aaliyah: happy birthday

DOWNLOAD: PLAYA- Birthday
(strikingly eerie ballad off of Tim's Bio: Life from da Basement)
- buy it - buy aaliyah's music -

I was going to post Aaliyah's song "John Blaze" off of the same album, but I thought this song by Playa was strangely appropriate for the occasion. Despite the fact that this is a love song, the instrumental is rather ominous, hinting at sadness or mourning. Perhaps I'm reading in to it too much? Today, Aaliyah would have been 28 years old. In her short life, she made an incredible impact on young females in pop music from Ciara and beyond. Bless her.

lauryn hill: can't take my ears off of you.

LAURYN HILL may have been hiding from the spotlight these past years, but she hasn't been a stranger to my iTunes.

Today, my two favorite things collided as Louie of i guess i'm floating honored Ms. Hill with a post-Sister Act II post. It inspired me to make this post featuring some b-sides, remixes, rarities, collaborations, and unreleased songs.

Considering Lauryn has been keeping it on the hush for the most part, no one is really sure when her sophomore studio album will be released. Apparently a great quantity of music has been recorded, including a collaboration with The Wailers. On top of this, The Fugees have reunited to record some new songs, two of which you can hear below. However, I have to echo the sentiments of The Village Voice in saying, "Turns out that a Fugees reunion wasn't really what anyone was waiting for; we just wanted Lauryn to start rapping again." Wyclef and Pras really aren't great rappers. Do I need to even mention "It Doesn't Matter"?

DOWNLOAD: zip file of b-sides, remixes, etc., or download individually

TRACKLIST:

1. Lauryn Hill & Tanya Blout- His Eye Is On The Sparrow (Sister Act 2)
   
2. Lauryn Hill- The Sweetest Thing (Love Jones)
3. Lauryn Hill vs. Junior Senior- Doo Wop Move Your Feet (Mash-up)
4. Lauryn Hill- Ex-Factor (A Simple Breakdown Remix) --(single)
   
5. Lauryn Hill- Lost Ones (Remix)
6. Bob Marley & Lauryn Hill- Turn Your Lights Down Low (Chant Down Babylon)
7. Lauryn Hill- Rebel (Studio Version)
8. Lauryn Hill- Selah (The Divine Secrets of the Ya-Ya Sisterhood)
9. The Fugees- A Change Gonna Come (The Fugees Greatest Hits)
10. The Fugees- Take It Easy (single)
11. The Fugees- Wanna Be (leaked)
12. Nas f/ Lauryn Hill- If I Ruled the World (It Was Written)
13. Common f/ Lauryn Hill- Retrospect for Life (One Day It'll All Make Sense)
14. Carlos Santana f/ Lauryn Hill & Cee-Lo- Do You Like the Way (Supernatural)
15. Kanye West f/ Lauryn Hill (sampled)- All Falls Down (College Dropout demo)
    
16. John Legend f/ Lauryn Hill- So High Cloud 9 Remix (single)
17. Method Man f/ Lauryn Hill- Say (4:21: The Day After)
18. Talib Kweli- Ms. Hill (Right About Now)
    
19. Ted Leo- Ex Factor (cover)

BUY The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill
BUY Lauryn Hill MTV UNplugged 2.0

BLOGWATCH: Arjan Writes points us in the direction of a great Tigarah remix. Download many free remixes by Mr. D at Tigarah's website. Stereogum urges us to get our hype on while we still can.