Sunday, January 29, 2012

Yoga Playlist: Hip Hop Class

I had such a great time putting this playlist together, and I hope the music made for a fun class.  Below are the playlist details, including some Spotify -- oh, the wonders of Spotify!! -- links, which should allow you to listen to most of the songs.  I've put an asterisk next to the songs that aren't currently available on Spotify.  (It's a shame they're not; Sweatshop Union and Collective Efforts are two of my favorites.)

Class Playlist:
  • Be, by Common
  • Definition, by Black Star
  • Identity Cards (feat. Luckyiam), by Grieves
  • Passin' Me By, by The Pharcyde
  • Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys), by Jay-Z
  • Here I Come, by The Roots
  • Remember the Name, by Fort Minor
  • Big Pimpin'/Papercut, by Linkin Park & Jay-Z
  • As We Enter, by Nas & Damian "Jr. Gong" Marley
  • Timelines, by Sweatshop Union*
  • Another Day, by Crown City Rockers
  • Puppets, by Atmosphere
  • Ghetto Rock, by Mos Def
  • Strugglin', by K'naan
  • Check the Rhime, by A Tribe Called Quest
  • Made in America, by Kanye West & Jay-Z
  • Let It Alone (feat. Manchild), by Collective Efforts*
(Click here to listen to most of the above songs on Spotify.)



Pre- and Post-class Playlist:
  • What's Hardcore?, by K'naan
  • Moment of Clarity, by Jay-Z
  • Like Toy Soldiers, by Eminem
  • Seasons, by Collective Efforts*
  • Quiet Dog, by Mos Def
  • Listen!!!, by Talib Kweli
  • On the Rocks, by Grieves
  • 100% Dundee, by The Roots
  • The Thing About It, by Sweatshop Union*
  • Doo Wop (That Thing), by Lauryn Hill
(Click here to listen to most of the above songs on Spotify.)


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2 comments:

  1. thanks for posting your playlist as something to kinda have fun with. too bad so much of it is too explicit to really play for a class though. im trying to sensitize the students not desensitize them by hearing all the usual stuff that goes into rap. i hoe someone sometime will come out with a positive vibe for us to use. not many of these artist strive for consiousness.

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  2. For the specific hip hop class where I played this playlist, I advertised ahead of time that the music would be explicit, and I reminded everyone of that when I checked them in for class. I got special permission from the studio to do this. That said, I made a serious effort not to choose songs with subject matter that would draw people out of their practice; I put the yoga first, and I think it was successful. I also used clean versions of a couple of these songs when I felt the language would be too abrupt and noticeable on the unedited versions.

    If you're looking for some socially conscious hip hop artists, I especially recommend Sweatshop Union and Collective Efforts. Common and Grieves also have a few good songs that you can play without worrying about language, subject matter, etc.

    Good luck! And thanks for visiting!

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