAP Rocky and Run the Jewels. That feels like they put this on the record specifically for me. It is my favorite song. Michael Kiwanuka, who is by no means a rapper, shows up and brings a different sound to his song. Raekwon is on a track. I love hearing from him. He seems to be everywhere lately. It also helps that I just saw Wu Tang Clan live and he was there. This record works on every level. It is near perfection. It is one of my favorite albums to come out in the last decade. I knew I was going to dig it, I just did not think it would become this big in my rotation.

While I have my doubts about the current state of music, while I am getting older and what's new is hip and I don't get it, it is nice to have something like this. I love hearing artists I have been following for more than a decade still doing their thing and doing it phenomenally. "Cheat Codes" is rad. Seek this album out for sure. It is definitely worth your time.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

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RIP Coolio

Coolio passed away at the age of 59 last night. I was picking my son up from football practice and RD texted me to let me know. I did not believe him at first. I texted him a few times back asking too many questions. While my kid was eating his dinner I did a little internet research, and sure enough, RD was right. I found myself stunned. This is happening far too much lately. Ever since 2020 it seems like people I like, or liked as a kid, are passing away. Biz Markie, Sharon Jones, Phife Dawg, too many to name. And now we have Coolio.

I am a big time hip hop fan. It is my favorite genre of music. I have been listening to hip hop since I was a pre teen. My brothers would have me listen to A Tribe Called Quest, Public Enemy, Kurtis Blow, Erik B and Rakim, a whole slew of legends. When I started to branch out on my own I found a bunch of other rappers I liked. Timbaland and Magoo were big for me. I loved Mase and Puff Daddy. The Notorious BIG is the greatest rapper of all time in my opinion. But when I reached back in the recess of my brain, Coolio was one of the first rappers that really grabbed my full attention. First off he had that wild hair. It was braided, but the braids stayed airborne and he would even fit them through hats when he wore them. But, like most other people, it was the song "Gangsta's Paradise" that really pulled me in. This song was amazing. First off, the beat is a Stevie Wonder song, "Pastime Paradise". My folks listened to a good amount of Stevie Wonder, so I was able to recognize the beat pretty quickly. But it was Coolio's voice that really pulled me in. He was rough, but not DMX, another rapper we lost too soon, rough. He was smooth, but not Biggie smooth. Coolio had his own voice. It was different and unique and cool. I was instantly in. I went out and bought the single. I saw the movie "Dangerous Minds" simply because "Gangsta's Paradise" was the main song in every trailer. I learned every word so as not to mess it up when I would sing it.

I was all in on Coolio after this song's release. I even got mad at Weird Al when Coolio got inexplicably mad at him for doing "Amish Paradise". But they squashed whatever fake beef they had, so it was cool for me to listen to Weird Al again. But it wasn't just "Gangsta's Paradise". Take a song like "Fantastic Voyage". He samples the song with the same name from 1981, but Coolio made it hip. He made it fun. It was a hit. There is the song "1,2,3,4 (Sumpin New)". This song is dope and he has what I perceive to be a Michigan football jersey on in the videos. That makes it so easy for me to be a fan. "C U When U Get There" came out when all rappers were doing ballads, but Coolio did it the best. He had a way about him. He was like a good Biz Markie. And that isn't to say that Biz Markie was bad, he was kind of corny. Coolio could do goofy raps but get away with it because he was wildly talented. I understand that these are his biggest hits, and it sounds cheesy to remark on them, but they were hits for a reason, especially considering my age at the time of their release. He also did the theme song for "Kenan and Kel", which was required viewing for me.

Coolio also acted. He was in "Batman and Robin", which is too perfect. He appeared as himself in "Leprechaun in the Hood". Again, perfect. He did spoof movies. He did "Daredevil", so superhero movies as well. He was in cheesy sci-fi movies. It seems like he knew what he was good at, what would sell tickets, so he went with it. He also did TV. He was in "Martin", "Kenan and Kel", "The Nanny", "Fear Factor", "Futurama" and "Black Jesus". He also had his own cooking show. Again, he knew what he was the best at, so he went for it. Coolio also won a Grammy, American Music Award and three MTV VMA's. The guy had a long and successful career. It is a shame that he has passed away.

This one hurts. Coolio was a big part of my growing love for hip hop. He was one of the first artists that really pulled me in and it stuck. Coolio will be severely missed. Rest In Peace.

Ty

Ty is the Pop Culture editor for SeedSing and the other host of the X Millennial Man Podcast.

Come and support Ty and the podcast on Patreon.

Follow Ty on instagram and twitter.

SeedSing is funded by a group of awesome people. Join them by donating to SeedSing.