Wyclef Jean

This is a re-quest, Mr. Radio Man

Black Eyed Peas, Macy Gray. "Request + Line/ Empire Strikes Black." Bridging The Gap, Interscope Records, 2000.

Remember this album? Well, if you don't, there was a time when, before Fergie and all that shit, the B.E.P. were a good hip-hop crew, touting positive lyrics and collaborating with some of the best producers, lyricists, and vocalists out there at the time -- Bridging The Gap alone featured guest appearances from Common, Les Nubians, Macy Gray, Chali 2na of Jurassic 5 & Ozomatli, Esthero, Mos Def, and Wyclef Jean.

Throwing things back to the 2000s to start the week off right.

(For those of you who like finding those secret tracks, skip ahead to the 4:57 mark, or just wait through the silence in between.)

I keep 'em mesmerized, listen to me closely

City High, Eve. "Caramel (Album Version). City High, Booga Basement/Interscope Records, 2001.

Last night we went out to Eli's Mile High Club for this year's Oakland Music Festival and one of the DJs played a set with some smoothed-out but very danceable jams from the 90s and early 2000s. I hadn't heard this track in a while, but when it came on it definitely threw me back to high school house parties, drinking Alize and Hpnotiq (what were we thinking?), and the days of velour track suits (again, what were we thinking?).

City High was signed by Wyclef to his Booga Basement label and this track features rhymes from the great lady MC Eve and a killer sample off of "Silent Treatment" by The Roots. For real, and that's no question.

Arrival of the Carnival

Wyclef Jean, Refugee All Stars. "Apocalypse." Wyclef Jean presents The Carnival featuring Refugee Allstars, SONY BMG MUSIC ENTERTAINMENT, 1997.

Friday vibes.

So I'm in LA and there are a bunch of tracks on which I'm ruminating and that I immensely feel a desire to share here, but I'm taking this opportunity to travel back in time instead.

I'm away from home (not far) but still miss my main squeeze. This song always tugs at my heartstrings, since the first time we listened to it together, we thought it would be our last time together.

Fast forward twelve years, and we are still together, stronger than ever. The universe works in mysterious ways, and if you believe in love, you can move mountains (and everything in between).

Happy Friday, and let love rule. "Oui, oui, y'all, yeah."

Also, can we just take a minute to appreciate a time when Clef and Brandy were kickin' it at the Grammys together (and he could use that as his alibi)?

 🎶 He tried, he said you just robbed a gas station // "Who me? Not me! It couldn't be // I was at the Grammys with Brandy // Didn't you see me on TV?" 🎶