Thank you for the questions and please keep them coming.  I’m going to start first with Beth P.’s question because she asked me about this weeks ago and I never answered her.  Sorry, Beth!

Beth P. asks:

I am a lurker and have always been curious about how you became a fan of funk and rap music.  So I’d like to know how it started and if you are passing your passion of music onto your son…I think I asked this before so sorry if it’s a repeat but you did ask for questions!!

First of all, Beth P. is not a lurker.  I met her in real life this past August in Chicago at BU ’09.  Plus she is funny and fabulous and shared her bottle of wine with me.  That nullifies any lurker status.  

For the answer, I need to take you back to the summer of 1982.  It was the summer that my brother passed his driver’s test and copious amounts of driving were done in our ’74 Chevy Vega around the streets of DePere, WI.  It was also the summer of my crush on Grant Wright.  He was a new friend of my brother’s and I was quite smitten with the boy.  Grant, on the other hand, was quite smitten with another girl – a girl named Vicki, or as I called her, hicky-sticky-quickie-licky-Vicki.  So this was also known as the summer of unrequited love. 

When given the chance to hang with my brother and Grant, I was always in.  In like Flynn as they would say.  One day, Grant wanted to go to this record store in Green Bay to pick up some new album by The Sugarhill Gang.  “The who gang?” I asked.  I had never heard of this group but I really didn’t care, I was being asked to be in close proximity with Grant and I quickly accepted the invitation. 

We arrived at the store and Grant found the album, 8^th Wonder.  He showed it to me and I thought he was kidding.  We were white kids, lived in Whiteville and listened to white groups.  I remember laughing at Grant and him telling me to just wait until I listened to it and that I would love it, too.  We drove home and quickly put the needle on the record.  And just like Grant told me, I loved what I heard.  It was the most infectious and catchy music I ever layed my ears on and before long I burned my Police albums.  

Over the summer, Grant introduced me to other R&B and Rap music and I think I must have felt the same way that people felt about The Beetles when they came out.  But remember, I lived in Whiteville and it’s not like I could just turn on the radio and tune to the local R&B station.  There were none.  However, there was an underground station at the local college, UWGB, and they played R&B and Funk on Saturday nights from 9pm to 1am.  Without fail, every Saturday night, I would put my little cassette tape into my boom box and record as much music as possible. 

Fast forward to 1986.  I’m now 19 years old, in my first “real” relationship and head over heals in love with a young man named Alonzo, aka Zo.  During the four years we were together, Zo taught me a lot.  Most of it was what not to take in a relationship, but he also taught me about some really great music.  I learned about and to love the likes of Marvin Gaye, Switch, Minnie Riperton, Teena Marie, Frankie Beverly and Maze, George Clinton and on and on and on.  And my love for this music continues today, except now I have an ample supply of R&B stations to choose from in Atlanta.

Am I passing my passion for this music to Moe?  Absolutely!  He hears it a lot in the car and at home, but I can’t say he’s a huge fan right now.  Currently, he’s a huge fan of Cat Stevens and will press skip on the CD player until he hears Cat’s voice.  Once he hears Cat’s calming voice, he sways back and forth and hums along with him.  This is quite fine with me, too. 

Going back to my first love, R&B, I have this beautiful song for you today.And you girls,wouldn’t you like your man to sing to you like that? Mhmm… Enjoy!

I was told the true definition of a man was to never cry
Work till you tired (yeah) got to provide (yeah)
Always be the rock for my fam, protect them by all means
(and give you the things that you need, baby)
Our relationship is (suffering) trying to give you (what I never had)
You say I don’t know to love you baby
Well I say show me the way
I keep my feelings (deep inside I)
Shadow them (with my pride eye)
I’m trying desperately baby just work with me

[Chorus:]
Teach me how to love
Show me the way to surrender my heart, girl I’m so lost
Teach me how to love
How I can get my emotions involved
Teach me, show me how to love
Show me the way to surrender my heart, girl I’m so lost
Teach me how to love
How I can get my emotions involved
Teach me, how to love

[Verse 2:]
I was always taught to be strong
never let them think you care at all
Let no one get close to me
Before (you and me)
I den’ shared things with you girl about my past
That I’d never tell to anyone else (no)
Just keep it to myself, (yes)
Girl I know I lack affection and expressing my feelings
It took me a minute to come and admit this but
See I’m really tryna (change now)
Wanna love you better, (show me how)
I’m trying desperately baby please work with me

[CHORUS]

[Bridge:]
Ain’t nobody ever took the time to try to teach me what (love was but you)
And I ain’t never trust anyone enough to let em tell me (what to do)
Teach me how to really show it and show me how to really love you baby
(Teach me please just show me yeah)
‘Cause I’m (willing)
To let (go) of my (fears) girl I’m (serious)
About (all that I’ve said)
Girl I (wanna love you) with (all my heart)
Baby show me where to start

[CHORUS]

[VAMP:]
Girl just teach me how to love you better
You know I wanna love you better girl

Yeah, it’s a day late, but… DDISBORED’s Top 35 Jams of 2008 Countdown continues today.  It’s hard to make lists like these, because it seems like every day i hear a song I just LOVED to listen to this year!  So, without further ado (did i spell that right?), here  are #24-#15 songs on DDISBORED’s Top 35 Jams of 2008.  **Stop Back on January 1st for DDISBORED’s Top 14 Jams of 2008!!**

24. Fall Out Boy – “20 Dollar Nose Bleed” …This will be the biggest hit off their amazing new record for sure!!  CHECK IT OUT!!  NOW!!

23.  Estelle – “American Boy”(ft. Kanye West) …Estelle’s voice is amazing, and kanye saying “dressed up like a london bloke” …had me sold from day one!

22.  The Roots – “Rising Up”(ft. Wale & Chrisette Michele)  …Mainstream Go-Go!!  Need I Say More?!!

21.  Beyonce – “Ego”…Well I had to put the song that Beyonce dedicated to me on the countdown!

20.  Jay-Z – “Jockin Jay-Z”… “That bloke from Oasis said I couldn’t play guitar…somebody should’ve told him I’m a fuckin’ rock star”.  That line alone makes this song crazy!

19.  Erykah Badu – “Honey”…This is Erykah at Her Neo-Soul Best!!  And On Top Of That This Is Probably The Best Video of the Year too!  YOUTUBE IT!

18.  Panic at the Disco – “Nine in the Afternoon”…If the Beatles made a single in 2008, it would probably sound alot like this!

17.  Musiq – “IfULeave” (ft. Mary J. Blige) …2 R&B giants on the same record… one of the best R&B songs of the year!

16. Lupe Fiasco – “Paris, Tokyo” …It’s a  Hip-Hop love song about traveling… “Let’s go to sleep in Paris, Make Love In Tokyo.” 

15.  N.E.R.D. – “Everyone Knows” … “All The Girls Standing In The Line For The Bathroom!”  Party Record of the year!

Well I Hope You Enjoyed #24-#15 of our Songs of the Year Countdown!!

Get @ Us On New Years Day To See DDISBORED’s Top 14 Jams of 2008!!

IF YOU LIKE, HATE, OR WHATEVER… COMMENT!! COMMENT!

~dudley, out~

Here’s a  video of Ice Cube’s latest single, “Why Me?”, featuring Musiq Soulchild. It’s off his album, Raw Footage, which is in stores now.

This is a pretty good song, but the video takes it to another level.

I haven’t liked any of Ice Cube’s music for years but I like this one.

If only he stayed away from family comedies.

-STAN

I had to create a new category called, Wtf?, just because of what happened to us at music class this morning.  We’ve been home for over an hour now and my mind keeps reeling back to the music teacher and what she said in class.  I can’t stop asking myself, ”Wtf?”  Seriously, I need to bounce this of y’all to see if you think I’m overreacting or if you think this lady needs a politically correct smackdown.  Here’s the down-low.

Our teacher, Ms. S, just announced the next song we were to sing.  I got Miles all extra excited because it was his all time favorite song, Little Baby Monkey.  Well, I don’t need to remind you how Miles feels about monkeys and he could hardly contain himself with anticipation.  He quickly let out one of his infamous screeches and his right hand shot up in the air and he proceeded to pump it up and down.  The only thing we were missing was for him to flick his lighter on.  

So, Ms. S proceeds to tell us a little background information on Little Baby Monkey and told us that the song has an African rhythm and that it is played on the piano using only the black keys just like Amazing Grace.  I thought to myself, interesting information, Ms. S.  She then said, the black keys are also known as the Negro keys or slaves keys and that is when I said, “Oh no she di’n't!”  

I think I was in disbelief at what I just heard and my face got all scrunched up, just like it did when Jason told me he bought four tickets to the ACDC concert in December.  But I didn’t say anything, and before I knew it I was singing, “Little baby monkey jumping up in a tree.”

I thought about saying something to Ms. S after class but I still was too angered by it.  If you knew me in real life, you know, in that state of mind, I would have been all up in her face, head cocked, finger waving, calling her an ignorant, racist biotch.  And then everyone would in turn, be calling me, C to the R-A-Z-Y.

So, now I’m debating whether to email Ms. S or to contact the owner of the business directly.  Or do any of you think I’m being oversensitive and overracting and should just let it go?  I’m concerned that in our next class she’ll tell us that Brazil nuts are also known by another name.

Today at music class, Moe took five steps.  Consecutive steps that is.  He received a standing ovation from all.  I hope to film this milestone when another set of hands arrives home.