Scribbler's "Get Out of My Brain!" Countdown of the Month (December 2016)

So here are three things to note about this month's edition of the "'Get Out of My Brain!' Countdown of the Month".  First and foremost, given the lack of girl power on the November edition of "In Heavy Rotation", I apologize to the ladies and don't want y'all to think I'm slighting y'all one bit; however, the songs which rule my brain space unfortunately control me and not the other way around.  Trust me, y'all will be better represented later this month.  Second, I have developed a more-exact-but-still-inexact science for tracking all of this: I simply note the amount of times a song comes to mind and about how long I'm thinking about it.  It ain't perfect, but it's a much better system to make sure folks don't get cheated out of the opportunity to make this countdown like no other.  (I doubt most of these folks care that much, but still.)  Third, this edition will feature songs either belonging to "The Blame Game" in which I blame specific people and/or things for my mental repetitiveness, "NPT HitstoryMakers" for artists and songs who and which boldly go where no others have gone before or stand on their own two category-less feet.  Since you have been prepared and briefed probably more than you wanted to be, let's get to the madness...

#10 NXWORRIES, "Get Bigger / Do U Luv" (Yes Lawd!, Stones Throw, 2016).  Not having two other songs along with it this month, one of the "singles" from Anderson .Paak and Knxwledge's full-length debut as the dynamic duo NxWorries is on "cheese stands alone" status; then again, it was the top dawg out of last month's trio from their amazing "mixtape", Yes Lawd!  However, this could've easily been paired with Webster Lewis' "The Love You Give to Me" because both the original and the sampled version swirled around in this big old superdome of mine.  Nevertheless, the "reboot" got more tread on these dusty old cerebral turntables.  Now originally, I was going to keep this segment short, but then I thought of something: am I the only one who heard the closed hi-hat Knxwledge used over top of the sample in "Get Bigger" and had to remind myself I wasn't listening to a scratched CD which could skip at any given moment?  I can't tell y'all how many times I've been thrown off by that, but y'all are well versed in my weirdness by now...

#9 ADRIAN YOUNGE & THE DELFONICS, "Stop and Look (And You Have Found Love)" (Luke Cage (Original Soundtrack Album), Hollywood/Marvel, 2016).  The Blame Game, Part 1: Blame Everybody and Everything.  First, blame one of my co-workers who first told me about the marvelous pairing of Adrian Younge as a producer and The Delfonics' classic sound on Adrian Younge Presents: The Delfonics as his throwback style is absolutely perfect for their sound.  Second, blame one of my dear, dear friends for doing what she always does: putting me onto something dope, i.e., Marvel's Luke Cage.  Granted, everybody and their comic-book loving uncle blabbed about it on Facebook and played spoiler alert, but her selling point was actually one of the other songs on this countdown.  Third, blame Luke Cage for 1) being an utterly addictive show, 2) using Harlem's Paradise to set much of the show's musical tone and 3) featuring the Philly soul singers' lavishly-produced collaboration with Younge--who is also co-composer with Ali Shaheed Muhammad on the show's original score.  Fourth, and finally, blame my sponge of a brain for soaking in these gorgeous melodies and desiring to be part of an experience in the Harlem's Paradise vain--sans the potential for getting shot, of course...

#8 TWENTY ØNE PILØTS, "Ride" (Blurryface, Fueled By Ramen, 2015).  The Blame Game, Part 2: Blame My Dear, Dear Friend...Again.  One of the biggest things I appreciate about all of my friends is they have varying tastes in music, which I greatly appreciate because it broadens my own already-extensive palate.  However, the friend of whom I speak is especially enthusiastic when she loves a song, which often makes me think, "Dang, I'm supposed to be the music guy, but how come it seems like I only get that hype at parties?!?!"  Anyway, remember the tidbit in last week's edition of "In Heavy Rotation" when I discussed how "Ride" is essentially her "half baked" song--because everybody has one, even if they don't smoke?  Well, maybe that's the reason I have the munchies every now and then because this song is strangely starting to make me feel the same way and I've traditionally been partial to Mystikal's "Still Smokin'" by or UGK's "[Ridin' Dirty] Outro" forever and a day.  Seriously though, the hook on its own has an easy way of getting stuck in one's head, but it's simply a good song with which I have no qualms being up there...

#7 A TRIBE CALLED QUEST, "Mobius" (We Got It from Here... Thank You 4 Your Service, Epic/SME, 2016).  When I first listened to ATCQ's latest album and the first thumping of "Mobius" blared through my car speakers, I instantly knew it was my favorite.  With every listen, the undeniable allure of the song's first half is its pocket which D.C. folks know could be retooled into a go-go song if one of the older bands who rose to prominence during the Golden Era of Hip Hop like Backyard Band or even Rare Essence dared to do it.  However, what trips me out about this being my favorite from this album is 1) no original ATCQ member is on it; 2) although Consequence annoyed me as a reality star, he reminded me why I like him as a rapper; and 3) the frequent featuring of Busta Rhymes on this album is refreshing as a hip hop fan and makes me think they're trying to ease him in as an honorary member.  At any rate, "Mobius" is crank game all day every day and only has itself to blame for being on my brain...

#6 FREDDIE JACKSON, "Look Around" (Just Like the First Time, Capitol, 1986).  First and foremost, can I tell y'all how siced I was about one of my favorite R&B singers finally having an entry in this countdown--although it's probably to the chagrin of Momma Scribbler and Big Little Brother Scribbler if they caught wind of this since they had to endure my incessant playing of his music for three years?  Second, "Look Around" is frankly the last song I would've expected to be on this countdown--not because I dislike it because I've always appreciated this song from Jackson's sophomore effort, but I hadn't heard or thought about it much in at least 18 years.  However, three simple reasons come to mind why it's on the countdown ahead of songs like "Rock Me Tonight (For Old Times Sake)" or "I Don't Want to Lose Your Love": 1) I was listening to the majority of the Just Like the First Time album on an errand run with Baby Boy Scribbler and had a desire to hear this for some inexplicable reason; 2) I was driving to work one day, thought about how audacious it is when people say stuff like "no one's gonna love you like me" or "this is as good as it's gonna get" and thought about this while being mildly annoyed; and 3) I literally looked around and voila...random mental rotation of a song from a fellow Libra.  Don't y'all love how my brain works?  Well, at least I know I do...

#5 TOTO, "Hold the Line" (Toto, Columbia, 1978).  The Blame Game, Part 3: Blame Shop Rite and Roland Martin.  Before we get into this segment, a little bit of context: I can't recall where I was when I first heard this song--probably listening to a classic rock station at work one day--but I instantly knew it was my kind of rock song.  Thus, when I'm in the pasta aisle in the White Oak Shop Rite with Baby Boy Scribbler and heard those first couple of notes, my excitement couldn't be contained.  As I kept saying "this is Daddy's song", I'm sure he looked at me like, "If it ain't Alpha Pig from Super Why! singing the ABCs or Count von Count from Sesame Street stomping to the "Number of the Day" song, then that ain't 'bout nothin'."  Adding to the madness was getting closer to Election Day and watching NewsOne Now as I always do while getting ready for work.  Repeatedly, Roland Martin as well as his guests kept saying one simple phrase when it came down to remaining disciplined with the campaigns: "hold the line".  What did that naturally trigger for someone who has already proven not to need much of a trigger?  You guessed it...Toto..."Hold the Line".  I might as well have gone back to the grocery store to jam harder than everyone else in the store combined while freezing my butt off in the dairy aisle...

#4 JIDENNA, "Long Live the Chief" (Long Live the Chief, Epic/Wondaland 2016).  The Blame Game, Part 4: Blame My Dear, Dear Friend and Luke Cage...Again.  As you may have already figured out if I haven't lost y'all already, this was the song which received the tailgating treatment from my friend.  Because I was taking my sweet time watching Marvel's Luke Cage so I could see the exact scene she tried to describe, she simply suggested I listen to the song and man oh man...I slept on Jidenna egregiously.  I mean, "Long Live the Chief" comes on with a vengeance, but the rapper and singer drops nothing but stone cold bars like, "Now they say 'Jidenna why you dressing so classic?/I don't want my best dressed day in a casket."  Yeah...Jay-Z pulling the Gucci bucket hat over his face moment right there.  However, my friend hyped up this scene saying something along the lines of "the lights cascade from the top of the balcony like the Lord shining his light on the world ever so gracefully"...or something along those lines.  When I finally got to the opening scene of the "Just to Get a Rep" episode, I had to give my friend props for accurately setting the stage for how epic of a moment it was--especially because 1) Jidenna was that swaggerific in practice and 2) much like every hero needs his theme music, so does every villain as cool as Cornell "Cottonmouth" Stokes (Masheera Ali).  That's what I call selling your words convincingly...

#3 ADRIAN YOUNGE & ALI SHAHEED MUHAMMAD, "Theme" (Luke Cage (Original Soundtrack Album), Hollywood/Marvel, 2016).  The Blame Game, Part 5: See the No. 4 Entry.  There are a few things to say about this particular slot holder other than the obvious.  First, hearing Ali Shaheed Muhammad was a co-composer for this series with Adrian Younge automatically raised my interest level--especially because I had a crash course in Younge's work with The Delfonics and Ghostface Killah.  Second, hearing this tickled my musical fancy as it passed one of the biggest tests for any TV show worth my precious time and energy: dope theme music.  Third, this was the epitome of a statement I made to my friend saying how the theme, the score and the soundtrack appeals to dudes who love comic books and Wu-Tang Clan, especially New York dudes who meet that particular criteria.  While I'm not an avid comic book reader like many of my friends are, I have always admired the general storylines of most superheroes and Wu-Tang is in my top five favorite hip hop groups/collectives of all time.  Furthermore, the music does sound like something either RZA or MF Doom--who often feels like the producer's equivalent to Redman as an unofficial Wu member by association--would do in their sleep...

#2 SHERRICK, "Just Call" (Sherrick, Warner Bros., 1987).  NPT HitstoryMakers, Part 1: The Brother with the Prince Akeem Joffer Tail.  Are y'all tired of hearing about this song yet?  Well, that's too bad because it's harassing me and I'm going to harass you all with it on account of y'all committing to my shenanigans the moment you clicked on this link and this being my blog and all.  So I have no idea who's been a bigger geek than me about "Just Call" in either 2016 or the past 29 years, but the late brother Sherrick has become the first artist to have a song on this countdown for four consecutive months.  Granted, even if he were here to receive an award for this can-barely-be-considered-modest achievement, I wouldn't have any shiny hardware to give him.  However, I'd enthusiastically thank him for making a song worthy of being stuck in my brain as if I'm back in junior year of high school again discovering seven-to-eleven-year-old music like it's a Video Soul World Premiere.  I can go the majority of a month not thinking about it, but on cue, he always comes around either at the beginning of a new cycle or some unexpected point in it and threatens to be the biggest bugaboo of all.  Unfortunately, although I had high hopes for "Just Call" to make even more history than it already has, one of the most prestigious honors in "Get Out of My Brain!" history belongs to the following top dawg entry...

#1 GEORGE BENSON, "Inside Love (So Personal)" (In Your Eyes, Warner Bros., 1983).  NPT HitstoryMakers, Part 2: The Man Who Would Be King...Twice.  Truth moment: last month, neither did I give George Benson much of a chance to takeover the countdown in the way he did nor did I think he'd make the final cut since two of his other songs missed the list.  Frankly, I chalked his meteoric rise up to Kashif's passing in October and my obsession with a lot of his production work.  So when he started making waves on this month's countdown, I thought, "Oh that's nice.  He'll probably be top 3, but Sherrick's got a huge lead already.  No way he'll catch up."  Then I kept wanting to hear it on every possible device at different points of the day, which only made things worse and made me realize I had a problem--and so did his competition.  After about a week and a half, Benson was Bruce Leroy, Sherrick was Sho'Nuff and he became the only one to stand in between him and total supremacy.  (Yes...like a football analogy or an unsolicited Jay-Z quote, an impromptu Last Dragon reference is always necessary.)  Next thing I knew, this danceable groove with a subtly seductive undertone had beaten the assumed champ of the month...by like an hour.  It's not always about how you start off a month if you have a good song on your hands and "Inside Love (So Personal)" is proof how any song has a chance to take this coveted spot.

I know you've had a song or five or ten on your mind...be a brave soul if you so dare and share it in those comments down there!  (I promise I didn't rhyme on purpose; I do this without even thinking.  Is that considered a humble brag?)  PLEASE don't forget to return on Tuesday, January 3rd for the first edition of "Scribbler's 'Get Out of My Brain!' Countdown of the Month" in 2017!!!