I love music, that’s why I make it, but all the music I make didn’t come from absolutely nowhere. Certain memories and feelings associated with songs by other artists inspired and influenced me. Here are the top 10 songs that have inspired me over the years while making music.

Mona Lisa – Lil Wayne & Kendrick Lamar

The storytelling in this song is immaculate. Lil Wayne tells the story of a girl named Liz who sets up guys for him. She gains their trust then she gets into their house she calls Lil Wayne and his people to rob the victim. Kendrick Lamar talks about how the woman he’s with prefers to be with Lil Wayne and finds out that she’s cheating on him with Lil Wayne.

Fresh Air – Future

Future’s melodies have always been inspiring to me. I remember listening to this as a younger kid and singing the hook. His voice is deep which isn’t very common among popular vocalists but he is an exceptional artist.

G.O.M.D – J. Cole

I discovered this song while listening to random songs on my Google display and instantly fell in love with it. It’s a song with a great hook and great lyricism. The hook itself inspired confidence in me and still does every time I hear it. There’s a part after the song seemingly ends. There’s a short period where the beat switches without him rapping, he starts rapping again after this and addresses stereotypes that previously  him from his rise to fame

pick up the phone – Young Thug & Travis Scott

This song has great adlibs. The use of autotune was excessive yet necessary, It made the song what it is. It’s a track you can just have blasting in the car while driving and just rock to it without knowing even half of the words.

Commando – Migos

Takeoff’s part is what specifically inspired me, I discovered while watching a YouTube short. Hearing how good his hook and verse sounded made me want to make a similar piece.

Rich Spirit – Kendrick Lamar

This was part of Kendrick’s latest album. This was my favorite because it was my first time hearing Kendrick sing, it was actually the first time I was truly aware of Kendrick’s talent. In this song, he had everything I tried to capture in a song. He had great vocals, great lyricism, and a catchy hook.

Count Me Out –  Kendrick Lamar

This song captured a feeling I had, and still have from time to time. Another thing I like doing with my music is capturing emotions. Hearing this song sometimes makes me want to make a song.

Love Is – TheARTI$t

This is a beautiful song, one of the more recent songs I’ve been inspired by. It just has a great message. Just explaining what love is, the song does this in an amazing way. My dad introduced this song to me

Dance Now (feat. Kenny Mason) – JID & Kenny Mason

JID has been one of my favorite artists since I first found out about him. The song talks about what he does as a celebrity but also what he used to do before he became a celebrity.

Candyman – Zedd & Aloe Blacc

This was the first song I remembered word for word. It was a simple song about how love makes the world feel good. I can hear the instrumental as I type this, running through my head, giving me a very nostalgic feeling. It was on a commercial for the 75th anniversary of M&M’s.

Those were my top 10 songs that inspired me to create music. What songs inspire you to be creative?