We're all in the same gang - Vol. 3

New Year means a New Batch of 25 essential songs to the progression of the black man. In case you missed the two previous volumes, I have links for volume 1 and volume 2 up. The first volume was about parenthood. The second volume was about progression. Today's theme is education. Education about areas other than the one you grew up in. I'm from South Carolina and growing up, I knew very little about other places and their cultures. And I'm referring to the US. Yes, we need to educate ourselves at home first before we embark on exploring other countries.

So today's message is about understanding the different makeups in regions outside your own.

California Love

We starting out on the left coast where folks definitely need to know what the West Coast is talkin' about and how they roll. 'Pac and Dre to me best capture this with the title and shoutouts to the various spots in Cali.



Let me clear my throat

We on that red-eye to DC to the land of go-go. The first time I heard this was when I dated this chick my freshman year in college. She was from DC and asking me about all these songs I'd never heard of. Then I went to a go-go party and my eyes opened. Those cats will make a song about anything. Sardines and pork n beans indeed :-)



Get ready, ready

Now we travelin' to the gulf coast to get our bounce on. Literally. Bounce music in this area definitely influences LA, TX, and MS. I didn't know the impact until I went to this party in Houston. The music switched from stuff I know to bounce music and everyone broke out into these crazy dances. I had no idea what monkey on a stick was. I do now :-)



I Wanna Rock

Now if you grew up in FL, GA, SC, AL, and some parts of TN and NC, you grew up on bass music. And Uncle Luke was the one that took it to massive heights. So for parties back home, we got a heavy dose of songs like this with asses jigglin' everywhere. Oh to be young again



Empire State of Mind

Can't forget the originators of hip hop, the mighty New York. True they have a barrage of songs that represent NY to the fullest but Jiggaman's is the most recent and definitely is a John Blazer. And the Honest Man blog has no lil mama to interrupt the flow either.