Remember those mix tape skills you had in high school? You’d pick just the right number of songs to fill up the whole tape to get that girl to like you. Well, now you’re older, you’ve got the girl, and you’re stuck at your desk. It’s time to shake the dust off those old mix tape skills and put them to work to get you through your day. It’s time to make a 21st Century mix tape for you.
A quick set of 15 songs to get your blood flowing:
(1) Usher – Scream: A massively upbeat dance song that’s a mixture of R&B and House music.
(2) Durella – My Life: An electrifying beat, with inspirational and motivational lyrics.
(3) Rihanna Ft. Calvin Harris – We Found Love: A great blend of deep, meaningful lyrics combined with ultra-danceable instrumentation.
(4) D’Banj – Oliver Twist: Simply amazing – a most infectious beat and melody, you won’t be able to resist moving your body.
(5) Nicki Minaj – Starships: A wonderfully motivational song, which is perfect for listening to while working.
(6) Davido – Back When: Absolutely amazing instrumentation, which never fails to move energy levels up and into high gear.
(7) Kanye West-All The Lights: Truly soul-touching and at the same time, laid on a foundation of uplifting, energetic instrumentation. It’s a great combination to get your creative juices flowing.
(8) Ice Prince-Oleku: Some of the best instrumentation I’ve ever heard, combined with a powerfully motivational rap to get you in the zone.
(9) Akon/PSquare/May D-Chop My Money: An amazingly melodious song, which pays tribute to beauty and infatuation.
(10) Wizkid-Holla at Your Boy: A smooth lyrical work of art, which is about having fun and living a youthful and extravagant lifestyle.
(11) Tinchy Stryder Ft. N-Dubz-Number 1: A fantastically produced masterpiece, which combines wonderful rap verses with exciting instrumentation.
(12) LMFAO-I’m in Miami: A great dance song, another powerful mixture of elements of hip-hop and house music.
(13) P Square Ft Rick Ross-Beautiful Onyinye: A love song that combines thoughtful, soulful lyrics with a melodious beat and a smooth rap.
(14) LNC-Yan You: A fast-paced, wonderfully energetic beat, with powerful lyrics.
(15) J Martins Ft Cabo Snoop-Good Tym: An amazingly catchy chorus, great singing, an incredibly infectious melody, all laid upon amazingly danceable instrumentation.
Want to create your own mixtape? Start with what energizes you.
The powerful impact that “Back When” by African artist Davido had on me is unparalleled. The song talks about how he became successful despite people around him not being supportive and encouraging in the beginning when he was still struggling as an up and coming artist. I liked it so much I made it my phone ringtone, which sums up just how attached I am to it. Find a song that moves you like this one moves me and build your mix tape from there.
Share what moves you (because you can).
We are all social creatures, programmed to share our ideas, thoughts, memories and experiences. Sharing music is one of the most profound ways that we do this.
Today, thanks to communications technology, especially social platforms, independent artists from places like Africa, the U.K., and the U.S. can reach their fans directly, as well as collaborate with each other – for free. Artists and fans are empowered to discover, share, and enjoy the music at zero cost. This means more people can discover and share music more than ever before. You can be a part of the variety and dynamism that make the world a richer and more diverse place.
You have a sample playlist, ideas of what to look for, and places to find them. Now, go out and explore. Find new bands and artists that get you moving and build your brand new 21st Century mix tape!
Ken Oboh is the co-founder of REMIX.com and UMIX.com, two revolutionary music sites that give users the power to be their own DJs. Ken is a serial entrepreneur in the entertainment industry.
Image Credit: Shutterstock.com
