By Odeisel

I won’t bore you with the meaning of Valentine’s Day, because it means different things to different people.  Some grumble because they don’t have anyone.  Some chafe because they don’t appreciate being hustled for flowers and candy when they just paid the bills.  Dentists love it because they’ll be seeing you soon. Hallmark and anyone that delivers flowers  do backflips and deliver a Cam’ronian “We getting’ money n***aaaaaaa!”

But let’s assume that commercialism aside, the true meaning is attached to love. How that sentiment is delivered is very important.  No one would eat filet mignon from a garbage can lid.  Songs and their sentiments are extremely powerful in conveying emotions that would have you tear up if you tried to convey it yourselves, and unless someone is dead or we win the championship, no one wants to see you cry. 

So I asked my Planet Illians what their favorite love songs were just to break up the monotony of a lazy Sunday afternoon.  Here are their picks. For the next few hours, if you hit me up on twitter at http://twitter.com/odeisel I’ll add your love song and your twitter dedication to your boo.  Enjoy your day and stick around as we have a few more features today.  Peace

Shelz. Maxwell-“For Lovers Only”

Fawn Renee- Stevie Wonder- “Overjoyed”

G.I.N.A.-Cheryl “Pepsi” Riley- “Thanks For My Child”

Because the love of a mother for her child surpasses everything.

The Rowdy One- Anita Baker- “Final Frontier” (Theme Song To Mad About You)

My wife and I danced to this song on our wedding day. It sealed our love.

Elianne Halbersberg  Don Henley- “The Heart Of The Matter”

Love songs: What a myth they propel with their talk of happiness and “finding the perfect one.” That’s not love. That’s “in love,” and if every action has an equal but opposite reaction, it stands to reason that if you fall in, you will eventually fall out. And when you do, you won’t want generic new country songs with their rehashings of forever together. You won’t want that classic Marvin, Luther, Teddy or Barry, either — not that they’re singing about love. That’s about romance, with its candles, wine and hot, steamy stuff. We all know how long that lasts …

So here’s a REAL love song and the greatest one ever written: the one about the falling on your own sword that comes with letting someone in, and the resolution and acceptance — which only come with maturity — that it’s time to admit it’s over and just let go. Because at some point, with someone, we all have to let go.

Malice Intended Marvin Gaye- “Just to Keep You Satisfied”

Odeisel- As far as the spirit of love and romance, I have no choice but to bow before the great Stevie Wonder and the brilliantly arranged piano poignant “Send One Your Love.” When I hear it I connect to that tingle you get when you are in love with someone and that warm wave that extends from your heart and filters out down your arms and legs and gets tingly like the chill of doublemint gum when it hits your fingers and toes.

The feeling of a warm blanket on the coldest of nights, a child’s laughter in , and the full obnoxiousness of daring to give yourself to someone else. Love is fearless; it is the abandonment of common sense and all logic. It’s ambitious.  It’s ridiculous. But because of it we dare to reach past what would be our ceilings and venture into places where common sense would stop us. It’s our escape from reality. Besides all that, the harmonica solo at the end of it and the aerie voices that engulf it are better than your life.

Now to step away from the syrup, the following 4 songs to me represent artists who really and truly love this music/movement of Hip-Hop and would defend it to their last breaths. Not in the holier than thou lameness of  “I Used To Love H.E.R.” bogus way (yeah I said it) but with the genuine devotion  that comes when you find something that brings meaning to your life and you fight tooth and nail to keep every ounce of it alive and breathing.

ATCQ-We Can Get Down

Particularly Phife’s verse. The pounding drums and Phife’s defiance in the face of the Calvin Buttseses (artistic license) and detractors of the music. Q-Tip then segues in with that silky nasal smoothness an dices the cake lovely. One of their most underrated joints. It’s everything a Hip-Hop song should be including scratches, a sample of a legend, a dope ass beat, and some real rhymes.

De La Soul Feat. Truth Enola Pony Ride

Particularly Truth Enola who expresses an intense love for this music enough to retain ownership of his soul and that love rather than fleece it for whatever fame and fortune that comes with Fustian deals that  permeate the music business. Posdnous, one of the greatest Hip-Hop lyricists ever brings the hammer down with a verse about his real life and how the intent of love doesn’t always end up the way you wish. “I recall kissing on my lady talking bout making babies/ Yeah we made the baby but could not connect as legal spouses…now me an d my daughter reside in different houses…” That frankness is what always pushed De La past most of these groups IMO and why most of us owe them a great deal.

15 Pony Ride

Bun B Feat. Rick Ross David Banner  8-Ball & MJG “You’re Everything”

This song is what real southern Hip-Hop is all about and a middle finger to everyone who thinks its nothing but Stanky Legging and Supermanning hoes.  This song is lyricists each giving their perspective of how Hip-Hop has brought meaning to their way of life and how Southern Hip-Hop is not the ugly step sister, in essence defending their way of life and expression. The kind of collaboration that renders as fluff and flash “Swagger Like Us” and the other million meaningless collaborations. It’s love.

Outkast-“Chonkyfire”

This song speaks on the relentless nature of love in the spirit of “I’m Going to Make You Love Me.” Drawing motivation from a Source Awards booing at the hands of a standoffish closed minded New York crowd, the duo declared that the South had something to say, setting off perhaps the revolution that has made it the present day home of Hip-Hop.

As for the song itself, the guitar riffs and violins create enough feel for Big Boi to mash on MCs that don’t take this music seriously, and takes them to the woodshed for a vicious tongue lashing (Pause for you ‘phobes). While I don’t think this track should have been last on the classic Aquemini, it’s clear that these two are devoted to this music and loved it enough to persevere in a climate that wasn’t ready for their brilliance. Eventually every Urkel gets his Laura, even if that Laura may not deserve him.

Don’t forget, I’ll be taking your dedications for the next 3 hours up to 3pm on Twitter.  Give me your song and the person you want to dedicate it to and we will post it like the Love Daddy from Do The Right Thing. http://twitter.com/odeisel.  Peace