itunes update.

another month has passed, so here's another itunes play count update. the only notable thing the first half of the month was fly or die by n.e.r.d. spent awhile on that album, just revisiting it. it's so great. and then for like the last two weeks straight, all i've listened to is jay-z. my good friend and music collaborator gave me the blueprint, jay-z's 2001 album. i hate to be jumping on the bandwagon seven years late, but it is absolutely incredible. in the last week and a half, i've listened to it like crazy, along with the black album, kingdom come, american gangster, and for the last two or three days, reasonable doubt. other than blueprint, i'd already digested all these albums (except reasonable doubt, which i'm warming up to finally) at other times, so i haven't felt bad about throwing them all into party shuffle and letting it do it's thing. i've done a bit of skipping, but for the most part i feel like i've listened to a lot of the songs i would normally skip over way way more than normal, along with giving a few tunes far more attention. here are the noteworthy songs i've really been into.

off american gangster:
1. pray - hardly ever skip over this one when it comes up. it's a newfound gem off this album. i had passed it over quite a bit when i really first digested this album, but the beat now is just killing me. so forceful. sounds like an army's coming for you.
2. roc boys (and the winner is)... - fell in love with it again. it's shot up to #25 Most Played in my whole itunes. the horns, oh man the horns in this tune are just so good. and jay totally kills it.
3. i know - if i ever start to think pharrell isn't that good, i'll throw this tune on. such a great beat. can't believe i didn't listen this thing to death the first time through AG. love it.

off the black album:
1. december 4th - obviously. there is too much and not enough to say about this tune. it's possibly my fav. jay song. too good.
2. public service announcement (interlude) - i don't know why, but up until two days ago, i never liked this tune all that much. and then i was at the gym on thursday morning, the song started and i instantly fell in love with it. such a weird thing to fall for a tune that abruptly. the beat is such a pump up, and jay again totally nails the rhymes. phenom.

off kingdom come:
1. oh my god - this just blaze beat has really gotten to me. so much fun. "what doesn't kill me makes me strong as iron". you win jay.
2. 30 something - killer beat. jay getting his grown man on. love it.
3. beach chair - the garbage can drums (thanks adam) sound so awesome, and the melody here is great. i wish chris martin made more non-coldplay music. so far i've loved both non-coldplay songs he's done, i think it'd be great if he kept it up. as far as jay's subpar rhyming this album, i'd say this song is as close as he comes to his hey-day rhyming.

off reasonable doubt:
1. feelin' it - just a laid back groove. i like it.
2. regrets - same thing. killer groove, great rhymes. i think this album will be great the more i listen to it.

off the blueprint:
1. izzo (H.O.V.A.) - oh man. again, sucks that i'm seven years late, but this song is off the wall. a kanye-produced joint sampling a jackson 5 classic? no way this tune could go wrong.
2. girls, girls, girls, - producer just blaze kills this beat. love it.
3. heart of the city (ain't no love) - december 4th's only real competition for fav. jay song. another kanye-produced beat, sampling the classic bobby bland. i don't know what it is about this beat, it's a pretty straight forward chord progression, but the hook with these chords is just out of this world. i can't wait to get my hands on an electric guitar and really dig into this tune.

so as far as my Top 100 goes, there have been some pretty drastic changes. lots of these jay-z songs have shown up in the Top 100, heart of the city shot up to #12 in barely more than one week, and then a few other random songs have just shot up unexpectedly. nothing from nothing by billy preston is at #11 after having added it to my itunes library about three weeks ago; that was probably the most surprising change. and around the world / harder, better, faster, stronger is now in the Top 10, which was also an unexpected change. another surprise was the appearance of a few of the new gnarls barkley songs. aside from that, not too much different, just the normal random rank shifting. so here's my latest Top 10 Most Played:

10. Champion - Kanye West
9. I Wonder - Kanye West
8. Around the World / Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger - Daft Punk
7. I Don't Trust Myself (With Loving You) - John Mayer
6. Lesson Learned (Feat. John Mayer) - Alicia Keys
5. Good Life - Kanye West Feat. T-Pain
4. Slow Dancing In A Burning Room - John Mayer
3. P.Y.T. (Pretty Young Thing) - Michael Jackson
2. Baby Be Mine - Michael Jackson
1. Flashing Lights - Kanye West

five songs have now reached over 100 play count, and one more just barely there. i have a good feeling that next month this Top 10 list will be a lot different. get ready.

-jon