[RE.] Simply, music.

Why is it so influential? Have you just sat back and asked yourself is this really worth listening to? I feel as if music describes people in many ways. Believe it or not some of our actions are from the music we listen to, whether good or bad. - Justin

Ever since humans figured out how to make a rhythm and beat, music has been a major part in a lot of people's lives. The way it affects us is incredible, music could be thought-provoking, calming, energizing, and it has the power to make you feel or support emotions. Music could be one of the things you use to identify how a person behaves. I don't speak for myself when I say that you can probably look at a person and guess what kind of music they listen to.

I went through somewhat of a change when I started to acquire a different music taste. It was the beginning high school when my music taste started to drift off. In most of middle school I had a tough time finding what kind of genre I liked. So for the most part I ended up listening to rap, rock, metal, and basically all of the genres that everyone else listened to. I didn't have a certain style of music to call my favorite. But then my ears were opened to Nujabes and Emancipator. Hearing those two artists for the first time made me fall in love and gave me something to define myself as. I became exactly how the music sounded to me. Calm and chill.

RIP Nujabes.

This man in the picture is Jun Seba, more commonly known as Nujabes. He was a man of inspiration to a whole lot of people in this world. Not by actions, words, or anything else. He's inspired various people through his musical productions. Although not much is or was ever known about him, he was still able to accomplish great things, whether he knew it or not. And I hope he did. To me, he's the definition of a true artist. Making music for the people and only for the people. There's a reason why not much is known about him, and that reason is because he chose to stay out of the lime light and continue to produce music. He avoided interviews in general, so only a rare and lucky few really got to know the man behind the beats. Whoever these lucky few were, I surely envy.

Personally, and I'm sure along with many others, his music left an impact in my life. Its definitely a shame to me that I've only heard of him recently. Its amazing how in the short amount of time I listened to his music, it would give me some sort of inspiration. His music always had something for my moods. If I felt like relaxing and chilling, I could always play a Nujabes song and do it with ease. If I felt like I needed motivation, it's the same thing all over again. The complex and unique beats he made is best described as an arrow going through the minds of many and dropping a positive feeling. All who have been touched by his music will surely continue to mourn his loss one way or another. As I'm typing this, I'm re-listening his albums to rediscover the man that started it all for me.

It's a shame a person like him could be gone so fast. He died in late February, but I'm only hearing of this news this week. When I heard it, I was definitely devastated and went into a shock. I couldn't register the fact that he died; it was just too hard to take in. He died in a fatal car accident in Japan, which is where he lived. Despite the rescue efforts, they still could not save him. That day was an end of a legacy. He leaves behind him a very strong fanbase who have been touched by his music in one way, fellow producers, MCs that worked with him, his label Hydeout Productions, and most importantly his family. Wherever he is, I hope he takes his talent with him and continue to inspire. I could only compare him to a similar figure in the world of music. J Dilla.

Thank you Nujabes, for helping me find myself and the inspiration you gave me.

You can find statements of how his music affected people on his MySpace, Last.fm, or this website, written by MC Shing02, who I could imagine was a good friend of Nujabes. And here are some examples.

"RIP Jun Seba, you will forever be remembered by me and many others, your music is made life seem more relaxing and peaceful. Hard to explain, but your music was the best thing i came across. thats all i can say for now. Peace world."

"Your music lifts my soul and makes me peaceful, and it'll always be apart of my life. R.I.P and we'll miss you"

"I may have never met you, but your music has added color to my world and has enlightened my perspective. May your soul rest in peace."

"thank you for giving me a dream. rest in beats"

"Thank you so very much for touching my soul...I truly believe you have contributed in many of my positive movement. Through your music I found happiness. My heart sings to your soul...Forever grateful.

R.I.P."

"~Seba Jun, i don't believe it is possible to know how big of an impact your music has had on me. You are one of the select few whose music let me know that Hip Hop is not dead but very much alive. Your influence and who you are as an artist will live on forever. Inspiration, therapy, relaxing, calming, hype, and a completely different level of music. This is not a goodbye. R.I.P Nujabes~ "

is it really the ipod?

I was meaning to write about this yesterday night, but I got lazy and knocked out of tiredness. I'll start out by explaining exactly what happened before, after, and during the event. This post might feel sort of all over the place, and if it does, I apologize.

First of all, the night before it happened was hell for me. I had a lot of homework, on top of the usual was an extra assignment for me to organize my binder for History. Like every other night, I didn't get everything that I want to finish finished, so I go to bed that night with my math homework neglected. The next day in first period, I tried to do my math homework ever-so-steathily while my teacher was doing lecture. I pulled out my iPod and started using the calculator so I could do my math properly. Out of nowhere my teacher goes down my row while doing some explanation and I frantically try to hide my iPod. But to no avail. She had taken it away, for the rest of the day. To be quite honest, I died a little bit inside. I made a decision that I was going to try and get it at break, which was the time she told me she was going to take it down to the VP's office. My next class dragged on and I went to her class in hopes of getting my iPod back. I follow her down to the VP and was told that I HAD to get it after school. And again, I die a bit more.

But while there, a teacher I don't know said to me, "I know students who are losing their JOB because they are on their electronics too much." At which point, a swarm of thoughts entered my head. I thought about how that wasn't my case. That I was using it as a calculator for homework and not playing games in the back corner of the room. Though I do admit I should not have been doing homework for another class in the first place, it's still wrong. At least in my case. I could tell you the reason why I was so devastated. Music, music, and music. During most of the school day, I always try to listen to music as much as I can, whenever I can. Knowing the fact that I wouldn't have it for the rest of the day frightened me. I could care less if it my iPod. Because confiscating my iPod is also taking away my music. Something I can't live without, something that helps me through the day. The only purpose of my iPod at school is for music. Anywhere else, it's everything it can be.

At the same time, through this experienced, I surprised myself. Because I realized that a few years ago, I wasn't even that much into music. A few years ago, I could avoid music for a whole week and be perfectly fine. And now I know that I've morphed into some kind of music addict. Haha. My newfound love for music is only at its beginning point. I don't know where it'll take me, if ever. But I've learned that it's something I heavily, heavily depend on in life.

maybe i'll stick this time.

Throughout my life, surely I've listened to a lot of different music genres. But of course when I was young I never paid attention to music that much. It was only when I was growing up near my preteens that I actually started to listen to music for real. At first, I liked R&B and rap, but I think it was only because it was the only music I ever knew at that time and everyone else was listening to it. I conformed and soon enough my iPod was filled with songs talking about the artist's money, cars, and girls. Soon enough I stopped listening to that genre of music, and hopped on over to Rock, Alternative, and Metal. Not much to say, except that was mostly during my pseudo-emo days. I cheered myself up, held my head up high, and walked through another door. This door led me to Techno/Trance. It was something totally new to me, the sound of hard hitting bass, intricate bass lines, and heavenly sounding synths. I listened for quite a while, getting up and dancing whenever I heard it. That phase passed. Recently discovering artists like Kid Loco, Nujabes, Flying Lotus, Emancipator and etc. I've heard the most beautiful and relaxing side of music. I generally prefer music without lyrics, because I like telling myself a story to the beautiful beat these guys make. I really don't have much to say except that.. I'm probably sticking with this for the rest of my life.