my passion is...
Listening to Music
Listening to music has always been my favorite past time. Being able to listen and enjoy a good song, a good message, a good beat, a good melody...is everything. Entering the mind or the creative space of an artist and being able to experience their art on such a personal, first-hand, yet accessible manner is only inspiring.
When it comes to artists that I feel have had an impact on me, influence or are a part of my daily life, or just inspire me as an artist, I could go on and on. Instead of taking a deep dive into my music taste, I'll show you my top 5 artists.
Beyonce
Since I was young, I've loved to sing. Whether it be in church for Children's Day, at a school talent show with my friends, or alongside classmates in choir class, I've always sang. Beyonce is the first artist I remember personally enjoying. She was the first person, other than my mother, that I looked up to. She was talented, beautiful, hard-working, and oh my gosh...she can sing.
Take a look at Beyonce's discography here
Nicki Minaj
I moved to the United States fairly young and grew up with strict, Christian, African parents...That being said, I was not introduced to much rap at home, and didn't know any classic or throwback artists/songs. Growing up I thought Nicki Minaj was the only female rapper. It makes sense, because at that time Nicki definitely was making huge moves and changes in the indusrty that would later prove to open doors for the generation of female rappers to come, and solidify her imapct on rap in general. Nonetheless, Nicki has always been an artist at heart. Whether it was the clever wordplay and thought-ripping bars, or her eccentric styling and attractive persona, Nicki Minaj has always been a distingushed creator.
Take a look at Nicki Minaj's discography here
Rihanna
I remember first listening to Rihanna on my cousin's Loud CD. Every time I heard the song "Man Down" I had to play it over, and over, and over again. It was the first time I had heard a sound like that. Of course I had heard of reggae/carribean style music and melodies, but this was different. Eventually I found my way to YouTube and ran those views into the ground, and it wasn't too long before I had found my way to her other videos. Since then Rihanna has always been a fovorite pop icon. Whether it was music, gossip, fashion, or literally anything she did, you heard about it. A certain aesthetic that, I feel is even more prevalent now that my generation is a little older, can only been attempted to be replicated. Looking at Rihanna now, she has not only solidified herself in music with her timeless discography, but as a fashion and style icon, as well as an established business woman.
Take a look at Rihanna's discography here
J. Cole
In the sixth grade I fell in love with english and writing. In Language Arts, we had just started learning about annotation and figurative language. I loved using different colored pens and highlighters to write notes all over the page. Seeing my thoughts in color and how my ideas connected from my mind to the paper and interacted with the text. Reading poems and song excerpts in class is what really did me in. I had already liked listening to rap, becuase of the influence of my older brother, and J. Coles story telling ability had always been one of my favorite aspects of his writing and genre of rap music. But these lessons made me think through what I was hearing. Now, when I listened to songs like "Is She Gon Pop" and "A Tale of 2 Citiez", it was different. I was noticing different things, it's like I was hearing songs again for the first time. Every new bar, every new reference, every new double-entendre, it was like a little nerdy adrenaline rush.
Take a look at J. Cole's discography here
XXXTENTACION
In middle school I was, how do you say?...Going through it. I'm not sure why, but I just wasn't happy. On top of that I was a growing preteen who wanted to do and say a lot but couldn't find it within me to do so. Also, as a child, I had no control over my life, my friends, my family. All the things I wanted to change, I just had to sit and wait. Music was the only constant in my life. I could just sit down and listen to someone that was saying exactly how I felt. Almost like a comforting conversation. That's what atrracted my to XXXTENTACION (aka X)'s music. It was a new sound, an intriguing sound, that was nothing more than perfect timing. Exposure to this kind of music also changed the way I heard music. I noticed different things I realizded I enjoyed. I would say X is the artist that made it easier for me to listen to different music, or seek out music that speaks to me.
Take a look at XXXTENTACION's discography here
