burnaby t wallace

I don’t like rap. I mean, I really don’t like rap. It’s not so much the little Civics and SUVs with spinners that thump my inner organs–which, admittedly, sometimes tickles. It’s how rap has now become cookie cutter fast-worded yelps about the hoochies, the money, and the vaunted bling bling. It’s also the entourage of saggy bottomed way too-oversized clothing wearing celebrities with sparkly silver teeth accepting awards for having the most popular song–you know that youths listen and look up to.

Well, I started listening to Akon. A friend of mine thought I might like it–weird. Anyhow, as I am checking out my new MP3 player (that is not an iPod), and much of my other items are encoded to only run on iPods–my listening selection was limited. I decided to give Akon a chance, if nothing more than background noise to cover the low hum coming from my desktop computer.

I have to admit, it’s a very listenable album. That’s saying a lot, coming from me. Most of my daily listening involve a local radio talk show, then nothing but Christian music, some rock, some country, and even some classical. It harkens back to when I felt rap was good…a time where laid back political testements were riding beats song by Fugees and before Ice-T was a musical artist–not an actor and Sean Paul was no where to be found.

A few tracks reminded me of my Marley days. Don’t get the wrong idea, there’s still some tracks that talk about the money (OK, buddy…you own a Gallardo, we know). However, he sings about love–yes, the actual feeling and not the bump and grind type. It’s a fun album, it’s catchy, and minimizes the words that start with F, S, B, and N’s (are you listening Fergie?). Plus, Akon doesn’t sound like a scary bullfrog (like DMX, Ja Rule).

I guess I’ll have to listen to it more to figure out what to completely make of it, but at least my car’s audio system can stretch its legs and rediscover it’s raison d’etre.

technorati tags:akon, rap