Influences

Songs That Influenced My Life

Everybody has that certain song that changed the way you view things, well for a person that loves music I have 12 songs that influenced my life. I decided to put these songs into categories which includes education, religion, family, and life. These songs shaped me into the person I am today.

RELIGION

First I will start with religion. One thing about me is GOD is number one in my life. I have to him praises everyday for what he does for me in my life. I can call on him through the good and bad times, I just know that GOD is so good. Everyday I try to build a stronger relationship him but 4 gospel songs started this great and wonderful process.

Silver & Gold by Kirk Franklin & the Family will forever be the song that started a lasting relationship with the LORD at such a young age. While my mother going to college in South Carolina we attended a church called Greater Faith Baptist Church. On Sundays, while we get ready for church this certain song use to always come on the radio. After a while, I started learning the words, but 6 years old I didn't know what I was singing about. But one day at church, 6 years old I started crying and I didn't know why. But during my crying session, I was thinking about Silver & Gold. And my mother asked "why are you crying". I responded "I don't know". That was my first connection I had with the LORD, because "I rather have Jesus then silver and gold"...Thank you JESUS!!! 

GET CLOSER TO GOD

Now that I started to build my own connection with GOD, I wanted to listen to more songs like this because I wanted that feeling again like I did in church that day. So, when you pray to GOD he answers your prayers. A few Sundays later another song came on the radio Addictive Love by BeBe & CeCe Winans. It caught my attention because it had that new school flavor but it still about GOD. Throughout the song GOD was never said, but it was clearly imply. After hearing this song, I started getting that feeling again. As you can see GOD was working on me at 6 years old. 

JUST LISTEN TO THESE WORDS

Now I have a great relationship with GOD and he has guided me through everything in my life. But I felt like I lost sight of him because when I got to college things were happening to me. First a situation during my first college situation caused me a lot of pain, then in 2005 my first year in college my father passed, and in 2007 my grandfather had a heart attack that eventually killed him 3 years later. During 2005-2007 I lost sight of him because I didn't understand why these things were happening. I even stop praying but GOD has a way of bringing you back to him. He knew that music could get my attention, one day I was at my desk listening to music and Lost Without You by BeBe & CeCe came on and the tears began. I started to feel that feeling that I had at 6, I started to realize that GOD was not out to hurt me. And from me not praying, I was losing my personal relationship with him. But after the tears, I got down on my knees and look to the sky and said "GOD I am lost without your guidance". Then I realize that during the good and bad times "I am lost without him".

LISTEN TO THIS CLASSIC

 

Now you would think that I have a closer relationship with him but there are always "bumps in the road" when keeping a strong relationship with him. But this time I have graduated college and started my career everything seemed to be going well until....One Saturday I get a call from my grandma to tell me my mother was in the hospital, but she told me don't be alarmed. But when you hear that your mother is in the hospital it's not a good feeling. But selfishly, I tried to go on with my day. But early Sunday morning, I was sleeping and GOD seem to wake me up and I swear I heard a voice say "go see your mother". I obeyed him got dressed got into my car and headed to NJ. While I was driving I begin to really worry about her because I felt like if GOD woke me up then this is serious. Me with my emotional shelf started crying while I was driving. So, of course I needed a song to help me get it together and the first song that came on the radio was God Will Take Care You by Aretha Franklin. And for that 2.5 hour drive that was the ONLY song I listened to. The first line of the song says a lot "Be not dismay whatever betide, GOD will take care of you". Now by the time I got to the hospital the worrying was gone and I just knew my mother would be okay. This is how I know GOD is a good GOD, when I walked into that hospital, my mother was happy to see and she told me, "they are letting me go home today". I just looked up at the sky and said "Thank you Jesus". That car ride to NJ was a life-changing experience for me.

GIVE GOD ALL THE GLORY

FAMILY

Now that you see GOD is important in my life, it's time for you to learn the 2nd important thing is my life which is family. Going back to the South Carolina days again, these are the days where the bond between my mother and I began. At a young age, I realize that my mother is the closest thing to GOD I will ever have. During those days, it was always me and her and it's a bond NOBODY can break. And the song that describe our bond is If I Could Build My Whole World Around You by Marvin Gaye & Tammi Terrell. This song is the first song that I learned all the words to as a kid because every time it come on or my mother would play it we would sing it together. She was Tammi and I was Marvin. Until this day, every time it plays we sing it as a duet. This song just puts a smile on my face because the bond I have with my mother is like no other. 

YALL SHOULD HEAR US SINGING THIS...OUR ANTHEM..HAHA

The O'Jays is my favorite group of all time and they have many classics but one song reminds me of my family the classic, Family Reunion. This songs brings tears to my eyes because it just reminds me of great family memories. That includes me, my mother, my grandma, uncle, my grandfather, my father, and my brother/cousin. These memories will forever be in my heart because my grandfather, my brother/cousin, and my father have passed on. It's like now Thanksgiving and Christmas will never be the same without them. I miss them dearly. During the holidays, the women would be in the kitchen cooking and the men would be the living room getting our drink on (Now you see I said we right....yeah I was drinking just soda...WINK WINK). Until this day, I listen to that song so I can daydream about the times with all my family being together. But now we (me, moms, and grandma) still keep the memories alive with the drinks and laughs. 

VIBE WITH THE O'JAYS

Back to the South Carolina days, me and moms always played the radio at all times. That included during homework, cleaning, cooking, and KNICKS games (had to give my KNICKS a plug..LOL). As a I can remember my mother and I were cleaning the house, and this song came on the radio. We never heard it before but this female was sounding so great, so we had to wait to see who the girl was. It was Reminisce by Mary J. Blige. From this point we loved Mary, she became family. Also from that day, Mary became my favorite artist. During this time, things were tough but it seemed like anytime a Mary song would play it would make us not think about the tough times we were going through. To me, Mary's music brought me and mother closer too. Songs like Mary's Joint, I Never Wanna Live Without You, You Gotta Believe me and my mother would sing these songs to the top of our lungs but this all started with the first day we heard Reminisce, on the radio. And thanks to that Mary has a spot in my family forever.

LISTEN TO THIS 90's CLASSIC

EDUCATION

With family, then comes education. Education is very important to me as black man. As a kid my mother always stressed education. As far as education, she was a major influence because she went to college and graduated while raising me. If that doesn't take strength, I don't know what does. (I was bad sometimes yall...lol) But while I was young, she would explain to me that education is important because you have to beat people in this would with your mind. Of course at 5 years old, I really didn't understand it but I knew mommy was serious when she said it. As stated before, music was always played and I can remember one album my parents use buy over and over, it was Janet Jackson's "Rhythm Nation 1814". This album will remain close to me because it was educationally motivating. But one song stands out from the rest which was The Knowledge. This song is so influential to me, it made me want to go to school and get an education because "education is the goal..so". Now with my mother being serious about education, she knew that the way to get through to me was music. To this day, I think she use to play The Knowledge often so I can understand how important education was. 

BE IN THE KNOW (A LYRIC FROM THE KNOWLEDGE)

When I got into middle school, hip-hop started become major genre in my life. But before then I only listened to a select few artist mostly Brooklyn based rappers. But one day during basketball practice I learned about my future favorite rapper Nas, from Queens. One of the guys in basketball practice decided to play Nas' "Illmatic". Before he played it, he said this is the best hip-hop album of all time, now with me knowing The Notorious B.I.G "Ready To Die", I didn't believe it could come close. Oh boy was I wrong, with classics like Halftime, One Love, and NY State of Mind, it most definitely comes close to "Ready To Die" But one song stood out from the rest, the Pete Rock produced The World Is Yours. In this song, Nas was tell me that I can be anything I wanted in this world, because the world was mine. So, I felt like if I worked hard and got a good education I could be great and successful in this world. From that day, Nas became my favorite rapper after the Notorious B.I.G. because Nas raps about thing that inspires you to do better in your life. And a song like The World Is Yours inspire me to continue my education to get my college degree to be the best I can be.

LEARN FROM NAS

 

LIFE

Finally to the songs that taught me about life and how to survive in it. I was about 7 years old and my parents brought Snoop Doggy Dogg's "Doggystyle" album. That album consisted of classics like Gin & Juice, Murder Was The Case, and What's My Name. This album was a major play in my house because when we had company the production by Dr. Dre got the party started. Now if I didn't know how to cuss after this album you would think something was wrong. I know it wasn't cool to be cussing at 7 but my parents couldn't really hear me because the music use to be loud. (Even though I heard many of these cuss words before... wink wink). But I felt with this album, you learned how to cuss the right way. (LOL). Now there are many songs on this album that I can chose, but the song that I chose is Niggaz & B!&@*3$. Now can you imagine if my mother would have heard me cussing, I probably wouldn't have been able to live pass 7. But I have to tell Snoop "good looks homie" because with this song I am a efficient cusser, ha. Nevertheless, if you really listen to this song, Snoop and others are telling you don't worry about nobody do what you do for yourself and don't care what people think. A serious life lesson.

CHECK IT OUT

 

Keeping the hip-hop going, about 8 years old my parents brought an album entitled "Ready To Die", from the Notorious B.I.G. He was from our hometown of Brooklyn N.Y. Now this album is an hip-hop classic that included: Juicy, Big Poppa, & One More Chance. But there was one song that stood out to me which was Everyday Struggle. It became my favorite song from B.I.G, in this song is explaining about life situations that we all go through. I felt that he understand about life hardships that we deal with in this crazy world. As a result, with this song B.I.G was letting us know that this world is not easy but just because you get out of one situation doesn't mean there won't be any other challenges to face. Another life lesson I live by everyday.

VIBE WITH B.I.G

To another Brooklyn artist, Jay-Z to me represented for NY during times when we needed it. September 11, 2001 will be a day that a New Yorker will never forget. It was the day that the World Trade Center was attacked by terrorist which caused the World Trade to be destroyed and caused people to died. On that day, Jay-Z released his classic "The Blueprint" which consisted the battle track Takeover, the emotional Song Cry, and the radio friendly Izzo (H.O.V.A). But I felt that Jay-Z gave NY the song we needed during those tragic time Heart of the City (Ain't No Love). It felt good for a NY rapper to give us a little hope and that's what I got from this song, because during this time NYC wasn't getting any love. And if you know me I represent NYC to the fulliest. (HENCE THE NY KNICKS) But thanks Jay for this record.

VIBE TO THIS JOINT

In conclusion, now you have a visual on how these 12 songs were a big influenced on my life as a whole. I learn so much from these songs because they have made me become a better person.

WHAT SONG INFLUENCES YOU?