Mixtape- Camryn

MIXTAPE

1.Handheld GPS- Rex Life Raj

2. Shutterbug - Big Boi

3. Gangsta- Kat Dahlia

4. Heaven Only Knows - Towkio ft. Chance the Rapper

5. Crooked Smile- J.Cole

6. What Would You Do? - City High

7. Timmy Turner Remix - Designer + Kayne

8. Why You Always Hatin?- YG ft Drake

9. I Wish- Skee Lo  

10. White Ferrari - Frank Ocean

Handheld GPS- Rex Life Raj

http://genius.com/Rexx-life-raj-handheld-gps-lyrics - Song and Lyrics

This is a fairly new song and artist. The song is about the way the world and his life is now. Everyone is s caught up in others peoples lives, especially because of social media. It is talking about being lost in a world that is so accessible now. I really like what he is saying and the more mellow tone in his voice. “Handheld GPS, still everybody's lost” I love this line because it sums up what it's like to be lost now a days. You have all the tools and everything on the internet but your life is still not put together. I also like the line “Fuck a suggestion, use intuition/ when your heart speaks to you, you should listen”. Follow your own heart and mind, don’t  listen to hers because you know what's best for you. I like the message and the vibe of the song a lot. It is a mellow.

Shutterbug - Big Boi

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rWsvkW6rKkQ   - Song

http://genius.com/Big-boi-shutterbugg-lyrics   - Lyrics

Big Boi is the other half of Outkast. This song has the happy and catchy vibes of an Outkast song. It is more of a party song but I enjoy his rapping. The song came out in 2010 and was the debut single in is solo album. This song was also nominated for a grammy and ranked in the charts. I think his rapping kind of has an old school vibe. It is really enjoyable.

Gangsta- Kat Dahlia

http://genius.com/Kat-dahlia-gangsta-lyrics - Song and Lyrics

Kat is a female rap artist. The song references 50 Cent's “Wanksta”. Her voice is very ruff and the lyrics are personal. She talks about her father, who was a gangster, and her mother he sacrificed for her children. I think the line “Mommy on the couch since she was 42/Sacrificing for the kids cause that’s what mommies do” is powerful because most people can relate to a mother sacrificing something for their children. Sacrificing to give the kids a better life, living condition, etc. Also the line “Finding faith in God cause the real world hurts” is powerful. People often use religion to escape the world, to have a higher power/meaning. Escaping the world to believe in something that may help you get through the day. This song is beautifully down, even though it is so vocally hard and raw.

Heaven Only Knows - Towkio

http://genius.com/Towkio-heaven-only-knows-lyrics   - Song and Lyrics

This song is bubbly, has gospel aspects, and apart of the SAVEMONEY crew. The sound is very positive and soulful. It features Chance the Rapper who has recently become very popular. He is very into the music being an art, known for putting his music out for free. The song has a gospel feel due to the chorus but the lyrics of the rappers are not about religion. It is fun and a feel good song. “It's my job to make  hem think, and make music that they feel/ So these songs make them sing like” is my favorite part of the song. I enjoy the way it flows into the singers’ singing. It's a cool song that can make anyone smile, you don’t have to believe in heaven.

2 Crooked Smile- J. Cole

http://genius.com/J-cole-crooked-smile-lyrics  - Song and Lyrics

This song is about loving what you already have. J. Cole refers to his teeth as being something that he was born with and people think he should fix but to him it is a symbol for him loving himself. One part of the song is targeted to women, he is saying that women should like how they look no matter how much pressure they have to be beautiful. “All you see is what you lacking not what you packin” which is true for everyone. You only see what you don't have not what you do have. Focus on what you like about yourself. His lyrics are flawless. I could analyze every line but I rather you just listen to it.

What Would You Do?- City High

http://genius.com/City-high-what-would-you-do-lyrics  - Song and Lyrics

This song came out in early 2001. City High is a music trio, two men and one women. The song is so powerful and tells a story of a woman who strips and sleeps for men for a living to make money. A man walks into a party and knows the woman and asks her why she is doing this, there are other ways to make money. For her there is no other way. She has to feed her son and that is the only way she can do it. “So for you this just a good time but for me this what I call life”  Don’t be so quick to judge people and their situations, look at it from their perspective. The song is a little upbeat for such a heavy message but I think that is what makes the song so good. It is weird to think that you can dance to such a meaningful song, but you can. It is overall a great song, especially when they switch up the beat in the middle.

Timmy Turner Remix - Desiigner and Kanye

http://genius.com/10348962  - Lyrics and Song

This song is a remix of Timmy Turner by Designer. Kayne decides to write a verse and it completely changes the song. It comments on how people are killing each other and how it has become a part of society. “Born in a nation that breed us, why they don't ever show me the love” This is insanely meaningful. It can go two ways. A nation that bred killers but they look down on it. Kanye could also be commenting on the fact that slaves use to be bred and sold. Either way the nation created something that is looked down upon. Also the line “Nobody filling that paper work”. You have to fill out paperwork to make a change and no one does it. People are constantly getting killed and nothing is done. Designer’s part is talking about a kid wishing for a gun to kill people. Timmy turner is a character from that Fairly Odd Parents (a cartoon) who wishes for anything and it comes true.

Why You Always Hatin? - YG and Drake

https://genius.com/Yg-why-you-always-hatin-lyrics- Lyrics

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KagMX--oBTY - Clean Version

This song is the song that my friends and I would blast during the summer. The chorus is the best part, which is why we blasted it. It doesn’t really have an important meaning at all but it is a “party” rap song. YG has recently gotten big. He has been making songs for a while but I think this song became so popular because it was featuring Drake. (I found a clean version but it is kind of bad quality)

I Wish- Skee Lo

https://genius.com/Skee-lo-i-wish-lyrics - Song and Lyrics

This song was introduced to me by my brother. He was probably fifteen at the time, so I was twelve. I don't know where he found it because it is an old song and really corny but good. I think I like so much because it is so corny and has sentimental value. It is a song that you can memorize and rap, which I have done. I remember I was in Lit class sophomore year and Mr Dilworth rapped one line and I finished it because I knew the song and the whole class was so confused. Anyways, Skee Lo is wishing for everything he wants. He wishes he taller, a baller, and had a girlfriend. The song is funny and catchy.

White Ferrari - Frank Ocean

https://vimeo.com/188262310 - Song

http://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/frankocean/whiteferrari.html - Lyrics

Since the term is called Hip-Hop and Poetry, I thought I would throw in a song that is poetry to me. The lyrics are beautiful and could be a poem. It is abstract and has meaning to the singer/songwriter. He constantly drives and is talking about the person he loves who accompanies him on long drives. My favorite line is “You left when I forgot to speak So I text the speech, lesser speeds Texas speed, yes” The way it flows when he sings it is amazing. I always sing that part because it is so well done. Also I know how it feels when you forget to say something because you are too shy so you have to text it, it is impersonal. He then relates it back to driving by saying “Texas speed”. So dope.  Frank Ocean is a beautiful singer and songwriter. I highly recommend his album it is beautifully done. It is not rap, but the lyrics are like poetry. I recommend the songs “Solo”, “Ivy”, and “Self Control” on the album Blond(e).