SONG OF THE WEEK: 3-1-2026

SONG:  "100 Miles And Runnin'"

ARTIST:  N.W.A.

ALBUM:  "100 Miles And Runnin'" EP

YEAR:  1990

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Compton, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1987 - 1991

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "100 Miles and Runnin'" serves as the title track of N.W.A's 1990 extended play, representing a pivotal transition for the group following the departure of their primary lyricist, Ice Cube. Musically and lyrically, the song functions as a high-octane narrative of survival, a defiant response to law enforcement pressure, and a public declaration of the group's continued viability as a four-piece ensemble.

N.W.A. DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

1989 - Straight Outta Compton (Ruthless/Priority Records)

* Peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200 

* Certified 3X Platinum

1991 - NIGGAZ4LIFE (Ruthless/Priority Records)

* Peaked at #1 on the Billboard 200

* Certified Platinum

MY THOUGHTS ON N.W.A.:

N.W.A. formed as a group back in 1987, hailing from Compton, California. Funded by Compton drug dealer Eazy-E and record producer Jerry Heller, the group consisted of Eazy-E, Dr. Dre, Ice Cube and Arabian Prince. In 1987 the group put out a compilation album called "N.W.A. And The Posse". This was a compilation of not only N.W.A. members but also some other associated groups as well. In 1988 MC Ren joined the group. Shortly thereafter, Dr. Dre protege The D.O.C. also joined as a writer. The first collaboration of the group would be Eazy-E's debut release "Eazy-Duz-It". MC Ren, Ice Cube and The D.O.C. all contributed the lyrics for that album. A few months later, N.W.A. released it's debut album, the legendary "Straight Outta Compton". This album was fueled by the 1, 2, 3 punch of the songs "Straight Outta Compton", "Fuck Tha Police" and "Gangsta Gangsta". The controversial "Fuck Tha Police" helped N.W.A. explode, becoming a group that parents hated but kids loved! Arabian Prince would leave the group in 1989, as he wasn't much of a contributor anyway. A tough blow for the group would also come in 1989 when Ice Cube left the group over a royalties dispute. The final track on The D.O.C.'s 1989 "No One Can Do It Better" album, called "The Grand Finale", would be the last song that Ice Cube, MC Ren, Dr. Dre and Eazy-E would appear on together. N.W.A. continued on as a foursome (along with The D.O.C. still contributing lyrics) for their sophomore effort, 1991's "NIGGAZ4LIFE". This album, to many, is the origins of the "G-Funk" era of hip hop. Though the album was lauded for it's production by Dr. Dre and it topped the Billboard 200 charts as well, there was dissention amongst the band members. Dr. Dre would soon depart to help create Death Row Records with Suge Knight and take The D.O.C. with him. MC Ren stuck around with Ruthless as well as DJ Yella but they would both depart eventually as well leaving just Eazy-E as the only original N.W.A. member still with Ruthless, of course, he was part owner of the label. There was plenty of feuding between the members as well. Before N.W.A. broke up in 1991, they fired the first shots at Ice Cube with their song "100 Miles And Runnin'". There were little back and forths between N.W.A. and Ice Cube until Ice Cube released the diss track "No Vaseline" which basically ended that war. Dr. Dre then went after Eazy-E on his "The Chronic" album with the diss track "Fuck Wit Dre Day". Eazy responded with "Real Muthafuckin' G's". After the smoke cleared for a few years, Ice Cube and Dr. Dre reconciled. There was also rumors that Cube and Eazy-E had also cleared the air and were even talking about doing a N.W.A. reunion but on March 26, 1995, Eazy-E died of AIDS, ending any shot of a full blown reunion. In 1999, Ice Cube, MC Ren and Dr. Dre released a track as N.W.A. called "Chin Check" for the soundtrack to the film "Next Friday". The last I guess official N.W.A. song was "Hello", which could be found on Ice Cube's "War & Peace Vol. 2" album. In 2015, a movie was made called "Straight Outta Compton" which was a bio/movie about the rise and fall of N.W.A. As all the members of N.W.A. were involved with the project, there were some rumors of a reunion for the group and even a new album. Due to the busy schedules of especially Ice Cube and Dr. Dre, the whole reunion thing kinda fell through. There was also some dispute over the records labels as at that time all the members were all on different labels. In 2016, N.W.A. was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame and they even reunited for a one-off show at Coachella Festival in that same year. The members do make appearances on each other's tracks every now and then and Ren often tours with Ice Cube. N.W.A. is definitely one of the most influential rap groups out there. If Ice-T was the one who kicked down the door for west coast gangsta rap, N.W.A. blew up the whole building! Together, N.W.A. was just a force to be reckoned with. Seperately, all the members went on to have success, especially Ice Cube and Dr. Dre. It's amazing that their lifespan as a group is so short but they are so iconic. No one was as in your face as N.W.A. back in 1989. They really changed the direction of hip hop much like Nirvana did with rock. I still put "Straight Outta Compton" up there with one of the best albums in rap ever. My list includes "Straight Outta Compton", Public Enemy's "It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back" and Wu-Tang Clan's "Enter The 36 Chambers". Iconic shit!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Eazy-E

Ice Cube

Dr. Dre

MC Ren

The D.O.C.

TEN N.W.A. SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Straight Outta Compton

2. The Grand Finale

3. Parental Discretion Iz Advised

4. Gangsta Gangsta

5. Dopeman

6. Hello

7. Express Yourself

8. 100 Miles And Runnin'

9. Alwayz Into Somethin'

10. Fuck Tha Police

SONG OF THE WEEK: 2-22-2026

 

SONG:  "The Anthem"

ARTIST:  Sway & King Tech (featuring RZA, Tech N9ne, Eminem, Xzibit, Pharoahe Monch, Kool G Rap, Jayo Felony, Chino XL and KRS-One)

ALBUM:  "This Or That"

YEAR:  1999

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  San Francisco, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1986 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

There isn't really a theme to "The Anthem". It's basically just a posse cut where 9 emcee's are spitting bars on their verse. It's a great collaboration featuring some of my favorite rappers, most notably RZA, Kool G Rap and KRS-One. 

SWAY & TECH DISCOGRAPHY:

Sway & King Tech released 4 albums together, a lot of collaborations on them. Because I'm more interested in the emcee's that performed on the song "The Anthem" itself, I'm not going to get into Sway & King Tech's discography.

MY THOUGHTS ON SWAY & KING TECH:

Again, because I'm more interested in the artist's that performed the verses on this track, I'm not going to get much into Sway & King Tech other than that they are from San Francisco, California and they are probably most known as being hosts of the radio show "The Wake Up Show". "The Anthem", which is a cut featured on the duo's "This Or That" album in 1999, is a track that features a verse from 9 different emcee's. The RZA leads things off. This New York native is best known as basically being the creator of the famed Wu-Tang Clan. Definitely one of my favorite groups. 2nd is Tech N9ne, who hails from Kansas City, Missouri. I heard of Tech N9ne, but he came out in 1991 which was right around the time when I wasn't following hip hop as close as I was in the 80's, besides the Wu-Tang Clan and rappers that I grew up loving that I still followed as the 90's got underway. Eminem is 3rd on the track. This Detroit rapper has one of the best flows of all time. Again, I probably would have gotten into Eminem more had I not started drifting away from rap a little bit in the 90's. He's a top lyricist and there are stand out tracks that I have by him, just didn't follow him as much as the RZA and some more emcee's coming up on this song. Xzibit is 4th on the track. I put Xzibit in the Eminem category for me. If he had come out a few years earlier, I could see him being one of my favorite rappers. I have a few select tracks by him in my music library that I really love. 5th up to bat is Pharoahe Monch. I really know nothing of this emcee other than him being in "The Anthem". Going 6th on this track is one of my all time favorite rappers, Kool G Rap. I think this New York legend is one of the most underrated lyricists in hip hop. The creator of mafioso rap in my opinion and a huge influence on all of the Wu-Tang rappers for sure. Number 7 on "The Anthem" is Jayo Felony and 8 is Chino XL. Much like Pharoahe Monch, The only thing I know both of those rappers from is this song "The Anthem". Closing off the track is another legend and one of my all time favorite rappers, KRS-One. This Bronx, NY native was part of the legendary Boogie Down Productions before going solo. One of the best battle emcee's in the business, while also bringing knowledge on the microphone. Pretty much all these rappers are still active other than Chino XL who committed suicide in 2024. I still follow RZA, Kool G Rap and KRS-One and try to check when they release new material. Eminem is huge so you pretty much have your head in the sand if you don't know when he puts something out and every now and then i'll stumble upon an Xzibit track that I decide to download to my library. 

SIMILAR ARTISTS & TEN TRACKS TO CHECK OUT:

Again, because I'm interested in this stand alone, posse cut track, you can pretty much check out all of the 9 artists that are on it. From the artists that I really follow on "The Anthem" track, here are tracks that stand out by them to me:

RZA - Tragedy (Wu-Tang song where RZA raps alone)

Eminem - Lose Yourself

Xzibit - What U See Is What U Get

Kool G Rap - Ill Street Blues

KRS-One - Step Into A World

KRS-One - Step Into A World

SONG OF THE WEEK: 2-15-2026

 

SONG:  "Fox On The Run" (Sweet cover)

ARTIST:  The Academy Is...

ALBUM:  "When In Rome" (movie soundtrack)

YEAR:  2010

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  Chicago, Illinois

YEARS ACTIVE:  2003 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

The song "Fox on the Run," as performed by the American rock band The Academy Is..., is a cover of the 1975 hit single by the British glam rock band Sweet. While the version by The Academy Is... was recorded specifically for the soundtrack of the 2010 romantic comedy film "When in Rome", the lyrical meaning remains rooted in the original 1970s rock culture, specifically addressing the dynamics between touring musicians and "groupies".

THE ACADEMY IS... DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2005 - Almost Here (Fueled By Ramen Records)

* Peaked at #185 on the Billboard 200

2007 - Santi (Fueled By Ramen/Atlantic/Decaydance Records)

* Peaked at #32 on the Billboard 200

2008 - Fast Times At Barrington High (Fueled By Ramen Records)

* Peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON THE ACADEMY IS...:

The Academy Is... formed as a band back in 2003, hailing from Chicago, Illinois. The group was formed when all the guys were still in high school. Early on, the band Fall Out Boy really liked these guys and took the band under their wing. 2005 saw the band release their debut full length album, "Almost Here". Soon they would be touring with the likes of Taking Back Sunday, Armor For Sleep and previously mentioned Fall Out Boy. The band followed up "Almost Here" with 2007's "Santi". In 2008, The Academy Is... released their highest charting album, "Fast Times At Barrington High", which peaked at #17 on the Billboard 200 chart. After touring that album, some members decided to leave the band and at first the remaining members were going to continue on to record a fourth album, ultimately, they decided to disband in 2011. In 2015, The Academy Is... reunited for their 10 year anniversary of their "Almost Here" album. They went on a small tour in late 2015 to celebrate that album in what seemed like a farewell tour. But, in 2022, the band reunited once again to play several festivals. After celebrating the 20 year anniversary of "Almost Here" in 2025, the band revealed that a new album was in the works. That new album, titled "Almost There", will be released on March 27, 2026. The Academy Is... is a pop punk/melodic rock type of band. As I said several times in this blog, I started listening to The Academy Is... in my "Taking Back Sunday" years from like 2000 to 2010! That's around the time I started getting into a lot of pop punk/melodic rock type bands. I wouldn't quite put The Academy Is... on Taking Back Sunday's tier, maybe a level or 2 below but they are a pretty solid band. Glad to see that they have a new album coming out soon and they are back to firing on all cylinders!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Midtown

Taking Back Sunday

The Starting Line

Armor For Sleep

The Used

TEN THE ACADEMY IS... SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Checkmarks

2. Slow Down

3. About A Girl

4. We've Got A Big Mess On Our Hands

5. Everything We Had

6. The Phrase That Pays

7. His Girl Friday

8. Winter Passing

9. Neighbors

10. Summer Hair = Forever Young

SONG OF THE WEEK: 2-8-2026

SONG:  "Setting Forth"

ARTIST:  Eddie Vedder

ALBUM:  "Into The Wild"

YEAR:  2007

PLACE OF ORIGIN:  San Diego, California

YEARS ACTIVE:  1988 - Present

WHAT I THINK THE SONG IS ABOUT:

"Setting Forth" by Eddie Vedder, from the 2007 "Into the Wild" soundtrack, captures the initial, eager, and somewhat naive beginning of Christopher McCandless’s journey. It symbolizes a deliberate departure from societal expectations, characterized by a mix of intense desire for freedom, independence, and the "point of no return" mentality.

EDDIE VEDDER DISCOGRAPHY (Full length albums only):

2007 - Into The Wild (J Records)

* Peaked at #11 on the Billboard 200

2011 - Ukulele Songs (Monkeywrench Records)

* Peaked at #4 on the Billboard 200

2021 - Flag Day (Seattle Surf/Republic Records)

* Did not chart on the Billboard 200

2022 - Earthling (Seattle Surf/Republic Records)

* Peaked at #29 on the Billboard 200

MY THOUGHTS ON EDDIE VEDDER:

Eddie Vedder was born in Evanston, Illinois, just outside of Chicago but his musical roots formed in San Diego, California. He bounced around in a few local bands, one was called Indian Style which also featured future Rage Against The Machine drummer Brad Wilk. In 1988 he was in a band called Bad Radio which was a slight Red Hot Chili Peppers knock off. Of course, the infamous story of befriending Chili Peppers drummer Jack Irons and Jack Irons giving Eddie a demo from  Stone Gossard and Jeff Ament from Mother Love Bone, who just lost their singer Andy Wood to a drug overdose. Eddie put words and vocals on 3 instrumentals which would become "Once", "Alive" and "Footsteps" and in 1990, Pearl Jam was born. Ok, they were initially called Mookie Blaylock! Pearl Jam, of course, has been one of the most influential and successful hard rock bands of all time and I could go through their entire history but I'll save that for when I have a Pearl Jam song as my "song of the week". "Setting Forth" is an Eddie Vedder solo song, though the band has performed it live at Pearl Jam shows, a heavier rock version of the song. Eddie would drop little nuggets out there solo, mostly a song for a soundtrack or whatever. He would guest for bands during their live sets as well, think The Doors ("Break On Through", "Light My Fire") and Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers ("The Waiting"). There's a lot more too. Eddie's first solo full length album would be the soundtrack for the movie "Into The Wild". This album was basically Eddie and an acoustic guitar. It was a very stripped down album and there are some killer tracks on there like the Indio cover "Hard Sun" and "Guaranteed". In 2011, Eddie dropped "Ukulele Songs". What rock star puts out a ukulele album?! It seemed logical as when Eddie did solo tours, he would do a few uke songs so. 2021 saw Eddie contribute music to another soundtrack called "Flag Day". This album also featured first time vocals by his daughter Olivia. In 2022, Eddie put out his most ambitious solo effort and it featured a full band too. Eddie Vedder on vocals/guitar, Glen Hansard on guitar, Josh Klinghoffer on guitar and keyboards, Andrew Watt on guitar, Chris Chaney on bass and Chad Smith on drums. The band would be called The Earthlings and the album was also called "Earthling", produced by Andrew Watt. Eddie loved working with Andrew Watt so much that he got the guys in Pearl Jam to agree to have him produce their latest album "Dark Matter", which is just a killer album. Most recently, Eddie released the single "Save It For Later" in 2024, which is an English Beat cover. Eddie Vedder is legendary. One of the best vocalists and lyricists not only of his generation but of all time. One of the most influential rock vocalists of all time for sure. His solo stuff is really cool. I mean, if you're a Pearl Jam fan you're gonna love his solo stuff as well. But there's nothing better than when the guys get back together and work on new music together. Like I said earlier, their "Dark Matter" album is just fantastic and I love the way Andrew Watt made the band really work together on the songs, almost from scratch. Eddie's doing some solo tour dates in Japan coming up pretty soon. After that, I don't know if Eddie's gonna do another solo project or if the PJ guys are going to release something. Either way, I'm always wanting new stuff from Eddie and PJ!

SIMILAR ARTISTS:

Pearl Jam

Chris Cornell

Temple Of The Dog

Mad Season

Audioslave

TEN EDDIE VEDDER SONGS YOU SHOULD CHECK OUT:

1. Against The 70's (w/ Mike Watt)

2. The Waiting (Tom Petty cover w/ Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers)

3. Hard Sun (Indio cover)

4. Mrs. Mills

5. My City Of Ruins (Bruce Springsteen cover)

6. Guaranteed

7. Brother The Cloud

8. Drive (REM cover)

9. Constellations (Jack Johnson cover w/ Jack Johnson)

10. The Haves