Day 20: As I Am (2007) by Alicia Keys

I just somewhat challenged my Professor of Hip Hop Culture to a rap battle. Hahaha...not really. Someone suggested that for extra credit we should write a flow. He jokingly said that he finds that scary since it's hard to listen to bad rhymes. I yelled out, "How do you know we're bad?" The class laughed and kinda was like "oh snaps!" Hahaha...but again, not really.

Since this is my blog and my blog only, maybe I'll just write down my notes for class for today. I know this probably has nothing to do with Alicia Keys' album "As I Am," but fuck it. I could do whatever I want.

Hahaha...naw. I'm just playin. As much as I love hip hop and the politics of hip hop, I gotta get out of that mind set sometimes.

Aight, the last couple posts have been a bit political in nature. Tonight, I'm gonna do a little self-indulging.

First off, I didn't expect what I got from this album. I'm a huge fan of soul and r&b, but Alicia Keys just hasn't been bringin it for me the last couple of years. She had some really great early singles like "Fallin'," "A Woman's Worth," "You Don't Know My Name," and "Diary." And let's not forget "If I Aint Got You." But her last few singles were a bit bleh to me. A little more poppy, a little less soul.

So I have really been putting off listening to this album for a while. I believe I got this album from my buddy Daryl when he was giving me his collection of albums about two years ago or so. It was part of the package including T.I., some Daft Punk, Radiohead and Jay-Jay Johanson. I've listened to just about every other album, but this is the last one that I've taken time to listen to.

And damn. She surprised me. There are some pretty soulful songs in this album. Songs like "Where Do We Go From Here" and "Wreckless Love" made it easier to listen to songs like "No One." Like my girl Linda "Smash" from Culinary Combat said to me, the album is better than its singles.

Speaking of Smash, we been jammin together for the last few months, along with Tostada on rhythm guitar and Marino on drums. She mad kills it when we jam. Great singing voice. I play lead guitar, although I'm probably gonna move to bass. I think that's where my skill will be best used. Anyhow, together we are SOLO ENSEMBLE (shameless plug). All we're doing is covers for now, but once we get more accustomed to playing together, we'll come out with original stuff. Now if only we can get my girl Jean to come out. You remember her? The one that almost fought Humpty Dumpty in the first post. Yeah, she can fill it in with the keys.

Imagine this in a mini skirt.

Anyhow that is all for today. I'm dead tired and I gots to go teach some kids to read in the mornin. Join me tomorrow when I do another Al Green album, Lay It Down.

Peace, bruthas and sistas!