Repost from 2015 Hip-hop singer Frank Ocean is well-known to march to the beat of a different drummer, and nowhere is that more apparent than in We All Try, a lovely and plaintive existential humanist[…]
It occurred to me recently that in my survey of philosophical music I had too long overlooked perhaps the premiere philosopher of transcendent pop music, Mr. Stevland Wonder (an artist I had the exquisite pleasure[…]
In memory of Glenn Frey, please enjoy this repost of an examination of one of his most beloved songs Many mysteries surround the Eagles’ popular classic tune Hotel California, from the warm smell of colitas[…]
What does it mean when I draw a connection between one of my most favorite songs and one of my least favorite philosophers? Have I misjudged the philosopher, or the song? I’ve been obsessed with[…]
It may surprise you dear reader, but I’m not the first or only person to find deeper philosophical meaning in pop music. Here, for your mingled pleasure and edification, are a few choice links from[…]
The most striking thing about Kid Cudi’s 2009 song and video, Pursuit of Happiness, is the stark contrast between its superficial pleasures and deep miseries. The video presents much as many other hip-hop videos of[…]
A philosopher, by definition, sees the world in a radically different way than everyone else. The real challenge, however, is not to see from an original viewpoint, but to successfully communicate that perspective to an[…]
Hip-hop music is unique. It has been multiracial from the start, and it has been embraced and naturalized all over the globe, and yet it still retains a basic, unbreakable connection with its natal black[…]
The trippy alternative hip-hop duo PM Dawn is a footnote in musical history, but for a brief time in the 90’s they were on top of the charts with their blend of new age dream[…]
Last time, we looked at hip-hop sampling as a outgrowth of African polyphony, a way of creating something new by placing a different and contrasting line over the original. But there is more to it[…]