Music is expression of self

I love music.

Honestly it is a passion of mine. It is a silent passion because I do not expose it to others like I do my other passions: the Lakers, Guatemala, and helping the poor. Everyone who gets to know me that I bleed purple and gold and I am Guatemala. I have been telling other my desire to help the poor as of lately. For the first two passions mention I run my mouth a lot, and of course I get bagged on ALL the time but it is all good. I share my passion for the poor with people who can understand deeply. So those are the passions that are pretty well known about me but music remains a passion within the limits of my heart. Now I will express my vast interest for music.

I love music because it is an expression of self. I enjoy those who talk about reality or things that relate to me. Many share that sentiment with me. I have select styles. I love Hip Hop/Rap. If I had to choose one genre and one genre only its Hip Hop/Rap. Back in my hey day, early teenage years, I would love the number one hits. Little by little I noticed that most of today's rap is crap. Even from the greatest rapper of all time: Tupac Amaru Shakur (very few songs because he is one of the must influential artists in my life and thinking). I absolutely hate songs like "Chicken Noodle Soup," or that song that goes "apple bottom jeans, boots with the fur." Songs like that is trash. There is nothing in their besides the fact that horrible MC's. They simple cannot rap. So when I listen to hip hop I focus deeply and solely on lyrics (the beat has importance but not as much as the lyrics). I look at the structure aka the rhyming patterns, how they keep on pace with the deep, metaphors, similes, words with double meanings, imagery etc. I look at as a poem. Second is how they put the lyrics on the song. If they have a unique style the flows with what they say and goes well with the beat, I enjoy the song and rapper. When it comes to lyrics top ones is Eminem, Lupe Fiasco, Nas, Talib Kweli in my opinion (those are all mainstream and lack much knowledge of underground hip hop and no lil wayne is not on the list becasue although he does have some sick lines, he misses waaaay to much before he hits). Flow, the way people rap, has to go Jay-Z, The Game, T.I. , Kanye West and I do include weezy because his flow is unique. The biggest thing for me to absolutely love a rapper is content. Lupe Fiasco and Nas take the top spots. There is no doubt. Another important aspect for which I approve rappers is their candidness and simplicity. This is Tupac and only Tupac. Straight foreword (in other words he is REAL). Others also have this quality but Tupac is in a class by himself.
My top rappers are: Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, Nas, Eminem, T.I., The Game, and of course Tupac.

For other genres i really listen to is mostly anything in Spanish. I personally think Spanish is a better language than English and that is an unbiased statement. I feel that in Spanish it is so much easier to express one self. One common theme in Spanish music is love without a doubt. Maybe that is why I am romantic, but that topic can be written in another blog. My personal favorites in Spanish is Mana, hands down, but cannot forget Ricardo Montaner (the love king), Juanes, Elvis Crespo, Celia Cruz, Franco de Vita, La ley, and my fellow Guatemalan Ricardo Arjona.

So my passion for music is not just listening to but creating. I am no composer but I do play the saxophone (tenor, alto, soprano) and the flute (had some piano lessons but thats long forgotten). I can read notes. I have another dream of building a music group but I would only write the lyrics. Reasons for this position if I were to have a group is because I cannot sing, I am not proficient enough for playing intstruments, and I LOVE to write lyrics/poetry. I love to write. That is why if you are to ever read my poetry it has like a beat to it because I am heavely influence by rap. With rap, the words you use are not those that appear in the dictionary, but those use commonly. There is more freedom to create, write, and rhyme. What I am mean by words used commonly is the "cuz," the "runnin'", the "wassup." I think you understand the gist. If I could rap I would, like no doubt but I don't have the voice for it. HAHA. It is true though. So this is my passion for music.

Best Love Song without a doubt, I don't care what language you speak is "Te Amo" by Franco De Vita

Best Mana Song is hard to determine but I love "Marisposa Tracionera" "Rayando el Sol" and "En el muelle de San Blas"

Best Hip Hop song is sooooooo hard but one I think is one of the best all time is "One Mic" by Nas. Great song.

Best Tupac Song is probably "California Love" maybe because of its popularity but I love songs like "Thugs Mansion" and "Changes" Actually I think "Changes" is his best song he ever made.

Other songs I like as of now is "Let the Drummer Kick" and "Viva la Vida" Great songs.

Remember Music is expression of self and another blog using music is by my good friend Bryan Kang: http://bryankang.blogspot.com/