Sometimes it’s hard as hell to get motivated.  The “Little Hater” in your head (shouts to Jay Smooth) comes up with millions of fears, excuses, and other rationalized bullshit to keep you from attaining your goal.  I wake up more often than not with that little bastard sounding off, so to drown him out, my iPod is blasting my top 10 UP n AT ‘EM mix.  They get me focused and back on the ball when I fall off.  What’s the Top 10 soundtrack to your daily grind?

1. N.E.R.D – Anti Matter: Pretty much the whole album, but this song especially. Its a sonic kick in the ass, no Charles Hamilton.

“Dog, you a genius you can blueprint and plan this//instead of playin video games, won’t you take advantage???”

“I kno you try hard, but you gotta try harder, now you got you light you can find your way//you’re a multitasker, you do things faster, are you gon’ let this God given gift decay”

and of course…’MUTHAFUCKA ARE YOU ADHD, ADHD, ADHD???, YOU FUCK AROUND LIKE YOU ADHD, ADHD, ADHD”

2. Santogold – Unstoppable: also, I rock the whole album but hearing, “I’ve Got to Be Unstoppable” on repeat while running around Delaware Park will make you forget about the pain and pick up the pace.

“Tell me I-I-I can’t play so I speed up the paaaaace”

3. Gnarls Barkley – Smiley Faces.  We’re all surrounded by friends and family who’s upbringing was harder, easier or similar to our own.  Even though everything is relative and one person’s molehill is another’s mountain, I look at the lives of my friends who have gone through things I couldn’t imagine and use it as motivation when I get discouraged.  This song sums it up perfectly:

“and I can tell you know how hard this life can be, but you keep on smiling for me”

“was it overnight or did it take you long, was knowing your weakness what made you strong?”

“I wanna be you whenever I see you smiling, cuz its easily one of the hardest things to do//your worries and fears become your friends, and they end up smiling at you”

4. Rhyson and The Heist – Bad Man: Since the band broke up, I have a tendency to forget that there was a band.  Weird, right?  Then I go to my iPod and remember “oooooh yea…we were fuckin’ sweet.”  New band coming soon.

“and I seen it like a dream when the eyes shut late in the twilight, as I lie bright laced in the limelight//like a player in the Bowl wit his fate in control so his goals get placed in the highlights”

“better days, finally came, guess takin that time to pray//got me on my grind today, so I take my time to say”

5. Lupe Fiasco – Gold Watch: Nerd anthem, holla.

“But my most coveted thing is a high self esteem// and a low tolerance for them telling me how to lean//see the most important parts are the ones that are unseen//the wings dont make you fly and the crown don’t make you king”

“I am ignorance’s enemy so stay out the vicinity”

6. Jay Electronica – Extra Extra – We’re all in control of our actions and choices.  The will power of what we want versus the power of the worlds influences and how well we adjust.  First time I heard this track, the line below stuck out and it became one of my favorite joints from Jay.

“In one single bound went from N.Y S//P A C E Man, to mp3 man to MTV man//all by the will power of my grey skull like He-Man…SEE MAN???”

7. Kid Cudi – Man on the Moon: Another nerd anthem.

“My mind is all //hazy hazy hazy,// I be thinkin that I’m wrong cuz they used to call me //lame lame lame//my swag was a little different, but then my mind is //hazy hazy hazy, I be thinkin that I’m wrong, but they the ones who //lame, lame, lame//I got the last laugh nigga.”

8. Hypnotic Brass- WHOLE ALBUM.  I burned it so I cant really give names, but I’d advice you to go to 42nd st station and check them out. The track they play at the beginning of this clip is my favorite.

9. D’angelo – The Line: Grown man shit; probably will be listening to this song in many different situations throughout my life.

“I’m gonna hold on to my pride//I’m gonna stick to my guns//I’m gonna put my finger on the trigger and we gon see what the deal//I’m forreal, I just wanna put it on the line”

“But all I got to do is hold on to my pride…”

10. Mos Def – Champion Requiem: The whole track is a quotable. Also in the “grown man shit” category.

“If you see or hear goodness from me, then that goodness is from the creator. You should be thankful to the creator for all of that. Cause I’m not the architect of that, I’m only the recipient.  If you see weakness its a shortcoming of me. Its from my own weakness and shortcoming, and I asked the creator and the people to forgive me for that”

“I was taught when theres something you can change around, keep quiet you got nothing to complain about, you got work to do.”

“God did not make me a fearful person, only fear I have, is my fear to adhere his path”

“cuz everything in life gon come to an end, because it must//and when it does i hope that ya’ll remember me, wit yo respect and ghetto love//now raise it up”

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