I smoke cigars. Not because it’s cool, not because I’m trying to impress you and not because I have a beef with my health. A cigar is a forced slowdown, a break from the ordinary rush, the difference between scanning and reading. A cigar is chilling. I can’t imagine how Daily Bugle publisher J. Jonah Jameson smokes cigars at work. Why equate something designed for chilling with working? That’d be like using a hot tub to hold business meetings. (Actually this isn’t a bad idea, will file away this one to explore later…).

I only smoke cigars from May to September, the warm months. And typically I smoke with others, since the act of smoking forces you to listen so conversations get real deep. But every now and then, on a day like today, all Sunshine, long weekend, hope, sky punch of youthful energy, girls in shorts I head out to the nearest bench to smoke.

Today’s cigar is a Romeo y Julieta, really smooth, soft and subtle cigar. One of my favourites. Just as smoking a cigar and listening are fine arts so is selecting the right tunes to smoke too. It’s a delicate balance of super chillness with something that has a spicy sonic kick.

Here then, are 7 excellent cigar smoking tunes, with friends or all by yourself:

1) “The Truth” by Handsome Boy Modeling School: This beat is thoroughly sick, an utterly devastating track. (Feel free to put on this entire album on, so good).

2) “Still D.R.E.” by Dr. Dre featuring Snoop Dogg: Easily some of the best lines in hip hop:
“Spend time out the hood, take they moms out the hood
Hit my boys off with jobs, no more living hard
Barbeques every day, driving fancy cars…”
That’s it right there.

3) “Love Is Blindness” by Jack White: a razor sharp cover, all heart and guts and blood. Ideal cigar smoking music. Thank you Mr. White for this track.

4) “Going the Distance” by The Menahan Street Band: This Rocky theme cover is so inspiring and uplifting. Ideally you should walk away from smoking a cigar with armed with a fresh perspective, invigorated hope and a dangerous plan.

5) “In the Sun” by Joseph Arthur: It happens we all get lost along the way, forget our value or muddle our purpose. Life doesn’t come with a reset button but it does come with this excellent track.

6) “Hard To Concentrate” by the Red Hot Chili Peppers: this is one of those multi-purpose tracks, ideal for roadtrips, bbqs, mixtapes, dark nights of the soul, cigars and much more. Handle this track with care, it will draw you feelings into places you may not be ready to go.

7) “Central Reservation (Spiritual Life – Ibadan Mix)” by Beth Orton: It will be hard not to get up and dance but dancing and cigar smoking don’t mix well. Well for most mortals…if you can do it all the power to you. Me, I’m leaning back and respecting the tune by toe tapping.

Granted these are only 7 excellent cigar smoking tunes. Any other suggestions for excellent cigar smoking tunes, comments are below.

-28-

Also published on Medium.