Jay-Z is one of the best rappers ever to exist. So, I took this opportunity to give those of you who aren't familiar with his stuff to show you a taste of his old school stuff. This comes off an incredible album called Reasonable Doubt. The album was his debut, and a meaningful moment for hip-hop and Mafioso Rap in particular. The beat, a nice, slow, almost jazzy piano riff, was written by Ski Beatz. The Lyrics? Well, they're Jay-Z. Don't expect less than the best.
Movie of the Week: Ferris Beuller's Day Off
One in the catacade of important teen films John Hughes put out in the eighties, it's got real heart. It's not a grown-up trying to be a kid. It's really a successful teen movie about things teenagers go through. It also needs to be said that the movie is hilarious, and that it can connect to audiences of all ages. The movie may not be a masterpiece, but it's severely entertaining.
Album of the Week: Pet Sounds - The Beach Boys
Probably one of the most secretly legendary albums in history, this one takes the crown for arranging. Brian Wilson is an undisputed genius. This album was the one that really proved that Wilson was a musician, and not just a hit maker. You will be able to tell, by the fact that you've probably heard of one (or three at most) of these songs, before you encountered the album. The album was the main inspiration for The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band. Beatles Producer George Martin once noted "Without Pet Sounds, Sgt. Pepper wouldn't have happened... Pepper was an attempt to equal Pet Sounds." The arrangements are pitch perfect, the songs are beautiful pop songs, and the lyrics are perfectly suited. What more could you possibly ask for?
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