OT>Radio X: Frank Ocean crushes "Novacain"

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With a few notable exceptions, I'm not a fan of rap music.

A whole generation of kids grew up listening to—and relating to—something that I had no understanding of.

I don't have kids of my own, but if I did, that would be a huge gulf to cross: my child dressing, speaking and listening to what is essentially for me a foreign culture.

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But once in a while, something comes along that bridges the gap.

For my parents and I, it was the song: Yesterday written by John Lennon and Paul McCartney:

Yesterday, all my troubles seemed so far away.
Now it looks as though they're here to stay,
Oh I believe in yesterday.

Suddenly, I'm not half the man I used to be.
There's a shadow hanging over me.
Oh, yesterday came suddenly.

Why she had to go, I don't know, she wouldn't say.
I said something wrong, now I long for yesterday.

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Today, while in a Russian barber shop, the barber, a young Russian hip-hop artist played me something quite sad and beautiful.

It's called Novacain by an artist of the name Frank Ocean

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TMfPJT4XjAI

(1. warning: adult language and themes)

(2. if possible, choose 720p and play in full screen mode, with headphones on)


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"Swim Good", by the same artist, is . . . unspeakable.

Yet that may be what's need to reach some kids.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PmN9rZW0HGo

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Even more amazing than just these pair of songs, this young Russian barber provided me with a web page called:

RapGenuis

(if you don't know, now you know)

and it deciphers rap lyrics, line by line:

http://rapgenius.com/Frank-ocean-novacane-lyrics

If you have kids, and they enjoy rap while you don't, this song along with this website might just be a point of entry.

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