[PLAYLIST] Songs For People Who Smoke in the Shower 9
BY GREGORY HEDGEPETH
Songs For People Who Smoke in the Shower 9 is a playlist I created because I like to play music when I smoke in the shower. I cut the lights low, turn the music up and let all the stress of the day melt away. Most of these songs have been played ad nauseam over the past year or so, and although theres no single cohesive theme among them, once you spark your lighter and let the music take you away, I think you’ll immediately get the vibe.
Cozz — “Knock Tha Hustle (Remix)” (feat. J. Cole)
“Cole’s last verse really stands out to me here when he spits about his survivor’s guilt in relation to his brother with these lines: “My flesh and blood, hauled off to the cell/I search for heaven as I see him getting lost in this hell/Headed for coffin or jail/To never try is the ultimate fail/But love is wanting more for someone than they want for themselves/Deep/I guess I love a lot/Because the more I do my thang, the more I feel the guilt and shame, that my brother’s not.””
Freddie Gibbs — “Crime Pays”
“Madlib’s production on this song (like everything else off Bandana) is goddamn flawless. I want him and Freddie Gibbs to make music together forever. I seriously can’t get enough of it. Gibbs has been my favorite artist of the last couple years not named J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar and this is one of his most stellar records. ”
Sunshine Anderson — “Lunch Or Dinner”
“Sunshine Anderson attended North Carolina Central, so every time I hear this song, it reminds me of that for some reason. This is one of those fly, flirty songs that always hits. ”
Action Bronson — “Baby Blue” (feat. Chance the Rapper)
“I wrote a poem years ago called “Minor Inconveniences” which always reminds me of Chance’s verse here (obviously his version is way better, but I always loved to perform it nonetheless). Action always makes music I fuck with even though I rarely think of him as one of my favorite rappers. I’m not sure how that works out.”
Mos Def — “Ms. Fat Booty”
“Mos has so many cerebral songs that educate and inform and make you think. And then there’s this jawn which is just a song about a girl with a nice ass he met one time that turned his world upside down. We’ve all been there before, amirite? This song always slaps and just shows how effortlessly Yasiin Bey does this rapping thing. ”
Royce Da 5’9” — “Overcomer” (feat. Westside Gunn)
“This was one of those rare times when I saw the video for a song before hearing the audio by itself, and almost immediately after it started, I knew it was going to be the first song on SSS9. Everything about this song is incredible from Gunn and Royce’s flows to the beat changes to the usual lyrical shenanigans. Royce’s verse literally starts off with: In search of right/like the birth of Christ/Breakin’ every generational curse in life/Perverse concise/make sure the verse is right/Return who adverse to the Earth/Make sure that my hearse is white.” C’mon man. I need more Royce and Griselda on records together.”
Thundercat — “Dragonball Durag”
“Just fucking listen to it. That’s it. That’s the tweet.”
Listen to the playlist below or simply click the link.
Gregory Hedgepeth is the editor-in-chief of Vital Narrative Press. You can follow him on Facebook, Instagram or Twitter. Feel free to follow on all three. Or maybe just two. Yeah, two’s probably good — he’s not that interesting. Gregory Hedgepeth is also the author of MISCONCEPTIONS ABOUT SUNRISES, THE YEAR THAT ANSWERED and A COLLECTION OF ECHOES. BUY THAT SHIT.