It's Finally "Over"

Now to follow up my posts on American music, hip hop, and the artist Drake, I’m deciding to get more specific by blogging about one of Drake’s songs. So I’m just here thinking of what song to choose, I mean there are so many superb songs to choose from. There’s “I’m Goin’ In”, “Successful”, “Thank Me Now”, and his brand new hit “I’m On One” in which he is featured. The decision is pretty difficult, but I’m going to go with one of my favorite Drake songs to date: “Over”.

Let me give you people a little background on this single. “Over” served as the lead single for Drake’s debut album Thank Me Later. It was written by Drake himself, as well as his friend Boi-1da. It was released to the public on March 8, 2010, and is a midtempo hip-hop song featuring an orchestral backdrop. It basically describes Drake’s induction to fame. 

To me this song is a lot more than great beats and lyrics, it instead tells a story about Drake himself saying how he has gone so far with his music. It describes how he will become famous, and everything people should expect from him. The song also says in the chorus that he’s going to keep singing and doing his thing for the rest of his life. “Over” also marks the beginning of his official career, being his first single of his debut album. It put him on the Billboard Hot 100 again, at number fourteen, and ranked number one on the rap songs chart and number two on the hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. It was Drake’s fourth consecutive top twenty hit in the U.S., and received a nomination for Best Rap Solo Performance at the 53rd Annual Grammy Awards.

Many critics viewed this song, and most of them thought of it as a good song. Most of them, in fact, believed that Drake was worthy of the hype he was getting, and compared this song to those of Kanye West. Yet, there was one critic, Henry Adaso, who dismissed the song. He was not pleased with the chorus and called Drake’s rhymes redundant and preposterous. He also called the song a disappointment. I completely disagree with this man. “Over” was by far one of the best songs Drake has ever written and sung. Its beat with its orchestral backdrop is kickin’; and the lyrics aren’t just words on the song, they have meaning to them. I don’t know what this guy was thinking but he must have some ear wax or something in his ears, because this was one of the best pieces of music I have ever laid my ears on.

There was also a music video made for this song, which can be found at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2lTB1pIg1y0. I highly recommend it, because it has an interesting viewpoint during the video as you see Drake in a room with some crazy stuff happening around him. Hopefully though, this is a prelude to what Drake has in store for us in his next upcoming album. Until then we can only appreciate what he has for us now, and expect what greatness he has to come. 

Drake, The Best I Ever Heard

Throughout the Hip Hop world, there are many names that are recognized. The most common names associated with hip hop music are: Chris Brown, Wiz Khalifa, Lil Wayne, Big Sean, and Drake. These artists are all known for the many great songs they each have produced. One of these artists, however, stands out to me as better than the rest of them. This one man is none other than Drake.

Born Aubrey Drake Graham, Drake is a Canadian recording artist and actor. His fame originally came from his role of Jimmy Brooks on his television series Degrassi: The Next Generation. It was from here his music career started, and in February 2006, Drake released his first mixtape Room for Improvement. In 2007, another mixtape of his was released called Comeback Season, which spawned his first hit single called “Replacement Girl.” 

From here, his career took off. Lil Wayne ended up hearing some of Drake’s music and invited Drake to go on tour with him in Houston. After this, Drake released his third official mixtape, So Far Gone. This contained the songs “Best I Ever Had” and “Successful” and was extremely successful. In fact, “Best I Ever Had” and “Every Girl” by Young Money Entertainment entered the Billboard Hot 100 chart, and were ranked at positions three and ten respectively. He is the second artist ever to have his first two top ten hits in the same week, with Nelly Furtado being the first (She is also Canadian). Then, on June 29, 2009, Drake signed a record deal with Young Money Entertainment, sealing his name in with all the other great rappers and artists that belong to the label.

Since then, Drake has released one mixtape called Thank Me Later, which premiered the songs “Over” and “Find Your Love”. These two, along with the single “Miss Me” featuring Lil Wayne, became the most popular songs on the album. Thank Me Later also became number one on the Billboard 200 and sold 447,000 records in its first week. Drake is supposed to release his next studio album Take Care in September 2011.

Drake, as well as being a great singer, is also a composer. He has written songs for artists like Alicia Keys (“Unthinkable”) and Jeremih (“I Get Lonely Too”). He also is thought to write his own features and songs, showing his skills and how talented he really is.

From his career, anyone can tell that Drake is a very talented artist, but what is it that makes him so talented? For me, being a good hip hop artist means having everything in a song flow together. Everything from the bass, the beats, and the lyrics; they all must flow and have some sort of pattern. Another reason I like his songs is that he tells about his life experiences, and recommends what he would have done differently in his life. The beats are also very catchy, and they are great to listen to during someone’s free time.

Since Thank Me Later, there has not been another mixtape released. However, there have been some songs released online. I get these songs from HipHopEarly.com, which contains songs that are released before their supposed release date. It’s almost like underground stuff not many people know about. This website has provided me with many of Drake’s more recent songs, like “Baby Come With Me”, and “I’m On One”. I highly recommend these songs because of their unique beats and the superb lyrics. They also are relatively new songs so they will be downloaded continuously over the next few days, which will increase the number of listeners and eventually the number of fans. 

So basically, Drake is the man. He creates his own stuff, as well as helps others out with theirs. He is the present face of hip hop, and I believe that he will remain there for quite some time. Until he comes down from his spot, I will continue to listen to him, but recently I have been looking for new material from him and have come up empty handed. Is there anyone who is as devote a Drake fan as me, and if so is there any new music that he has produced. I am in need of help. Also, my friend Trevor Brancato is an upcoming rapper who sounds like Drake. Most of his music can be found on his T-Rev. Trevor Rap Page on facebook, or on his youtube page, which can be accessed by going to www.youtube.com/user/tbrancato32. Go to his site, you won’t be disappointed.

Hip Hop History

So as of lately, I have been greatly interested in music with the downloading of these new songs I have found. Yesterday, I also posted something about the history of American music, describing how it originated and what it means to today’s society. Now for today’s post I was thinking of going deeper into the discussion, and maybe discussing one of the specific genres associated with American music. Also, the genre I pick must have popularity, as well as appeal to me as a member in our musically diverse society. So I’m going with my favorite genre of music, Hip Hop.

Hip Hop is a cultural movement that began in the 1970s. It is composed of two main parts that make hip hop what it is. These aspects consist of rapping, the delivery of swift, highly, rhythmic and lyrical vocals; and DJing and/or producing, the production of instrumentation either through sampling, instrumentation, turntablism or through beatboxing, the production of musical sounds through vocalized tones. Hip Hop came from humble beginnings, when it arose from The Bronx in the 1970s. It was started by a Jamaican immigrant named DJ Kool Herc, who brought it about by the Jamaican practice of toasting over the rhythms of popular songs. As time went by, and the 80s came, hip hop evolved and beats were repeated as emcees rapped. This newfound technique brought about celebrities like LL Cool J. Now even today hip hop has changed and gone into smaller more distinct groups. Gangsta rap is one of these sects, and is characterized by a lyrical focus on macho sexuality, physicality, and a dangerous criminal image (as seen by rappers like Gucci Mane and Yo Gotti). This was originated by the rappers Ice-T and the always famous Notorious B.I.G. After these men appeared, it introduced many other rappers to this distinct style, and soon 2Pac, Dr. Dre, and Snoop Dogg appeared on the scene. This marked the beginning of a cultural revolution in the ways of music.

Now in today’s society, hip hop and rap are the genres of music that are mostly present everywhere, from when you turn on the radio to looking at your own ipod. I mean just have someone compare how many hip hop songs they have in contrast to the amount of country or techno songs they have. Chances are there will be a significant difference, and there is a good reason for it. It’s basically saying that the generation of young people today are more interested in fast beats and rhythm than the words of the songs (which might be true for some people). But let’s look around society. There is a great difference in the number of hip hop artists compared to country or rock bands. For example, you can ask anyone if they have ever heard of Trey Songz, Drake, Jeremih, Lil Wayne, or even Nicki Minaj and the odds are they will say yes. The odds of someone  my age knowing a band like The Police, not so much. This just shows the shift in cultural and societal interest taking place today.

Now speaking of my musical preferences, I primarily enjoy listening to hip hop music with a little RnB thrown in there every once in a while. My musical interest also primarily rests in the artists T.I., Drake, Lil Wayne, Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, and Wale (pronounced Wal-e not Whale; he tells you in his song “Chillin”) The songs by these artists are remarkable, and are composed by great beats along with verses that in other words speak to my generation about struggle or getting along in life or about what goals someone has (“Successful” by Drake). The other thing about hip hop is that every week there is some new song or recent artist that has appeared on the scene. Some of the more recent artists are: Big Sean and Yelawolf, while some of the more recent songs are: “I Do It” by Big Sean and “Drinks in the Air” by Ray J ft. Kid Ink. Along with these songs will come more and more songs made by new and upcoming artists and rappers, which will constantly provide a source for the society’s want for more hip hop and rap music. So as long as I live there will be hip hop, but like all cultural movements it will end, but like classic rock and roll it will never die out.

The History of Music... in America

Since the beginning of civilization, mankind has been creating music. Of course back then, it was either random patterns of beating on a drum, or some chants done at a ceremonial ritual. Whether on purpose or not, it is still music and does have relationship with what people listen to today. Today, however, people are more interested in the beats produced and the genre of music that intrigues them. 

Even though music has progressed over the thousands of years, America made music its own as soon as it arrived. The reasons are many but can be summed up in one sentence. American Music intertwines with aspects of American social and cultural identity, including through social class, race and ethnicity, geography, religion, language,  gender and sexuality. Musical meaning from the United States has mostly come from one main source; however, the relationship between music and race. The African American identity has been a constant theme in this music as well, and has become an integral part of American popular music through blues, jazz, R&B, rock and roll, soul, and hip hop. This has since then been incorporated into America by all races of people.

Now in the twenty first century, people listen to all sorts of music with the most popular being hip hop, rap, R&B, and rock and roll. The popularity of these genres depends solely on the interest of the population. For example, I am a fan of hip hop and rap so I like songs that have a good beat and have a meaning that I can identify with. This is only one example so there might be other reasons for the liking of a specific genre of music. So please, give me your reasons for liking the music you like. Don’t be shy, contribute to the blog. Please...

I Believe...

Throughout our entire lives, there are things we have believed in. These things range from the utterly simple to the complex ideas that we formulate over the duration of our existence. The challenges with these beliefs each individual holds are, that at any moment in time they can be challenged and argued over. The most difficult thing about our beliefs, however, in regard to these challenges is the ability we have to defend what we believe in. I mean it’s easy to poke holes through someone’s opinion no matter what it may be, but if someone can defend their beliefs it makes them even more believable.

This topic comes to my mind because my entire life I have encountered instances where my beliefs have come into question. These times have occurred from when I was a young tyke, to my present state of a young adult. These events have caused me to defend my beliefs, as well as question them, and have helped me become the man I am today. 

The first instance where my beliefs were questioned, I remember, was when I was eleven. This was the time in my life when I realized something catastrophic... that Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny didn’t exist. Now you can imagine an eleven year old boy thinking to himself how that could be, but I ended up accepting it because it was a pretty farfetched belief that there was a giant bunny hopping around, and that a fat man could fit through a chimney. I mean come on! From then on, I had the ability to question my own beliefs, and view from my own perspective which ones were logically correct in my opinion, of course. However, there has always been one belief of mine that has always been present in my mind. One that no matter what I do seems to get more complex. This belief that remains is the one I have known since a young age: my religious faith.

Since I was a young boy, I have been raised as a Roman Catholic, and I have followed these beliefs my entire life. These beliefs have given me examples to live by and helped me become the person that stands before you today. Nonetheless, I have questioned this belief before, but I end up believing in it no matter what comes into question. This strong belief in the religious doctrines of Catholicism, or faith, has allowed to to stay true to my beliefs. Over the recent years, though, my faith has come into question more frequently, because I have met people who have no faith, Atheists if you will. They have made me question my faith, and have made me seek into the depths of my beliefs what is fact and what is fiction. The struggle seemed to go on forever, but no matter what I couldn’t make up my mind. Eventually, I reached a point where I didn’t know what to believe in. Nevertheless, my faith prevailed in the end. Along with this, it did help me realize one important thing: that it is our faith that helps us understand what we believe in, not the logic that comes from those same beliefs.

This intrigues me to find out what others believe in, religiously and in any other aspects. It also makes me wonder what other people believe that the definition of faith actually is. For my readers, I ask you to express your opinions about the subject at hand and feel free to comment on my opinion as well. Speak your mind. Feel free to say whatever you want, because after all, it is your own beliefs.

Assessing my Blogging... Nail or Fail?

Over the course of my senior year at St. Marks High School, this blogging project has been the most interesting. For one, it allows me to express my opinion over certain matters that I find relevant to the world. It also allows me to see the opinions of other students in my class, which is interesting because it lets me get another perspective on a subject. 

I have been blogging for nearly two quarters of my senior year, and as the year has passed by, I have learned many things about blogging that have influenced my blogs. For instance, I have learned that blogs are more popular if the writer has a certain theme, or they write about certain topics. It is also a great idea to tag certain subjects in the posts. Over the course of these two quarters, my blogging has been quite sporadic. By this term, I mean that during both quarters I have a certain month that has an increasingly greater amount than any other time, like November (2nd quarter) and February (3rd quarter). This sparks my curiosity and makes me wonder why I have so many views then but not at any other times. Maybe it’s the topic I chose to write about? For example, in November I talked about the football team’s championship run, while in February I talked about the power of music, which got many more views than any other post that month. All in all however, my blogging has not changed at all over the passing of the two quarters. Now I must persist with my blogging in an attempt to gain viewers from the rest of the globe.

Like I mentioned earlier, the most popular post I had in the third quarter was my one about the diversity of music, which is always an entertaining and interesting topic to write about. This is the case because many people like different kinds of music, and there are always opinions and ratings about new songs that come out or about new artists. These reasons probably made it the most popular. The other posts that were popular were the one about my unique contribution to our literature class (because it was required to post on it), and the post about how the football team was back in the championship for the second consecutive year. This post was popular because most students were going to attend the game, and many were excited for what was about to happen, which is understandable. There will be plenty of posts like this to come in the future of the Realm’s blogging.

From looking at my referring sites, I realize that most of my viewers came from google and facebook. This could be the case from when I posted on facebook for people to view my blog in desperation, but the google views could be from if someone was looking up something, or if they were going to Healigan’s site because I tagged some of my posts under Healigan (it worked really well). What I learned from this is that people look up a wide range of subjects, and will view whatever if it is interesting enough.

Right now, as the quarter comes to a close, I do not think I have any questions about the blogging. I feel this is the case because I now know what to do correctly in order to get more viewers. What did work for me was the labeling of subjects in my posts, but I am not sure what did not work (topic for another post, maybe?). Honestly, however, I believe that I deserve a B. The reason is that I tried in every way to get more viewers, but to no avail it didn’t work as well as I thought. As I tried harder, though, I found out that I was getting more views as time went by, which began to get my hopes up. This makes me wonder what the audience likes. What I learned from them is that they like certain topics that are of interest to them; things that are interesting to talk about; or things that someone can express their opinion about (music for example). This makes me think that for my future blogs, I must think of a controversial topic that sparks interest in both myself and my viewers. My writer’s persona, on the other hand, has not changed in my mind. The reason is that I have not changed how I write, I merely change what I am writing about. This change in my topics has opened me up to new viewers, which I hope to keep on getting. Until then, I will keep on blogging and hope to attract new viewers in order to bring my blog into fruition.

OverviewRefresh Now Day Week Month All time 2010 May – 2011 March

Posts More ▸ My Unique Contribution(s). Nov 4, 2010, 6 comments 16 Pageviews The Power of Music Mar 6, 2011, 3 comments 13 Pageviews We're Back Nov 27, 2010, 6 comments 12 Pageviews Seasons Greetings Dec 23, 2010, 6 comments 9 Pageviews Senior Superlative Stress Nov 11, 2010, 4 comments 8 Pageviews Traffic Sources More ▸ http://www.google.com/reader/view/user/16905741489257546624/label/111%20BOOK%20NEWS 17 http://www.facebook.com/l.php?u=http%3A%2F%2Flougenealessandrini.blogspot.com%2F&h=61630 3 http://r1rk9np7bpcsfoeekl0khkd2juj27q3o-a-fc-opensocial.googleusercontent.com/gadgets/ifr?url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.google.com%2Ffriendconnect%2Fgadgets%2Fmembers.xml&container=peoplesense&parent=http%3A%2F%2Flindseywashall.blogspot.com%2F&mid=1&view=canvas&libs=google.blog&d=0.549.6&lang=en&communityId=16162028457847915017&caller=http%3A%2F%2Flindseywashall.blogspot.com%2F 2 Pageviews by Countries United States 249 Denmark 10