Get 'Em Daddy (Daddy Got 'Em)
OK, so basically, what's going on here is that I'm gonna give y'all a little bit of a rundown of some of the music that I've been feeling lately. It's basically a mini-version of what Stereogum and other sites do every month. I hope to be able to do this fairly frequently, because there are alot of times I want to spread some love and shout out some songs, but not necessarily entire albums. By nature, since by and large I'm gonna be talking about single tracks (although albums I don't feel like writing full length reviews for will get mention too, as you'll see), a lot of the tracks are coming from various mixtapes. A lot of times, some ridiculous stuff gets put out on mixtapes and never gets released on albums, whether because it's a freestyle, or an MC jacking someone else's beat, or for who knows why. In some instances, some people's mixtapes are better than their official albums (uhm, Jadakiss... yeah, I'm lookin' at you). Just a sample of what I've been puttin' on blast recently:
Cam'ron feat. Hell Rell - Eye of the Beholder
I've been pumping this track for about a week straight, it's just ridiculous. I used to think that Cam and the Dip Set were weak nonsensical rhymers, but largely through the outstanding Purple Haze album and various mixtape cuts, that opinion is starting to change (although there are still times when you have absolutely no idea what the fuck any of the Dips are talking about and there songs make no sense). You have Cam being his usual brash, cocky self on the intro, declaring "They say beauty's in the eye of the beholder. That's why I look in the mirror every morning and realize how fly I am. They wanna know what label I'm signing to. I'm the CEO of Diplomat Records, I signed myself-- getcha cake up!" The beat is bananas, with an epic, operatic intro giving way to a pulsing, thunderous beat, the kind that Killa Cam rides so well. I've been walking around the office all week chanting the chorus to myself as I go about my business. When you're walking around the office mumbling, "Get 'em Daddy! Daddy got 'em!"... well, people have started to wonder a little about me.
Papoose – Sharades
When hot new rhyme slinger Papoose declares “Give me the keys to Shyne Po handcuffs/Give me the keys to Lil Kim handcuffs/ Give me the keys to C-Murder handcuffs, so I can tighten ‘em and let the cell slam shut,” the first reaction is “What!? He said what? Who is this guy?” But if you let the song play out, you’ll realize that ‘Poose is not trying to replace 50 as the most hated man in hip hop, but speaking from the perspective of a member of the infamous “hip hop police,” members of the NYPD who have supposedly been watching rappers and having a heavy presence at various hip hop spots, in hopes of stopping violence. While hip hop certainly has its fair share of violence, and the recent shooting outside of Hot 97 associated with the 50 Cent/Game beef does show that maybe these po-po’s are not far off, obviously rappers feel that it is a case of guilt by association and racial profiling (Papoose bluntly titled a freestyle “Fuck The Hip Hop Police”). It's something of an interesting debate-- are these police over stepping their bounds and unfairly scrutinizing (mostly black) youth due to assumptions derived from an extremely small and biligerent section of an entire culture, or are they simply acting intelligently to prevent further violence and innocent bloodshed? From a lyrical standpoint, it is extremely interesting, as Papoose does a nice job of inhabiting the mind space of an individual so clearly unlike himself, with an obvious axe to grind—and ‘Poose gets props for doing a role playing song and not making it extremely cheesy (unlike, say, 50’s “Baltimore Love Song”).
While we’re on the topic of shady police… FUCK THE NYPD. Now, don’t’ get it twisted—there are plenty of good cops out there, doing there jobs and keeping us safe. I have respect for them. But I have no respect for bitch ass cops who hand out shady tickets for such heinous crimes as… spitting! That’s right kids, your boy got a ticket on Monday night coming out of the Subway on my way to Yankee Stadium, and ran into a crew of transit cops conducting “full enforcement” against such viciousness as spitting and smoking inside the transit station. The funniest part of the whole thing? The ticket reads that “the police officer observed respondent spitting on the mezzanine floor, creating an unsanitary condition.”
Whatever… does this mean I can start mailing tickets to George W. Bush, for creating “an unsanitary condition” out of my country? Anywho…
Foxy Brown – Art of War
For someone who has been in the game for nine years (as she reminds us on this track a few times), I’m amazed that it took some producer that long to sample Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” and let her ride it. Maybe it took the recent spate of rock samples in hip hop recently (Lil’ Jon even went so far as to sample fucking Slayer on his album) for this to happen, and the cynical among you may say it’s a cheesy attempt to get back in the game, and you might not be wrong. Especially since this is someone, after Def Jam shelved her 2003 album Ill Na Na 2, that needed Jay-Z to come rescue her (and squash whatever drama existed between the two of them) just to get back on the radio. But I think it’s an entertaining song, and the Hendrix sample is freaked nicely. Nothing amazing lyrically, but it's good to hear the sexy smooth voice of Inga Marchand ripping a track properly once again, as it takes me back to my days as a youngster just exploring the world of hip hop. With President Jigga standing firmly behind her (and reportedly dropping verses on as many as three cuts from her forthcoming new record), this is likely only the beginning of Foxy’s return to the game.
Memphis Bleek – Like That
A few years ago, I read an interview with Jay-Z declared that he thought Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel would sell more if they weren’t on the same label as Jay, if they weren’t constantly compared to the God MC. At the time, that sounded like Jay just throwing props to his boys way, as well as trying to push up sales of his own label's releases—but now, I’m not so sure. Having Jay-Z as your label boss and benefactor, playing the Godfather role and directing your career is a little like having Eminem guest on your track-- if he really wants to, he can make you look silly on your own damn track (which is just what Nas said Em did to Jay himself on "Renegade," for example). Just about any MC is gonna suffer when compared to the S. Dot, but when your supposedly his handpicked successor? You better be real nice. And to a certain extent, Bleek has suffered from this comparison, and were he not signed to the Roc, he may have been better able to carve out his own niche in the rap game (dude is on his fourth album). Mr. "I got my mind right, money right, ready for war" talks about such issues here.
Not that this song proves that Bleek is a lyrical slayer or anything, but his flow sounds real nice over the Swizz Beats production. The beat is a typical sounding Swizz production, while Bleek wraps his smooth Marcy flow over the beat and simply rides it. While nothing amazing, it's a good boastful, party-flavored track, and sure to be a hit in the clubs and in car stereos throughout the East Coast this summer.
And speaking of Swizz, is he campaigning to be Vice-President in the new Hova regime? I mean, first he uses Jay’s voice on two of his recent hits, T.I.’s “Bring ‘Em Out” and Cassidy’s “I’m A Hustla.” (And is it any wonder that the sampled voice of Jigga helped kick down the door to East Coast radio for T.I. and made people forget that "Hotel" song that Cassidy did with R. Kelly that me and my friends love to make fun of? I hope my man Shawn is cashin' checks off those joints). Now, he goes and produces Jay’s boy, Bleek. I half expect to see Swizz outside of the Def Jam offices wearing a sandwich board that says “I Heart Jigga (Please Let Me Produce The Comeback Album).”
Garbage – Sex Is Not The Enemy
You know, Bleed Like Me surprised me. I wasn’t expecting much, as it certainly seemed like Garbage's time had come and passed and that they were trying to hold on to some vestige of their mid-90's success. While it is nothing truly mind blowing, and it’s not likely to gather any new fans, but it’s certainly better than the aimless Beautiful Garbage. And it’s tracks like this which remind you of their previous Version 2.0-era brilliance. It is what Garbage do best—the merger of hard, aggressive guitars with poppy electronica, topped off with Shirley Manson’s ballsy, suggestive lyrics. I agree with both of Manson's assertions on this album: that "a revolution is the solution," as well as the fact that "sex is not the enemy." This track should rule commercial rock radio this summer if someone's smart enough to release this as a single, and it'll probably end up on a few of my mixtapes at some point.
Ivy – In The Clear album
This is a very nice mood record, as it merges chill electronica with sugary pop guitars. You can put it on when doing something as simple as cleaning your apartment, as I’ve read in at least one review, or when you’re just enjoying a glass of wine by yourself after a long day. It also makes a pleasant late night driving album, as the grooves will let your mind unwind. You definitely have to be in the mood for this record (I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that you put it on at 3 PM, for example, or before going to the gym), but if you’re in the mood for something chill, something that sounds a little like a more rock-influenced version of Groove Armada, featuring icily seductive female vocals up front, you could do worse than to give In The Clear a few spins.
I've also been listening to cuts off the forthcoming Alkaline Trio album, Crimson, but will wait til I can find some better quality rips to write a full review of it. In any event, it's fun, entertaining, aggressive dark humored pop-punk, of the variety that the Trio do so well. The legions of Trio fans shouldn't be disappointed, but again, I'll write about this more fully later.
-- Oh, BTW, I had a letter published by the good Doctor, Eric Alterman, a few days ago (scroll down to the correspondence section).
-- And oh yeah, I won the Liberal Stereotype of The Day today, apparently (it's kind of hard to understand unless you read this post (and the comments). I heart you, Jane (hehehe).
-- 29 Thoughts On The Apparent Sexiness of Britney Spears' Pregancy. Hiliarity ensues.
-- Question: Which Total Moron Are You?
Cam'ron feat. Hell Rell - Eye of the Beholder
I've been pumping this track for about a week straight, it's just ridiculous. I used to think that Cam and the Dip Set were weak nonsensical rhymers, but largely through the outstanding Purple Haze album and various mixtape cuts, that opinion is starting to change (although there are still times when you have absolutely no idea what the fuck any of the Dips are talking about and there songs make no sense). You have Cam being his usual brash, cocky self on the intro, declaring "They say beauty's in the eye of the beholder. That's why I look in the mirror every morning and realize how fly I am. They wanna know what label I'm signing to. I'm the CEO of Diplomat Records, I signed myself-- getcha cake up!" The beat is bananas, with an epic, operatic intro giving way to a pulsing, thunderous beat, the kind that Killa Cam rides so well. I've been walking around the office all week chanting the chorus to myself as I go about my business. When you're walking around the office mumbling, "Get 'em Daddy! Daddy got 'em!"... well, people have started to wonder a little about me.
Papoose – Sharades
When hot new rhyme slinger Papoose declares “Give me the keys to Shyne Po handcuffs/Give me the keys to Lil Kim handcuffs/ Give me the keys to C-Murder handcuffs, so I can tighten ‘em and let the cell slam shut,” the first reaction is “What!? He said what? Who is this guy?” But if you let the song play out, you’ll realize that ‘Poose is not trying to replace 50 as the most hated man in hip hop, but speaking from the perspective of a member of the infamous “hip hop police,” members of the NYPD who have supposedly been watching rappers and having a heavy presence at various hip hop spots, in hopes of stopping violence. While hip hop certainly has its fair share of violence, and the recent shooting outside of Hot 97 associated with the 50 Cent/Game beef does show that maybe these po-po’s are not far off, obviously rappers feel that it is a case of guilt by association and racial profiling (Papoose bluntly titled a freestyle “Fuck The Hip Hop Police”). It's something of an interesting debate-- are these police over stepping their bounds and unfairly scrutinizing (mostly black) youth due to assumptions derived from an extremely small and biligerent section of an entire culture, or are they simply acting intelligently to prevent further violence and innocent bloodshed? From a lyrical standpoint, it is extremely interesting, as Papoose does a nice job of inhabiting the mind space of an individual so clearly unlike himself, with an obvious axe to grind—and ‘Poose gets props for doing a role playing song and not making it extremely cheesy (unlike, say, 50’s “Baltimore Love Song”).
While we’re on the topic of shady police… FUCK THE NYPD. Now, don’t’ get it twisted—there are plenty of good cops out there, doing there jobs and keeping us safe. I have respect for them. But I have no respect for bitch ass cops who hand out shady tickets for such heinous crimes as… spitting! That’s right kids, your boy got a ticket on Monday night coming out of the Subway on my way to Yankee Stadium, and ran into a crew of transit cops conducting “full enforcement” against such viciousness as spitting and smoking inside the transit station. The funniest part of the whole thing? The ticket reads that “the police officer observed respondent spitting on the mezzanine floor, creating an unsanitary condition.”
Whatever… does this mean I can start mailing tickets to George W. Bush, for creating “an unsanitary condition” out of my country? Anywho…
Foxy Brown – Art of War
For someone who has been in the game for nine years (as she reminds us on this track a few times), I’m amazed that it took some producer that long to sample Hendrix’s “Foxy Lady” and let her ride it. Maybe it took the recent spate of rock samples in hip hop recently (Lil’ Jon even went so far as to sample fucking Slayer on his album) for this to happen, and the cynical among you may say it’s a cheesy attempt to get back in the game, and you might not be wrong. Especially since this is someone, after Def Jam shelved her 2003 album Ill Na Na 2, that needed Jay-Z to come rescue her (and squash whatever drama existed between the two of them) just to get back on the radio. But I think it’s an entertaining song, and the Hendrix sample is freaked nicely. Nothing amazing lyrically, but it's good to hear the sexy smooth voice of Inga Marchand ripping a track properly once again, as it takes me back to my days as a youngster just exploring the world of hip hop. With President Jigga standing firmly behind her (and reportedly dropping verses on as many as three cuts from her forthcoming new record), this is likely only the beginning of Foxy’s return to the game.
Memphis Bleek – Like That
A few years ago, I read an interview with Jay-Z declared that he thought Memphis Bleek and Beanie Sigel would sell more if they weren’t on the same label as Jay, if they weren’t constantly compared to the God MC. At the time, that sounded like Jay just throwing props to his boys way, as well as trying to push up sales of his own label's releases—but now, I’m not so sure. Having Jay-Z as your label boss and benefactor, playing the Godfather role and directing your career is a little like having Eminem guest on your track-- if he really wants to, he can make you look silly on your own damn track (which is just what Nas said Em did to Jay himself on "Renegade," for example). Just about any MC is gonna suffer when compared to the S. Dot, but when your supposedly his handpicked successor? You better be real nice. And to a certain extent, Bleek has suffered from this comparison, and were he not signed to the Roc, he may have been better able to carve out his own niche in the rap game (dude is on his fourth album). Mr. "I got my mind right, money right, ready for war" talks about such issues here.
Not that this song proves that Bleek is a lyrical slayer or anything, but his flow sounds real nice over the Swizz Beats production. The beat is a typical sounding Swizz production, while Bleek wraps his smooth Marcy flow over the beat and simply rides it. While nothing amazing, it's a good boastful, party-flavored track, and sure to be a hit in the clubs and in car stereos throughout the East Coast this summer.
And speaking of Swizz, is he campaigning to be Vice-President in the new Hova regime? I mean, first he uses Jay’s voice on two of his recent hits, T.I.’s “Bring ‘Em Out” and Cassidy’s “I’m A Hustla.” (And is it any wonder that the sampled voice of Jigga helped kick down the door to East Coast radio for T.I. and made people forget that "Hotel" song that Cassidy did with R. Kelly that me and my friends love to make fun of? I hope my man Shawn is cashin' checks off those joints). Now, he goes and produces Jay’s boy, Bleek. I half expect to see Swizz outside of the Def Jam offices wearing a sandwich board that says “I Heart Jigga (Please Let Me Produce The Comeback Album).”
Garbage – Sex Is Not The Enemy
You know, Bleed Like Me surprised me. I wasn’t expecting much, as it certainly seemed like Garbage's time had come and passed and that they were trying to hold on to some vestige of their mid-90's success. While it is nothing truly mind blowing, and it’s not likely to gather any new fans, but it’s certainly better than the aimless Beautiful Garbage. And it’s tracks like this which remind you of their previous Version 2.0-era brilliance. It is what Garbage do best—the merger of hard, aggressive guitars with poppy electronica, topped off with Shirley Manson’s ballsy, suggestive lyrics. I agree with both of Manson's assertions on this album: that "a revolution is the solution," as well as the fact that "sex is not the enemy." This track should rule commercial rock radio this summer if someone's smart enough to release this as a single, and it'll probably end up on a few of my mixtapes at some point.
Ivy – In The Clear album
This is a very nice mood record, as it merges chill electronica with sugary pop guitars. You can put it on when doing something as simple as cleaning your apartment, as I’ve read in at least one review, or when you’re just enjoying a glass of wine by yourself after a long day. It also makes a pleasant late night driving album, as the grooves will let your mind unwind. You definitely have to be in the mood for this record (I wouldn’t necessarily recommend that you put it on at 3 PM, for example, or before going to the gym), but if you’re in the mood for something chill, something that sounds a little like a more rock-influenced version of Groove Armada, featuring icily seductive female vocals up front, you could do worse than to give In The Clear a few spins.
I've also been listening to cuts off the forthcoming Alkaline Trio album, Crimson, but will wait til I can find some better quality rips to write a full review of it. In any event, it's fun, entertaining, aggressive dark humored pop-punk, of the variety that the Trio do so well. The legions of Trio fans shouldn't be disappointed, but again, I'll write about this more fully later.
-- Oh, BTW, I had a letter published by the good Doctor, Eric Alterman, a few days ago (scroll down to the correspondence section).
-- And oh yeah, I won the Liberal Stereotype of The Day today, apparently (it's kind of hard to understand unless you read this post (and the comments). I heart you, Jane (hehehe).
-- 29 Thoughts On The Apparent Sexiness of Britney Spears' Pregancy. Hiliarity ensues.
-- Question: Which Total Moron Are You?
posted by Black Charles at 1:00 AM
1 Comments:
Way to go with the Alterman letter, Dan! (I'm assuming you had the Linkin Park letter?) Anyway, I have a small quibble -- I'm pretty sure Linkin Park only has one song they play over and over again. Other than that, you are spot on.
I heart you too.
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