The Shuffle Game

They say you can tell a lot about a person by going through their music playlist. And since I have nothing to write about today, I thought I'd play a simple game with you guys.

I call it the ‘The Shuffle Game. All I do is load up my music player and put it on shuffle and as the next songs play randomly, I say whatever comes to mind about them. I’ll rate them too in stars, 5 being the highest possible.

Since today is the 19th, I’ll take the first 10 (19-27/3, don't ask me how I came about that) songs that play.

Simple, yeah? Let's get on with it, shall we? Hits play.

#1. Wave of Babies by Animals as Leaders

I 'discovered' these guys randomly. Somehow, my YouTube Music app figured I'd like their stuff. It's not wrong.

The Animals as Leaders band (weird name, I'll have to google the origins later) plays purely instrumental rock music that has this early 90s feel to it (for me). This song in particular (Waves of Babies) reminds me a lot of music from Super Hang-On, a motorcycle racing game from the early 90s.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

#2. Till I Collapse - Eminem ft. Nate Dogg

Anyone who knows me well knows I love Eminem. Especially old (1998 to 2004/6) era Eminem.

Till I Collapse is the 13th (I think?) track from my favourite Eminem album, The Eminem Show. It is best known as the song in which Eminem first publicly claimed his G.O.A.T status, whilst revealing his list of greatest MCs ever:

I got a list, here's the order of my list that it's in
It goes Reggie, Jay-Z, 2Pac and Biggie
André from OutKast, Jada, Kurupt, Nas, and then me
But in this industry I'm the cause of a lot of envy
So when I'm not put on this list, the shit does not offend me

This was in 2002. Eighteen years later, during an interview with ex-signee, Crooked I, he was questioned about the order of the list and he admitted to arranging it specifically for rhyming convenience. About 2 months later, he revealed his updated list, this time 'in no particular order' and with himself omitted. Not surprising given surrounding controversy around his supposed "guest" status in Hip-Hop.

RIP to Nate Dogg who gave us the silky vocals on the hook.

Rating: 4 stars.

#3. Time to Grow - Lemar

Lemar has mastered the art of writing suffer-head love songs. There's always someone who left him, someone he left, someone he deserves but didn't get, someone he has moved on painfully from or someone he wishes he had.

This particular one is about moving on from a lover who left him because he treated her badly. But I gotta give it to the dude, he's talented.

Random fact; Lemar is a first generation Nigerian-British. His full name is Lemar Obika.

Rating: 4 stars.

#4. Canon Rock - Jerry C

A rock version of easily the most well-known classical piece (Canon in D by 17th century German composer, Johann Pachelbel) that... well... rocks. Enough said. If you like classical music and rock, and you know Canon in D, you should definitely listen to Canon Rock.

Oh, by the way, even if you don't know Canon in D, you've heard it in hundreds of hit songs it inspired over the decades like:

• No Woman No Cry by Bob Marley
• Joy by Wizkid
• Graduation (Friends Forever) by Vitamin C (...as we go back, we remember all the times we had together...)
• Where is the Love by Black Eyed Peas

And tons of other songs you listen to everyday, including Nigerian hit songs I can't quite remember right now.

So the next time you plug in your earphones to listen to your favourite hits, don't forget to first say a prayer to Brother Johann, the god of modern pop music.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

#5. Rebellion - Linkin Park ft. Daron Malakian

This song is off Linkin Park's 2014 album, Living Things.

As a self-professed Linkin Park fan (since 2001/2002) I feel embarrassed to admit that I did not know about the album until this year. While Rebellion isn't  favourite song on it, the album totally bangs.

RIP Chester Bennington.

Rating: 3 stars.

#6. Halleluyah - John Drille ft. Simi

Do I need to say anything about this song? Nah, we all know it. I guess I'll just say I was opportune to hear Johnny Drille perform it live at his first ever concert. I believe that was in 2018.

Rating: 4 stars.

#7. Castle of Glass - Linkin Park

Now this is my favourite song off the Living Things album from earlier. Deep, reflective lyrics, emotional video to booth and easily one of my best songs ever by Linkin Park. I loved it the first second I heard it. I don't think there's anyone who would listen to this song and not feel the raw emotions.


Rating: 5 stars.

#8. Ikenna - Sir Jude Nnam

This hearkens back to my days singing actively in the choir. I have many fond memories singing this song along with the choir.

As long as liturgical music is concerned, Sir. Jude Nnam is an undeniable legend in the Catholic church. If you are Catholic, or have attended Catholic Mass in Nigeria, chances are you know tons of his songs by heart; Take and Sanctify, In Thanksgiving and Love and a host of others.

Rating: 3.5 stars.

#9. Encore/Curtains Down - Eminem ft. Dr. Dre and 50 cent

This is one of the couple of Eminem songs I can easily rap along to from start to finish. This song is highly underrated because it's the last song in arguably Eminem's worst album, Encore. But the rhyming patterns, the beats, the back and forth between Dre and Eminem are top notch. One of my absolutely favourite Eminem songs.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

#10. Tiff - Simi

I believe this is the first Simi song I ever heard. It came out in 2014 but didn't get a music video until 3 years after. I absolutely love the song, especially the last 90 seconds with all the guitar licks, drums and backup vocal, which I suspect is her now husband, Adekunle Gold's voice.

Adekunle Gold provided backup vocals for many of the songs that made Simi's first album (and she did too on his albums). However, Tiff is the only song which I'm not 100% certain whose voice I'm hearing in the background. If indeed it is Adekunle Gold in Tiff, it means their secret relationship probably started as far back as 2014.

Rating: 4.5 stars.

Photo credit: Zarak Khan on Unsplash