Scribbler's "Get Out of My Brain!" Countdown of the Month (February 2017)

Picture this: the February edition of "Scribbler's 'Get Out of My Brain!' Countdown of the Month" nearly featured songs primed for Black History Month, leftover Christmas music, nostalgia and shameless plugs all in one post.  Could've been the most interesting combination of songs ever, right?!?!  Well, unfortunately for Gladiator, Ransom Rellic and my alter ego twin A.J. Throwback, the extension of the holiday spirit only lasted until January 3rd while The Jackson 5 whiffed on two shots to get in on this brain space work.  So while this month's lineup may not be as intriguing without that factor, there's still plenty to love about this band of merry misfits including the first re-entry of this series...

#10 SERIOUS BEATS, "Rumble in the Chi" (Rumble in the Chi (Instrumental), Serious Beats, 2016).  Sir A-Dot-J-Dot has been memorizing his bars for what will be the third installment to his "Inspiration" series with our buddy Kavah King for an upcoming studio session.  Consequently, I find myself humming this soulful, thumping beat from one of our favorite beat Chicago crafters not named Kanye West--even when he's not practicing.  I'm simply waiting to hear the finished product at this point, so he needs to hurry up and record it--although I'm not but so bothered hearing this repeatedly compared to the "interminable dross" with which I could be bombarded.  (I watched Forgetting Sarah Marshall recently and wanted a reason to use "interminable dross" in a sentence.  Saw my shot and took it...)

#9 BELL BIV DEVOE, "Run" (Three Stripes, eOne/Entertainment One, 2017).  Between The New Edition Story taking over Facebook timelines and appearances on TV One and HOT 97, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins and Ronnie DeVoe have reentered the collective consciousness of N.E. fans everywhere.  So when their brand new video for "Run" appeared on my timeline, I couldn't resist listening.  Although I felt like I was back in '97--which isn't necessarily a bad thing--I wasn't prepared for this being so infectious.  In between humming several of the larger group's classic tunes--including a few songs which didn't make the countdown--I'd hear Bell singing "you run, run, run, you run, run" a la The Notorious B.I.G.'s "Hypnotize".  Not bad for their first album in 16 years...

#8 DONNIE, "Cloud 9" (The Colored Section, Giant Step, 2002).  Maybe because The Colored Section is such a slept-on album, but "Cloud 9" has never been one of those "front of the consciousness" songs for me--although I've always liked it.  However, while gathering a playlist for a coworker's event with a theme of progressiveness, Mrs. Scribbler strongly suggested this and I'm glad she did because the lyrics went perfectly with the theme.  Even after I put the songs together and the event was over and done with, I could hear Donnie singing "we live from the head down and not the feet up" in my brain.  The beauty of older music is often having a newfound love and appreciation for it...

#7 ELUSION FEAT. LIMON WILSON, "She's Got It" (Show and Tell, Cotillion, 1982).  The awesomeness about looking for one song on Apple Music or iTunes is  having other songs recommended and that's the only reason I would've ever stumbled upon this obscure group who only released two albums in the early 80s.  When I stumbled upon this gem, that early 80s vibe of the music, the simplicity of the lyrics and the way they belt out "she's got it, she's got it, yeahhhhhh" was indelibly catchy.  While pondering a effectively-scrapped idea for a mixtape, this song came back to mind as the standout of the 20-plus throwbacks to be sampled and I was enamored all over again...

#6 NEW EDITION, "N.E. Heart Break" (Heart Break, MCA, 1988).  Had my eyes glued to BET and The New Edition Story like every other Black person in America over 30...had the urge to listen to my favorite N.E. album as a group...immediate nostalgia to watching Video Soul circa 1989 when "N.E. Heart Break" was poppington...bewilderment for not realizing how poignant the lyrics were (see "girlies and groupies and parties all night" as an example)...cracking up at how hard Johnny Gill was singing at the end...yeah, it was destiny for this song to bombard me to the point where it made this list in the last week of eligibility.  No problem whatsoever taking a trip down memory lane as a cautionary tale for those tricky groupies...

#5 JANELLE MONAE AND WONDALAND, "Hell You Talmbout" (Hell You Talmbout (Single), Wondaland, 2015).  As part of the same playlist as "Cloud 9", "Hell You Talmbout" was a powerfully fantastic discovery via rigorous Googling while trying to round out the list with more recent songs--making me wish I found out about it sooner.  Combine that with the awkward hilarity of watching Janelle Monae aggressively coach Lucia McBath and the others Mothers of the Movement at the Women's March on the "say his/her name" chant and you have a recipe for an extremely unforgettable song swirling around in this already crowded superdome of mine.  Besides, how can you not want an excuse to sing along with a song called "Hell You Talmbout"?!?!  Exactly...

#4 NEW EDITION, "You're Not My Kind of Girl" (Heart Break, MCA, 1988).  There are certain songs which 1) can harass my mental capacity anytime it chooses and 2) I look forward to earning a spot on this list.  Hence, for the sake of not sounding like a broken record, watching The New Edition Story and listening to the Heart Break album are the primary reasons why one of my favorite N.E. songs of all time landed on this countdown.  Confession: I had a serious fanboy moment when they reenacted their performance of this at the long-demolished Capital Centre in 1988 because I was hoping they included this in the movie--which made it an officially successful biopic in my mind...

#3 KINGPEN SLIM, "D'Mons" (Life After Doubt, New Wave Cooperative, 2017).  So KingPen Slim's smooth tale of fighting the urges for vengeance and collaboration with longtime producer JButtah was already my favorite song off of the D.C. native's latest album.  However, the brother had the nerve to not only put out a few teasers for the video, but also released the official video which resulted in a dark visual ideally aligned with his lyrical layout.  Next thing you know, "D'Mons" rented one of the biggest spaces inside of this complex of luxury condos simply known as my brain--which are the only ones ever allowed to do so without involving the Holy Trinity for extrication...

#2 SHERRICK, "Just Call" (Sherrick, Warner Bros., 1987).  I wish Sherrick would've been as resilient and committed in his recording career during his life as he is at ensuring he's a part of this list every single month.  Seriously...if I don't give "Just Call" some kind of legacy award, then maybe I'll call it "The Little Engine That Could Award for Merciless Musical Brain Invasion".  (Rough title...not yet committed to it, so it's still a work in progress.)  For those who are tired of this guy being on the countdown, I am telling you there's a chance he could be bumped off next month.  However, I make no promises whatsoever because he could have a week-long surge as he's been doing since the late summer...

#1 A.J. THROWBACK, "Five Stages of Grief" (Five Stages of Grief (Instrumental), THCN Music, 2017).  Bookend shameless plugs...I don't know how to feel about my life except to say "oh well" and keep typing.  I promise it's not my fault: our good buddy Tyrell James (a.k.a. Ransom Rellic when he's in rap mode) has released his fourth book, Stockholm Syndrome, and was doing a promo for it.  He called on the services of my alter ego A.J. to score the promo, who proceeded to engulf himself in making this composition fit the mood of the five stages of grief.  What ensued was nothing short of a relentless obsession to force me to consider which of those stages I was at having to listen to it so much...


Of course, we can't have this countdown and not show a little love to the honorable mentions.  Attacking me like many of our past entries have done, it was a pleasant surprise to walk through Shop Rite and hear the late, great Aaliyah's "Rock the Boat"--a song I'm hoping makes this countdown someday soon because my Aaliyah story could be a post on its own.  The infectiousness of Ed Sheeran's "Sing" is simple: those commercials for the movie were nonstop, although I know no one who took their kids to see it.  Finally, "Black Man in America" by October London was part of the aforementioned "Black Excellence" playlist, but he literally got beat out by one minute and it takes serious persistence to make this cut.

What songs can't you get out of your head--whether you're cool with them being there or you'd pay good money to kick them out of your brain space for good?!?!  PLEASE share what's been eating you, fellow Gilbert Grapes!  Don't forget to return on Tuesday, March 7th, for another off-the-wall edition of "Scribbler's 'Get Out of My Brain!' Countdown of the Month"!!!