A remix for a track that was kind of hidden on Q-Tip's The Renaissance? Why the fuck not? The original "Renaissance Rap" was one of the best tracks on an album that already rocked shit anyway, so throwing a seemingly random assortment of rap artists over the same beat is the logical next step.
I was semi-aware of this remix's existence but was gently reminded by Scotty Mac, who commented on my Gut Reaction review of the Q-Tip disc. Busta's presence makes perfect sense, given the long and storied history Trevor Smith and Kamaal have had in this here hip hop game ("Scenario", I'm looking in your general direction, like a dungeon dragon squinting at a rainbow in the dark), even though he seems to go out of his way to make the song more profane than it really needs to be, but I've spent the majority of the three-minute-and-forty-five-second runtime trying to figure out why Raekwon the Chef and, of all motherfucking people, Lil' Weezy appear on here. Raekwon's rap flow, which has been in dire need of an adrenaline shot for the better part of six years now, actually does seem suited to this beat, and, well, at least Wayne makes sure to mention the name of Q-Tip's album at the end of his verse, confirming that this is, in fact, an official remix to the album track.
Overall, this actually isn't bad, even though Q-Tip's homage to Marley Marl's "The Symphony" might have made more sense had the artists chosen been of a higher caliber. Although the track features probably one of the better verses I've (ever) heard from Wayne, it goes without saying that Tip, Busta, and Rae carry the track, even though I decided to write that statement down anyway. If only Kamaal saw fit to include either old rhyme partner Phife Dawg or maybe some of his old Native Tongues cohorts in De La Soul instead, this might have been a banger. Instead, it's just a really good remix.
Listen to "Renaissance Rap (Remix)" (link takes you to a YouTube page)
And here's the video for the original "Renaissance Rap", directed by Rik Cordero (not bad for a hidden track):
-Max
I was semi-aware of this remix's existence but was gently reminded by Scotty Mac, who commented on my Gut Reaction review of the Q-Tip disc. Busta's presence makes perfect sense, given the long and storied history Trevor Smith and Kamaal have had in this here hip hop game ("Scenario", I'm looking in your general direction, like a dungeon dragon squinting at a rainbow in the dark), even though he seems to go out of his way to make the song more profane than it really needs to be, but I've spent the majority of the three-minute-and-forty-five-second runtime trying to figure out why Raekwon the Chef and, of all motherfucking people, Lil' Weezy appear on here. Raekwon's rap flow, which has been in dire need of an adrenaline shot for the better part of six years now, actually does seem suited to this beat, and, well, at least Wayne makes sure to mention the name of Q-Tip's album at the end of his verse, confirming that this is, in fact, an official remix to the album track.
Overall, this actually isn't bad, even though Q-Tip's homage to Marley Marl's "The Symphony" might have made more sense had the artists chosen been of a higher caliber. Although the track features probably one of the better verses I've (ever) heard from Wayne, it goes without saying that Tip, Busta, and Rae carry the track, even though I decided to write that statement down anyway. If only Kamaal saw fit to include either old rhyme partner Phife Dawg or maybe some of his old Native Tongues cohorts in De La Soul instead, this might have been a banger. Instead, it's just a really good remix.
Listen to "Renaissance Rap (Remix)" (link takes you to a YouTube page)
And here's the video for the original "Renaissance Rap", directed by Rik Cordero (not bad for a hidden track):
-Max
Both are really good songs, but personally I prefer the original...
ReplyDeleteI think it's time you review a ATCQ album
as long as you're hunting down remixes from this album, why not try to find the We Fight/Love remix as well. It features Consequence and Kanye and isn't half bad.
ReplyDeleteRingpeace...he HAS. In fact, he has 8 posts on them alone, and even 2 on Midnight Marauders, including a fan review by yours truly.
ReplyDelete