So It Begins by S.O.

I've had my readers ask me why I don't have any rap songs on here and my answer is always the same, I stay away from most rap songs because its hard to find good quality (subjective i know) rap music that actually uplifts and tells the truth. The truth? but aren't there songs out there that chronicle the struggle of growing up in the hood, with no money, dad gone, and mother addicted to an uncontrolled substance? definitely there are, but when I listen to a music genre as message oriented as rap is, I look for 2 things; a sick beat, and a meaningful message that uplifts consciousness and promotes constructive thought. Those are much harder to find, and while i will listen to other kinds of rap music, those have consistently been my favorite. That brings us to this track by Christian Musician S.O. As I write this, I am filled with a certain sense of pride in my generation for choosing to invest time in amazing musicians such as Lecrae, Trip lee, and S.O. As many can tell, there has been a recent upward shift in the quality of music that Christian Rappers have been creating, We are no longer in the days when 'Christian Rap' is considered re-mixing 50 Cent's 'In Da Club' by throwing in a few Jesus lines, and reworking the chorus by replacing 'club' with 'church' and 'sex' with 'pray'. Now more than ever, Christian rappers are original, artistic, visionary, and can more than hold their own against their contemporary counterparts. This track by S.O. is exactly that; its beautiful, thoughtful, well written, and filled with truth. I've listened to this song more than 80 times (work cited: iTunes) and i honestly look forward to more music by individuals such as S.O. Listen, Enjoy, and let me know whar your favorite rap songs are in the comments below.



 P.S. I also love songs by Tupac, b.o.b, Drake, Kanye West, Jay-Z, etc.. but rap songs like the one above are by far my favorite.

From Me by Caroline Smith

I heard this song for the first time two days ago as i was getting late night Starbucks with my sister and a friend. It was so good that I had my younger sister stand in the middle of the Starbucks with my phone so she could SoundHound it. Its soft, mellow, and melodic. Its also a great soundtrack to my weekend as I witnessed my best friend from high school get married to the woman of his dreams.It was the perfect weekend, and it felt good to hang out with the crew. Below are some pictures from the wedding. Enjoy!

P.S. I caught the Garter! making the fifth one I've caught in the past few years :)

King and Lionheart by Of Monsters and Men

I can guarantee you that this will not be the last time you will see Of Monsters and Men on Heartstring and Melody. In a matter of hours, I have fallen in love with nearly every song they have ever released. This is partly due to the fact that they are from Iceland and the Icelandic culture produces some amazing musicians (think Bjork, and Sigur Ros) and their particular sound is incredible to me. A quick fact about the Icelandic culture; according to the OECD Better Life Index, "Icelanders are known for their deep sense of community: an OECD survey found that 98% believe they know someone they could rely on in a time of need, higher than in any other industrialized country. Similarly, only 6% reported "rarely" or "never" socializing with others. This high level of social cohesion is attributed to the small size and homogeneity of the population, as well as to a long history of harsh survival in an isolated environment, which reinforced the importance of unity and cooperation." hmm just let that sink in for a second. I believe that this deeply rooted sense of community adds an extra layer of beauty to their artistic expressions and this song and its following music video would be the epitome of all of that. King and Lionheart as a song by itself is incredible; the melody is clear and fulfilling, it's well written and produced, and the message of bravery in the face of fear is filled with depth (food for the soul), but when you throw in the music video.. WOW! The music video is an experience that points to that beauty found in a sense of community that I was talking about earlier. There is so much depth in the video that you might have to watch it twice to understand it. For example, What are those glowing animals? Are they actual creatures? A representation of the Human spirit? Why are those men chasing this family of two? Do the men represent the evil in our soul and the light animals the good? why is a machine (a man made entity) able to destroy the animal (which seems to be magical in nature)? Is that pointing to man's dominion over the natural world (whether for good or for evil)? SO. MUCH. DEPTH. Now some may be wondering, why ask all of those questions? whats the point? and to that I would say, all you have to do is simply look at your life. You will quickly realize that your life (and life in general), is much more than what meets the eye. Life is spirit and body. Soul and Mind. Life is all questions and very few answers. Some see that and choose to ignore it, but others, a very few individuals, choose not only to embrace that, but also to express that in art and in music. Of Monsters and Men is a collection of those individuals. Listen, Enjoy, and Share if you wish!
 
  P.S. here is a video of them performing the song live!