Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Gnarls Barkley

so underrated, they are one of the greatest groups of our time.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Stephen Marley feat. Damian ‘Jr. Gong’ Marley

love damian, hate the hat. sorry gidds.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Fool’s Gold

first heard about this group when i saw them play at a small venue on UCR’s campus called the Barn. went to the show on the fly w some friends and until i went to go see wynton marsalis and the jazz at lincoln center orchestra play a year later, theirs had been the best live show i’d seen to date. turns out one of the many talented members is a homie of a homie which landed the group, who has to run from paparazzi in france, at the humble venue in riverside. talk about electrifying. i’ve been looking for their album since i heard them play,and have finally scored it. even tried to get them to come play at Cal but that was a no go. at least i can take them with me wherever i go now! how do i describe fool’s gold? if the whole world came together to play music, it would sound like fool’s gold.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Asher Roth

just got his mixtape.  must say,  he is quite “impressive” .as is the video.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Erykah Badu

late though i may be, i have recently discovered the absolute genius that is erykah badu. i chanced upon a bunch of her albums that i’d had and never really listened to before. timing. she’s been speaking directly to me, telepathically through her music. jealous? well don’t be, open your ears and you’ll hear a whole lot more than you thought could be relayed in a single song, at least by today’s standards.

listen.

and enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Sia

first learned about Sia in the 10th grade from a little friend named Mia and a little thing called a Mia Mix. i learn a lot from those mixes and from that mia. anyway, a couple of years Sia resurfaced with some more, less emo, goodness. the song on the mix was called “Breathe Me” but unfortunately i couldn’t post the official video for it nor for “buttons.” i did however find a link for “Soon We’ll Be Found” so i give you that and my encouragement to check out the officiall(y awesome) videos for “buttons” and “breathe me” asap.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Coldplay

Coldplay is one of my favorite groups and the Strawberry Swing video is absolutely one of my favorite music videos of all time. Because I’m so bad at it, attention to detail is one of the things i appreciate most about artists and this video is full of it.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Kanye West

now. understand, i have been a kanye fan since day one. and when he came out w 808’s and heartbreak and everyone was off him, i was still true blue. ive been an avid reader of his blog since he started it and when he changed it’s site location recently, along w the general content (from an all-forms-of-art-and-beautiful-wonderful-creative-things blog to what now seems like a nothing-but-hypsersexualized-photographs-of-white-women blog) well my faith cracked slightly. BUT, as if reading me and only me, before i could consider joining the naysayers kanye releases the new tracks from his upcoming album and BOY AM I STOKED. as he shared on his blog, EVERYONE’s stoked for what their hailing the return of kanye. demolition time. only sad thing about my approaching departure to the motherland- i probably wont hear all the new hot fire he releases until im back. sour.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: TV on the Radio

saw them on one of the many late night talk shows a couple of years ago. cool kids. any america’s next top model fans should see a familiar face in the first video. and anyone who’s seen Rachel Getting Married should recognize the lead singer as the groom. random, this i know.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Kid Cudi

my friend, the oh so official mr. eric holt, played this version of the song for me a couple of days ago aaaaand i rather liked it. honesty haven’t heard much cudi aside from the videos he’s put out, but he made the playlist so we shall see, obviously im posting him tho so, with slight reservations, i think im into him.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

great song, GREAT video.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: NaS & Damian Marley are Distant Relatives

saw them perform at Reggaefest last week and immediately got the album. great stuff.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Nneka

according to my friend maibi, Nneka’s pretty great. i’d attribute his opinion to some naija bias for the artist however she did score a j.period mixtape aaannnddd from what i’ve read is prreettyyy critically acclaimed, not to mention she iiiisss currently on tour w NaS & Damian Marley sooooo, i mean i suppose she actually might be pretty great. liking what im hearing so far, im convinced enough to put her on the playlist + how could you not love that nigerian accent??

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Celia Cruz

got the celia cruz album during spring break from a great guy named fred. fred is a friend to me all my homies. he’s our supplier and we’re his happy customers. he feeds, quite shamelessly, our addiction to huge, gaudy, african jewelry with his hand painted, hand crafted kenyan designs and we, like junkies, visit him regularly, happy and itching with excitement at the site of his pure goods. anyway, we went in one day and started talking to him about the aawweessoommee music accompanying our shopping experience and he, like a true friend, lent us his original, and only, copy of the Celia Cruz “Mi Vida Es Cantar” album, in full confidence that we’d return, which we will, cause fred’s our friend.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Radiohead

sincerest gratitudinals to Nicole and Sanam for demanding i learn my ears and brain and heart and body and soul to some great ol’ radiohead. ups to diesel for showing me the paranoid android video. and props to Michel Gondry for being my favorite, the best and directing the knives out video. (i’d have posted these last two videos but apparently their codes have been disabled on youtube- WACK.)

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

Playlist for a 15 Hour Flight to Ethiopia: Kanda Bongo Man

my friend Amadou played this for some of us at a party one night and ive been in love w Kanda Bongo Man ever since. i know the dream and soulja boy are pretty good at making music to move to bbuuuuttt they got naaaaathan on kanda bongo.

enjoy.

-peace.pace.selam.

bet she’ll beat any video girl in the game. period.