Kanye: Five reasons why you should quit hatin' and start lovin'

Usually people get a little surprised when I tell them I enjoy rap. I mean, I'm not exactly the stereotype you would consider having Lil Wayne, Jay Z, Ice T, L.O.C., Dr. Dre etc. on the ipod. I am a white, 32 year old female Scandinavian brunette, and English is not my native language, making it sometimes a bit difficult to follow along the lyrics. But what I mostly fall for when hearing rap, is firstly a good beat, and then I pick up phrases hear and there. But Kanye West revolutionized rap for me, because he samples great soul songs (and I love a good soul theme), I can actually hear what he is rapping, and he doesn't rap about the stereotype sex, drugs and "hoes", licking somebody's lollipop, getting caught in Compton and being thrown in jail, escaping police and what-have-we-not, but his lyrics contain an ironic twist, and are relatable.

Duly noted, Kanye West has put himself into sticky situations, commenting and saying outrageous things, controversies in the media, revealing a not so appealing personality, most notibly, appearing on stage at the European MTV awards show in 2006, when Justice won best video, and stressed that he thought that it was unfair that he didnt win. And later in 2009, at the MTV video music awards show he stole the mic from Taylor Swift winning for Best Female Video, and said that he think Beyonce should had won. This really threw people over the edge.

History is filled with tactless musicians, my two favorite ones are: In the mid eighties, an elder Serge Gainsbourg told a young fresh Whitney Houston that she was beautiful and that he would very much like to f+++ her. And off media, in 2004, Dave Matthews Band's tour bus dumped 800 pounds of human waste off a bridge, off Chicago River... onto heads of people aboard an architectual tour boat.

Either way, Kanye West's personality has closed off many people's curiousity to explore his musical talent. And that is a shame. If you are not aquanted with his music, his wonderful soul samples intwined, I will be delighted to show you my five favorites, and at the same time five reasons why you should start loving his music -  if you know his music.. I hope you will enjoy this visit.


Reason 1. Through the Wire
In 2004 Kanye West released his debut album at the same time embarked upon his college album trilogy. The debut album was different from the dominent topics of the genre at the time, and dealt with self-consciousness, family and personal struggles such as recovering from a near fatal car crash that left his jaw shattered. The jaw had to be wired shut and two weeks after being admitted to the hospital, he recorded the song Through the Wire, with his jaw still wired shut.
Through the Wire can be found on the album The College Dropout.

The College Dropout also features the very wonderful sleek slow jams and soul singers tribute "Slow Jamz", the completely ironic "The New Workout Plan" that ironically tells a tale about how many girls have followed Kanye's Workout Plan, and how this have changed their lives, the very nice soul sample beats of "All Falls Down", "Get Em High", "Family Business" and "Never Let me Down" and the  critical praised "Jesus Walks".

Reason 2. Gold Digger.
On Gold Digger, Jamie Foxx features, and many mistakenly think that Kanye West wrote the song and got a hold of Foxx after being featured as Ray Charles in the award winning movie "Ray". However the song was actually recorded, long before "Ray" was developed. I love the song Gold Digger. It has a great beat, and this is actually a rap song, where I think lyrics are brilliant and excellent executed. Gold Digger is about a man who marries a woman that manipulates him for financial gain.
Gold Digger can be found on the album Late Registration.

Late Registration also features the wonderful James Bond sampling on "Diamonds From Sierra Leone", more soul samplings on "Gone",  "Addiction" and "Touch the Sky", and hilarious skits about Kanye West joining a fraternity, where the main regulation is that you HAVE to be broke.

Reason 3. Flashing Lights
Kanye West's third album Graduation is filled with great songs. Such as the Daft Punk sample "Stronger", the slow intro "Good Morning", more soul samplings with "Everything I am" and "I Wonder" and the great "Good Life".
However I LOVE Flashing Lights. The down-tempo of it and the beat. That's all.
Flashing Lights can be found on the album Graduation.

Reason 4. Welcome to Heartbreak.
On the fourth album 808s & Heartbreak Kanye West took a drastic turn and made a bold gesture. Rather than rapping, Kanye West sings on the album containing themes like loneliness, heartbreak and love, inspired by his private life where his mother died and breaking off an engagement. The album is heavy on auto tune, and even though I am not into that, I still think the albums lyrical content is beautiful. "Welcome to Heartbreak" soon became one of my favorite Kanye West songs of all time, simply because the lyrics continously gets me in tears, stressed further with the deep sorrowful contrabass. I'd never think that a rap artist would get me there, but I'm there everytime on this song.
Welcome to Heartbreak is featured on 808s & Heartbreak.

808s & Heartbreak also features the popular "Heartless", "Love Lockdown" and "Paranoid". If you are like me and are having a hard time with autotune, start with Welcome to Heartbreak, and then dwell in the lyrics of this album.

Reason 5: My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy
Since I havent explored his recently released fifth studio album throughly yet, I will not call out one single. But name several songs. The album retells Roald Dahls rework of Cinderella on the grand "Dark Fantasy", has several great soul samplings, such as on "Gorgeous" and "Devil in a new dress", and has nice hooks on "Runaway", "Power" and the coming up smash hit "All of the lights."

The Bomb!! The extensive guide to 25 of Madonna's hidden gems

So you are familiar with Madonna and so what. You have danced to "Hung Up" and "Music" and you sing a long to the oldies Like a Virgin and Like a Prayer. Being a huge Madonna fan myself, I have followed her music career and loved her music since I was ten... and then I even came in late in the game. Her music career contains a magnitude of treasures that never really made it out to the public, and I have found my favorites to guide you through. So here are the remixes, the live versions, the singles that stayed on the albums and some that never even made it to the studioalbums. Enjoy.

1. I love New York (Rock Demo).
When "I love New York" was first introduced, it wasnt as the disco version, most people would associate it with, as found on the Confessions album. It played in the documentary "I'm going to tell you a secret" and was included on the album. I love this version because it is so rocky and rough instead of the more clean disco version.
I love New York (Rock demo) can be found on "I'm going to tell you a secret".

2. Drowned World/Substitute for love.
This single never really made it to the wide masses and I wonder why. It made a huge impact on me when I first heard it. The opening song for the studio album "Ray of light", it made a clear distinction in tune and lyrics that Madonna previously never before had made.
Drowned World/Substitute for Love can be found on "Ray of Light".

3. Push.
This is just a smashing single, and I wonder why it was never released.
Push can be found on "Confessions of a dancefloor".

4. Sanctuary.
It took me many listenings before I fell in love with this song. But when I did, I fell hard. It is so weird, mysterious, and have a great beat.
Sanctuary can be found on "Bedtime Stories".

5. Easy Ride.
This is a wonderful ballad that is completely overlooked, and has driven me to tears several times because it is so relatable (at least to me...).
Easy Ride can be found on "American Life".

6. I want you.
I think this is a cool song, mostly because I was a teenager in the trip hop age, and I think the collaboration with Massive Attack on this tune is soooo goood!!.
I want you can be found on "Something to Remember".

7. Angel.
Now this tune is pure naive and eighties. And I have loved it since I was eleven. So it had to be on this list. So shush.
Angel can be found on "Like a Virgin".

8. Spotlight.
This is Madonna's version of Katy Perry's Firework. (Or rather more than likely the other way around.) It is a great eighties dance tune that never made it outside the remix album.
Spotlight can be found on "You can Dance".

9. and 10. Sorry remix and Sorry (Pet shop boys remix).
The first is a dub prelude and the second is a collaboration with Pet Shop Boys. Both were played on the Confessions Tour, and I love the way a song, that was popular enough on its own was reinvented.
Both songs can be found on "The Confessions Tour".

11. Heartbeat
I love this song, and when I heard it on the album "Hard Candy" I was certain this would be a smashing single. Yet it was never released.
Heartbeat can be found on "Hard Candy".

12. Erotica from Confessions Tour.
Now before you chew my head off because of the bad rep and bad associations that comes with Madonna and "Erotica" (if you are old enough to remember) let me just say that this version took me by surprise. Talk about a reinvention of a very questionable and for many, not very good song. This is disco-rized and dubbed and very very nice. She even added better lyrics to the song.
This version of Erotica can be found on "The Confessions Tour".

13. Forbidden Love.
I love this song, which is a tribute to her song "Forbidden Love" from Bedtimes Stories. (See below).
Forbidden Love can be found on "Confessions on a dancefloor".

14. Physical Attraction.
This is truly a golden oldie. One of the oldiest oldies in fact. It never made it as a single, however in my head it is a widely known song (or maybe its just in my head.) Nevertheless I would like to include it on the list, because it is pure eighties and very cool.
Physcial Attraction can be found on "Madonna".

15. She's not me.
I love this tune, and mostly because of the lyrics, but also because it has a sassy beat.
She's not me can be found on "Hard Candy".

16. Gambler.
Again and again I ask myself, why was this song never a hit in the eighties? It is the bomb! It was never released on any of her albums.
Gambler can be found on the soundtrack for the movie "Vision Quest".

17. Burning Up, 12'' Mix.
This is another oldie, however I like this slightly different version than the one that can be found on the studio album, because its less rocky and more disco, which I think suits the song more.
You have to dig around to find this version of Burning Up. Try a single with Physical Attraction on the b-side.

18. Nobody Knows Me.
This song is another peculiar product. But I love the weirdness of it.
Nobody Knows Me can be found on "American Life".

19. Music Inferno.
So everybody knows Music, and everybody has danced to it. But this tune takes it and mixes it with a sound of old disco tunes and her own old tunes. Very lovely.
Music Inferno can be found on "The Confessions Tour".

20. The Look of Love.
When I was eleven and I was sitting in the back seat of my parents car and we were driving late at night, I would always play this song in my walkman. It was mysterious like "the dark night" to me. Loved it ever since.
The Look of Love can be found on the soundtrack to "Who's that Girl".

21. Inside of Me.
One of the best songs on her much overlooked studio album Bedtime Stories. It has a trip hop beat that I like.
Inside of Me can be found on "Bedtime Stories".

22. Susan MacLeod/ Into the Groove
This is an example of how you can take one of the best dance songs ever (Into the Groove) and mix it with one the worst instruments ever (backpipes) and make it cool.
Susan MacLeod/ Into the Groove can be found on "I'm going to tell you a secret".

23. Candy Perfume Girl.
Love this tune, the lyrics are great and it never made it as a single.
Candy Perfume Girl can be found on "Ray of Light".

24. Lucky Star Confessions Tour.
Ok so I know I have referred to the Confessions Tour Album a lot, but it is indeed brilliant because it is reinventing many of her classics. Lucky Star being one of them, which fits in perfectly with the disco tunes.
Lucky Star can be found on "The Confessions Tour".

25. Forbidden Love.
This is the original that I referred to above. The song made a big impact on me, especially when during the song she whispers loudly "rejection".
Forbidden Love can be found on "Bedtime Stories".