Music and Thinking and Memories of Music
In this piece, I talk about Lupe Fiasco, Talib Kweli, R. Kelly and Kanye West
As I write this sentence, R. Kelly’s ‘I Surrender’ is playing on my Bluetooth speaker. As this song played, I was reminded of two songs I reintroduced to my playlist today after many years. The songs are Kanye West’s ‘Touch the Sky’ and Talib Kweli’s ‘Listen!!!’, which just reminded me that Kweli had a ‘Listen’ song before Beyonce.
Now, where is the link between music and thinking? And where is the link between memory and thinking? Let me pause with the questions. Here in South Africa, we have a radio slogan which goes like ‘your music, your memories’. In other words, music will remind you of something. And when you are reminded of something, you start thinking about it.
The memory can be what stage you were going through on your life. But not only does music remind you of life stages; I think it also reminds you of more music. In other words, one song will remind you of another.
When ‘I Surrender’ was playing, I was reminded of Talib Kweli’s ‘Listen’. It’s not that the two songs are similar, share the same message or are from one genre. No.
It’s not that the musicians are both black and American. I’ll tell you why R. Kelly’s song reminded me of Talib Kweli’s song, but allow me to first tell you this: after not having listened to Talib Kweli in a while, I looked him up on Wikipedia today. Now his story is not that similar to R. Kelly’s but he has his own controversies.
That is why ‘I Surrender’ reminded me of ‘Listen’.
What now? Well, since this post is about music, memories and thinking, let me talk about a positive aspect from Talib Kweli’s life story: his music is noncommercial, I believe. In other words, I think he’s into activism. I guess that is why I felt like listening to him today.
What about the Kanye West/Lupe Fiasco song? Well, it reminds me back in 2015 or 2016. I had met this chick and I felt like touching the sky. In other words, that experience reminded me of the song. I had to play it.
Today, it’s a different reason I played it. Perhaps it’s because there’s something in me that wanted to hear noncommercial or less popular music. Of course Kanye is a megastar, but not so are Lupe and Kweli. In other words, the two are underdogs, if you will.
Perhaps that is why I needed to hear them. Perhaps it’s the stage where I am in life, a stage where I feel that I am an underdog.
Shout out to Rum Brucctree.
And guys if you can afford a paid music review, please ask for it.