BOUND: The Singles, 2013.

blitzkrieg pop. 

01/Kanye West/Black Skinhead

This year I watched 12 Years a Slave in the theaters, and felt some type of way. Read the words of Mississippi native Kiese Laymon (Long Division and How to Slowly Kill Yourself and Others in America), and felt some type of way.  Watched Mahalia Jackson sing the Lord's Prayer, saw that George Zimmerman verdict, felt some type of way. Chance the Rapper - Acid Rap, Danny Brown - Old; Push & K.Dot - Nosetalgia. Beyonce's No Angel video & Frank Ocean's hook on her husband's song Oceans. Select skits from Keegan Michael Key & Jordan Peele, Whoopi's HBO doc on Moms Maebley, the book I'm currently reading (The Warmth of Other Suns by Isabelle Wilkerson) on the great migration made by my people and kinfolk, from the South to the North, West, and beyond once freedom had been granted, in search of any and all things better for themselves and those of us coming up behind them. They all have and continue to make me feel some type of way. In a year in which Racism seemed to rear its ugly head all too often in the public stratosphere, both covertly and openly, I immersed myself in these narratives, my history, our journey, reminding myself to be great. That we are and can be and have been, great. That we major, and our work is never over. And in 2013, these thoughts and feelings had a theme song, thanks to Kanye's invigorating and uncompromising Yeezus track Black Skinhead. Black Skinhead  is Yeezus' thesis statement. It is raw and unforgiving. A rallying cry and suggestion to keep your eyes peeled. It revels in its anger while leaving an open space for hope and change to come on thru and make shit happen. It refuses to sit still, and it refuses to listen (While insisting that you do). An aural rush of adrenaline that luxuriates in its young, gifted blackness. It spoke to me and moved me, made me feel some type of way; Reminded me that I and we and them and you, my people, my kinfolk, yesterday, today, and beyond are and can be and have been, great. That we major. What a feeling, Mr. West. Many thanks.



02/Arcade Fire/Reflektor

03/Daft Punk featuring Nile Rodgers & Pharrell Williams/Get Lucky 

04/James Blake/Retrograde

05/Ciara/Body Party

06/Robin Thicke featuring T.I. & Pharrell/Blurred Lines

07/Drake/Started From the Bottom

08/Pusha T & Kendrick Lamar/Nosetalgia 

09/David Bowie/Where Are We Now?

10/Miley Cyrus/We Can't Stop

11/Alicia Keys & Maxwell/Fire We Make

12/Blood Orange/Chamakay

13/Danny Brown/Dope Song

14/Iggy Azalea/Work

15/Holy Ghost!/Dumb Disco Ideas

16/Chance the Rapper/Juice

17/Charli XCX/Take My Hand

18/A$AP Rocky feat. Drake, 2 Chainz, & Kendrick Lamar/F**kin' Problems

19/Britney Spears/Work B**ch!

20/Deerhunter/Monomania

21/Sky Ferreira/You're Not the One

22/Janelle Monae/Dance Apocalyptic

23/Justin Timberlake featuring Jay Z/Suit & Tie 

24/The Dream/IV Play

25/Queens of the Stone Age/My God is the Sun