R n B Sundays 2

  Donell, come back! I need you....

“Well, well, well, well!” That is pretty much his signature phrase in the sultry mellow tone, now tell me; have you seen him???

 

I know I was meant to blog on a new artist/ album every week. The second Sunday, something or rather someone interrupted me, this led to putting in practice all my con reading skills I learnt from watching "White Collar" and that’s another post all together. The third Sunday, I had car trouble and still do, but I refuse to let it consume me two weeks in a row.

Aaahhh * nostalgic sigh *, where do I begin the story of Donell?

 The year was 1999, my colourful and super cool aunt Pamela was an R n B fanatic, she and my late uncle (her brother in law) would sit around on Sundays listening to Jazz, Afro pop, R n B, Soft Rock, etc so I guess that’s where I got this from. At that age 12, it was very annoying because I’d rather be watching TV than have The Soweto String Quartet fiddling through the house.

This was the first album I heard and the first song I really took to was obviously “U know what’s up" ft Left Eye (RIP), I mean TLC was my favourite group at the time. There was no song bigger than "No Scrubs" and all girls my age had pictures of the trio plastered over anything we could find a blank space above the Spice Girls and beside Backstreet Boys. This is when I ask for all those with 'Auto' or 'Scrap' books to step up and tell us how they got down the lyrics to the songs pre-Google! I mean it’s like every song had 4000000000+ versions of the same chorus! As usual, I digress.

Donell...I liked that name ... ALOT! It just had something that still puts a lingering smile on my lips. Perhaps the double LL! He was good looking, that just added to the appeal and I blame him for ... mmmm let’s just say the song "This luv" carries memories.

When I listen to it now, I realise this song was loaded and encouraged promiscuity! I didn’t fully comprehend what it all meant but it had a different sound.. The part that still gets me to this day is:

"I understand you have a n*gga that lives at home but I wanna be the cat that makes you moan". It’s not the lyrics I liked, but his vocals there that got me hooked. You have to hear it to understand it. I’ll stop there with this song * naughty lingering smile *. It is my favourite Donell song to this day.

Next song was "Shorty", it was cool kind of reminds me of that Montel Jordan song 'Get it on tonight'. Nothing to write home about; typical guy trying to hustle a girl to go home with him.

 I haven’t listened to this entire album since 1999, but when I heard this song "I wanna love you", my toes curled up. It’s amazing what the mind remembers and after Googling the lyrics; I know why. Like the man says, he wants to love the woman; straight to the point. I think I should stop fighting the fact that I am a idealistic romantic (for lack of a better word), I want a very pure type of love, but then again which girl doesn’t?

I wanna luv u
every night, every day
u know I need u in my life
want u stay
I wanna luv u
every night, every day
u know I need u in my life
want u stay

I want to be needed. There I said it for the whole world to know. If I am not needed, then why am I there? Anybody else may as well be there. I must be the only person on this entire world capable of fulfilling that role but if I am not, then someone else can take the job!

 I always ask suitors "Why me?, what is it about me that made you step up to me? " If any one of them had given the right answer- well, let’s just say I would be too busy for this post! Haa haa..

Then the last song, really hits home "Where I wanna be". This is a "love" song, I’ll let the lyrics speak for themselves.. My comments are in purple:

I said I left my baby girl a message
Sayin' I won't be coming home
I'd rather be alone
She doesn't fully understand me
That I'd rather leave than to cheat  ( I applaud this)
If she gives me some time
I can be the man she needs   ( Don’t agree with this)
But there's a lot of lust inside of me ( The truth shall set you free) 
And we've been together since our teenage years
I really don't mean to hurt her, but I need some time
To be alone

[Chorus 1]
But when you love someone
You just don't treat them bad
Oh, how I feel so sad
Now that I wanna leave
She's crying her heart to me
How could you let this be?
I just need time to see
Where I wanna be
Where I wanna be...

Sweet little dee-do-dee-dee...
I don't mean to hurt you, baby, oh, no, no...

[Verse 2]
Never did I imagine
That you would play a major part
In a decision that's so hard
Do I leave, do I stay, do I go?
I think about my life and what matters to me the most
Girl, the love that we share is real
But in time your heart will heal
I'm not saying I'm gone
But I have to find what life is like
Without you
If someone has lust inside them, it is best that they leave! I believe in leaving! That’s me- ill quickly add that I believe in forgiveness too. I admit, I am a little unforgiving, and for that reason one must leave!

This song is an paradox within itself. He is the hero and the villain. He is leaving to protect her from his potential to cheat and the hurt that she could feel from that, so in a way he is caring about her feelings and shielding her from the bad side of him. In the same breath, he is putting himself first and making a really selfish decision to take care of his desires, which supercede her broken heart.

I often ask, "why can’t more guys be like this?". Leave when they see they have unexplored lust in them, rather than hang on and hurt you. As selfish as this ultimately is- I find it’s the lesser evil and has a hint of nobility. I would prefer my heart heal from this, then the scathing hurt of being cheated on.

What are your favourite Donell songs? Any thoughts on the song "Where I wanna be?"

Whom to love

                                                             Those puppy eyes *swoon*

I am Weezy lover to the core and when the song 'How to love' came out, I felt like he was saying he loves me back and above all; gets me.

Weezy is the epitome of bad *ss! Everything about him is obscene and brilliant in the same breath. I could easily do this all day, everyday. I dont condone all his behaviour though- like the BET 2011 Awards performance....ummmm, the bow at the end was a lil too late! You cant rock up undressed and skipping across the stage- then bow at the end! You already disrespected us!! Like the people that stop in the middle of the road and turn on their hazards- that DOESNT make it ok!!
Totally inappropriate and out of place..*sigh* So Weezy *smiles*.

Anyway, I digress.

Most women (feel free to disagree) have been/are attracted to the bad boy. I wont describe him further because we all know him, or know of him. He doesnt need more airplay..Agreed?

Basically what this guy(s) does to you is this:

"You see a lot of crooks and the crooks still crook
See You had a lot of crooks tryna steal your heart"

and the result is this:

"Never really had luck, couldn’t never figure out
How to love"

You basically feel robbed of something, "crooked" as Weezy says.  You feel that the innocence of love is taken away because you shared it with the wrong person. Im not talking  about s*x here, but just a normal love relationship. Heartbreak is inevitable at some stage of your life- thats acceptable, we all need that breaking moment. Thats expected.

I am talking about something/someone that taints your love... Something that contaminates/ spoils/ corrupts your view and image of love, birthing the cynic in you.. Basically does what Wale in "Diary" talks about to your view of love. Side note : How deep is Wale though?? love him much??!!!

And then; Enter glimpse of hope! There is that person or people that somehow can redeem or save a situation. You feel he/they wants to try give back to you what the crooks took-almost like your system is being reset..As much as the person has their own struggles and shortfalls; in their presence you feel almost whimsical again. This is something different and you are so out of your element...something unusual-but not in that Trey Songz  nasty kinda way.

 A good sort of weird.

This doesnt really have an ending as i am still figuring it out.. But thought i would share before i completely forget.

Comments.. Have you ever met anyone above? and how did that make you feel? Were they everything you thought? or a wolf in sheeps skin..Like the Marlon's brothers in "White Chics"...