September 2008 Archives
The Ron Browz Problem
Tags: Big L, Busta Rhymes, Jim Jones, Nas, Ron Browz
Ron Browz feat. Jim Jones: "Pop Champagne (Remix)"
Ron Browz: "Pop Champagne (Instrumental)"
Busta Rhymes feat. Ron Browz: "Arab Money"
from the forthcoming B.O.M.B.
G-Unit: "Straight Outta Southside"
from T.O.S. (Terminate On Sight)
Nas: "Ether"
from God's Son
Big L: "Ebonics"
from The Big Picture: 1974-1999
Ron Browz is having a strange moment. The Harlem producer behind some of the most rigorous East Coast rap of the last decade is indulging his inner "urban-pop" and redefining a career that was distinguished but little-heralded. The man behind Nas' "Ether" and "Last Real N***a Alive," Big L's "Ebonics" and Lloyd Banks' astoundingly slept-on "Playboy" has a radio hit under his own name called "Pop Champagne." Thing is, it's post-T-Pain autotune whineboxing. At first "Pop Champagne" seemed like a shot in the dark that just happened to pierce America's predilection for all things autotune. Now there are whispers that Jim Jones, looking for a followup to the "Ballin'!" craze, is looking to snatch "Pop Champagne" as the first single for his new project on Columbia. The relatively unknown Browz may have a battle on his hands. But is the song any good? It's catchy enough and the spare production--listen to the instrumental--is a bit terrifying, a real exercise in nothingness, deep into the void with drums and Vincent Price horror movie keyboards. Still, the question is prosaic at this point. "Pop Champagne" has something so few songs have these days: life, legs, interest.
Browz has got another potential hit in the chamber, too. "Arab Money," a hilarious but seriously offensive Busta Rhymes song features Browz on the hook, utilizing the vocoder again, imitating an Arabic battle cry and singing "We gettin' A-rab money!" The song is undeniably infectious, a whirling dervish of a beat that recalls Timbaland's experiments in bhangra. Word from fearless leader and E.I.C. Danyel Smith was folks were doing the synchronized dance to "Arab Money" during Busta's set at the Q-Tip show at NYC's Knitting Factory last night. Smells like another hit.
But has the producer betrayed some informal commitment to records like "Straight Outta Southside," easily the meanest, best song on G-Unit's recent hot mess? Is his brand tarnished by "urban-pop," whatever that is? Will he go full-blown T-Pain and turn into a pinch-hitting singer/producer? Only time will tell.
Assessing This Kevin Rudolf Situation
Tags: Kevin Rudolf, Lil Wayne
Kevin Rudolf feat. Lil Wayne: "Let It Rock"
from the forthcoming Into The City
Hm. Currently the holder of the no. 11 slot on iTunes' Top Songs chart is this baffling rock release from new Cash Money signee, Kevin Rudolf. Released to iTunes more than six weeks ago, the song is rising like a rippling wave of genre crud. A friend called Rudolf Cash Money's very own Fuzzbubble, that ineffectual and suddenly-gone rock band Diddy attempted to foist upon our weary culture more than a decade ago via his "All About The Benjamins (Rock Remix)." That seems about right. Apparently Wayne met Rudolf working on music in Miami, perhaps at the Hit Factory or Circle House, where the aspiring rock star worked as an engineer or session musician or something of the sort. Here's the video, wherein Rudolf preens almost as hard as Wayne himself, guitar slung just so over his shoulder.
This is either smartest or lamest decision Baby has made in his nearly 15 years running Cash Money with brother Slim, rivaling Teena Marie's attempted comeback and the brutal TQ moment (remember this?) we all endured just as it looked like The Hot Boys were beginning to flame out. In truth, it's probably both: a cynical move that will sell records, diversify the label and also indulge Wayne's obsession with all things lousy guitar music of late (see his curious, race-charged performance with Kid Rock at this year's VMAs).
The song itself, on its face, is simple and a bit juvenile. Wayne's verse ("Wayne's World!") is all hiccuping glee. And the song's synthed-out, infectious Jock Jams! feel is an obvious explanation for why it's climbing up the only charts that matters right now. This is tween fodder all day. Kevin Rudolf, welcome to the party. Looking forward to never hearing from you again.
This "Paper Planes" Thing is Way Out Of Control
Tags: 50 Cent, Bun B, Freeway, Kanye West, Lil Wayne, M.I.A., Rich Boy, T.I., Trey Songz
T.I. & Jay-Z feat. Kanye West: "S.L.U. (Swagga Like Us)"
50 Cent: "Paper Planes"
Freeway: "Paper Planes"
R. City: "Paper Planes (Obama)"
Trey Songz: "Paper Planes"
Jim Jones: "Paper Planes"
M.I.A. feat. Afrikan Boy & Rye Rye: "Paper Planes (Remix)"
M.I.A. ft. Bun B & Rich Boy: "Paper Planes (Remix)"
Trey Songz? Really?
Why Kanye West's "Love Lockdown" Is His Most Important Song Since "Jesus Walks"
Tags: Kanye West
Kanye West: "Love Lockdown" (Live at the 2008 VMAs, September 7, 2008)
Last night Kanye West premiered "Love Lockdown," the first single from his untitled fourth album. The song should be available on iTunes today and that clean/non-live reveal may disprove this thought, but I doubt it: Kanye, going against the grain, has made the most important song of his career since "Jesus Walks." And he pulled off a nifty prediction he made, albeit a year later than he said he would.
"Love Lockdown" is stadium music, far more indebted to U2 (or at least Coldplay) than anything he's recorded. Especially the song he actually recorded with Coldplay's Chris Martin. I struggled with last year's Graduation more than most, confused by the melding of old chipmunk soul Kanye ("The Glory," "Champion," "I Wonder") with Hybrid-happy Mr. West ("Stronger," "Homecoming"). Only in splashes did I think he'd hit on something new, something bigger, something wider in scope than what he'd done before. The sweeping orchestral skyscraper "Flashing Lights," in particular, a Capital B Big song nailed it, thumbing its nose at structure, toying with synths, and making fucking Dwele sound fantastic. "Love Lockdown" appears to be born with the same DNA. It's built on the tried-and-true quiet-loud-quiet construction (think "Smells Like Teen Spirit") and it's a heart-on-sleeve gutwrencher, once again either about his late mother, his ex-fiancee, or both. Or neither. Either way it is an affecting song that feels urgent and swept up, the same way "Jesus Walks" still does and probably always will. Oh, also he doesn't rap a bar. It's all autotuned vocals here. And, frankly, it's well-done.
Since College Dropout, Kanye's music has often sounded as though he were trying to top himself, more about form than feeling. Tinkering with Jon Brion, reallocating Daft Punk, sampling Can. These are all personal one-ups. "Love Lockdown" is a gut move, a personal record that, with this sudden and almost unhyped release, seems like something Kanye West needs to get off his chest. The verdict: We feel your pain.
UPDATE: See, I told you.
