This Week In Jams (TWIJ) is a sequenced weekly playlist featuring songs I think my friends (and future friends like you 😇) may want to hear.
imma few days late on this special edition TWIJ and it's all america's fault! it's fine tho because we're doin what we do best which is remixing the original 💩 we've received 😤
most of us know by now that the star spangled banner is a racist, sexist, copied musical arrangement that doesn't even slap! so I've sequenced nearly 100 replacements that truly represent our country
nearly seven hours of rap, rock, pop, country, gospel, blues, r&b anthems to cleanse your spirit and soul of the reality we live in
I've also included four national anthem renditions that are remembered for very different reasons 🤣
this playlist could have included 350+ songs, so if we survive until next year, there will be a volume two! please send suggestions for anthem candidates thank you 🥲
if you want some director’s cut commentary on how I sequenced this beast please keep scrolling
TWIJ PLAYLIST HIGHLIGHTS
Fergie’s Anthem Division
Fergie didn’t pull any punches with her stirring Star Spangled Anthem at the NBA All-Star game, so neither did I!
Rap songs with anthem in the title: Int’l Players Anthem, Ruff Ryders Anthem, Dipset Anthem
Rap songs with “fly” in them because eagles you know: We Fly High, Still Fly
Rap songs with “country” in the title: Country Grammar to Country Shit
Anthems w/o anthem in the title but are 1,000% worthy national anthems replacements: They Know, Swag Surfin, All The Way Turnt Up, We Ready, Knuck If You Buck, White Tee
RIP Archie Eversole.
The truest American national anthem themes: survival and hustlin’
We Gon Make It
What We Do
Hustler Musik
Hustlin
Duffle Bag Boy
We also finish the Fergie division with a little anger in Alright, American Terrorist, Sault’s “Living in America,” and, of course, This is America.
Jimi’s Anthem Division
Like most things in America, we don’t deserve this Jimi Hendrix treatment but we are so thankful it happened.
Most of the songs in this division are from the 70s and 80s and I could wax un-poetically about them but JUST LISTEN TO THE SONGS OK
Ok, fine, I’ll highlight two of them:
“Banned in the USA” - 2 Live Crew
💀 at the age-restricted ban on this video. I mean it’s too perfect.
This hilarious Jesus “Free Bird” Guitar Solo
As the founders intended.
Marvin’s Anthem Division
Marvin Gaye’s 1983 rendition of the Star Spangled Banner is probably the best “alternative” sung version (this feels weird but I’m going for it) of all-time, therefore probably the best version.
Since Marvin deserves the most respect, I had to fill this section with the greatest American artists of all-time: Stevie, Aretha, Mavis, Johnny, Carole, Sam, Otis, Nina, Curtis, and more.
Just really embarrassing that our country and its inhabitants gave any of these artists a hard time ever, but *looks in all directions* ah yes I remember I live here too.
Whitney’s Anthem Division
If Marvin wins for the alternative anthem, Whitney gets my vote for the best “classic” version of this anthem. Honestly, if the anthem needs to be played somewhere (it doesn’t btw), they should just play this YouTube video.
Speaking of classics, adding Whitney here allowed me (I mean it’s my playlist I can do what I want) to add some more all-time favorites:
“Free” - Deniece Williams
Bonus: If you’re watching the new Maya Rudolph Apple TV series “Loot” this song closes the pilot episode!
“Yes We Can Can” - Pointer Sisters
✨Bonus Anthem selection 🇺🇸
I would have included this rendition on my playlist, but it is not on streaming platforms so Youtube will have to do.
Bonus points for Jack Black singing this over 10 years ago at a LA Sparks game! I’m sure Jack Black has issues, but damn he keeps positively surprising me so I won’t do any extra digging 😅
If you’re new here…
This Week In Jams (TWIJ) Cinematic Universe
This Week In Jams
If you only want to follow one playlist, the primary This Week In Jams playlist is it. This playlist changes every week, so just check back in every week for new jams.
TWIJ Archived Playlists
If you really like a particular week’s playlist but see the TWIJ track list change, no worries! I archive every individual This Week In Jams playlist 😇 so follow me on Spotify to get access! Each one will be titled “TWIJ - Vol. [insert number]”
All The Jams (TWIJ Full Library 2018-2022)
If I drop dead before the next TWIJ drops, you can follow this playlist to find every song I've shared in the last 4+ years. There’s over 4,000 songs in there, so I think you’ll find a few you like.