This afternoon, while giving a coworker a ride in my car, it became blatantly apparent how strange and obscure my musical tastes have somehow become. Immediately upon starting my engine, Diplo & Tripledouble’s entitled AEIOU vol. 2 break mix began playing and funky soul organ music was blaring out of the Olds. Both she and I instantly began laughing hysterically at the fact that someone of my age and background has absolutely no business blasting 70’s soul/funk/jazz with as little shame as I do. While driving home after dropping her off I couldn’t help but think about the last 14 years that I’ve spent collecting records, the effects that it has had on my life and attitude, relationships made and lost, and time & money invested that could only partially hope to regain.
I’ve loved Hip Hop and Rap music for longer than I remember being alive and a majority of my personal life events are not measured in months or years, but instead album release dates, chart positions and musical trends. Record collecting has also brought me to some pretty strange places that I would have never imagined I would travel and brought me in contact with people equally as strange and interesting. I’ve found parts of myself that I never knew existed. I’ve bought and sold (given away is more accurate) countless records, but the most memorable part of all has been the journey. I remember reading or hearing someplace that happiness is not a destination, but a journey and never has this ever been more clear than when I have found myself 5 hours deep into a vinyl hunt. Looking back to my musical tastes (my breaks & samples, Stevie Wonder, Cameo, and Norman Connors obsessions immediately come to mind) and the turns that they have taken truly make me realize that happiness is real.
Keep Diggin…
Joints I’m Feeling Right Now:
1. Mobb Deep – The Infamous
2. Funkadelic – Cosmic Slop
3. Gil Scott-Heron – No Exit
4. Gangstarr – Daily Operation
5. Dudley Perkins – Expressions (2012 A.U.)
6. Lupe Fiasco – Food & Liquor
7. Hi-Tek – Hi Teknology
8. Soulman – From The Rock Section
9. Funkadelic – Let’s Take It To The Stage
10. M.O.P. – St. Marxmen
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