This might be heresy to some, but while I've always admired Jay-Z's lyrical skills since Hawaiian Sophie, I've not picked up many of his albums for a listen through. I need to catch up on other well known artists and see if I can gain more from them in my old age. Meanwhile, I'm enjoying Danger Mouse as the production part of the duo Danger Mouse & Jemini. The Funk Soul Sensation was one of my favorite joints in particular.

Danger Mouse released The Grey Album in 2004. At this time, hip-hop heads downloaded mixtapes from places like DatPiff.com. The Grey Album became the first Jay-Z album I listened to from start to finish. Moment of Clarity became one of those songs I'd play on repeat, incessantly. The chopped and reconstructed guitar, organ and vocal sample form a highly energetic track that bumps from start to finish.

I've played this song a lot when I've been down. It can get me out of bed in the morning. Sometimes it brings tears to my eyes when I reminisce about overcome hurdles. Those tears aren't a bad feeling though; they're ceremonial markers of times spent, lessons learned and paths to explore.