Review: Petey Pablo

I have a confession. When I am with my friends, I tend to play 95.1, a popular pop/rock type station that most people are familiar with. We sing along to the songs that we hear 80 times a day, generally having a good time. When the friends leave my car, though, something entirely different comes out. I put in “Still Writing in my Diary” by Petey Pablo. This is a rap CD, not R and B, not anything soft, just straight rap. If my friends knew this, they would probably laugh at me. I am not the type of person that would seem to like such music, but I really do. Although I wish the profanity was not so present, I can’t seem to get enough of the stuff. Petey Pablo is from North Carolina, which adds to his appeal. Many of his songs focus on the state, and he “raises up” the counties in which we live. I know it may be embarrassing to listen to a genre that is so far away from what I normally reach for, but I can’t help it. His lyrics are catchy (although they may not make any sense whatsoever), and the music behind them would be just as awesome without lyrics at all. Petey Pablo is by far my favorite rap artist of the moment. I just hope no one judges me for it 

Review: Jack Johnson

Jack Johnson is classic. Even though his debut album, Brushfire Fairytales, came out in 2001, it seems like he's been around forever.

Johnson was a surfer before he became a singer, but once his talent was realized, he was unable to hold back. He's put out a few more albums, but none have been as great as that first one, Brushfire Fairytales.

The album has wonderful songs with amazing lyrics. His lyrics are moving as well as passionate. In "The News," Johnson confronts the indifferent attitude newscasters have towards world events. He sings, "A billion people died on the news tonight/But not so many cried at the terrible sight/Well mama said/It's just make believe/You can't believe everything you see/So baby close your eyes to the lullabies/On the news tonight...Why don't the newscasters cry when they read about people who
die?/At least they could be decent enough to put just a tear in their
eyes."

His work is amazing, and the greatest thing to listen to while stressed.