In Search Of... Changed My Life

I was in 8th grade when my life changed. For music enthusiasts we all have that album that changed our lives, and we will talk about it forever. Anybody that knows me, knows that I get a lot of my style sensibilities, and out-look on life, from my uncle Travis. Uncle Travis is a fashion-lover, music enthusiast, and semi-political theorist. I grew up being that weird kid who listened to music. While my parents argued I'd turn up the music, and write my own rhymes. It's always been my favorite thing to get lost in melodies, and lose track of time.

One day the whole family was out, and we were riding around in uncle Travis's yellow Ford  Mustang. He had punk-inspired black dice hanging in his rear-view mirror, that had spikes around them. While riding shot-gun, I noticed a album cover under the seat. It had transparent stars all around it, and Shay Haley ( N.E.R.D band-member) was on the couch playing PlayStation. It also had a brain logo, which i thought was pretty sweet. I immediately asked Uncle Travis what it was, and he said, "It's Pharrell's group, its really good, you can have it" . I'm a "hip-hop head", but I always loved rock, and alternative music. When me, and my sister visited my cousin Shana, in the suburbs of  Columbia, Maryland, we always played Smashmouth, and  3 Doors Down. This cd named In Search Of.... encompassed everything. The writing was still hard-core, and had a hip-hop edge to it, but it was just as much R&B, Soul, and Rock. I could relate to the mixture of suburban/hood culture vibe. I blasted this album for months. My favorite track from the album, "Provider" tells the  story of a young man, on a quest to make a name, and provide for himself. The bridge was the best part.

" Someday, Someday, this will be over
We'll raise a family
I'll get a job and I'll be a voter
And if I die
It will change you
Change you
I watch over a family
But only as an angel "

 I followed the N.E.R.D dress code. I had Nike dunks. I threw up the Star Trek hand sign. N.E.R.D was my RUN-DMC. This was way before the N.E.R.D mania that has plagued this generation. When The Neptunes Presents... The Clones was released, My friends and I sat in my basement playing the DVD, and CD everyday after high-school. It was either that, or Rap City: The Basement. We ordered chinese food from China Wok, and delayed our homework as much as possible.

While Simultaneously having an underground edge, Pharrell Williams and, the frontman of N.E.R.D, and Chad , together The Neptunes were also hip-hops biggest producers. They came up in the ranks through pioneering musician Teddy Riley. After their work with Blackstreet, and other names like Mase, and N.O.R.E. , they began to take over. Hell, they had hits out-side of hip-hop, with Britney Spears "I'm a slave for you", and most of Justin Timberlake's first solo album Justified. Whether you knew it or not, you were a fan of that Neptunes sound, which Jay-z relied on for some of his hottest singles, including " I Just Wanna Love Ya ( Give It To Me), and  "Excuse Me Miss".


N.E.R.D definitely left their footprint on this generation. Their style, and music opened doors for artists like  Kanye West, and Lupe Fiasco. They are the current influence behind the "Black Hipster Scene", and they have inspired kids to start their own clothing lines, and live out their dreams.Of course, they were influenced by A Tribe Called Quest, Steely Dan, The Beatles, Outkast, and other great musicians. In Search Of..., and the concept of No One Ever Really Dies further kicked the door in, and is certainly a classic album.