My Top 10: Songs I Wish I Wrote

I'm back!!! Happy New Year to all, and I hope '09 will bring everyone great times, lots of laughter, more money, and a step closer to actualizing your potential. Being my 1st post for the year, I figured I'd set it off with one of my lists... so here we go.

10. Lions, Tigers, and Bears by Jazmine Sullivan (off of her debut, Fearless)
Okay, so this is a new song, but I thinks its beautiful. It sounds orchestral, yet minimal. I really wish I could have articulated the "fear of love" the way she did. I think anyone that's ever truly opened their heart can relate to this at some point, and its presented from a unique & fresh perspective.

9. Superstar 2 by Usher (off of Confessions)
So this is a simple, but dope metaphor comparing your significant other to a superstar. With lyrics like "I'll be your groupie baby cause you are my superstar. I'm your number one fan, give me your autograph, and sign it right here on my heart." DOPE!! It was one of those joints that really made me say, "Why didn't I think of it first."

8. Stan by Eminem (off the Marshall Mathers LP)
Here is a song that is very much in the scope of something I could have thought of and written, but to be honest, I doubt it would have been executed as well. I wouldn't have thought to flip a Dido song, and it probably wouldn't have had such a climactic ending. Props to Em for penning one of the best Hip-Hop songs in recent memory. Everything from his inflections to his his rhyme schemes were brilliant.

7. Stray Bullet by Organized Konfusion (off Stress: The Extinction Agenda)
Despite many people thinking NaS was the first to use personification in regards to a gun on "I Gave You Power", any self respecting Hip-Hop fan knows Prince Po & Pharoahe did it 2-3 years earlier. AND, in my opinion, they did it better. They literally talked about the bullet's trajectory. C'mon, you gotta give it up.

6. She's All I Got by Jimmy Cozier
Back when J Records was all the rage because Clive Davis started his own label, he had another dope songwriter besides Alicia Keys. His name was Jimmy and he crafted the perfect ode for dudes that have headaches for girlfriends, but love them. I still play this song religiously because I can relate.

5. Prototype by Andre 3000
"I hope that you're the one. If not, you're the prototype." Genius! I wish I thought of that one because I would have used that as game on every girl I ever met. LOL. Seriously though, another amazing record written from a dope perspective.

4. Ordinary People by John Legend
I will never forget the first time I heard this song. There's not much I can say about this one other than he hit the nail on the head. With the current state of music, I didn't think anyone could write anything this beautiful. He proved me wrong.

3. Dear Mama by 2Pac
This song dropped right around the time I lost my mom, and every time I heard it I was on the verge of tears. I'm a huge Pac fan because he wasn't afraid to be vulnerable, and this song epitomized that notion. Since the release of this song there have been lots of "mama" dedications, but none of them tugged on our heart strings the way Pac's did. It was remarkably genuine, and to me, stands as his career defining song.

2. Next Lifetime by Erykah Badu
No one has ever captured such a universal sentiment the way this song did. I don't know anyone that can deny that they've been in this predicament before. The conflict of being in a relationship, and still being attracted to someone is else is part of the maturation process and discovering yourself. Besides the lyrics, the song was smooth, melodic, and downright brilliant. Kudos

1. Ribbon in the Sky by Stevie Wonder
This is the single most beautiful song I've ever heard. I'm green with envy.

This list also confirms that I'm a frustrated singer trapped in a rapper's body. Oh well