Tamia - "The Way I Love You" // 10.18.07 Update

so my cold got worse.. the voice is back, but now it hurts to drink water even, much less talk.. pooey. guess i'm stayin in and bumming around for a few days.. need to catch up on photos from the past weekend anyhow, jus hope i can stay awake for longer than 4-5 hrs at a time tomorrow.. wasn't able to do that today, but i'll be ok soon either way.

also, talked to one of my closest producers a bit today and thought a bit about some of the things i wanted to do for the nex album, so thats always good.. i think when i get back into it full-force, a lot of good things will happen jus coz of how hungry i am about the music again.. on that note, here's the first of several new media-kit photos that we'll be using for my next album:


i like it about as much as i could be expected to like being IN a photo i guess.. we'll see..

anyways, re: the title of the post, my homegirl sent me this song yesterday and its literally been on repeat ever since.. i know the reason she sent it, esp at this particular juncture, but i'm not sure whether its the lyrics itself or the production value thats making me like this song as much as i do.. maybe both? doesn't matter i guess, but this is the 3rd or 4th meaningful song i've heard from Tamia that i've really liked now so i guess i should stop sleeping on her and actually check out an album at some point.. will keep you posted whenever i get a chance, hope you like this:

She cant do what I do to you,
I know she can't love you the way I love you.

Right here looking in your eyes,
Thinking about what we did last night,
& How you suddenly blew my mind,
Your touch to your tender kiss couldn't take you breathing in my ear,
Just being with you made me realize.

[Hook:]
& Everytime I see you baby I fall in love over again,
So proud that you were my man,
& I still can't, can't get you outta my head,
Your all I've ever wanted and you just gotta know that...

[Chorus:]
She cant do the things I do to you,
No one is loving you the way, the way I love you,
She can't be everything you need and what you need is me,
'cause its the way I love you.

The way that I love you,
Love you the way I do,
The way, the way, the way I love you.

When you smile my mind goes spare,
Can't imagine life without you here,
Someway somehow you've completed me,
Thankful you came my way,
What we have cant be replaced,
You make it easy to be in love.

[Hook:]
& Everytime I see you baby I fall in love over again,
So proud that you were my man,
& I still cant, cant get you outta my head,

Your all I've ever wanted and you just gotta know that...

[Chorus:]
She cant do the things I do to you, (She can't)
No one is loving you the way, the way I love you,
She can't be (no baby) everything (every little thing baby) you need and what you need is me,
Coz its the way I love you.

The way that I love you,
Love you the way I do,
The way, the way, the way I love you.

Don't waste your time baby,
You know that your mine baby,
She can't satisfy the way that I do
Cause She can't love you like I do.

[Chorus:]
She cant do the things I do to you,
No one is loving you the way the way I love you,
She can't be (she can never be baby) everything you need (coz she knows that you need me)
and what you need is me,(she can't do what I do)
Coz its the way I love you(it's the way that i love you)

She cant do (oooo) the things I do to you (please listen to me)
No one is loving you the way the way I love you, (the way i love you)
She can't be everything you need and what you (you baby) need is me,
Coz its the way,the way I love you.

The way that I love you,
Love you the way I do,
The way, the way, the way I love you.

The way that I love you,
Love you the way I do,
The way, the way, the way I love you.

SCP8/Montreal Trip Aftermath // 10.17.07 Update

poof, where do i start. Montreal trip for SCP8 with the girls turned out well, all things considered.. pretty happy with how it all played out, even if there were some snags (ie. getting lost eeeeverywhere) - got really good feedback about the girls and i'm sure they picked up a lot of experience from it.. at the show I tried to lay low for the most part to let the girls do their thing, but throughout the show as i was talking with other convention-ers, car owners & the other models working the event, the consensus was that the girls were definitely doin their thing.. schedule-permitting, i'll probably make the same trip up nex year and we'll kill it.

so now i'm back in TO, took a day off to myself jus to chill and regroup a bit.. made up for the junk/crap food i had on the road in MTL the other night too; thanks to Nat for treating me to the first actually good Chinese restaurant i've come across in the Toronto in over 3 yrs.. guess i'm spoiled from growing up in Vancouver/Hong-Couver where all the best cooks in the world flock to.. forgot the name of the restaurant already, think its "______ Queen" or something and its by Steeles & Leslie i believe.. anyways, the (Giant) Seafood Super Bowl Congee was dope - the two of us chowed down on it, but it probably could've fed 4-5, so the leftovers became my breakfast today.

speaking of today, i woke up today with no voice.. i got the drift i was gettin sick (i'm gonna kill whichever girl i caught it from on this trip, grrr) last night but i actually had no idea my voice was gone til a phone call woke me up, and i jus couldn't talk audibly when i picked up.. kinda nuts coz its never happened (to this degree at least) before.. oh well, had some stuff to take care of so i still tried my best to get thru the day before finding out that you lose your voice when your vocal cords (not chords, as i used to always misspell it as) are inflamed and any attempt at using your vocal cords would only further damage the tissues surrounding the area.. doh :/ but, i know now, so i've been a mute for the past few hrs and hopefully my voice will return shortly..

pretty happy that my cold didn't affect my energy level today though, still had a really good workout and i'm still progressing way faster than i had expected when i set out to get back into shape a couple months ago.. kinda crazy that i can usually run at 9.5km/hr for 40-45 mins without gettin winded when i used to die after 10-15 mins on a treadmill at much slower speeds..

on a more personal note, its official and the final decision has been reached at last. this means a couple of changes in my life over the nex few months as i try to grow from the experiences of the past year.. it'll be hard coz i still have feelings for her, but as of now, we both have too much to think about and work on to continue and try to make it work, so that's that. looking back, we had lots of memorable moments and we also had some really terrible times, but as i always say - everything happens for a reason, so i'll try to move forward on a positive note, and hopefully we'll be able to stay friends in the long run.

3 Doors Down - "Here Without You" Lyrics

A hundred days had made me older
since the last time that I've saw your pretty face

A thousand lights had made me colder
and I don’t think I can look at this the same

But all the miles had separate
They disappear now when I’m dreaming of your face

I’m here without you baby
but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby
but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight it’s only you and me

The miles just keep rollin
as the people either way to say hello
I've heard this life is overrated
but I hope that it gets better as we go

I’m here without you baby
but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby
but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it’s only you and me

Everything I know,
and anywhere I go
it gets hard but it won’t take away my love
And when the last one falls,
when it’s all said and done
it get hard but it won’t take away my love

I’m here without you baby
but your still on my lonely mind
I think about you baby
and I dream about you all the time
I’m here without you baby
but your still with me in my dreams
And tonight girl it’s only you and me

"people often warn me that the fame ain't for the faint of heart" - jay-z, "hollywood"

probably my favourite jay-z / beyonce collabo to date, even if it isn't the most popular.. and i probably liked this song a lot more a couple months ago when i first checked the album, but it came on and matched my current frame of mind a little bit.. lyrics to the entire song are listed below.

first i'll write a bit about what's been up of late though.. in short, i've been busy busy busy.. been going through a few changes with a couple of big events coming up, so its been hectic just about every day, working out details/logistics and preparing for things.. a couple of isolated incidents i didn't really need to deal with kinda came up, and i'm a bit disappointed that i will have to deal with them accordingly but in the end it all works out though, even if i'm tired/stressed at this point.. jus gotta keep working hard, and not worry too much about what i can't control.. if one of my secondary hard drives (with a lot of photos & allllllllll of my old recording files) hadn't died earlier tonight, i'd even say that i'm generally happy these days, despite the craziness that is my life..

i've also had the chance to think a little bit ahead lately, so that's been good.. lotta even more ambitious projects are on the horizon for 2008, so the rest of the year's just gonna be about gettin set up for that and tying up loose ends.. not sure if the fact that i haven't been able to stay 200% focused all the time (which i'm usually like) is the problem, or its simply a matter of being too physically tired most of the time.. but, that vacation's still a ways away haha, so its back to work for the time being =)

[Beyonce]
I see your jealousy as you're watching (I see you watching)
You're watching ( It's all good)
It's kinda sexy to me (I Love it)
How you're watching, you're watching
I see your face (i see your face)
You want to touch it (you want to touch it)
Come to my place (come to the crib)
And let's discuss it (let's chop it up)
Tonight you'll be (you 'gon be a superstar baby)
A superstar
Come let me sign you up (let's get into it)

[Chorus]
Ooh it's the lights (you're blinded by the...)
Action! (you need that...)
Hollywood (Uh Uh Uh Uh)
Ooh it's the lights (you're blinded by the...)
Satisfaction (you need that...)
Hollywood (Uh Uh Uh Uh c'mon)

[Verse 1]
Paparazzi spots me in the lobby of my high rise
I hide, behind my shades because the fame is blindin my eyes
My god, I know how Ozzy Oz must have felt when he was As high
Cuz i have got, i have got to make this stop
People often warn me that the fame ain't for the faint of heart
It'll change those cuz if they had love for you into strangers
When the fame starts, A chain reaction
Locomotion like when a train departs
Stranger things have happened
Rappers stackin platinum plaques and
Born in Brooklyn, Got a place in Manhattan
Goin back to Brooklyn to escape the madness when your friends is
Chris & Gwyneth when your girl is more famous than you
Then it's time to get all your windows tinted
Keep your eyes squinted it's gon flash any minute
The music biz is like musical chairs about where your standing
When the music stop spinnin and I

[Chorus]

[Beyonce]
You got to get it (oh oh oh oh oh oh oh)
Do you want it? (oh oh oh oh oh oh oh)
But you don't need it (oh oh oh oh oh oh oh)
'Til you do, 'til you do (oh oh oh oh oh oh oh)

[verse 2]
Hey Mister, page sixer
A-Lister, you're in the midst of
The ride of your life, but you gotta keep them hits up
Can't put your guard down, gotta keep your mits up
Take a sip sir, it's so intoxicating ain't it?
Try not to get jaded
Hollywood's been good to ya
Startin to feel like buzz to ya
Don't lie, go on fly, you're addicted to the light
Without the fame, how you gonna survive?
It's like livin on heroin, you so high

[Beyonce]
And everybodies warning you about it (I tried to told you)
And once you taste it you can't live without it (It's addicting)
Not cuz you choose to not live without it (you sure you want this baby)
It's now a part of you, it's now a part of you (It's a part of you)
And everybodies warning you about it
And once you taste it you can't live

[chorus]

[verse 3]
Wanna be seen now, groupies
Now you've become what you once despised
James Dean, John Belushi, blow your whole life trying to live in the lights
Heroin's following Marilyn hopping over the edge
It's like Janis Joplin,
River phoenix, Jimi Hendrix
Jimmy Morrison all them ended by Hollywood
Thank God for Hollywood
Hollywood...
you sure you want this baby?
Hollywood, it's the most addicting drug in the world
Want the fame
Want the lights

James Blunt - "High" Lyrics

favourite song (i think) from one of my favourite artists, even if he's a bit too emo for most..

Beautiful dawn - lights up the shore for me.
There is nothing else in the world,
I'd rather wake up and see (with you).
Beautiful dawn - I'm just chasing time again.
Thought I would die a lonely man, in endless night.
But now I'm high; running wild among all the stars above.
Sometimes it's hard to believe you remember me.

Beautiful dawn - melt with the stars again.
Do you remember the day when my journey began?
Will you remember the end (of time)?
Beautiful dawn - You're just blowing my mind again.
Thought I was born to endless night, until you shine.
High; running wild among all the stars above.
Sometimes it's hard to believe you remember me.

Will you be my shoulder when I'm grey and older?
Promise me tomorrow starts with you,
Getting high; running wild among all the stars above.
Sometimes it's hard to believe you remember me

New Photos Posted: Kayce Model Jennifer Nguyen (Vancouver)

more photos of Kayce Model Jennifer Nguyen can be found at www.KaycePhotography.com

How I Became the Most Unlikeliest of Jason Mraz Fans

initially i only wanted to post lyrics to a Jason Mraz song that i liked, but then i remembered how i came across his music by chance in the first place, and i thought it'd be an interesting story to share - so here it is:

i first learned of Jason Mraz after hearing his almost-annoyingly-catchy carefree single "I'm Yours" in a friends car a couple summers back.. i had heard the song on the radio a couple times prior to the said occasion when i was at the mall, but the first time i actually heard his name was when i was crammed into the back of a compact sedan with 5 sorority girls & 2 frat guys packed in the car with me.. (yes, i know that that wasn't a very safe idea, but we didn't have a choice - and this isn't the point.)

the point is that out of the other 7 passengers, 5 or 6 of them started SINGING ALONG in UNISON with the song.. to be polite, i kept my mouth shut but in my head i kept thinking "whaaaat the f*ck..." as they happily sung along, completely oblivious to the fact that my friend's back was starting to spasm as she sat half-bent over on my lap, also painfully putting my leg to sleep despite her own discomfort.. the song went on forever it seemed, and when it finally ended, our karaoke superstars wasted no time before simultaneously cutting each other off in their collective excitement - professing their appreciation for Jason Mraz and citing their own reasons as to why Jason Mraz was the greatest of all time.. a quick note here: if memory serves me correctly, even some of the guys (males, mind you) were involved in the shebang of a discussion.. so naturally, i was thinking "WHAAAAAAAAAAAT the F*******CK" and "WHO!?! Who could this nerdy-sounding guy be?!" in my head at the same time.. the ordeal ended shortly after, when we arrived at our destination ('thank god/buddha/____,' says my appreciative right leg)

anyways, i'm talking to my friend (the same poor friend who was squished sitting on my lap) on MSN a couple days later and surely enough, she tells me she loves Jason Mraz also.. we're accustomed to sharing/trading music with each other, as we had diversely differing tastes and libraries - and as sheltered as i was within the realms of urban music at the time, i appreciated listening to "different" (ie. alternative, pop, rock, punk, jazz, anything not rap/soul/r&b) genres of music.. we start talking about our favourite songs of the moment, and one of the songs she quickly sends over is the same "I'm Yours" song by the now-infamous Jason Mraz.

i decide to give it a chance, seeing as i didn't entirely hate the song when i heard it in the car - it just wasn't the time or venue for an overly-happy karaoke session by five people that generally couldn't sing.. (note: and its never ok for 8 people to be riding in a tiny car.)

i remember thinking the song was actually pretty decent at first, then i thought it was pretty satisfying in its own strange way, and i understood why it would appeal to a certain demographic, even from a first full listen. if anything, i thought, this whiny, folksy singer had his own style at least.

as months pass, i hear the song from time to time in the random shuffle, and most times i don't even skip it.. then one time it came on and really hit me.. i had just gone through an emotional breakup, and i was tired of both sappy love songs as well as overly moody alternative pieces.. when "I'm Yours" came on this time, it stirred something in me and i found myself wanting ('a tiny bit only', says the Alpha-Dog side of me) to sing along..

after that experience, i actually found myself including the track in my day-to-day custom playlists - usually when i was in a good mood.. thats when the first part of my story ends, and thats also when my appreciation for Jason Mraz as an artist started to develop.

i quickly came to notice the subtle intricacies in his quirky, but unique and captivating style of singing.. he didn't have the strongest voice, but he had just enough swagger to pull it all off anyways.

more recently, my friend passed along a copy of his earlier ("Waiting for my Rocket to Come," 2002) and i've been listening it randomly ever since.. what now jumps out at me first and foremost with Jason Mraz is that he is indeed a truly gifted songwriter.. aside from having his own charming style of singing, he writes with enough wit and wordplay to put most rap artists to shame.. you might not like how his folk-music background slips into the album's sound-scape at times (like me), but you can't help but appreciate his talents as a singer/songwriter - he takes on a wide range of challenges as an artist in performing songs of vastly different songs on this album, but he comes out on top on just about every track.. he might not have the voice of a traditional solo male vocalist, but he more than makes it up with the melodic progressions he incorporates into just about every song - i imagine even a huge corporation/label would be pretty hard-pressed to come up with another artist to try and imitate Mraz's style over an entire album..

the final icing on the cake? as is the case with any truly with any good musician, within a couple listens of the entire album, you as a listener will be sure that you are listening to a genuine Jason Mraz instead of your usual bubble-gum mass-produced/promoted "hit" artist..

if you haven't heard of Jason Mraz to date, you should definitely try to remedy that soon - the following is the first track on his 2002 (debut?) album, "You and I Both," a song that i particularly like:

Was it you who spoke the words that things would happen but not to me?

All things are gonna happen naturally
Oh, taking your advice and I'm looking on the bright side
And balancing the whole thing.

Oh, but at often times those words get tangled up in lines
And the bright light turns to night
Oh, until the dawn it brings
Another day to sing about the magic that was you and me

Cause you and I both loved
What you and I spoke of
And others just read of
Others only read of, of the love
Of the love that I loved

See I'm all about them words
Over numbers, unencumbered numbered words;
Hundreds of pages, pages, pages for words.
More words than I had ever heard, and I feel so alive.

Cause you and I both loved
What you and I spoke of (of, of)
And others just read of
And if you could see me now
Oh, you and I, you and I
Not so little you and I anymore

And with this silence brings a moral story
More importantly evolving is the glory of a boy

Cause you and I both loved
What you and I spoke of (of, of)
And others just read of
And if you could see me now
Well, then I'm almost finally out of
I'm finally out of
I'm finally deedeedeedeedeedee
Well I'm almost finally, finally
Well I am free
Oh, I'm free

And it's okay if you had to go away
Oh, just remember the telephones
well, they work in both ways
But if I never ever hear them ring
If nothing else I'll think the bells inside
Have finally found you someone else and that's okay
Cause I'll remember everything you sang

Cause you and I both loved
What you and I spoke of (of, of)
And others just read of
and if you could see me now
Well, then I'm almost finally out of
I'm finally out of
I'm finally deedeedeedeedeede
Well I'm almost finally, finally
Out of words

Fabolous ft Young Jeezy - "Do the Damn Thang" Lyrics

i think a lotta mainstream rap artists (aka. pop artists) are wack, but here's one who actually made really impressive progression to become highly respectable in his own right.. you knew the beats would be good, and the content's still at the same level of depth, but on this album Fabolous really held his own in terms of rhymes compared to his debut album & early mixtape appearances.. i like the hook Jeezy provided but i took out his 2nd verse coz its gahbage. ("f*ck, you tryna kick knowledge?!" i might even quote.) but back to the main point - mister F-A B-O L-O U-S holds it down on both verses, one stretch in the 3rd verse is riiiiiidiculous. and delicious. to a diehard rap fan at least.

[Verse 1-Fabolous]
It's no love for the other side, f*ck all the tricks
Pop the glove on the other side, buck through the bricks
Birds love how a brother ride, truckin it sick
I'm heard of on the southern side, i pluck through it quick
I been one of them boys since way back when
This is way before a n*gga brought grey plaques in
So if i spray mac-10s, Bet you n*ggas lay back then
Like you sittin in a Maybach Benz
Yea I made crack grins but ain't a damn thing funny
I keep a pocket fulla do the damn thang money
I keep it comin with bottles of champagne dunny
So keep it bouncin till you pull a hamstring honey
These pimps just better have a gothic for me
I got them hoes starin like they got a problem with me
I got them boys slingin rocks in the lobby for me
I'm rich b*tch, ballin just a hobby for me

[Chorus-Young Jeezy]
I got a pocket full of money and my wrist all froze
So f*ck what you heard we don't love them hoes, heeyyy
Do the damn thang, do the damn thang
A n*gga might grin but it ain't still funny
Got a pocket fulla that, do the damn thang money, heeyy
Do the damn thang, do the damn thang

[Verse 3-Fabolous]
You hatin instead of participatin with them boys
You skatin on them 22 datins like them boys
I'm hatin that they communicatin with them boys
I'm waitin just to send them to Satan for that sh*t
They see a n*gga stones look sick
And I gotta stack of singles in my hand thats phone booth thick
Cuz I'm so hood rich
That I'm no good b*tch
And even if she gotta pimp then a hoe should switch
And get ridda that sh*t spitta, get wit her, sh*t gitter
sit wit her, hit spitter, that don't b*tch chitter
My style fit wit her
I tell her you don went left now you need to go right like a switch hitta
I know them tricks bitter
When im in the six with her
So im in a mix with her
Fourty four six with her
And I'm higher than a motherf*cker
But a n*gga try then he gon die in this motherf*cker

Kanye West - "Graduation" Album Review

As one of the more enigmatic figures to appear in recent rap history, Kanye West has created an impressive and highly controversial legacy for himself in a relatively short period of time.. As such, after I heard his “Stronger” super-single (I regard it as one of the top-5 club/radio singles of the year) I was pretty stoked/curious to check out how his latest full-length album would stack up with his past work.

After hearing the hype through media outlets and finally listening to it a few times, I wasn't huge on the disc at all, but when others told me that this album had grown on them over time, I figured I’d give it a few more spins before writing this review. So, about a dozen listens and a week later, I can say I’ve been as objective as I can but I still can't say I feel any differently about “Graduation.”

I can easily say it is Kanye's worst album to date, but its not a horrible album by any stretch of the imagination - his first two were just significantly better. It is interesting to note here how my opinion of the Chicago-bred emcee/producer has changed over the years. When I first heard of him as a top-notch new producer, working with the likes of Jay-Z and Talib Kweli before he gained notoriety as a solo act, I thought he was easily one of the most talented producers in the game and well on his way towards immortality in the industry.

Then I read a few of his interviews in hiphop magazines and the like, and I thought to myself: "Damn, this dude's got a pretty big ego for a producer." Right on cue, he soon released a mixtape and then a full-length album (“College Dropout,” 2004) to debut as a rap artist and I honestly was blown away with the beats on both of those releases. Years later, I still stand by my statement that he single-handedly changed the face of the rap game with his soul beats that year – as a producer, he stole the collective imagination of fellow artists and hiphop fans everywhere, being responsible for the best tracks on just about everyone's album at the time. As a rapper, I liked what he was trying to say and found his direction refreshing though he wasn’t very polished technically back then with both his flow and his delivery. Then I read more interviews with him, and noticed that his ego was starting to get out of hand.

With his 2nd album ("Late Registration," 2005), the beats fell off a tiny bit but he stepped up his rapping ability quite a bit. The only problem was that this time around the lyrics felt forced, and it felt like he didn't really have anything new to say. In other words, it felt like the coming out party of Kanye West as a lyricist who hadn't really grown into his newfound identity as a conscious rapper torn between sharing his soul and flaunting his newfound fame and fortune. Most of the songs on the album were good, and some were really good making it a more complete album than his debut, even if I was partial to the depth and raw passion of that release. An interesting note to add here though: I heard the initial radio release version for "Diamonds" over the same heart-stopping instrumental that eventually made the album – only, it was a 5 minute rendition of how he was great and should be cherished as the best thing to happen to rap since.. well, you get the point. Then, after an independent rapper made a dubplate over the same instrumental, choosing to highlight the problems blood diamonds posed to the people/children of Sierra Leone, Kanye “magically” reappeared with a "new" version of the song on his album (the version you probably know), and then acted like he came up with the idea to speak about the social issues in Sierra Leone allll along on that track. Pretty shameless stuff, even if 95% of the general public that follows “popular” mass media outlets like MTV, MuchMusic or BET probably had no idea that this travesty even took place. Nonetheless, my respect for him went down a couple notches after this.

Now, with his latest album "Graduation," he truly impresses me with the potency and consistency of his lyrics on most songs - Kanye's taken leaps and bounds in terms of his writing. BUT, with the exception of a couple of tracks (the 2 radio singles and the next one that will surely follow), the production is pretty poor. Once the poster-boy for soulful rap music, he's turned around completely - and not in a good way either. Just about all of the features on the album seem contrived (T-Pain?!?), and he even managed to come up with a TERRIBLE (and I mean terrrrrrible) song with one of the most talented writers the rap world has ever seen in Mos Def. When I heard the song I literally stopped the album and half-blurted/half-screamed "Whaaaaaaaaat the FUUUUUUUU**” to my girlfriend who was in the room. "Drunk and Hot Girls?!?!" You have Mos Def in the studio with you and you come up with that sh*t? (I mean it literally. It IS that bad.)

After I got over that individual atrocity of a "musical" piece, I realized that despite his improvement as a writer and rapper over the years, Kanye has actually taken steps backwards as an artist and has truly become delusional in terms of how great he thinks he is. Which is a shame, really and truly, because after his debut album came out I was ready to crown him the next great artist in this uninspired industry – I didn’t think ANYONE could’ve stopped his ascension if he only continued to follow his heart. Now? He’s not only lost his edge but he’s managed to turn off the majority of his listeners simply by “being himself” as he puts it. Most heads still recognize his talent and ability both on the boards as well as on the mic, but most informed music-lovers are unable to find it in them to respect him based on his overblown persona.

Oh yea, and he continues to whine about not garnering the accolades he feels he deserves so I doubt he's going to change any informed music-listener's perception of him anytime soon. Too bad - he could've been great. With the way he’s chosen to move forward in recent years, it’s probably a safe bet that won't any of his future albums more than this one either.

The following is one of the tracks from his album I managed to enjoy more than most of the others - his ego was at a minimum here, well.. by his standards at least.

Kanye West - "Everything I Am" Lyrics

Now everything I'm not, made me everything I am.
Damn, here we go again.
People talkin sh*t, but when the sh*t hit the fan
Everything I'm not, made me everything I am.

I never be picture-perfect-Beyonce
Be light as Albi or black as Chauncey
Remember him from Blackstreet
He was as black as the street was
I'll never be laid back as his beat was
I never could see why people'll reach a
Fake-ass facade they couldn't keep up
See how I creeped up?
See how I played a big role in Chicago like Queen Latifah?
I never rock a mink coat in the winter time like Killa Cam
Or rock some mink boots in the summertime like will.I.am
Let me know if you feel it man
Cause everything I'm not, made me everything I am

Damn, here we go again.
Everybody sayin' what's not for him
But everything I'm not, made me everything I am
Damn, here we go again.
People talkin sh*t, but when the sh*t hit the fan
Everything I'm not, made me everything I am

And I'm back to tear it up
Haters, start your engines
I hear 'em gearin' up
People talk so much sh*t about me at barbershops
They forget to get they haircut
Okay fair enough, the streets is flarin' up
Cause they want gun-talk, or I don't wear enough
Baggy clothes, Reebok's, or A-di-dos
Can I add that he do spaz out at his shows
So say goodbye to the NAACP award
Goodbye to the In-di-a Arie award
They'd rather give me the ni-n*gga-please award
But I'll just take the I-got-alotta-cheese award (ha)

Damn, here we go again.
Everything I'm not, made me everything I am
Damn, here we go again.
People talkin sh*t, but when the sh*t hit the fan
Everything I'm not, made me everything I am

I know that people wouldn't usually rap this
But I got the facts to back this
Just last year, Chicago had over 600 caskets
Man, killin's some wack sh*t
Oh, I forgot, 'cept for when n*gga's is rappin'
Do you know what it feel like when people is passin'?
He got changed over his chains, a block off Ashland
I need to talk to somebody, pastor
The church want time, so I can't afford to pay
The slip on the door, cause I can't afford to stay
My 15 seconds up, but I got more to say
That's enough Mr. West, please no more today

Damn, here we go again.
Everybody sayin' what's not for him
But everything I'm not, made me everything I am
Damn, here we go again.
People talkin sh*t, but when the sh*t hit the fan
Everything I'm not, made me everything I am

Keane - "Your Eyes Open"

Well it's a lonely road that you have chosen
Morning comes and you don't want to know me anymore
And it's a long time since your heart was frozen
Morning comes and you don't want to know me anymore
For a moment your eyes open and you know
All the things I ever wanted you to know
I don't know you, and I don't want to
Till the moment your eyes open and you know

That it's a lonely place that you have run to
Morning comes and you don't want to know me anymore
And it's a lonely end that you will come to
Morning comes and you don't want to know me anymore

For a moment your eyes open and you know
All the things I ever wanted you to know
I don't know you, and I don't want to
Till the moment your eyes open and you know

For a moment your eyes open and you know
All the things I ever wanted you to know
I don't know you, and I don't want to
Till the moment your eyes open and you know