I had originally brought this up when I wrote about Pro Tools, the most recent album from Gza/Genius, but I felt it deserved more of an emphasis. Sampling Gary Numan in hip hop isn't anything new, but the song that most people are familiar with is "Cars". "Films", a not-so-obscure-track-if-you're-a-fan, helped producer The Rza prove that he was actually cognizant of many musical genres and styles.
Here's a live version of "Films". Sorry about the shitty video quality.
Alongside Rza and Irfane Khan-Acito, whose presence is truly not necessary (they really should have just gone all the way and sampled Numan's vocals as well), Gza flows over a barely-tweaked instrumental of "Films", essentially proving that both he and his cousin (Rza, again) can actually rap over damn near anything and make it sound good. As I mentioned in my original Gut Reaction post, "Life Is A Movie" is among the best offerings from Pro Tools, which wasn't a bad album in the least.
I'm still befuddled as to how Numan failed to earn a writing credit for Gza's song, though. Then again, there is no mention of a "Films" sample anywhere within the liner notes. No matter: (almost) any hip hop track that draws more attention to new wave from te 1970s and 1980s is fine by me.
Almost. (*cough* Flo Rida *cough*)
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Gza/Genius - Pro Tools
March 29, 2009
March 26, 2009
For Promotional Use Only: DJ LRM Presents Kanye West - College Dropout: The Mixtape (2003)
I realize that this isn't Kanye West's first mixtape (at this point in 2003, several had already seen release, focusing on either the man's extensive production work or his recovery from a near-fatal car accident), but I decided to write about College Dropout: The Mixtape for two reasons:1. College Dropout: The Mixtape was the first promotional disc Kanye ever used to specifically pimp his then-upcoming debut album, The College Dropout. (You'll never guess how he came up with the name for the mixtape.) It featured many songs that would later end up on the retail album in a more mixed and complete fashion, in addition to freestyles and tracks which were intended for The College Dropout but never made the cut. Some of these verses would also find their way into Kanye's later work, further proving my theory that 'Ye wrote all of his rhymes (or, at least the ones that Rhymefest didn't have a hand in) back in the early years of the new millennium, and has been reciting this old shit throughout his entire career. College Dropout: The Mixtape has the feel of an alternate version of the debut album, kind of a "what-if?" of sorts regarding how the album could have sounded.
2. I could just launch into my "I can write about whatever the fuck I want" argument here, but instead I'll defer to the fact that Kanye West has become the biggest rap star in the world (right now, anyway), which means that even if most of my two readers hate the man's guts, everybody else in the world seems to like the guy, including myself. Hell, I even sort of liked 808's & Heartbreak, although some of that shit was completely misguided.
Anyway.
1. INTRO
Having a sound bite of Mos Def referring to Kanye as "the future of hip hop" is a nice touch. The weird thing is, depending on your perspective, Mighty Mos was actually right. I know, kids: I'm scared, too.
2. KEEP THE RECEIPT (FEAT DIRT MCGIRT)
Thank your fucking lucky stars that this song failed to make the final cut for The College Dropout. Not only would it have not fit, it may have actually ended Kanye's rapping career before it ever began. Not that he's that horrible on here, but this song is a mess. And, for whatever reason, this song is censored on the mixtape itself. Which pisses me off, because I'm against censorship, even for songs that suck.
3. THROUGH THE WIRE
Kanye pretty much lets this track play out in its entirety, which makes sense, as it was already making the rounds on the Interweb at this point in time anyway. For some reason, even though it's the same song that appeared on the album, this version feels more authentic, as if Kanye was still (slightly) humbled and appreciative of his second chance at life. Key word there is "slightly".
4. NEVER LET YOU DOWN (FEAT JAY-Z & SAUL WILLIAMS)
Kanye floated this song out to the general public, and then managed to convince his boss, Shawn Carter, to contribute another verse for the album version. This sounds good in a historical artifact-sort of way. Those of you familiar with the album track will miss Jay's second verse, though.
5. MY WAY
One of those Kanye tracks that never appeared on any actual album. To me, this sounds like paint-by-numbers 2003 Kanye West: soul sample combined with 'Ye's antagonistic rhymes (recorded before he hit it big: you see, the man's always been full of himself). Skippable.
6. COMING HOME
Those of you that came into the Kanye West side story with Graduation will recall "Homecoming", with Chris Martin from Coldplay. Well, here's the song in its original incarnation. I actually prefer the remake.
7. 2 WORDS (FEAT MOS DEF, FREEWAY, & THE HARLEM BOYS CHOIR)
Kanye re-did his vocals for the album version, but otherwise, this sounds like the exact same song.
8. HEAVY HITTERS FREESTYLE
I seem to remember the Heavy Hitters being some sort of rap collective that Kanye was a part of for precisely one moment, but I'm probably wrong. Kanye's first freestyle on the mixtape is not bad, but he's clearly outshined by his buddy GLC, who, in the past six years, has yet to release a solo album. Yes, that's right: fucking Soulja Boy has released more solo albums than GLC. What is this world coming to?
9. KANYE WEST & MURPHY LEE FREESTYLE (FEAT MURPHY LEE)
I still cannot determine the origins of this freestyle. If Kanye was trying to position himself as the next big thing in hip hop, why wouldn't he have held out for Nelly, instead of rhyming alongside one of his weed carriers? At least 'Ye manages to defeat his competition on here, so that's nice.
10. LAST NIGHT FREESTYLE
The rhymes are alright (although people need to stop making excuses for Jay-Z's The Blueprint 2: The Gift & The Curse: that album mostly sucked, and everybody knows it), but the singing on the hook is useless: if I wanted to hear Madonna's "La Isla Bonita", I'd dig through my CD collection, thanks.
11. JESUS WALKS
It's unfinished, but Kanye's Rhymefest-penned Grammy winner appears for the first time in a form that isn't only thirty seconds long, as had been teased on some of his other mixtapes. It's kind of like watching a Michael Bay flick before post production, before the explosions and sound effects are laid in.
12. SELF CONSCIOUS (FEAT LAURYN HILL)
This would later morph into "All Falls Down" on The College Dropout. This would be the version with the Lauryn Hill vocal sample, as opposed to the re-sung vocals. And this would be the version that I still believe is inferior to the eventual album version. Regardless of what I think, though, the true star of this song is Stacey Dash. You two know what I'm talking about.
13. THE GOOD, THE BAD, & THE UGLY (FEAT CONSEQUENCE)
I can't be the only person to notice that, today, Kanye sounds like what Consequence sounded like back then, and I'm talking A Tribe Called Quest's Beats, Rhymes, & Life timeframe. There isn't much of a concept here (it's not like 'Ye and guest are rhyming about spaghetti westerns or anything), but it sounds decent, especially on the part of Cons. Off topic: Sergio Leone was the shit.
14. FAMILY BUSINESS
Since this is a mixtape, after all, I'm expecting a fair amount of interruptions from the deejay. However, hearing the phrase "Lots of respect, motherfuckers" on this particular track, a sweet song in which Kanye praises his family (this song also appears on the retail album) is damn near disrespectful. Or funny. Maybe even both.
15. FREESTYLE
On this creatively-titles freestyle, 'Ye creates his own version of Biggie's "Dreams", although his personal twist is that he'll gladly provide a free instrumental to a "half-nice"-looking female rapper in exchange for, well, you know. I don't need to spell it out, do I? Okay, he's talking about pussy. It is kind of funny, but it's longer than it has any right to be.
16. IS THAT YOUR CAR?
Meh.
17. FREESTYLE
This could be seen as a continuation of the other freestyle with the exact same title, both in content and in the fact that you'll get sick of it before it's over. He sounds as if he's copping Hova's flow for more than a few bars, though.
18. KANYE'S WORKOUT
This song sucked on the album, and this original version presented on here proves that Kanye really didn't need to improve on it: he could have "accidentally" erased the masters and the world would have been a better place.
19. SLOW JAMS (FEAT TWISTA & JAMIE FOXX)
At the time of this mixtape's release, this was the hit song of the moment. For Twista. This unpolished version sounds closer to the track that ended up on Twista's album than what appeared on The College Dropout (Kanye's version was much longer). This isn't a bad song at all, but kudos to whomever sequenced this track as the final song on the mixtape, forcing listeners (with broken skip buttons) to run through every other song beforehand.
SHOULD YOU TRACK IT DOWN? I would say yes, but with a qualifier. College Dropout: The Mixtape is an interesting listen for Kanye West fans and hip hop dorks (like myself) who get excited over the concept of alternate takes and demo tracks. However, most of these tracks actually ended up on The College Dropout (or on different albums entirely), so you two may feel no need to give this a spin: you've already heard most of it. It is entertaining, but those of you who only got into Kanye West because you're a fan of his emo Auto-Tune ramblings (and, trust me, there are many listeners out there that only know the man from 808's & Heartbreak, hard as it may be to believe) won't find anything to like on here. Enjoy this at your own risk, non-Kanye fans.
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
More Kanye West ramblings can be found here.
March 23, 2009
Submissions Are Being Accepted / Site Updates
Since the Reader Reviews seem to be receiving mostly positive feedback (or, at least, the concept is, even if some readers outright disagree with the opinion presented), I've decided to open up Round Three. The parameters are a bit different this time around, though, so listen up:
1. I want you to write about your favorite hip hop album, and I would prefer if it wasn't one that I already wrote about, although I will still accept those write-ups if you absolutely must write about Liquid Swords. There is one exception, which I will list below.
2. You have to send in your submission by midnight on April 18, 2009. Send it in to the email address on the right. In the subject line, you MUST use the phrase "Reader Review" followed by the album and artist, or else it may get lost with the rest of the random junk I receive on a daily basis.
3. You have to follow the format that I'm sure you're all familiar with by now: introductory paragraphs (either about the artist or how you came about discovering the album), track-by-track reviews, final thoughts, a recommendation to buy or avoid, and, in your eyes, the best songs on the disc. Don't worry if your writing becomes a bit long-winded: I will still edit them down for length and clarity, since I need an excuse to butt in with my praised italicizing. (I cannot guarantee that I will be able to run my own commentary side-by-side with yours this time around, though, so you have that going for you, which is nice.)
4. You have to justify why you think the album is good. But you already knew that.
5. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can write about the Blu & Exile album. I have other plans for that disc that will hopefully come to fruition soon. Everything else is essentially fair game.
So, that's it. Send in your submissions to the email on the right by April 18. Hopefully, expanding the rules a bit will result in some more diverse selection, but either way, the blog will go on.
Speaking of which, I'm also toying with some things behind the scenes, ways to help improve the blog, appeal to more readers, and alternatives to avenues that are being abused (*cough* the comment box *cough*). If you have any suggestions, comments, concerns, or simply wish for me to shut the fuck up and write some more, either drop me a line or leave me a comment below.
Also, I haven't missed the ongoing requests for album reviews, so I'll address a few of them right now.
(a) I don't actually own any CDs from anyone in the Bay Area, save for Motion Man. Hence, no reviews on E-40 and Spice 1...yet. You see, my own personal code requires me to actually own the disc in question (not a burned copy, unless otherwise indicated), or at least obtain a true copy (liner notes and all) from a friend or my trusty library (which, if you check, is able to get you many more rap albums than you might have believed - hell, they found me the fucking Pittsburgh Slim CD). So I'm still working on that. I wholeheartedly agree that this blog has taken on an East Coast slant (at least, when I'm not writing about Wu-Tang), and although I've never hidden my personal bias, that's not the point of the blog, so stay tuned, and hopefully I'll get on that sooner rather than later. (By the way, I see all of you wondering where the Hiero posts are - I swear to you, they're actually coming soon.)
(b) On the flipside, I do actually own more Boot Camp Clik albums than my writing may have led on: I'm just lazy. But Smif-N-Wessun's Da Shinin' has been on the pile for some time now, along with Pete Rock & CL Smooth's Mecca & The Soul Brother. So we'll see what happens.
(c) I've noticed everyone else's requests as well. I'm not willfully ignoring them: sometimes it just takes me longer to find the disc than with others. (Note to The Most Felonious Vocalist Blah Blah Blah: I haven't forgotten about your Immortal Technique request.)
So, basically, let me know what you want to see on the blog, and I'll try to help out. In the meantime, be sure to send in those requests and writing submissions, and tell your friends that another month-long stunt may be coming up pretty soon...
-Max
1. I want you to write about your favorite hip hop album, and I would prefer if it wasn't one that I already wrote about, although I will still accept those write-ups if you absolutely must write about Liquid Swords. There is one exception, which I will list below.
2. You have to send in your submission by midnight on April 18, 2009. Send it in to the email address on the right. In the subject line, you MUST use the phrase "Reader Review" followed by the album and artist, or else it may get lost with the rest of the random junk I receive on a daily basis.
3. You have to follow the format that I'm sure you're all familiar with by now: introductory paragraphs (either about the artist or how you came about discovering the album), track-by-track reviews, final thoughts, a recommendation to buy or avoid, and, in your eyes, the best songs on the disc. Don't worry if your writing becomes a bit long-winded: I will still edit them down for length and clarity, since I need an excuse to butt in with my praised italicizing. (I cannot guarantee that I will be able to run my own commentary side-by-side with yours this time around, though, so you have that going for you, which is nice.)
4. You have to justify why you think the album is good. But you already knew that.
5. Nobody, and I mean nobody, can write about the Blu & Exile album. I have other plans for that disc that will hopefully come to fruition soon. Everything else is essentially fair game.
So, that's it. Send in your submissions to the email on the right by April 18. Hopefully, expanding the rules a bit will result in some more diverse selection, but either way, the blog will go on.
Speaking of which, I'm also toying with some things behind the scenes, ways to help improve the blog, appeal to more readers, and alternatives to avenues that are being abused (*cough* the comment box *cough*). If you have any suggestions, comments, concerns, or simply wish for me to shut the fuck up and write some more, either drop me a line or leave me a comment below.
Also, I haven't missed the ongoing requests for album reviews, so I'll address a few of them right now.
(a) I don't actually own any CDs from anyone in the Bay Area, save for Motion Man. Hence, no reviews on E-40 and Spice 1...yet. You see, my own personal code requires me to actually own the disc in question (not a burned copy, unless otherwise indicated), or at least obtain a true copy (liner notes and all) from a friend or my trusty library (which, if you check, is able to get you many more rap albums than you might have believed - hell, they found me the fucking Pittsburgh Slim CD). So I'm still working on that. I wholeheartedly agree that this blog has taken on an East Coast slant (at least, when I'm not writing about Wu-Tang), and although I've never hidden my personal bias, that's not the point of the blog, so stay tuned, and hopefully I'll get on that sooner rather than later. (By the way, I see all of you wondering where the Hiero posts are - I swear to you, they're actually coming soon.)
(b) On the flipside, I do actually own more Boot Camp Clik albums than my writing may have led on: I'm just lazy. But Smif-N-Wessun's Da Shinin' has been on the pile for some time now, along with Pete Rock & CL Smooth's Mecca & The Soul Brother. So we'll see what happens.
(c) I've noticed everyone else's requests as well. I'm not willfully ignoring them: sometimes it just takes me longer to find the disc than with others. (Note to The Most Felonious Vocalist Blah Blah Blah: I haven't forgotten about your Immortal Technique request.)
So, basically, let me know what you want to see on the blog, and I'll try to help out. In the meantime, be sure to send in those requests and writing submissions, and tell your friends that another month-long stunt may be coming up pretty soon...
-Max
March 20, 2009
Today's Not-So-Random Song Accompanied By Minimal Commentary: Weezer - "Say It Ain't So"
By now, I'm sure a lot of you two have been exposed to "I Love College", the lead single from Asher Roth's debut album, Asleep In The Bread Aisle. What some of you may not be aware of is the origin of the first version of the track, which swiped elements from Weezer's "Say It Ain't So", a 1990s rock staple that, oddly, makes me want to play the first Rock Band game again. But I digress.
Since "I Love College" is slowly becoming a moderate hit, you may have noticed that the song itself sounds nothing like the Weezer track. As the story goes, Asher Roth offered up all of the publishing rights to Rivers Cuomo in an effort to clear the sample, but the Weezer frontman told him to fuck off (maybe not using those exact words, but it is fun to imagine), forcing Roth and his producers to re-tool the beat for public consumption. Here's the original version of "I Love College".
I'm not surprised that this song is popular, mainly because, as I continue to argue, there are a lot of people out there that like really shitty music. (This bit of frat-boy douchebaggery sounds like something L.F.O. might have recorded a few years ago.) However, I'm not down on Asher Paul Roth himself (yeah, I brought out the middle name) as a rapper: he's simply doing what is taught in all writer's workshops and writing what he knows. (Besides, I can't recall hearing about beer pong, keg stands, and pizza slices for a buck in a mainstream rap song since...well, ever.) The man has actually impressed me with his freestyles (and his mixtape, The Greenhouse Effect, alongside Don Cannon and DJ Drama). "I Love College" simply comes off as the radio single meant to attract a wider audience, one that may be shocked to find actual lyricism when theysteal purchase Asleep In The Bread Aisle on April 21, 2009, provided that they haven't smoked themselves stupid.
Here's the retail version of the song in question.
And, for no reason, here's Weezer's "Buddy Holly", one of director Spike Jonze's finest moments.
-Max
Since "I Love College" is slowly becoming a moderate hit, you may have noticed that the song itself sounds nothing like the Weezer track. As the story goes, Asher Roth offered up all of the publishing rights to Rivers Cuomo in an effort to clear the sample, but the Weezer frontman told him to fuck off (maybe not using those exact words, but it is fun to imagine), forcing Roth and his producers to re-tool the beat for public consumption. Here's the original version of "I Love College".
I'm not surprised that this song is popular, mainly because, as I continue to argue, there are a lot of people out there that like really shitty music. (This bit of frat-boy douchebaggery sounds like something L.F.O. might have recorded a few years ago.) However, I'm not down on Asher Paul Roth himself (yeah, I brought out the middle name) as a rapper: he's simply doing what is taught in all writer's workshops and writing what he knows. (Besides, I can't recall hearing about beer pong, keg stands, and pizza slices for a buck in a mainstream rap song since...well, ever.) The man has actually impressed me with his freestyles (and his mixtape, The Greenhouse Effect, alongside Don Cannon and DJ Drama). "I Love College" simply comes off as the radio single meant to attract a wider audience, one that may be shocked to find actual lyricism when they
Here's the retail version of the song in question.
And, for no reason, here's Weezer's "Buddy Holly", one of director Spike Jonze's finest moments.
-Max
March 18, 2009
Free Music: Icadon - The New Deal (Mixtape)
I know there's at least one other reader (one with an especially long screen name) that shares my feelings for Icadon/Icarus (from Redman's Gilla House crew), so I figured I would offer this up for everyone, since it popped up in my inbox and all.
Looky, someone else wrote all the words, so I didn't have to!
From the press release:
"Icadon, formerly known as Icarus, the hardest working unsigned artist ever to come out of New York, released his ninth mixtape, The New Deal, available now online. The New Deal celebrates Ic signing a new label deal for his company, Johnny Pump Entertainment, with Amalgam Entertainment...
"The New Deal features artists such as, Rockwilder, Sassy and C. Onez, to name a few. Mixtape tracks include DJ Khaled's "Go Hard" featuring Jay-Z, T.I.'s "Dead and Gone" featuring Justin Timberlake, Jennifer Hudson's "Spotlight", Akon's "So Paid", and Lady Gaga's "Just Dance" (the hell?), all with Icadon's rhymes and special twists on the tracks.
"The New Deal debuts producers Beat Cartel on track three, "Tear 5th Ave Up", featuring unsigned artist Sassy. "Tear 5th Ave Up" has a party/club sound with Sassy's rhymes reminiscent of the baddest bitch while Ic rips up the track rhyming about spending money on his cars and on 5th Ave."
The Beat Cartel are actually the folks that sent this to me, so be sure to thank them if you like this one. (I have to say, I'm a fan of the last sentence in the portion of the press release I included above, although that doesn't necessarily mean that I have high hopes.) I haven't had a chance it spin this yet, but I am actually intrigued by the fact that Reggie Noble does not make an appearance. Also, the fact that Icadon is signed to Amalgam places him alongside Saigon and Joe Budden as the only actual rappers I can name from that particular label.
If you are a Reggie stan like myself, or just love free shit, do your thing and let me know in the comments if this is worth everyone's time.
Icadon - The New Deal (Mixtape)
Johnny Pump Entertainment MySpace page
-Max
March 16, 2009
Today's Not-So-Random Song Accompanied By Minimal Commentary: The Clash - "Straight To Hell"
Most of my two readers may already be aware of where M.I.A. jacked her swagger from for her "Paper Planes", but for the latecomers, you should give this track a spin while trying to guess when Max will finally write about MF Doom or a West Coast artist that isn't Motion Man. (Please note that this is not an actual video, so it's not a requirement for you to pay attention to the visuals.)
As an added bonus, you can also elect to hear Lily Allen's recent cover, from the War Child Heroes album.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions? You know where they go.
Another actual post coming soon, hopefully.
-Max
As an added bonus, you can also elect to hear Lily Allen's recent cover, from the War Child Heroes album.
Questions? Comments? Concerns? Suggestions? You know where they go.
Another actual post coming soon, hopefully.
-Max
March 13, 2009
Masters Of Illusion (Kool Keith & Motion Man) - Kutmasta Kurt Presents Masters Of Illusion (November 14, 2000)
I realize this write-up isn't going to quite fulfill the wishes of all of my two readers that are sick and tired of reading about East Coast hip hop, but fuck it, at least this isn't about Wu-Tang; those particular reviews will start up again later, so mark your calendars!
Anybody who has listened to Keith Thornton, better known as Kool Keith, throughout his solo career will have noticed that the man has a general disdain for hip hop from his home state of New York, which is where his original crew, the Ultramagnetic MC's, was based out of. He brags relentlessly about supporting the West Coast, and even moved his ass out there to work with the likes of Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and "Kutmasta" Kurt Matlin, a producer who has collaborated with Keith many times throughout the guy's long and storied career. Keith also linked up with Paul Laster, better known as Motion Man, a Bay Area rapper who, contrary to what I believed, also had a long career in hip hop, rhyming with various crews and making multiple radio show appearances for, apparently, decades, before finding his niche as Kool Keith's go-to wingman.
Kool Keith and Motion Man recorded several duets that oftentimes resulted in being the best track on whatever album it appeared on (Keith usually had multiple projects going at once). There was a palpable chemistry that just did not exist whenever Keith took the mic alongside, say, Jacky Jasper. As such, Kutmasta Kurt put his dream project together, an album-length opus featuring both men, enabling them with the moniker Masters Of Illusion, and released it on Threshold Recordings, his own label.
Kutmasta Kurt Presents Masters Of Illusion (titled as such due to Kurt's involvement in the creation of the concept) was released in 2000 shortly after a different Keith project, Matthew, failed to create a buzz. This disc is generally considered to be one of the more cohesive projects in Keith Thornton's catalog, mostly due to the presence of one producer behind the boards and a collaborator on almost every track, which essentially meant that Keith was unable to become annoying, due to the fact that there had to be enough space for the other guy to also perform.
Which wasn't a bad idea at all.
1. FIGMENT (INTRO)
One of the goofiest rap album intros I've heard in a while. While I have no ill feelings toward the trip hop genre (although I will admit that I should probably delve further than Portishead and Massive Attack; if you two have any suggestions, I'm open to them), I found the commentary (performed by somebody named Scotty Z) hilarious, especially since Kool Keith's Dr. Octagon project was once mislabeled as trip hop by music industry executives that had no fucking clue how to market it.
Anybody who has listened to Keith Thornton, better known as Kool Keith, throughout his solo career will have noticed that the man has a general disdain for hip hop from his home state of New York, which is where his original crew, the Ultramagnetic MC's, was based out of. He brags relentlessly about supporting the West Coast, and even moved his ass out there to work with the likes of Dan "The Automator" Nakamura and "Kutmasta" Kurt Matlin, a producer who has collaborated with Keith many times throughout the guy's long and storied career. Keith also linked up with Paul Laster, better known as Motion Man, a Bay Area rapper who, contrary to what I believed, also had a long career in hip hop, rhyming with various crews and making multiple radio show appearances for, apparently, decades, before finding his niche as Kool Keith's go-to wingman.
Kool Keith and Motion Man recorded several duets that oftentimes resulted in being the best track on whatever album it appeared on (Keith usually had multiple projects going at once). There was a palpable chemistry that just did not exist whenever Keith took the mic alongside, say, Jacky Jasper. As such, Kutmasta Kurt put his dream project together, an album-length opus featuring both men, enabling them with the moniker Masters Of Illusion, and released it on Threshold Recordings, his own label.
Kutmasta Kurt Presents Masters Of Illusion (titled as such due to Kurt's involvement in the creation of the concept) was released in 2000 shortly after a different Keith project, Matthew, failed to create a buzz. This disc is generally considered to be one of the more cohesive projects in Keith Thornton's catalog, mostly due to the presence of one producer behind the boards and a collaborator on almost every track, which essentially meant that Keith was unable to become annoying, due to the fact that there had to be enough space for the other guy to also perform.
Which wasn't a bad idea at all.
1. FIGMENT (INTRO)
One of the goofiest rap album intros I've heard in a while. While I have no ill feelings toward the trip hop genre (although I will admit that I should probably delve further than Portishead and Massive Attack; if you two have any suggestions, I'm open to them), I found the commentary (performed by somebody named Scotty Z) hilarious, especially since Kool Keith's Dr. Octagon project was once mislabeled as trip hop by music industry executives that had no fucking clue how to market it.
2. MASTERS OF ILLUSION
One song in, and we're already presented with a fine example of why Keith Thornton should never produce his own beats. Whenever Keith does his own thing behind the boards, something inevitably gets lost in translation, and both the beat and his rhymes suffer (hence his usual propensity for writing really shitty hooks). Kurt's musical contribution is the perfect way to start off his pet project, and both Keith and Paul handle themselves well on this title track.
3. WE ALL OVER
The best thing about the Masters of Illusion project is that there is no real overall theme that either Keith or Motion Man have to adhere to: they're not traveling magicians, superheroes, or alien gynecologists, they're just rappers. This elasticity allows Keith to spin off onto his own tangents, and he takes that liberty frequently throughout the disc. The hook on here can be best described as random phrases strung together, but in its own way, it fits the track. It's kind of odd that Motion Man's verse is censored, though.
4. MAGNUM BE I
A pretty good Motion Man solo track (one could look at the audience for Kutmasta Kurt Presents Masters Of Illusion as a test market of sorts for a potential Motion Man solo album, which came later) that is derailed heavily by a ridiculously quickly-rapped chorus that, for lack of a more eloquent way to put it, does not fucking work. Nice Outkast reference in the second verse, though.
5. U WANT FREESTYLE?
Lest Motion Man hog up all of the spotlight, Kool Keith also gets a solo track to help even out the order of the universe. On here, he simply acts like he always does on his regularly scheduled solo albums, although it should be noted that he manages to rhyme his bars together on here for the most part. It's entertaining enough, but it's too short. I do realize, however, that I have one hundred and seventy-one other albums I could reach for if I really wanted to critique Keith rhyming all by his lonesome, though, so I'll stop complaining and move on.
6. SCARED STRAIGHT
Kind of majorly disappointing. You're left wishing that Kurt worked more with the instrumental, and the "chorus" (four chopped-up vocal samples combined into a Frankenhook, a la DJ Premier) sounds off: it feels as though the last vocal sample you hear should have been the first one, and so on. Alas, you'll be skipping this track anyway, so chances are that neither of my two readers will know what I'm talking about, so there you go.
7. TIME 2 GET RIGHT
I'm not the biggest fan of Kool Keith's singing on some of his hooks, so this track falls the fuck apart for me. Which sucks, because other than the chorus, this song is relatively entertaining. Incorporating forty-five seconds from the source material of the beat's sample is a nice touch, as it aided in helping me feel like I was walking around in an 1970s exploitation flick of some sort.
8. STEP UP
Kurt's beat sounds like a Dr. Dooom reject, but that's not an entirely bad thing. The lyrics on here are completely ineffective, but while you're listening to the track, you can do any number of important chores around your home, ranging from taking out the garbage that has built up since Fat Tuesday, to clearing out the remains of that dead hooker in your garage, so at least it'll help you feel productive.
9. THE FUNKY REDNECK (SKIT)
Kurt gets in on the fun with a ridiculous skit, and while there is no need for you two to ever listen to this track, it's good to know that it exists.
10. EAST WEST HUSTLERS
Neither artist sounds thrilled to be here, so feel free to skip this one without the guilt setting in on your overwrought conscience.
11. THE BAY-BRONX BRIDGE
An interesting throwback to the Ultramagnetic MC's sound of ye olden days, although it should be noted that Motion Man actually sounds more comfortable than Keith, someone who was actually a part of the Ultramagnetic MC's. Weird. Anyway, this song is an entertaining trifle, much like a singing and dancing brownie or a Fig Newton showgirl in a topless revue.
12. CALL THE NATIONAL GUARD
The finest Motion Man solo offering on here, even though he resorts to childish verbal gimmicks a few times (not unlike his rhyme partner). Over some dark fucking production, Paul proves that he's the only artist that Keith has ever linked up with since he left his original crew. And yes, I remember Sir Menelik.
13. BACK UP KID
Once again, a Motion Man solo song is immediately followed by a Kool Keith track, all done in the interest of fairness. However, decent Kurt beat aside, this is substandard Kool Keith fare, from the hook, which neither makes grammatical nor mathematical sense, to the lyrics, which feature the same typical Keith Thornton boasts that caused most rap fans to give up on the man in the first place. Oh well.
14. PARTNAS CONFUSED
A good return to form for Keith, on a track that makes a valid argument for Keith to always have a rhyme partner on hand, so as to negate the tediousness that can occur whenever the man delivers one of his esoteric commentaries. The reason this song is good, though, is because of Motion Man's stellar appearance. The goofy, and yet still dramatic, instrumental also aids and abets.
15. SOUPED UP
The best track on here, illustrating the best aspects of both Keith and Motion's styles, appears, strangely, towards the end of the album. The beat is, um, upbeat and playful, and the rappers involved have fun with their random boasts and threats. The hook itself is pretty fucking hilarious. Well worth the three minutes and change that it will take you to absorb it.
16. URBAN LEGENDS
With a Kurt instrumental that sounds as if it would be a better fit as background music for a 1970s detective program like Columbo or Baretta, it should come as no surprise that both Keith and Paul come off pretty poorly. Moving on...
17. CLIFTON'S CONVERSATION (SKIT)
...
18. LET ME TALK TO YOU
It wouldn't be a Kool Keith project without an awkwardly inappropriate song created just for the ladies. This time around, Motion Man is roped into the antics, and the result is a song that you won't want to listen to in full the first time around, let alone ever again.
After a short break, Kutmasta Kurt Presents Masters Of Illusion leads you into a bonus track.
SILK SUIT, BLACK LINEN
There are no words. No words at all. Okay, maybe one word: Meh.
FINAL THOUGHTS: I quite liked the weirdly-titled Kutmasta Kurt Presents Masters Of Illusion, but I realize that it isn't for every audience. The packaging would seem to indicate a more mainstream offering, but this is basically another Kool Keith album, albeit one of the ones with much better production work (for the record, Kurt and Dan "The Automator" Nakamura are the only producers that have collided admirably with Keith's strangeness). The presence of Motion Man helps reign in Keith's stream-of-consciousness boasts, but although Motion is a good rapper in his own right, non-Kool Keith fans should be forewarned that both men are cut from the same lyrical cloth.
BUY OR BURN? Kool Keith fans and those of you who appreciate different aspects of hip hop are encouraged to pick this one up. Everyone else gets a by until the next post.
BEST TRACKS: "Souped Up"; "We All Over"; "Masters Of Illusion"; "Call The National Guard"; "The Bay-Bronx Bridge"; "Partnas Confused"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
While I haven't come close to creating a dent in the Kool Keith discography, here are a handful of write-ups for the albums I have managed to get to.
March 10, 2009
Nas - God's Son (December 13, 2002)
God's Son, the sixth album from Nas, is generally considered to be the man's most personal work. It was inspired by his late mother, Ann Jones, who passed away from complications due to breast cancer earlier in 2002. The album finds Nas at his more introspective, as if he is questioning his place in the world. But, even though a few tracks directly reference his mother, don't get it twisted: Nas is actually questioning his place in hip hop, and the catalyst is some guy named Shawn Carter.
After Jay-Z dissed the shit out of Nasir Jones with his "Takeover", people who actually pay attention to hip hop beefs (read: almost nobody) eagerly anticipated the response. "Ether", a song which consisted of Nasir deconstructing Jay-Z's career over one of the shittiest beats ever used for a dis track, brought out the hunger in Nas that listeners hadn't seen in many years, as it was feared dead, or at least replaced by aliens with a more commercial-leaning Nas, not unlike how Michael Jackson completely changed color mid-career.
Stillmatic was mildly successful, but did little to dissuade the masses from the fact that Nas still seemed to be a shadow of his former, Illmatic self. The reason for that is far more substantial, though: Nas was caring for his sick mother, and didn't put his full energy into recording music, as is to be expected. Shawn was essentially bullying some guy on the playground at recess, and not bothering to acknowledge that his opponent wasn't really responding.
Even I have to admit that Nas channeled this energy into God's Son.
After Jay-Z dissed the shit out of Nasir Jones with his "Takeover", people who actually pay attention to hip hop beefs (read: almost nobody) eagerly anticipated the response. "Ether", a song which consisted of Nasir deconstructing Jay-Z's career over one of the shittiest beats ever used for a dis track, brought out the hunger in Nas that listeners hadn't seen in many years, as it was feared dead, or at least replaced by aliens with a more commercial-leaning Nas, not unlike how Michael Jackson completely changed color mid-career.
Stillmatic was mildly successful, but did little to dissuade the masses from the fact that Nas still seemed to be a shadow of his former, Illmatic self. The reason for that is far more substantial, though: Nas was caring for his sick mother, and didn't put his full energy into recording music, as is to be expected. Shawn was essentially bullying some guy on the playground at recess, and not bothering to acknowledge that his opponent wasn't really responding.
Even I have to admit that Nas channeled this energy into God's Son.
1. GET DOWN
Thank fucking God. No intro, no spoken word bullshit, and no pretention (which is uncharacteristic for Nasir), just straight-up hip hop (with a James Brown sample to boot). The man simply starts rapping to an enjoyable beat by Salaam Remi, one of two people responsible for the resurgence of Nas (the other guy, of course, is Shawn Carter). It also helps that this song (which was apparently the third single, although I don't recall a video ever being shot) is a pretty entertaining way to start shit off, especially with the music tweaking itself to match the events in the stories presented.
2. THE CROSS
This song was a big deal back in 2002 because it was produced by Eminem, who had an established working relationship with Nasir's archnemesis, Jay-Z (Marshall produced Shawn's "Renagades" and "Moment of Clarity"). Although I'm more of a Hova fan (which should come as no shock to any of my two readers), Nas is certainly more of a lyricist, and his rhymes over one of Em's more tightly-constructed instrumentals is a winning combination. Or, at least it was, until you get to the next song, which will obliterate my memory of the first two tracks on God's Son, much like a late night in anywhere but the United States involving absinthe and a half-ounce.
3. MADE YOU LOOK
More so than any first single in his career, "Made You Look" announced a return to, for lack of a better word, relevancy, for Nas. This track is why most bloggers (like myself, admittedly) credit Salaam Remi with bringing back the Nasir Jones of old. His appropriation of The Incredible Bongo Band's "Apache", punctuated with random gunshots, sets the stage for the man to entertain (without becoming too preachy) the masses with a hot crossover track. This shit still rocks today: even the acapella at the very end is a nice touch. The goodwill extended with this song was squandered by the tendency of rappers to not leave well enough alone: Nas later recorded a remix of this track alongside Ludacris and Jadakiss from The Lox, a song that I pretend doesn't exist.
4. LAST REAL N---A ALIVE
This shit was produced by Ron Browz? The same guy who made that shitty "Pop Champagne" song that they won't ever stop playing on the radio? Him?! That's weird, because this song is pretty fucking awesome, although the beat could have been much more effective. However, it does not detract from Nasir relating his point of view of the battle for King of New York from his unique vantage point: as one of the contenders. Apparently, The Notorious B.I.G. and Raekwon couldn't fucking stand each other (which is why it makes absolute sense that Rae appears on Biggie's Duets: The Final Chapter, but whatever). The roots of the Jay-Z/Nas beef are also explored. This insider's perspective is why Nas is generally considered one of the best that ever did it, and it's hard not to see why after hearing this. But seriously: Ron Browz? The "Jumping Out The WIndow" and "Arab Money" guy? (Before you say anything, I am fully aware that he also produced "Ether", but I stand by my comments.)
5. ZONE OUT (FEAT JUNGLE & WIZ)
Has it ever occurred to Nas that naming your crew of seat fillers and substitute longshoremen after a Mel Gibson movie wasn't the best idea? Unless they called themselves the Lethal Weapons or the Birds On A Wire. That would be pretty cool. Anyway, this is the weakest Salaam Remi beat I've ever heard, but if it weren't for Nasir's insistence on "putting his friends on", it wouldn't be that bad, as Nas manages to still sound pretty good. However, as it stands, the Braveheart party has sucked the life out of this room and brought its property values down.
6. HEY NAS (FEAT CLAUDETTE ORTIZ & KELIS)
This is the audio equivalent of actually watching Nas backslide into his old commercial habits. The line referencing "Live At The Barbecue" was clever, though: I have to give him that. But did the track really require both Claudette Ortiz (the cutie from City High that disappeared after, what, their lone hit single?) and Kelis (Nasir's wifey)?
7. I CAN
SIngle number two is easily the most thuggish ruggish song Nas has ever recorded. Over Salaam's Beethoven and Honeydrippers-jacking accompaniment, Nas speaks directly to the youth, and (rather convincingly) encourages children to strive to excel in life. This shit is fucking hardcore, bitches! It's murderous material like this that earns, nay, demands the existence of the Parental Advisory sticker, motherfuckers.
8. BOOK OF RHYMES
The concept of this Alchemist-produced track is pretty funny: Nasir cleaned out his attic last Sunday and found a notebook filled with the rhymes of a younger, less experienced man, and decides to use all of them, context be damned. At one point he even gets embarassed with his own ideas, but proceeds to use them anyway. I'm pretty sure Nas is bullshitting the audience here, but like I said, the concept is pretty funny, even if the execution would fall the fuck apart, had this been presented as an actual "song".
9. THUGZ MANSION (N.Y.) (FEAT 2PAC & J. PHOENIX)
This forced Nas/2Pac collaboration (which would have never happened had 2Pac not faked his death and moved to Jupiter...um, I mean, had he not passed away) sounds boring as shit, as if it were performed by The Tony Rich Project. There also seems to be no cohesion to the lyrics: Nas and Pac are clearly rhyming about completely different things. This is the East Coast version of a track that appeared in an altered form on 2Pac's posthumous Better Dayz. Not that you'll give a damn about that random factoid: I imagine that even the most hardcore Pac fans that frequent HHID will have moved on to the next song by now.
10. MASTERMIND
A Nas song with this kind of lyrical content deserves a dark beat (not unlike something Havoc could have made in the mid-1990s) and a better hook, not what The Alchemist has managed to conjure up. Al has, strangely, provided a poppy instrumental, and Nas spits a chorus that made me so angry, I had to seriously decide between continuing this write-up and using the disc as a default cheese slicer.
11. WARRIOR SONG (FEAT ALICIA KEYS)
Much to the dismay of the many Nas fans out there, I find that I have to dismiss this Alicia Keys-produced (the hell?) track with the use of a single word. Longtime readers will already be familiar with the term in question.
12. REVOLUTIONARY WARFARE (FEAT LAKE)
For such a serious title, am I the only guy that found Alchemist's beat to be much more positive than it had any right to be? Anyway, if we drained the Lake from this track, what we're left with is a Nasir Jones whose energy and talent cannot be denied, even by Max.
13. DANCE
I found this ode to Nasir's late mother very sweet and touching. However, since I am a bit of an asshole, I have to point out that I had to stifle my laughter at the utter ridiculousness that is Nas singing on the hook. Yeah, I'm probably going to hell.
14. HEAVEN (FEAT JULLY BLACK)
I couldn't connect with Nasir's attempt at a double-time flow. I was more impressed with the fact that Canadian rapper-slash-member of Reggie Noble's crew Saukrates co-produced the beat. Still, this was a wholly unsatisfying way to end God's Son.
Or is it? Early pressings of God's Son came with a bonus disc featuring three additional tracks.
1. THUGZ MIRROR (FREESTYLE)
This isn't as much a freestyle as it is an incomplete two-verse song that's missing a hook and, possibly, a guest rapper. It's not bad, but there isn't anything memorable here.
2. PUSSY KILLZ
The beat (provided by one of Puff Daddy's Hitmen) samples the oft-used in hip hop "My Hero Is A Gun" (by Diana Ross). After an awkward false start, Nasir runs through the various reasons that guys should be careful around a vagina. Let's just say this song was left off of the sequencing for God's Son for a reason.
3. THE G.O.D.
I suppose if man is five, and the devil is six, then God must be seven. The hook reminds me of learning how to spell by watching fucking Sesame Street, and hearing Nas sing (again) makes me want to rip my ears off and mail them to you as proof of my pain. Also, Swizz Beats should never be allowed to create music ever fucking again. That is all.
FINAL THOUGHTS: God's Son is another chapter in the second half of the Nas life story, the section in which Nasir Jones tries with all of his might to make people forget about the looming giant that was Illmatic. Once again, he fails in doing that, but at this point, even the most diehard Nas stan accepts that Nas will never top his debut, so in looking at God's Son as its own creature, it's not the most consistent album, but it does contain some of his most concise lyrics to date. In fact, two of the tracks, "Made You Look" and "I Can", also rank amongst his biggest hits (deservedly, I might add). My concern lies with the problematic production: even with the big names behind the boards, Nas still can't select a beat if his life depended on it. As a result, about half of God's Son approaches greatness, and the other half rolls around in mediocrity. In addition, the bonus disc is entirely useless: it would probably be defective even when utilized as a drink coaster, it's that bad.
BUY OR BURN? I would highly recommend a burn, since the misfires on here greatly outweigh the sparks of brilliance. The tracks listed below should be considered as must-hears, though. Nas is getting close to putting all of the winning ingredients togetner, but on this CD, his homemade yellow cake still has some eggshells laying within.
BEST TRACKS: "Made You Look"; "I Can"; "Last Real N---a Alive"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
More Nas material can be found by clicking here.
March 7, 2009
Gang Starr - Hard To Earn (March 7, 1994)
Before I start writing about Gang Starr's fourth album, Hard To Earn, here's a line I lifted verbatim from my own write-up for Daily Operation, lest anybody think that my critique has been swayed by the comments of a handful of readers: "Ultimately, it would take the duo one more album to get everything mixed together right, but Daily Operation is the closest they've gotten thus far to what they are clearly capable of." (You see what I did there, with the bold text? Nice, right?)
Apparently, Hard To Earn wasn't very well received by critics and fans when it dropped in 1994, which I find hard to believe, but it is understandable: it garnered the duo a brand new breed of fan. Today, it's generally known as the disc that shifted the direction that DJ Premier and Guru were headed in, as it largely abandons the overt jazz influences present on No More Mr. Nice Guy, Step In The Arena, and Daily Operation, and replaces them with some hardcore shit, plainly said. True, the duo reinvented themselves at a time when all of the East Coast rap acts were on some thug posturing shit, but they managed to differentiate themselves from the norm, leaving jazz rap for the likes of Digable Planets and Us3 ("Cantaloop" is still my shit, though).
Alright, it should be blatantly obvious at this point that I like Hard To Earn more than the first three albums in Gang Starr's catalog, but it's about the journey, right? Also, I just realized, while I was writing this very sentence, that as of tomorrow, Hard To Earn will be celebrating its fifteenth-year anniversary. Since I'm sure that a lot of my two readers are younger than Hard To Earn, I'm now officially depressed. I'm sure I'll get over it, though.
Read on.
1. INTRO (THE FIRST STEP)
On the surface, it's your standard rap album intro, but if you listen closely, Guru prepares the listener for what they're in for: a completely different type of sound than what we've experienced for the past three albums. You've been warned, I suppose.
2. ALONGWAYTOGO
Right from the first song, Gang Starr establishes their place in the hip hop hall of fame. Lyrically, Guru sounds the same, but Primo takes his act to new heights. Bonus points for incorporating vocal samples from both Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (both from A Tribe Called Quest, although if you needed my reminder, you're a bit too far gone for me to help).
3. CODE OF THE STREETS
You can't even compare this song to the duo's back catalog, since this sounds as if it were created by completely different artists. Musically, this shit rocks; this was actually one of the beats that helped me distinguish the New York sound (even though Guru's from Boston) from everything else in the genre.
4. BRAINSTORM
A tonal shift, "Brainstorm" uses its drums to pollute your mind, while Guru spits some of his classic threats. The high energy beat and the "well, you could fuck with me, but it would be a mistake" lyricism mesh together beautifully. While it's short, it's still great, and if you listen closely, Guru's verse does not fade out before the song is finished, as I originally thought when I bought Hard To Earn.
5. TONZ 'O' GUNZ
After the fantastic one-two punch of "Code Of The Streets" and "Brainstorm", "Tonz 'O' Gunz" is pretty underwhelming. Beat-wise, Primo does alright, but Guru's monotone sounds more awkward than usual, drawing more negative attention than it should. Can't win them all.
6. THE PLANET
Pretty fucking bland. You know you skip this track, too.
7. AIIIGHT CHILL...
Really a simple interlude made up of Primo's voicemail messages. Overall, it's pretty skippable, but the first message by Nas makes God's Son sound as if he had never picked up a phone in his entire life up until that point, which is why it's pretty funny. DJ Mister Cee's final message also mentions Jeru The Damaja and Group Home, which is a nice lead-in to...
8. SPEAK YA CLOUT (FEAT JERU THE DAMAJA & LIL' DAP)
Fucking light years beyond "I'm The Man", the other Gang Starr track to feature Jeru and Lil' Dap (from Group Home). Jeru rips his beat to pieces, and then defecates over the remains. Dap sounds as decent as he possibly can (over DJ Premier production, that isn't very hard for him to do), and Guru makes sure to not have the weakest beat this time around, which helps him close out the track in excellent fashion.
9. DWYCK (FEAT NICE & SMOOTH)
"DWYCK" is often billed as one of the finest posse cuts ever created, which is a bit odd, as Nice & Smooth aren't technically a part of Gang Starr's "posse". However, the results are undeniable: the music is good, the beat is simple and effective, and the three emcees rip shit in quite an infectious manner.
10. WORDS FROM THE NUTCRACKER (FEAT MELACHI THE NUTCRACKER)
The Herb to Lil' Dap's Peaches finally puts in an appearance. The other guy from Group Home sounds simultaneously shitty and decent over Primo production. Hey, at least it's short?
11. MASS APPEAL
Every time this song plays, an angel gets its wings.
12. BLOWIN' UP THE SPOT
Takes the momentum created by "Mass Appeal" and tosses it into an incinerator. Not to say that the song itself is garbage (it isn't), but it's not even close to the heights Primo and Guru have reached on Hard To Earn. The hell is with this sequencing?
13. SUCKAS NEED BODYGUARDS
Guru doesn't sound very convincing over this beat (he's trying too hard), but if you take his performance as an impression of a more aggressive rapper, it works just fine. You'll be paying more attention to Primo's brilliant beat, anyway. I did like how an uncredited Melachi the Nutcracker throws in an "I hate" before reciting his hook.
14. NOW YOU'RE MINE
This one's good, but not great. It might have easily been the best song on Step In The Arena, but it cannot compare to what else we've witnessed (with our ears!) on Hard To Earn.
15. MOSTLY THE VOICE
On that same line of thinking, this song sounds like an outtake from Daily Operation. Pass.
16. F.A.L.A. (FEAT BIG SHUG)
Gang Starr Foundation affiliate Big Shug, who I've always kind of liked, makes his debut over some sparse piano keys and heavy drums. Guru blows his guest out of the fucking park, true, but the duo sounds great together.
17. COMIN' FOR DATAZZ
Sounds alright, but it fades into the background, unlike the best tracks on Hard To Earn. I barely even noticed that the album was over until I started wondering why there was no music coming from the speaker.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Now that's more like it! Hard To Earn completely changes your perception of what a Gang Starr album could do, with a fresh new sound that comes off as both a natural extension of the jazzy boom-bap that Primo had perfected over the past three albums, and as the polar opposite of that very sound, all at once. Guru's lyricism hasn't elevated one bit, but that's a good thing in this case, since he was always decent, and too much of a change can cause your head to explode. Hard To Earn is Primo's day in the sun, though, not because every single beat is fantastic (they're not all winners), but because expanding his sound was the very best thing he could have ever done for his career.
BUY OR BURN? Yes, alright, fine, I recommend you buy this album. Buy three copies and give one to your significant other and one to your parents. Share this shit with anybody that will listen. But I still say that Daily Operation was disappointing, and you're not going to change my mind.
BEST TRACKS: "Mass Appeal"; "F.A.L.A."; "Suckas Need Bodyguards"; "Speak Ya Clout"; "DWYCK"; "Code Of The Streets"; "Brainstorm"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
More Gang Starr goodness can be found here.
Apparently, Hard To Earn wasn't very well received by critics and fans when it dropped in 1994, which I find hard to believe, but it is understandable: it garnered the duo a brand new breed of fan. Today, it's generally known as the disc that shifted the direction that DJ Premier and Guru were headed in, as it largely abandons the overt jazz influences present on No More Mr. Nice Guy, Step In The Arena, and Daily Operation, and replaces them with some hardcore shit, plainly said. True, the duo reinvented themselves at a time when all of the East Coast rap acts were on some thug posturing shit, but they managed to differentiate themselves from the norm, leaving jazz rap for the likes of Digable Planets and Us3 ("Cantaloop" is still my shit, though).
Alright, it should be blatantly obvious at this point that I like Hard To Earn more than the first three albums in Gang Starr's catalog, but it's about the journey, right? Also, I just realized, while I was writing this very sentence, that as of tomorrow, Hard To Earn will be celebrating its fifteenth-year anniversary. Since I'm sure that a lot of my two readers are younger than Hard To Earn, I'm now officially depressed. I'm sure I'll get over it, though.
Read on.
1. INTRO (THE FIRST STEP)
On the surface, it's your standard rap album intro, but if you listen closely, Guru prepares the listener for what they're in for: a completely different type of sound than what we've experienced for the past three albums. You've been warned, I suppose.
2. ALONGWAYTOGO
Right from the first song, Gang Starr establishes their place in the hip hop hall of fame. Lyrically, Guru sounds the same, but Primo takes his act to new heights. Bonus points for incorporating vocal samples from both Q-Tip and Phife Dawg (both from A Tribe Called Quest, although if you needed my reminder, you're a bit too far gone for me to help).
3. CODE OF THE STREETS
You can't even compare this song to the duo's back catalog, since this sounds as if it were created by completely different artists. Musically, this shit rocks; this was actually one of the beats that helped me distinguish the New York sound (even though Guru's from Boston) from everything else in the genre.
4. BRAINSTORM
A tonal shift, "Brainstorm" uses its drums to pollute your mind, while Guru spits some of his classic threats. The high energy beat and the "well, you could fuck with me, but it would be a mistake" lyricism mesh together beautifully. While it's short, it's still great, and if you listen closely, Guru's verse does not fade out before the song is finished, as I originally thought when I bought Hard To Earn.
5. TONZ 'O' GUNZ
After the fantastic one-two punch of "Code Of The Streets" and "Brainstorm", "Tonz 'O' Gunz" is pretty underwhelming. Beat-wise, Primo does alright, but Guru's monotone sounds more awkward than usual, drawing more negative attention than it should. Can't win them all.
6. THE PLANET
Pretty fucking bland. You know you skip this track, too.
7. AIIIGHT CHILL...
Really a simple interlude made up of Primo's voicemail messages. Overall, it's pretty skippable, but the first message by Nas makes God's Son sound as if he had never picked up a phone in his entire life up until that point, which is why it's pretty funny. DJ Mister Cee's final message also mentions Jeru The Damaja and Group Home, which is a nice lead-in to...
8. SPEAK YA CLOUT (FEAT JERU THE DAMAJA & LIL' DAP)
Fucking light years beyond "I'm The Man", the other Gang Starr track to feature Jeru and Lil' Dap (from Group Home). Jeru rips his beat to pieces, and then defecates over the remains. Dap sounds as decent as he possibly can (over DJ Premier production, that isn't very hard for him to do), and Guru makes sure to not have the weakest beat this time around, which helps him close out the track in excellent fashion.
9. DWYCK (FEAT NICE & SMOOTH)
"DWYCK" is often billed as one of the finest posse cuts ever created, which is a bit odd, as Nice & Smooth aren't technically a part of Gang Starr's "posse". However, the results are undeniable: the music is good, the beat is simple and effective, and the three emcees rip shit in quite an infectious manner.
10. WORDS FROM THE NUTCRACKER (FEAT MELACHI THE NUTCRACKER)
The Herb to Lil' Dap's Peaches finally puts in an appearance. The other guy from Group Home sounds simultaneously shitty and decent over Primo production. Hey, at least it's short?
11. MASS APPEAL
Every time this song plays, an angel gets its wings.
12. BLOWIN' UP THE SPOT
Takes the momentum created by "Mass Appeal" and tosses it into an incinerator. Not to say that the song itself is garbage (it isn't), but it's not even close to the heights Primo and Guru have reached on Hard To Earn. The hell is with this sequencing?
13. SUCKAS NEED BODYGUARDS
Guru doesn't sound very convincing over this beat (he's trying too hard), but if you take his performance as an impression of a more aggressive rapper, it works just fine. You'll be paying more attention to Primo's brilliant beat, anyway. I did like how an uncredited Melachi the Nutcracker throws in an "I hate" before reciting his hook.
14. NOW YOU'RE MINE
This one's good, but not great. It might have easily been the best song on Step In The Arena, but it cannot compare to what else we've witnessed (with our ears!) on Hard To Earn.
15. MOSTLY THE VOICE
On that same line of thinking, this song sounds like an outtake from Daily Operation. Pass.
16. F.A.L.A. (FEAT BIG SHUG)
Gang Starr Foundation affiliate Big Shug, who I've always kind of liked, makes his debut over some sparse piano keys and heavy drums. Guru blows his guest out of the fucking park, true, but the duo sounds great together.
17. COMIN' FOR DATAZZ
Sounds alright, but it fades into the background, unlike the best tracks on Hard To Earn. I barely even noticed that the album was over until I started wondering why there was no music coming from the speaker.
FINAL THOUGHTS: Now that's more like it! Hard To Earn completely changes your perception of what a Gang Starr album could do, with a fresh new sound that comes off as both a natural extension of the jazzy boom-bap that Primo had perfected over the past three albums, and as the polar opposite of that very sound, all at once. Guru's lyricism hasn't elevated one bit, but that's a good thing in this case, since he was always decent, and too much of a change can cause your head to explode. Hard To Earn is Primo's day in the sun, though, not because every single beat is fantastic (they're not all winners), but because expanding his sound was the very best thing he could have ever done for his career.
BUY OR BURN? Yes, alright, fine, I recommend you buy this album. Buy three copies and give one to your significant other and one to your parents. Share this shit with anybody that will listen. But I still say that Daily Operation was disappointing, and you're not going to change my mind.
BEST TRACKS: "Mass Appeal"; "F.A.L.A."; "Suckas Need Bodyguards"; "Speak Ya Clout"; "DWYCK"; "Code Of The Streets"; "Brainstorm"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
More Gang Starr goodness can be found here.
March 4, 2009
Ghostface Killah - More Fish (December 12, 2006)
In 2006, Wu-Tang Clan member Ghostface Killah released Fishscale, a critically praised album that earned the nine-man collective some of their best press in years. It featured heavy involvement from both his Wu-Tang brethren (they all even managed to appear on a single song together, although that was more of a feat of studio wizardry than an actual attempt at closeness) and his newly-formed Theodore Unit crew, with production duties handled by, among others, two guys on opposite ends of the hip hop spectrum: Pete Rock and MF Doom. While it didn't sell nearly as well as some of his past work, Fishscale was generally seen as a success.
Even with that information, it was still surprising when Def Jam president Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter greenlit a second Ghostface album to be released around Christmas 2006. It was titled More Fish, which led bloggers to immediately believe that it was a sequel to Fishscale, or, at least, maybe included some tracks which were dropped from the original disc due to time constraints or whatnot. Early reviews by the press were positive, but, as you two may already be aware by now, Ghostface Killah is the most liked member of the Wu-Tang Clan when it comes to his music, and hardly ever garners a negative review, unless it comes from this very blog.
When More Fish hit store shelves, I was surprised at how grade school the packaging and liner notes appeared, especially after the professional-quality shots that filled Fishscale's booklet. The disc is heavy on guest appearances and is produced mostly by unknowns, except for MF Doom, Hi-Tek, Madlib, and Mark Ronson (based on a technicality). I believe the rest of the Wu was outside on a union-sanctioned smoke break, as none of them bother to make an appearance: considering the heavy Wu involvement on Ghost's next opus, The Big Doe Rehab, that's just another reason I believe these songs were just sitting around Ghost's bedroom for years before he decided to clean up his apartment.
Let's begin.
1. GHOST IS BACK
After a lengthy and unnecessary intro revolving around a New Year's Eve celebration leading into 2007, Ghostface Killah jumps onto the beat from Eric B. & Rakim's "Juice (Know The Ledge)" with good results. The reason this track falls apart is because of Ghost's incessant need to list all of his friend at the very end, right before he mentions he has bills to pay. That's always a good reason to release an album, Pretty Toney.
2. MIGUEL SANCHEZ (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & SUN GOD)
Second song on the album, and already Ghost is sitting out. Trife sounds as good as he usually does, but the surprise here is Ghost's son Sun God, who turns in his best performance to date. Maybe Ghost did the right thing by leaving his boys to handle their business alone.
3. GUNS N' RAZORS (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD, CAPPADONNA, & KILLA SIN)
Ghost and the higher-profile members of his Theodore Unit rock over one of MF Doom's special herbs (specifically "Dragon's Blood", which has been utilized a few more times by Doom himself), and they do a fucking great job of it (even Cappadonna manages to sound decent), although I may just be partial to the Scooby Doo-esque instrumental itself. (It's actually a sample from the old Spider-Man cartoon series.) This is among my favorite MF Doom productions to date, and not just because it reminds me of watching Saturday morning cartoons.
4. OUTTA TOWN SHIT
This track is alright, but it didn't resonate with me the way that some of the man's other tales have in the past (*cough* "The Hilton" *cough*). The Lewis Parker beat isn't bad, though.
5. GOOD (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & MR. MAYGREEN)
This song is just bad. (Did you see what I just did right there? Clever, right?)
6. STREET OPERA (FEAT SUN GOD)
This is the same song that appeared on that bullshit GhostDeini The Great album I wrote about a while back. It's not bad, but I've already moved on, and perhaps you should, too.
7. BLOCK ROCK
After a weird false start, Madlib's beat (that's right, I said Madlib) kicks in and beats you into submission. Ghost also steps his game up, and the result is an entertaining track in less than three minutes, although the weak hook sounds like it's being performed by Clyde Smith. Clean up the sound a little bit, and this could have fit in on Fishscale pretty nicely.
8. MISS INFO CELEBRITY DRAMA (SKIT) (FEAT MISS INFO)
While this may lead into the next track, it's still awfully pointless.
9. POKERFACE (FEAT SHAWN WIGS)
This is essentially a Shawn Wigs solo song (about playing poker) with Ghost reduced to appearing on the hook. The concept of Wigs getting his Kenny Rogers on is amusing, but the track as a whole is pretty boring.
10. GREEDY BITCHES (FEAT SHAWN WIGS & REDMAN)
Kind of goofy in its execution, although it should be noted that both Ghost and Wigs are more misogynistic than you may be accustomed to. Reggie Noble swoops in and saves the track with a hilarious verse, but when taken as an entire package, this song isn't very good.
11. JOSEPHINE (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & THE WILLIE COTTRELL BAND)
Producer Hi-Tek graciously allowed Ghost to borrow this song from his collection, even though it previously appeared on his own album, Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip. Although I could have done without the hook, Ghost and Trife bring listeners a couple of heartfelt verses over some cool, calm, and collected production.
12. GREW UP HARD (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & SOLOMON CHILDS)
No attempt at hiding it here - this is a Trife Da God song, through and through. Ghost doesn't even bother to show up to the studio. The song itself is alright (Trife is still one of the better Wu affiliates), but I was more amused with Solomon Childs on the hook: he implies that everyone that doesn't regularly attend operas is living a hard life. Operas? Really?
13. BLUE ARMOR (FEAT SHEEK LOUCH)
Ghost continues his fruitful relationship with The Lox (he should just record an entire album with those guys as an honorary fourth member or something) by featuring the underused and frequently undervalued Sheek Louch on a track. It starts off sounding like a direct lift from labelmate (and fellow Clan member) Method Man's "Walk On", his collaboration with Redman, but luckily the beat switches to something harder. Sheek's line about being "fire in the streets/like in Back To The Future, when the car left" gets me every time.
14. YOU KNOW I'M NO GOOD (FEAT AMY WINEHOUSE)
I had actually heard this song before I ever knew who Amy Winehouse was, and I thought it was alright at the time, even though the song basically consists of Ghostface jumping on an already established song, sort of like he did on The Pretty Toney Album. Today, it sounds pretty good, as Ghost meshes with Mark Ronson's beat as if he had grown up there. I feel that Def Jam screwed the pooch by not dropping this as an official single or video, as it could have actually helped boost Ghost's profile tremendously. A shame, that.
15. ALEX (STOLEN SCRIPT)
Probably the strangest story Ghostface has ever committed to wax (it involves a man whose screenplay, based on the life of Ray Charles, is stolen, and the ensuing film that is made helps Jamie Foxx win an Academy Award). It's amusing, thanks to Ghost's usual attention to even the most minute of details, making it seem as if you're in the room with him while he's telling the tale, but you'll probably only listen to it the once.
16. GOTTA HOLD ON (FEAT SHAWN WIGS & EAMON)
No, I really don't.
17. BACK LIKE THAT (REMIX) (FEAT NE-YO & KANYE WEST)
Included solely because it would justify Def Jam's advertising More Fish as "featuring Kanye West". Kanye's verse is admittedly interesting (as is his reference to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy), and Ghost, to his credit, adjust his rhymes to recognize the presence of his guest, but as a whole, this remix was entirely unnecessary, especially since the original song wasn't that good to begin with.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The title More Fish indicates that this album was culled from outtakes and castoffs from the far more ambitious Fishscale project, and although that rumor has never been substantiated (or denied) by Def Jam Records, in spinning this today, I'm all but certain that was the case. There is little cohesion between songs, there are entire tracks on which Ghostface Killah doesn't appear (which, I realize, can be explained away by the "Theodore Unit" tag on the album cover, but it's still bullshit), and most of the beats aren't engaging enough to wake you out of a midday nap. The lack of Wu-Tang involvement is also a detriment (Killa Sin from Killarmy doesn't count), and including Kanye West on a remix to a song that he didn't produce in the first place is questionable at best. All in all, I was very disappointed when I first bought More Fish, and I still am, so much so that I wish I didn't get seconds.
BUY OR BURN? This is a burn. Ghostface Killah has slowly become the most consistent member of the Wu-Tang Clan (mainly because Gza/Genius only releases an album once every four years), but he's not infallible: I wouldn't be surprised if it was revealed later that this album wasn't actually sanctioned by the artist, but was instead compiled as a tax write-off for Def Jam. Pass.
BEST TRACKS: "Guns N' Razors"; "Block Rock"; "You Know I'm No Good"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Other Wu-Tang material can be found here.
Even with that information, it was still surprising when Def Jam president Shawn "Jay-Z" Carter greenlit a second Ghostface album to be released around Christmas 2006. It was titled More Fish, which led bloggers to immediately believe that it was a sequel to Fishscale, or, at least, maybe included some tracks which were dropped from the original disc due to time constraints or whatnot. Early reviews by the press were positive, but, as you two may already be aware by now, Ghostface Killah is the most liked member of the Wu-Tang Clan when it comes to his music, and hardly ever garners a negative review, unless it comes from this very blog.
When More Fish hit store shelves, I was surprised at how grade school the packaging and liner notes appeared, especially after the professional-quality shots that filled Fishscale's booklet. The disc is heavy on guest appearances and is produced mostly by unknowns, except for MF Doom, Hi-Tek, Madlib, and Mark Ronson (based on a technicality). I believe the rest of the Wu was outside on a union-sanctioned smoke break, as none of them bother to make an appearance: considering the heavy Wu involvement on Ghost's next opus, The Big Doe Rehab, that's just another reason I believe these songs were just sitting around Ghost's bedroom for years before he decided to clean up his apartment.
Let's begin.
1. GHOST IS BACK
After a lengthy and unnecessary intro revolving around a New Year's Eve celebration leading into 2007, Ghostface Killah jumps onto the beat from Eric B. & Rakim's "Juice (Know The Ledge)" with good results. The reason this track falls apart is because of Ghost's incessant need to list all of his friend at the very end, right before he mentions he has bills to pay. That's always a good reason to release an album, Pretty Toney.
2. MIGUEL SANCHEZ (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & SUN GOD)
Second song on the album, and already Ghost is sitting out. Trife sounds as good as he usually does, but the surprise here is Ghost's son Sun God, who turns in his best performance to date. Maybe Ghost did the right thing by leaving his boys to handle their business alone.
3. GUNS N' RAZORS (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD, CAPPADONNA, & KILLA SIN)
Ghost and the higher-profile members of his Theodore Unit rock over one of MF Doom's special herbs (specifically "Dragon's Blood", which has been utilized a few more times by Doom himself), and they do a fucking great job of it (even Cappadonna manages to sound decent), although I may just be partial to the Scooby Doo-esque instrumental itself. (It's actually a sample from the old Spider-Man cartoon series.) This is among my favorite MF Doom productions to date, and not just because it reminds me of watching Saturday morning cartoons.
4. OUTTA TOWN SHIT
This track is alright, but it didn't resonate with me the way that some of the man's other tales have in the past (*cough* "The Hilton" *cough*). The Lewis Parker beat isn't bad, though.
5. GOOD (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & MR. MAYGREEN)
This song is just bad. (Did you see what I just did right there? Clever, right?)
6. STREET OPERA (FEAT SUN GOD)
This is the same song that appeared on that bullshit GhostDeini The Great album I wrote about a while back. It's not bad, but I've already moved on, and perhaps you should, too.
7. BLOCK ROCK
After a weird false start, Madlib's beat (that's right, I said Madlib) kicks in and beats you into submission. Ghost also steps his game up, and the result is an entertaining track in less than three minutes, although the weak hook sounds like it's being performed by Clyde Smith. Clean up the sound a little bit, and this could have fit in on Fishscale pretty nicely.
8. MISS INFO CELEBRITY DRAMA (SKIT) (FEAT MISS INFO)
While this may lead into the next track, it's still awfully pointless.
9. POKERFACE (FEAT SHAWN WIGS)
This is essentially a Shawn Wigs solo song (about playing poker) with Ghost reduced to appearing on the hook. The concept of Wigs getting his Kenny Rogers on is amusing, but the track as a whole is pretty boring.
10. GREEDY BITCHES (FEAT SHAWN WIGS & REDMAN)
Kind of goofy in its execution, although it should be noted that both Ghost and Wigs are more misogynistic than you may be accustomed to. Reggie Noble swoops in and saves the track with a hilarious verse, but when taken as an entire package, this song isn't very good.
11. JOSEPHINE (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & THE WILLIE COTTRELL BAND)
Producer Hi-Tek graciously allowed Ghost to borrow this song from his collection, even though it previously appeared on his own album, Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip. Although I could have done without the hook, Ghost and Trife bring listeners a couple of heartfelt verses over some cool, calm, and collected production.
12. GREW UP HARD (FEAT TRIFE DA GOD & SOLOMON CHILDS)
No attempt at hiding it here - this is a Trife Da God song, through and through. Ghost doesn't even bother to show up to the studio. The song itself is alright (Trife is still one of the better Wu affiliates), but I was more amused with Solomon Childs on the hook: he implies that everyone that doesn't regularly attend operas is living a hard life. Operas? Really?
13. BLUE ARMOR (FEAT SHEEK LOUCH)
Ghost continues his fruitful relationship with The Lox (he should just record an entire album with those guys as an honorary fourth member or something) by featuring the underused and frequently undervalued Sheek Louch on a track. It starts off sounding like a direct lift from labelmate (and fellow Clan member) Method Man's "Walk On", his collaboration with Redman, but luckily the beat switches to something harder. Sheek's line about being "fire in the streets/like in Back To The Future, when the car left" gets me every time.
14. YOU KNOW I'M NO GOOD (FEAT AMY WINEHOUSE)
I had actually heard this song before I ever knew who Amy Winehouse was, and I thought it was alright at the time, even though the song basically consists of Ghostface jumping on an already established song, sort of like he did on The Pretty Toney Album. Today, it sounds pretty good, as Ghost meshes with Mark Ronson's beat as if he had grown up there. I feel that Def Jam screwed the pooch by not dropping this as an official single or video, as it could have actually helped boost Ghost's profile tremendously. A shame, that.
15. ALEX (STOLEN SCRIPT)
Probably the strangest story Ghostface has ever committed to wax (it involves a man whose screenplay, based on the life of Ray Charles, is stolen, and the ensuing film that is made helps Jamie Foxx win an Academy Award). It's amusing, thanks to Ghost's usual attention to even the most minute of details, making it seem as if you're in the room with him while he's telling the tale, but you'll probably only listen to it the once.
16. GOTTA HOLD ON (FEAT SHAWN WIGS & EAMON)
No, I really don't.
17. BACK LIKE THAT (REMIX) (FEAT NE-YO & KANYE WEST)
Included solely because it would justify Def Jam's advertising More Fish as "featuring Kanye West". Kanye's verse is admittedly interesting (as is his reference to Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy), and Ghost, to his credit, adjust his rhymes to recognize the presence of his guest, but as a whole, this remix was entirely unnecessary, especially since the original song wasn't that good to begin with.
FINAL THOUGHTS: The title More Fish indicates that this album was culled from outtakes and castoffs from the far more ambitious Fishscale project, and although that rumor has never been substantiated (or denied) by Def Jam Records, in spinning this today, I'm all but certain that was the case. There is little cohesion between songs, there are entire tracks on which Ghostface Killah doesn't appear (which, I realize, can be explained away by the "Theodore Unit" tag on the album cover, but it's still bullshit), and most of the beats aren't engaging enough to wake you out of a midday nap. The lack of Wu-Tang involvement is also a detriment (Killa Sin from Killarmy doesn't count), and including Kanye West on a remix to a song that he didn't produce in the first place is questionable at best. All in all, I was very disappointed when I first bought More Fish, and I still am, so much so that I wish I didn't get seconds.
BUY OR BURN? This is a burn. Ghostface Killah has slowly become the most consistent member of the Wu-Tang Clan (mainly because Gza/Genius only releases an album once every four years), but he's not infallible: I wouldn't be surprised if it was revealed later that this album wasn't actually sanctioned by the artist, but was instead compiled as a tax write-off for Def Jam. Pass.
BEST TRACKS: "Guns N' Razors"; "Block Rock"; "You Know I'm No Good"
-Max
RELATED POSTS:
Other Wu-Tang material can be found here.
March 1, 2009
An Extraordinarily Brief Commentary On Flo Rida's New Single, "Right Round" Featuring Kesha
Flo Rida's latest single, "Right Round", recently knocked Eminem's comeback song "Crack A Bottle" off of the top of the charts, a feat which is wholly unsurprising to me. I'm probably the only blogger right now that doesn't find the new Slim Shady material appealing at all, and not just because Curtis Jackson appears on the track (alongside Dr. Dre): it sounds like he's trying too hard to oversimplify the Slim Shady persona, who became popular in the first place because of his violent, deviant, and, usually, amusing lyrics, but "Crack A Bottle" is simply about hooking up with chicks. I'm hoping the rest of Relapse sounds nothing like the lead single, which, I will admit, is typical of most Marshall Mathers projects.
Anyway, back to the point of this post. Flo Rida has managed to release back-to-back-to-back hits to pop radio, which isn't altogether difficult to explain: a lot of people listen to really shitty music. (I have to admit, though, that I kind of liked his Timbaland-assisted "Elevator".) "Right Round" features a female vocalist that nobody's ever heard of named Kesha, who will be able to make a lot of money with her pitch-perfect Katy Perry impersonation for the exact length of time that Katy Perry remains relevant to pop music culture. I believe "Right Round" has struck such a chord with fans of shitty rap music because VH-1 continues to play Adam Sandler's The Wedding Singer, creating new fans for his love letter to 1980s music. That's the only way I can explain why Flo has been able to utilize such an obvious sample without having his street cred severely questioned. (Here's a link to the video, although you'd be better off not watching that and clicking on the clip below instead.)
At least it's better than trying to reinterpret "Brand New Lover".
-Max
Anyway, back to the point of this post. Flo Rida has managed to release back-to-back-to-back hits to pop radio, which isn't altogether difficult to explain: a lot of people listen to really shitty music. (I have to admit, though, that I kind of liked his Timbaland-assisted "Elevator".) "Right Round" features a female vocalist that nobody's ever heard of named Kesha, who will be able to make a lot of money with her pitch-perfect Katy Perry impersonation for the exact length of time that Katy Perry remains relevant to pop music culture. I believe "Right Round" has struck such a chord with fans of shitty rap music because VH-1 continues to play Adam Sandler's The Wedding Singer, creating new fans for his love letter to 1980s music. That's the only way I can explain why Flo has been able to utilize such an obvious sample without having his street cred severely questioned. (Here's a link to the video, although you'd be better off not watching that and clicking on the clip below instead.)
At least it's better than trying to reinterpret "Brand New Lover".
-Max
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