Songs I Listen to While Working

Listening to music while designing can be helpful for my creative brain. Each project brings a different emotion. If the project is for a church event or ministry, then I will listen to Mary Mary, Kirk Franklin and Mahalia Jackson. If it’s a party or social event, then it has to be R&B and Hip-Hop. Most of the time, I just let the shuffle do its job, listening to everything from Rock, Alternative, Pop, and even Comedy and (when the holidays come around) Christmas. Sometimes, my music choice has nothing to do with the kind of project I’m working on. I get migraine headaches a lot, so when I have to work through the pain, I put on my mellow playlist that includes the soothing sounds of Maxwell, Erykah Badü, and Sade. Below is a just a sample of songs included in my music playlist. As you can see, I’m a huge fan of old school music:

  • 112 – “Right Here for U”
  • 2Pac – “How Do You Want It”
  • 50 Cent – “Just a Lil’ Bit”
  • Adele – “Chasing Pavements”
  • Albertina Walker & James Cleveland – “Please Be Patient with Me”
  • Amy Winehouse – “Me & Mr. Jones”
  • Angela Bofill – “I Try”
  • Beastie Boys – “Brass Monkey”
  • Beyoncé – “Get Me Bodied”
  • Big Tymers – “Still Fly”
  • The Black-Eyed Peas – “Imma Be”
  • Bone Crusher – “Never Scared”
  • Camp Lo – “Luchini”
  • CeCe Winans – “How Great Thou Art”
  • Chalie Boy – “I Look Good”
  • Christina Aguilera – “Dirrty”
  • D’Angelo – “Me and Those Dreamin’ Eyes of Mine”
  • DMX – “How’s It Goin Down”
  • Donnie McClurkin – “We Fall Down”
  • Duffy – “Warwick Avenue”
  • Duke Ellington – “In a Sentimental Mood”
  • E-40 – “Choices (Yup)”
  • Earth, Wind & Fire – “On Your Face”
  • Ed Sheeran – “Thinking Out Loud”
  • Ella Fitzgerald – “A-Tisket, A-Tasket”
  • Eric B. & Rakim – “Paid in Full”
  • Evanescence – “Bring Me to Life”
  • Fall Out Boy – “Uma Thurman”
  • Fabolous feat. Keri Hilson – “Everything, Everyday, Everywhere”
  • A Few Good Men – “Silver Bells”
  • Gorilla Zoe – “Hood N****”
  • Guy – “I Like”
  • Ivan Lins feat. Yazmin & Sting – “She Walks This Earth”
  • J. Cole feat. TLC – “Crooked Smile”
  • Jadakiss – “Why”
  • James Brown – “The Big Payback”
  • Janelle Monáe feat. Jidenna – “Yoga”
  • Jay-Z feat. Amil & Ja Rule – “Can I Get A…”
  • Jeezy feat. 2 Chainz – “R.I.P.”
  • Jonathan McReynolds – “Pressure”
  • Johnnie Taylor – “Who’s Making Love”
  • Journey – “Lovin’, Touchin’, Squeezin'”
  • Junior M.A.F.I.A. – “Get Money”
  • Juvenile – “Ha”
  • Kelis – “Caught Out There”
  • Kelly Clarkson – “Since U Been Gone”
  • Kirk Franklin – “Melodies from Heaven”
  • Lady Gaga – “You and I”
  • Lenny Kravitz – “Fly Away”
  • LL Cool J – “I’m Bad”
  • Louis Jordan – “Open the Door, Richard”
  • Mahalia Jackson – “The Upper Room”
  • Mariah Carey feat. Ol’ Dirty Bastard – “Fantasy (Remix)”
  • Maroon 5 – “Sunday Morning”
  • Mary J. Blige feat. Lil’ Kim – “I Can Love You”
  • Mary Mary – “In the Morning”
  • Master P feat. Fiend, Silkk the Shocker, Mia X & Mystikal – “Make ‘Em Say Uhh”
  • MC Lyte – “Cha Cha Cha”
  • Metallica – “Enter Sandman”
  • Michael Jackson – “Wanna Be Startin’ Something”
  • Midnight Star – “Curious”
  • Mint Condition – “Someone to Love”
  • Muddy Waters – “Mannish Boy”
  • Musiq Soulchild – “I Do”
  • Mystikal – “Bouncin’ Back”
  • Ne-Yo feat. Juicy J – “She Knows”
  • The Notorious B.I.G. – “Big Poppa”
  • N.W.A. – “Straight Outta Compton”
  • OutKast – “So Fresh, So Clean”
  • Pentatonix – “Mary Did You Know”
  • Prince – “Gett Off”
  • Public Enemy – “Can’t Truss It”
  • Queen Latifah – “U.N.I.T.Y.”
  • Rich Boy feat. Polow Da Don – “Throw Some D’s”
  • Rich Homie Quan – “Flex (Ooh, Ooh, Ooh)”
  • Robin Harris – “Bébé’s Kids”
  • The Roots – “Sacrifice”
  • Santana – “Oye Como Va”
  • Sean Paul – “Temperature”
  • Smokie Norful – “I Know the Lord Will Make a Way”
  • Snoop Dogg feat. Master P, Nate Dogg, Butch Cassidy & Tha Eastsidaz – Lay Low
  • Sounds of Blackness feat. Roger Troutman – “Hold On (Change is Comin’)”
  • Stan Getz feat. Joáo Gilberto – “The Girl from Ipanema”
  • Stevie Wonder – “For Once in My Life”
  • SWV – “I’m So Into You”
  • The-Dream – “I Luv Your Girl”
  • Three 6 Mafia – “Stay Fly”
  • Tom Tom Club – “Genius of Love”
  • Tonéx – “Make Me Over”
  • Too $hort – “Don’t Fight the Feelin'”
  • Total feat. The Notorious BIG – “Can’t You See”
  • UB40 – “Red, Red Wine”
  • Walt Whitman and the Soul Children Choir – “We Are One”
  • Whitney Houston – “My Name is Not Susan”
  • The Wiseguys – “Start the Commotion”
  • Wu-Tang Clan – “C.R.E.A.M.”
  • Yolanda Adams – “The Battle is The Lord’s”
  • UGK feat. OutKast – “Int’l Players Anthem (I Choose You)”
  • Wyclef Jean – “Gone Til November”
  • Ying Yang Twins – “Get Low”

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