Artist: Grip Grand

 Album: Brokelore

 Song: Out of Service

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 Play: [See post to listen to audio]

 Artist: Common

 Album: One Day It’ll All Make Sense

 Song: Retrospect for Life

 Download |  Ringtone (Coming Soon – Hopefully)

 Play: [See post to listen to audio]

[Intro]
Gotta recreate y’all
Yo check it

[Chorus]
Knowin you the best part of life do I have the right to take yours
Cause I created you irresponsibly
Subconciously knowin the act I was a part of
The start of somethin, I’m not ready to bring into the world
Had myself believin I was sterile
I look into mother’s stomach, wonder if you are a boy or a girl
Turnin this woman’s womb into a tomb
But she and I agree, a seed we don’t need
You would’ve been much more than a mouth to feed
But someone, I woulda fed this information I read
to someone, my life for you I woulda had to leave
Instead I lead you to death
I’m sorry for takin your first breath, first step, and first cry
But I wasn’t prepared mentally nor financially
Havin a child shouldn’t have to bring out the man in me
Plus I wanted you to be raised within a family
I don’t wanna, go through the drama of havin a baby’s momma
Weekend visits and buyin J’s ain’t gon’ make me a father
For a while bearing a child is somethin I never wanted to do
For me to live forever I can only do that through you
Nerve I got to talk about them niggaz with a gun
Must have really thought I was God to take the life of my son
I could have sacrificed goin out
To think my homies who did it I used to joke about, from now on
I’ma use self control instead of birth control
Cause $315 ain’t worth your soul
$315 ain’t worth your soul
$315 ain’t worth it

 Artist: Wyclef Jean

 Album: Welcome to Haiti: Creole 101

 Song: President

 Download |  Ringtone (Coming Soon – Hopefully)

 Play: [See post to listen to audio]

[Intro]
Yea.
Election time is coming.
Who you gonna vote for?
Yeah

[Chorus]
If I was president
I’d get elected on Friday
Assassinated on Saturday
Buried on Sunday
They go back to work on Monday
If I was president…
If I was president…
If I was president…

[Verse]
Instead of spending billions on the war
I could use that money
so I could feed the poor
cuz I know some so poor
when it rains that’s when they shower
screaming fight the power
that’s when the vultures devoured

[Chorus]
If I was president
I’d get elected on Friday
Assassinated on Saturday
Buried on Sunday
They go back to work on Monday
If I was president…
If I was president…
If I was president…
Yeah

Anyway, this month I got an oldie but goodie from Mr. Talib Kweli. I felt it was slightly appropriate given that his new album is due out soon. The verse I chose is from the track “For Women” on his “Reflection Eternal” album. It takes an interesting look at the life/travels of blacks in America. With that said, on to the music/lyrics:

 Artist: Talib Kweli & Hi-Tek

 Album: Reflection Eternal

 Song: For Women

 Purchase |  Download |  Ringtone (Coming Soon – Hopefully)

 Play: [See post to listen to audio]

[Intro]
Yea, so we got this tune called “For Women” right
Originally, it was by Nina Simone
She said it was inspired by, you know
Down south. In the south, they used to call her Mother Antie
She said No Mrs.
Just Antie
She said if anybody ever called her Antie
she’d burn the whole goddamn place down
I’m over past that
Coming into the new millenium, we can’t forget our elders

[Verse]
I got off the 2 train in Brooklyn on my way to a session
Said let me help this woman up the stairs before I get to steppin’
We got in a conversation she said she a 107
Just her presence was a blessing and her essence was a lesson
She had her head wrapped
And long dreads that peeked out the back
Like antenna to help her get a sense of where she was at, imagine that
Livin’ a century, the strenght of her memories
Felt like an angel had been sent to me
She lived from nigger to colored to negro to black
To afro then african-american and right back to nigger
You figure she’d be bitter in the twilight
But she alright, cuz she done sseen the circle of life yo
Her skin was black like it was packed with melanin
Back in the days of slaves she packin’ like Harriet Tubman
Her arms are long and she moves like song
Feet with corns, hand with callouses
But her heart is warm and her hair is wooly
And it attract a lot of energy even negative
She gotta dead that the head wrap is her remedy
Her back is strong and she far from a vagabond
This is the back of the masters’ whip used to crack upon
Strong enough to take all the pain, that’s been
Inflicted again and again and again and again and flipped
It to the love for her children nothing else matters
What do they call her? They call her aunt Sara.

Anyways, that is it for the introduction. The song is called “You Ain’t Gotta Go Home” by Joe Budden. Also, for Sprint users (and maybe other users too, I do not know) I have added a ringtone for the song. Just click on the “ringtone” link while browsing via your phone. With that said, on to the music/lyrics:

 Artist: Joe Budden

 Album: Joe Budden

 Song: You Ain’t Gotta Go Home

 Purchase |  Download |  Ringtone

 Play: [See post to listen to audio]

[Bridge]
Ma when I’m done pokin’ you from the rear
You ain’t gotta go home
But you gotta get the **** outta here

[Verse]
Ma
You real aggressive
Catchin’ me of balance
It’s a turn off
Don’t you know ****** respect a challenge
Move a lil’ slow gettin’ at me
Treat the ***** like it’s worth somethin’
Don’t just go throwin’ it at me
Cuz
While you doin’ it
At the same time I’m thinkin’
How many ****** hit you wit that same line
Or
How many other ****** you ran game to
How many ****** you ******
Or you gave brain to
How many other dudes houses you done came to
With condoms on you
Hopin’ that he fondle on you
And
I ain’t tryin’ to catch nothin’ from you
So I’m caught up in a Catch-22
If I don’t **** her
Then I’m not like guys she met before
So while I’m turnin’ her down
She’s just likin’ me more
But if I do get to pokin’
Hit her with long strokin’
I now have a girlie on my hands that’s open
I don’t want her callin’ me constantly
Thinkin’ ’cause I ****** her
She got a bond with me
I don’t want her misunderstandin’
A one night stand
It was just a nut
I’m not your man

[Hook]
Ma
I’m there, if you fine in the rear
We can get into whatever if you don’t mind boo be yeah
And when I’m done slidin’, you somethin’ fierce
You ain’t gotta go home
But you gotta get the **** outta here
Ma
I’m there, name a time and where
We can get into whatever if you don’t mind boo be yeah
And when I’m done pokin’ you from the rear
You ain’t gotta go home
But you gotta get the **** outta here

Well, needless to say that seclusion did not last long, as this months Verse of the Moment does not come from the Hip-Hop genre. Instead, this month, I got a cold (slang definition: incredible, impressive, superb) R&B verse from Ne-Yo. I have been listening to his song “When You’re Mad” for the past month or so almost non-stop. The song is just that good. And, I feel that way at times, so I can definitely relate to what he is talking about (a plus in all music). And to make it even better, he has recently released a video for the song. Good choice. Anyway, enough of me rambling. Here is the music/lyrics:

 Artist: Ne-Yo

 Album: In My Own Words

 Song: When You’re Mad

 Purchase |  Download

 Play: [See post to listen to audio]

[Verse]
It’s just the cutest thang
When you get to fussin’ (cussin’)
Yellin’ and throwin’ thangs
I just want to eat you up
I don’t mean no disrespect
When I start staring
Knowing that it makes you madder
I’m sorry
But seein’ you mad is so sexy (yeah).

Could it be that little wrinkle over your nose.
When you make your angry face
That makes me just want to take off all your clothes
And sex you all over the place (yeah)
Could it be the little way you storm around?
That makes me want to tear you down
Baby I ain’t sure
But one thing that I do know
Is every time you scream at me

[Chorus]
I want to kiss you
When you put your hands on me
I want to touch you
When we get to arguing
Just gotta kiss you
Baby I don’t know why it’s like that
But you’re so damn sexy
When you’re mad

 Artist: Saigon

 Album: Warning Shots

 Song: Shok TV

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 Play: [See post to listen to audio]

[Verse]
I said listen, I’m a ***** on a mission
Do what I gotta to get my people in position
Help ‘em envision a better living condition
Stop putting so much trust in your religion
They couldn’t conquer without division
Boy you still black, I don’t care if you Catholic or you Christian
Police’ll still **** you up, young buck
Bust you in your head, leave your body by the dump truck
Revolution got me pumped up
But it’s still a fact black people think so ****** up
How they got money to go war with whoever wrecked the buildings
And none for Africa’s HIV infected children
That mean the money for a life they can save
They rather use it to send a life to a grave
And that’s not righteous ways
That ain’t even half, my real-a-real
I could write for days
But I don’t know how they might behave
You seen what they did to the ‘Pac’s, Martin’s, and Marvin Gaye
Could you picture the Black Panther party today?
Usin’ hip hop to say the same thing Marcus Garvey would say?
Imagine Malcolm X over a beat
Tryin’ to rally up the troops and take control of the street
Still in the window holdin’ the heat
But now we got soldiers on the corner like police patrollin’ the beat
**** G.E.D.’s – ****** need DP CD’s
We don’t need PCP; we don’t need flat screen TV’s and DVD’s
We need more knowledge of who we be

[Chorus]
Do we really know where the guns come from?
Do we really know where the drugs come from?
How come it only affects us and not them?
How come Jesus Christ has still not come?
Why am I wrong if I kill a ***** that punch me?
But it’s alright for you to blow up a whole country…

 Artist: The Last Emperor

 Album: Hidden Treasures

 Song: Do U Remember

 Purchase: Here

 Play: [See post to listen to audio]

I listen to a lot of music; a “lot” of music. I listen to music while driving, while studying, while riding the bus, while at work, etc., etc. And from time to time I come across verses which I feel are nearly perfect. With that, it is my hope that every month (or so) I will be able to share with you a verse which is almost touching perfection.

So what makes a perfect verse? Well, a number of things (in my opinion). Obviously the content (words) of the verse are important. However, they are only a portion (a small one at that). I have heard many of verses that were phenomenal but had no impact on me because the beat was no good or the delivery was terrible. Therefore, when I think of a perfect verse, I think of the word selection, the method of delivery, the beat, as well as the effectiveness in making me “feel” what the artist is trying to say.

So why only a verse? Well, mainly because 99.9% of songs (of all genres) do not keep a constant theme throughout the song. Most songs have that one verse that sets the tone, and then the other two (or so) which fill up the empty space. With that, if I was to make this a “song of the moment,” letting people know of almost perfect songs, this would probably be an annual or biennial post (not good for blogging).

With that out of the way, enjoy the verse, and let me know if you agree/disagree and why/why not (if you want). If you have a recommendation for next months verse, please send me an email through the contact page. Thanks.

 Artist: Little Brother

 Album: The Minstrel Show

 Song: All For You Ft. Darien Brockington

Purchase: Here

Play: [See post to listen to audio]