October 2007 Archives
Emerging: Rock City
Beanie Sigel feat. Rock City: "Go Low"
from the forthcoming The Solution
Rich Boy feat. Keri Hilson & Rock City: "Lost Girls"
from Rich Boy
M.I.A. feat. Akon & Rock City: "Boyz (Remix)"
Not a whole lot is known about St. Thomas pop-reggae duo Rock City, but with the leak of the latest (and most interesting) song from Beanie Sigel's The Solution, they have now been a part of three of the year's best songs, each loaded up above.
Recently signed to Akon's Konvict Muzik, Rock City are closely to tied to in-house Konvict DJ and producer DJ Benny D, the co-architect of Konvicted's "Once in a While." It's been a long time since reggae and pop collided in such an obvious way — earlier this year the lamentable Sean Kingston arrived with a psuedo-dancehall style that infuriated some.
Rock City is perhaps a bit more certified stylistically, but they are equally pop-whorish. Witness their limp first single "Losing It" on YouTube. And consider the Akon alliance, as sureshot a sign that no treacle expense will be spared when comes to writing hits. Still, when aligned with the likes of Beans or Rich Boy (when they're not completely biting Barrington Levy on "Lost Girls"), they bring a surprising melodicism and verve to these otherwise grit-laden artists.
Hey, Remember These Guys?
Jay-Z feat. Nas: "Success"
from the forthcoming American Gangster
Armand Assante: Best Rapper Alive.
Lil Wayne: Not Dead, Alive
Lil Wayne: "Gossip" (Live at the 2007 BET Hip-Hop Awards)
from the forthcoming Tha Carter III
I thought this impassioned performance needed an audio home. Wayne at his taking-himself-so-seriously best. Haven't I been good to you?
courtesy IllRoots
Anthony Hamilton: So Much Younger Now
Anthony Hamilton: "Do You Feel Me"
from the forthcoming American Gangster Soundtrack
A co-worker loves to mock Anthony Hamilton by noting he sings like someone's grandfather. This obviously runs in two directions. One, Hamilton sings in a creaky, woozy style that by turns rips off '60s and '70s soul men like Otis Redding, Al Green and Marvin Gaye. The other is his voice, at times, is literally old-sounding, warbling into the microphone like a geriatric R&B buster. I'm not sure I'm offended by either — but both are essentially true.
With "Do You Feel Me," the first single from the official American Gangster soundtrack, those bothered by Hamilton's insistence on looking back should at least be comfortable with the synergy. Hamilton shows up in the film as a (surprise!) a '70s Harlem nightclub crooner singing this glorious song, penned by ballad queen Diane Warren(!), she of "Because You Loved Me" and "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing" fame, and produced by Hank Shocklee, he of the legendary Bomb Squad production team and HOLYSHITHANKSHOCKLEEPRODUCEDTHISSONG fame.
Pardon the dodgy quality of the song pasted here — but the crackle in the file makes it somehow more authentic. As its goal is merely to replicate the heavy organ and guitar stabs sounds of Hi and Stax in the first place, a muddied track makes sense. And Hamilton's tone at last feels perfectly sensible, rather than nostalgic. Hamilton's outfit in his scene is perhaps a bit more dubious considering the song he's singing — sparkly jumpsuit with a dash of Bootsy Collins futurism. Luckily, we don't have to look to hear him.
Like We Won The Powerball Money!
Ghostface Killah feat. Kid Capri: "Celebrate"
from the forthcoming Big Dough Rehab
Just give this one 30 seconds. After the stale Rare Earth sample, the feedback-drenched dissonance is a nice counter punch. Starks spitting like usual. Kid Capri yelling at me. Already heaps better than "Good." Here we go, critical acclaim and just-good-enough sales for Ghost. This will be his seventh album of original material — shocking.
I Give! I Give Myself Over To The Power of the "Freaky Gurl" Remix
Gucci Mane feat. Lil Kim & Ludacris: "Freaky Gurl (Remix)"
"Three girls wit me like I'm goin' on 'Elimidate'" (!)
-Gucci Mane
These good Luda verses are making me nostalgic for 2002. Also this remix features one of the most hardcore Kim verses I've ever heard, which is really saying something.
Future Shock
Laura Izibor: "Can't Be Love"
from Live From Crawdaddy, Dublin
There's an oft-uttered phrase in the VIBE office that seems appropriate here: Get excited.
L'Chaim!: Unravelling Jay-Z's American Gangster
Jay-Z: "Roc Boys"
from the forthcoming American Gangster
Without putting too fine a point on this, I'm not certain "Roc Boys" is any better an introduction or explanation for American Gangster than the '80s-referencing kick-off "Blue Magic," a song that confused many at first and then grew on lots of people, present company included. Having heard the album last Friday night at a smallish marathon-style listening session with Hov (on a personal level, easily one of the highlights of my brief career), there isn't one song that could accomplish thematically what Jay's trying to do, something he's never done before: Craft an honest-to-goodness concept album. Stray shots from concepts albums rarely work and if you haven't heard the build-up and comedown that precedes and follows "Roc Boys" it's likely going to seem quite ehhhh...
Which is not to say that "Roc Boys" or the album is masterpiece material necessarily. But it's a marked shift from previous work, partially autobiographical, but more narrative-driven than anything else. The unnamed lead rises in the drug game, celebrates his success (hence "Roc Boys") and then begins a slow, ruminative downfall. So without that build it sounds something like a warmed-over '70s horn loop courtesy Puff's revamped Hitmen team, some quotables and Jay blithely celebrating with his Jewish homies.(?)
But it does raise an interesting thought about songs standing on their own in the thick of an "art piece" — Jay's words, not mine. After playing the album, he seemed ambivalent about the necessity of a single and said he'd been toying with making "Blue Magic" a bonus track, considering it's sore-thumb quality in contrast to the rest of the album. It makes sense to move "Blue Magic" out of the story. As opposed to his tie-in-heavy previous effort, this is no frills, if you can believe that about a Jay-Z album. And the songs are quite good. On its own merit, "Roc Boys" is sharper and funnier conceptually than anything he's done in years. He sounds happy to be rhyming here — something I'm not sure you could say about Kingdom Come and some of The Black Album — and for that I'm weirdly thrilled. Consider:
"Heron got less steps than Britney
That means it ain’t stepped on, dig me?"
My experience with American Gangster is tainted forever, as I first heard it on pristine studio speakers, sitting directly across from Jay, watching Young Guru recite every lyric as American Gangster the film play on an adjacent plasma. So I may come off apologist here. But I know from betrayal regarding Shawn Carter — I was that dude. And the last thing Jay-Z needs is another cheerleader, he's got plenty on the payroll already, not to mention all you Stans out there (Hi!). That said, this is a thoughtful, complete, at times awesome piece of work and if "Roc Boys" disappoints, well, I wouldn't be surprised. Just be patient.
Ludacris: Still Good At Rapping...
Ludacris feat. Rick Ross & Bun B: "Down In The Durty"
...but he's never going to mess with Bun. And Rick Ross! Who knew he could actually rap!
Watching Ludacris gussy himself up for the Grammys and act like winning Rap Album of the Year was some sort of MacArthur Genius Grant left a bad taste. But damn, if this isn't exactly what he should be doing — a terrifically hard and smart song.
Breathless
Lil Wayne feat. Mack Maine: "Zoo"
from The Empire's Carter 3 Sessions
So this Lil Wayne piece I wrote, in an admittedly overexuberant, probably absurd tone, for the magazine is up now. It's a fun read for nerds. Dig in.
Alfamega, meet Stardom
T.I. feat. Alfamega & Busta Rhymes: "Hurt"
from T.I. vs. T.I.P.
Perception of this album might have been a lot different if T.I.P. led with this song.
P.S. Can you spot Yelawolf?
The R&B Smorgasboard: Eat Up
Lyfe Jennings: "Cops Up"
from the forthcoming Change
Still not sold on Lyfe, I think he's got something better than this ahead of him. His singing is always too affected for me. Die-hards swear by 268-192, though.
Craig David: "Hot Stuff"
from the forthcoming Trust Me
Yeah, I posted a Craig David song. Whatever, I like Craig David. Even if this song is just a tad obvious.
Trey Songz: "No Clothes On"
from the forthcoming Trey Day
Now that they've completely shifted into R&B, it's official: The Runners must be stopped.
Chris Brown: "Throwed"
from the forthcoming Exclusive
The biggest blunder in pushing Breezy's sophomore album: Not releasing this go-go-inspired burner as the lead single. These sound like some Rich Harrison drums, true or no?
