Epiphany

Today the heavens up opened up above me. I was blinded by a bright light that I have never in my 21 years experienced, a choir of angels echoed the Hallejuah Chorus (could have been small children, not totally sure on that front), and the microwave beeped that annoying bloody beep to let me know my tea was hot again. It was almost as if God had intended it. Intended that I was bored, intended that I was listening to the exact artists I had been in the past hour, intended that the microwave went off at that exact moment. I think I had my first ever epiphany today. I can finally put my finger on my taste in music (or at least a part of it).

For years I've huddled under the umbrella of eclectics when it comes to music. Possibly the day after I watched Sister Act 2 and learned what it meant to be an eclectic, I became one (big ups Sister Mary Clarence). It's true, I actually am. But today, I found a common thread in part of my eclectic taste.

I stand firmly by my belief that I was either born in the wrong era, or was a 60's or 70's child in a previous life. I love ANYTHING from that time period. The Temptations, Carl Carlton, Jackson 5, The Beatles, Otis Reading, Al Green, Earth Wind & Fire, Average White Band, Marvin Gaye, Diana Ross (with The Supremes), Jimi Hendrix, Janis Joplin, heck I even found awesomeness in AC/DC and Fleetwood Mac - not the first genre I'd head to in a music store. So grouping that lot together, Old Skool has always had a place in my heart. Cheers Ma & Pa for raising me on the good shit.

Growing up with older siblings also meant I was bred to love early 90s rap and hiphop. It wasn't until I started heading towards the end of my adolescent years that I actually really appreciated the O.G. shiet though. Yeahhh, I was a teeny bopping, Lil' Bow Wow fan up until then. Biggie, Run DMC, Nas, Slick Rick, Lauryn Hill, 2Pac, Nate Dogg, Warren G! Even a few years ago I was still discovering the legit De La Soul, Wu-Tang, A Tribe Called Quest, and Beastie Boys' originals. All those rides with my big sister and her mates are encrypted in my memory bank.

So today, my epiphany fused these two genres together while listening to the Forthwrite Mixtape from 360 & Pez. They do exactly what I love in music and a bit more. A bad ass beat (not all bass, not all synthesizer, sometimes something similar to an old skool groove), smart and witty lyrics, and an old skool sample (or something similar to one) with a hook mashed in. *SIGH* - magic. Something I can sing along to and nod my head to in a gee'd up way - haha. They aren't the only ones doing it; crews like Homebrew are onto the same recipe, Jay-Z and Lupe Fiasco have used it too. I must admit, the Aussie accents get a bit much with these guys, but that was a deciding factor that only confirmed my epiphany. I could still listen to it all despite their inability to pronounce their words in an understandable manner. I'm not saying this is all I listen to because there is no way in hell I'm giving up my love for the likes of Jason Derulo and The Black Kids (*cough* or Jesse McCartney), but it's definitely a big part of what I'm into.

And that's all I have to say about that.