Soundtrack of My Life

Song: Sky's The Limit
Artist: The Notorious B.I.G.
Album: Life After Death (1997)

In dropping the LeRoi Moore Honourary Rundown the other day, I suddenly realized that I have gone this far in the Soundtrack without offering up one anything from the late Christopher Wallace.

Personally, there isn't another song that I could even consider.

Not that Biggie doesn't have a solid collection of hits to choose from - he assuredly does - but this track, as mentioned Wednesday, is one of those tracks that always gets me. It puts a smile on my face and is easily my favourite Biggie track of all time.

Part of the reason I love this song so much is that it's a bit of departure for Biggie. While he covered many topics in his songs, this one is still a little outside the lines of the standards about drugs, money or women. This is almost a Biggie talking about his past and where he came from while offering a chorus of encouragement courtesy of 112.

The one line that always gets me - and has been in consideration as a tattoo over the last few years - is what Biggie refers to as The Hustler's Prayer:

If the game shakes me or breaks me
I hope it makes me a better man
Take a better stand
Put money in my moms hand
Get my daughter this college plan, so she don't need no man
Stay far from timid
Only make moves when ya heart's in it
And live the phrase Sky's The Limit

Now, I'm no gangster and I don't play one on TV, but even outside of the rap game / crack game Biggie lived, these words are suitable for everyone. The goal is always to improve and grow, find a better position and let's be honest - we all want to do only the things that are heart motivates us to do.

Of course, it doesn't hurt that the Hype Williams directed video featuring kids playing all the roles was in heavy rotation when the song was released. Seeing it four or five times a day probably helped earn the song a permanent place in my head.

Sky is the limit and you know that you keep on
Just keep on pressin on
Sky is the limit and you know that you can have
what you want, be what you want

Words to live by from Christopher Wallace.

R.I.P. Biggie... we miss you!

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The Rundown: In Honour of LeRoi

Pictured to the left is LeRoi Moore, sax player for the Dave Matthews Band. Yesterday, Moore passed away due to injuries suffered in an ATV accident earlier in the month.

I am a huge DMB fan and reading the news of LeRoi's death wasn't exactly how I was planning on starting my day. The guy was super talented and will surely be missed, much like the rest of the people taken from us too soon who make up today's Rundown.

My Top Five Musicians Who Died Too Soon

5. Tupac Shakur
While I wasn't a huge West Coast rap guy at the time of his death, there is no denying the incredible talent and intellect that was Tupac Amaru Shakur. Lots of people associate Tupac with his run-ins with the law and gangsta rap anthems of violence and partying, which is fair enough. But don't forget about tracks like "Dear Mama" and "Keep Your Head Up" to name two. Tupac wasn't just a musician either; this was an artist in every sense of the word and I wish he didn't have to go so soon.

4. Kurt Cobain
I do not include Cobain because I was one of the millions of Gen X kids who thought I had found my saviour when I first heard "Smells Like Teen Spirit" and the rest of Nevermind. I actually didn't like Nirvana at all. I still don't. I think Cobain was a messed up dude who couldn't deal with fame and pressure and copped out by killing himself. So then why do I include him here? Because I would have loved to see where he went to next and how he evolved as a musician and leader of a musical generation.

3. Marvin Gaye
We lost Marvin at age 45 in 1984. He'd have turned 69 this year and I'm certain he would still be churning out music. The man has been a staple in the samples of hip hop tracks for years and is a certifiable icon in the music business. You think Kanye wouldn't be doing something with Marvin if he were still around? Or what about one of these younger R&B cats like John Legend or Alicia Keys lining up next to him? Imagine how beautiful that would be.

2. The Notorious BIG
A small part of me still thinks that had Biggie lived, he would have turned into 50 Cent, going from drugs and violence being the dopest MC in the game to rapping about nothing but asses over slinky P. Diddy beats. "Hypnotize" over and over and over again. Then I listen to tracks like "Sky's The Limit" or "I Got a Story To Tell" or "Juicy" and I remember that Christopher Wallace was the King of New York at the time of his death and I wonder if it would be any different now?

1. Shannon Hoon
A lot of people look at Blind Melon as One Hit Wonders, only able to recall "No Rain" thanks to The Bee Girl. That's fine by me. I loved them. I have no problem admitting that I cried when I heard of Shannon Hoon's death. "Change" is still my favourite song of all-time, with a segment of the lyrics to one day be etched into my skin permanently. This one clobbered me and still makes me mad to this day.

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