It’s hard to believe that John Legend’s Grammy Award-winning debut album Get Lifted turns 20 years old today! 🎈 On December 28, 2004—his 26th birthday—John released the album that forever changed the landscape of soul and hip-hop.

I’ll never forget hearing John for the first time on my own birthday, February 10, 2004 when Kanye West debuted The College Dropout. It was such a special moment, and I immediately knew there was something unique about John’s voice and piano skills. Kanye’s soft-launch of John’s talent on his album was a perfect introduction to the greatness we now celebrate.

To honor this milestone, John released a special edition of Get Lifted featuring all the original tracks, new remixes, and unreleased demos from the early 2000s. Cheers to two decades of timeless music! 🎶

Get Lifted was more than just an album—it blended soul and hip-hop in such a fresh way. With Kanye West behind the production, tracks like “Used to Love U” and “Ordinary People” became instant classics. John Legend’s piano played a huge part in shaping the album’s sound, adding a rich layer to each track. I also loved the features from Snoop Dogg and Miri Ben Ari. Snoop brought that West Coast vibe to “I Can Change,” while Miri’s violin added something really special to the mix.

I’ll always remember pulling out the CD booklet and seeing John, Kanye and Miri—those names meant something, and they were all part of creating something legendary.

3 Key Facts About Get Lifted:

1. Album opener / brief introduction “Prelude” Suggests Marijuana Use: The opening track, “Prelude,” sets the tone with lyrics that some interpret as a subtle reference to marijuana. The laid-back vibe and mention of “getting lifted” aligns with how cannabis is often described as elevating one’s mood or consciousness.

2. Album Title “Get Lifted”: The phrase “get lifted” is commonly used in slang to describe the sensation of being high from marijuana. The album’s title itself can be seen as a reference to this euphoric experience.

3. John Legend’s Piano & Kanye’s Influence – John’s piano work was huge in shaping the album’s soulful sound, adding emotion and depth to every song and Kanye West’s production helped define the sound of Get Lifted, blending soul with modern hip-hop.

Get Lifted is still one of my favorite albums to listen to, and 20 years later, it still feels as fresh as ever.

Listen to ‘Get Lifted’ here:

https://music.apple.com/us/album/get-lifted/1451363316 and watch visuals below

Ordinary People Official Video

Used to love you Official Video

#20YearsOfGetLifted #JohnLegend #NewMusic