Shep's Top 5: Songs for my child.

Despite how some people may feel about it, Watch The Throne still gets burn in my daily rotation. Last week while listening to "New Day", I began to think about all the advice, lessons and moments that I would like to share with my child if I am ever blessed with one. While there is an endless amount of things on my "If I could do it all over again" list, I don't want to bore you with reliving the countless mistakes I have made throughout the years. So instead, the inspiration for this week's "Shep's Top 5" are the five lessons/feelings I would like my child to experience and understand. Below are 5 songs that were recorded during my lifetime, that I would share with my child to represent the following...heartbreak, carpe diem, love, blackness and family. By the way, these are just 5 songs that I'm feeling right now. This list could easily change next week or 2 months from now. By no means am I saying that these songs are the "perfect" example of each lesson.




Heartbreak: Michael Jackson "Shes Out of My Life" 
Ok, so I cheated. This song was actually released in 1979 and I was born in 1980. But, I just couldn't leave this song off the list. While I hope that my child never has to experience heartbreak, I'll make sure I introduce them to Michael Jackson and this song. We know Mike for the upbeat anthems but this ballad represents that true feeling of heartbreak and the uncertainty follows.


Carpe Diem: Mos Def "Umi Says"
If I was creating a list of the greatest songs of my generation, this would definitely make the list. I don't even know where to begin with this song. This song is like magic...literally. Everything is perfect. The beat, the lyrics, his voice, the adlibs...everything. It's so inspiring. I want my child to understand the importance of  urgency and just how short this life really is.



Love: Mary J. Blige "I Never Wanna Live Without You" 
I have no problems admitting that Mary J. Blige's My Life is my favorite album of all time. Yes, I'm aware that acknowledging that probably breaks some unwritten man law or something but I can't deny the amount of love I have for this album. In fact, you could probably find all 5 of the aforementioned themes in this one album. Ironically, this album is probably more closely associated with pain and heartbreak, but I find it to be a true testament to the power of love. As much as I hate to quote Ja Rule but "Pain is Love" after all.


Blackness: Nas "N.I.G.G.E.R (The Slave and The Master)"
There are literally thousands of songs that celebrate our history. For every song written to celebrate that history, there are 2 songs that probably set us back a few years. But hey, that's what makes us special. Other than probably Common, I don't think there is another rapper besides Nas that I would pick to accurately portray the history of our culture and appropriately celebrate our achievements and setbacks. This song is a healthy dose of both...."the slave and the master". Good work Nasir!


Family: Jay-Z "Blueprint (Momma Loves Me)":
Never forget where you come from. Never forget the ones that have been with you from day one. This is one of my favorites from this album and a great example of the importance of family.




Bonus - Hip Hop: Eric B. and Rakim "Paid in Full" 
Ok, so obviously I would have to introduce my child to hip hop. Given the current landscape of the genre, I'm a little nervous about what hip hop will represent by the time my child could really experience it. So if I were to pick one song to represent what hip hop truly is, "Paid in Full" is it.