Sometime 10 years ago, I heard a mash-up of Thomas the Tank Engine and 50 cent’s In Da Club mixed together, it was awful but really funny for a good few listens. Then almost suddenly after there was a mass influx of mash-ups, mixing songs with funny theme songs or mixing hits with other hits, The Box music channel used to do their mash-up of the week, and just like that the art of the mash-up had been spawned. I decided to put a short list together of some of the best Hip-Hop mash-up songs I have heard, so enjoy.
Jaydiohead- Song and Dry (Jay Z- Song cry/Radiohead- High and Dry)
InHumanz- Shoot The War Pigs (Nas- Made you Look/ Black Sabbath-War Pigs)
The White Panda- Midnight Life (M83- Midnight City/ Kanye- Good Life)
Wugazi- Another Chessboxing Argument ( Fugazi-The Argument/Wu Tang Clan- Da Mysteries of Chessboxing)
Backstreet boys vs Childish Gambino vs ODB
Biggie vs Frank Sinatra (Juicy/New York, New York)
Wu-Tang Clan vs Nas and Damien Marley (Gravel Pit/As we enter)
Biggie vs Miley Cyrus (Party and Bullshit/ Party in the USA) (this one is pretty crap actually)
Bobb Deep- Shook ones Pt 2 (Bob Marley- I Shot the Sherrif/ Mobb Deep- Shook ones pt 2)
Mos Dub- In my Math ( Mos def with Dub Reggae)
Dj Stroke- Dangerous (Busta Rhymes-Dangerous/ Red Hot Chili Peppers- Snow)
Xaphoon Jones- The Passion Pitt (Passion Pit-Sleepyhead/ Jackson 5- I want you back)
Wu Tang Clan vs The Beatles (Wu Tang- Run/ The Beatles- I am the walrus)
Alternative Hip-Hop is a sub-genre of hip hop which uses elements of different genres such as Jazz, Rock, Soul or Funk to blur the lines of Hip-Hop. It came to prominence in the 1980’s as a direct contrast to the gangsta rap ideals which were dominating Hip-Hop at the time and has remained an important sub-genre ever since. Although Alternative Hip-Hop is difficult to define with Wikipedia even claiming Nas and Kenrick Lamar fall under the Alternative Hip Hop umbrella I thought I would make a list of Ten of the best Alternative Hip-Hop songs in no order, enjoy. I also decided to omit The Roots after doing a look at Questlove’s career in another article.
Number 10
Digitable Planets- Cool Like Dat
Jazz rap trio Digitable Planets released this grammy winning single back in 1992 and had it certified gold just a year after release. The walking bass line and the entrance of the trumpets with laidback rapping on top of it, make this tune an Alternative Hip Hop classic
Number 9
Arrested Development- People Everyday
It was a tough choice from Arrested Development’s incredible debut album but People Everyday which borrows the song structure from a Sly & The Family Stone song called ‘Everyday people’ has an infectious chorus and summery feel to the song which is perfect for our current heat-wave.
Number 8
Blackstar- Respiration ft. Common
Blackstar, the musical effort from rappers Mos Def and Talib Kweli brought out a great collaboration with one more rumoured to be on the way as a tribute to Aretha Franklin. This song is a great advertisement for Alternative Hip Hop and Conscious rap with a song about the harshness of city life he raps about New York as the big apple with the ingenious line ‘he shiny apple is bruised but sweet/and if you choose to eat/you could lose your teeth.’
Number 7
Pete Rock and Cl Smooth- They reminisce over you
This is one of the finest rap songs ever made as Pete rock excels in this moving tribute to the duo’s good friend Troy Dixon. The song samples Jazz saxophonist Tom Scott extensively with back-up singers to add a harmony in the background, the song has been cited in other rap efforts by Nas, De La Soul, Common and Mos def as well as Lupe Fiasco controversially using the same beat on one of his songs.
Number 6
A Tribe Called Quest- Can I Kick it
Rife with multiple samples from Lou Reed, Hot Chocolate, Ian Dury and even a spoken word by DJ Pete Tong, this Jazz influenced chilled rap song is an absolute classic, released in 1990, the second single from A Tribe’s.. debut album thrust the band and in particular Q-Tip into the hearts and minds of rap aficionados.
Number 5
The Pharcyde- Passin me By
The second single from South Central LA based The Pharcyde showcases all the group’s skills which allow for them to still tour the world today. The nice choice of samples of Quincy Jones and even Hendrix, with the rappers rhyming about heartbreak in their younger days creates an Alternative Hip Hop classic. TI even references this tune in latest track Blurred Lines with Robin Thicke, by rapping ‘In a hundred years not dare would I, pull a Pharcyde bitch, you’re passin’ me by”.
Number 4
N.E.R.D- Things are getting better
Before Pharrell was known as the coolest man in the world, he was merely one half (probably more like 3 quarters) of the mastermind behind N.E.R.D where he was showcasing all the skills he had learnt from working with Teddy Riley from a young age. This song comes from No One Ever Really Dies, and I could of chosen any track from that album in reality, but this one really showcases the Jazz/Rock sentiments that Spymob (the backing band) showcase throughout the whole album, with Pharrell rapping and singing over it, a complete belter of a track.
Number 3
Lauryn Hill- Doo Wop (That Thing)
This song shows better times for Lauryn Hill when she wasn’t trading cigarettes trying not to get shanked in prison showers, this song is from one of the best hip hop albums of all time in ‘The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill’ which showcases her rap and vocal capabilities before she joined up with Wycleff Jean and created The Fugees. The song debuted at number 1 in the billboard charts, making it the tenth time in the charts history to have ever achieved this, and is an alternative-hip-hop classic.
Number 2
Ugly Duckling- Turn it up
I was thinking about going for The Beastie Boys, but everyone knows how sick they are, so I chose one of underground hip-hop’s most prominent stars Ugly Duckling and their tune ‘Turn It Up’. The three white rappers bring some happy, summery beats with enthusiastic and funny rap lines, listen above.
Number 1
J Dilla- So Far to go (Common and D’Angelo)
I couldn’t make this list without including J Dilla/Slum Village at one point and decided to put this track with Common and D’Angelo at the top of their game on the list. J Dilla worked with some of the best rap artists and groups and his death is still seen as hard to accept from some sections of hip-hop fans, however he left us with an incredible and varied catalogue of work so J Dilla’s genius can forever live on.
One of the most infuriating aspects of modern music is the need to pigeon-hole and categorise certain genres, then there are sub-genres and sub-sub-genres and before you know it you find yourself saying wanky phrases like Future Garage or Nu-Disco. There is a necessity to differentiate between similar music, to describe a certain night out to your friends or to recommend a certain band. However another reason the aspect of defining a musical style is essential is to distinguish when one musical genre starts and another ends, and this leads me to look at a death of a genre.
I am going to have a look at what constitutes the death of a music genre, many people have been heralding 2013 as the death of dubstep, and I recently read an article about the ‘Death of Pop-punk’, I thought I would have a quick look at what causes a death and what it really means.
‘The Croydon dub guys’ helped create the genre back in 2003 as Skrillex claimed in his Grammy winning speech but recently it seems that they have all jumped ship with Skream currently working on a disco album. Dubstep caught the attention of the pop songwriters and it was clear that the London based bass genre was infiltrating the charts with different pop stars using some dubstep sentiments, and now some people won’t touch dubstep with a barge pole. Around the early 2000’s the charts were ridden with Pop-punk songs with Blink 182, Sum 41, Bowling for Soup and The Offspring all getting a lot of radio play. Years just before that, Nu-Metal penetrated the pop consciousness with bands like Limp Bizkit, Linkin Park and Papa Roach garnering both critical and commercial success. But both these trends had their time in the sunny mainstream and then quietly and humbly sneaked off out the backdoor with many music critics calling for their heads as they are currently doing with Dubstep.
Some music genres are very niche and circumstantial, there were genres called Nintendo-core at the birth of the Myspace age and Horror-core consists of bands such as Insane Clown Posse and are based on one act and when they break-up, so does the genre. However for me, a music taste is a personal thing, just because it hit it big and then people got tired of it, this does not spell the death of a genre. With the Internet age, if you have a particular musical leaning, be it as obscure as Japanese Jazz Speed Metal, you can find it on the internet. Genres such as Happy Hardcore or Pop Punk that existed in the mainstream for a short time still exist in the realms of the interweb and I believe that because of this, someone out there is making this genre of music and releasing it on the web, in the modern age no music genre really dies.
Listening to Zomby’s latest album it possesses some elements of dubstep, and if Burial was to releases a follow up to ‘Untrue’, the ‘Death of Dubstep’ would be very short-lived. Similarily with Pop-Punk bands such as The Wonder Years, The Dangerous Summer, Fireworks and I Call Fives making some of the best and truest forms of Pop-punk in the last 10years, just because it isn’t topping the charts doesn’t mean the genre’s not making great music. I think just like the economic cycle, a strong genre like Disco/Soul/Rock has a boom and a recession where it will slip in and out of the mainstream over a period of years. For lesser genres such as Pop-punk, punk, Metal and dubstep the music has a sort of ‘outsider’ quality and when it gets flung into the mainstream it cannot stay there for long, but somewhere out there, someone is pioneering and adding their own originality to these genres allowing for it to remain alive.
This New York based female duo consisting of Terri Walker and Nicole Wray are producing some of the best neo-soul music of recent times with their self-titled debut album being released in March earlier this year.The music has a kind of classic Philadelphia sound to it, with a more modern Angie Stone, Jill Scott-esque vocals layered on top. Terri Walker and Nicole Wray both had respectable if unspectacular solo careers with Nicole being signed to Def Jam and temporarily doing a lot of work with Damon Dash, and Terri Walker having vocal duties on Shanks and Bigfoot’s debut album including the number one ‘Sweet Like Chocolate’ as well as a couple of decent solo efforts. Although it is very clear that their most impressive work comes as a duo in the form of ‘Lady’ however the buzz around the band has been slow and restrained, with their songs not getting the full appreciation they really deserve. Below are some of their best tunes.
With the emergence of Disclosure into the pop consciousness and their garage sentiments, I thought I would give a quick look into my favourite Garage tunes through the years. From 1997-2003 it was a specifically a British genre which defined a period of time for the youth in Britain, I shall avoid the cheesy, ‘Sweet Like Chocolate’ garage tunes and look at more of the dancefloor filler tunes, here is my list so turn up the speakers and feel like an eleven year old pikey again.
Wookie- Scrappy
Sweet Female Attitude- Flowers
Shola Ama- Imagine (Asylum remix)
K-CI & Jojo – Tell Me that it’s real (Garage Remix)
Todd Edwards- Shut the Door
Double 99- RIP Groove
MJ Cole- Sincere
Roy Davis Jr ft Peven Everett- Garbiel
Wookie- Battle
Todd Edwards- Come Unto Me
Pay As You Go Cartel (with Wiley)- Champagne Dance ( Da Sticky Lick Remix)
Control S- Never Leave me Alone
Tina Moore- Never Let you Go
Mis-Teeq- One Night Stand (Sunship remix)
Artful Dodger vs Destiny’s Child (Say my Name vs Movin too fast)
Yesterday, Pearl Jam released their new single ‘Mind your Manners’ off their upcoming tenth album ‘Lightening Bolt’, the fantastic punk-esque rock song can be heard below.
Hearing the evolution of arguably the greatest rock band of my generation, it made me go back to their older stuff to fully appreciate Eddie Vedder’s gruff voice and Mike McCready’s intricate guitar skills. I decided to make a list of the top 5 songs which did not feature on ‘Ten’, the greatest grunge album ever made (sorry Nevermind) and feature some of the lesser known Pearl Jam tunes, so here is the list.
Number 5
Rearviewmirror (VS.)
This song which featured on VS. was fully written by Eddie Vedder and was also one of the first songs to feature him on guitar but Eddie disliked the song initially thinking it was too catchy. The drummer Dave Abbruzzese can be heard throwing the drum sticks at a wall at the end of the song, supposedly he was under extreme pressure from the studio producer, and apparently after he recorded this track he punched a hole in the snare drums and threw the drums off a cliff.
Number 4
The Fixer (Backspacer)
The Fixer was the lead single for their most recent album released in 2009 and was a commercial and critical success reaching number 2 in the US charts with the album also topping the charts, the first time the band had achieved this since 1996. The video which can be viewed above was recorded by esteemed film director Cameron Crowe (Almost Famous, Vanilla Sky, Jerry Maguire) who is a big fan of the band even putting together a documentary in 2011 showcasing 20 years since the release of ‘Ten’.
Number 3
Better Man (Vitalogy)
This track off of Vitalogy and released in 1994 was actually written by Eddie Vedder in his teens and was one of Pearl Jam’s most played songs on US radio. Eddie explained at a gig that the song was about ‘it’s dedicated to the bastard that married my Momma,’ and the song is a ballad about a woman being trapped in a relationship, it is a haunting classic.
Number 2
Yellow Ledbetter (B-side to Jeremy)
Yellow Ledbetter has become a fan favourite without actually appearing on a Pearl Jam album, it was recorded as a B-Side to Jeremy after the recording sessions of ‘Ten’ were finished. A lot of the lyrics are improvised as the song resulted from a jam with Mike McCready doing a sort of Hendrix imitation and the end result is one of the most aesthetically pleasing and impressive song Pearl Jam have recorded. The song is also featured in the finale of Friends after Rachel boards the plane, and was the first time the band had waived permission for one of their songs to be featured on TV. Number 1
State of Love and Trust (Singles: Original Motion Picture)
This song has another connection to Cameron Crowe as the song was featured on his follow up to ‘Say Anything..’ a small film called ‘Singles’. The song was initially recorded during the ‘Ten’ sessions but wasn’t as fleshed out as the version which can be heard above, with barely any drums featuring on the track. The song wasn’t released as a single but is a fan favourite at the gigs and a favourite for me because it fully encompasses what Pearl Jam are all about, it is one of their heaviest songs and a proper steamroller of a track with the whole band being pushed to their limits on this song about ‘battling with your instincts in love’, listen above and fully appreciate one of the best rock bands at the top of their game.
In this section of ‘Through the Ages’ I shall look at the two best disco/dance tunes from the 70’s to the current decade.
70’s
Chic- Le Freak
Whilst watching a documentary on Nile Rodgers, the guitar player and genius behind Chic, he explained the creation of this disco classic. He said it was New Years eve and one of their tracks was proving popular in a particular club, so they thought they should all go as a band to the club and have a good night out. However they were turned away from the club and went straight into their rehearsal room, there Nile Rodgers starting playing guitar with the band repeatedly shouting ‘Fuck Off’….’Fuck Off’ where the song now has ‘Freak Out’, Nile Rodgers and the rest of the band all looked at each other as they knew a classic was just born.
Donna Summer- Love to love you baby
I could of chosen any Donna Summer song to be honest with her amazing and yet oddly sexual vocals over a Giorgio Moroder produced track this was one of the first huge disco hits in the early 70’s and prompted many to call Donna Summer ‘The Queen of Disco’. The orgasmic sound that Donna recreates came about when Girorgio got Donna to lie on the studio floor with the lights out and think of her boyfriend as she touched her self on the knee, saucy. Listen below.
80’s The S.O.S Band- Take your time (Do it Right)
Released in the summer of 1980 this disco and boogie track doesn’t get enough appreciation in modern times, but the soaring vocals with the trumpet coming at the end of the chorus make for a great track from the Atalanta based S.O.S Band who obtained a number 3 record with their debut single, a disco classic.
Rick James- Give it to me baby
It’s motherfucking Rick James bitch. The colourful Rick James wrote this song after coming home late and his woman wouldn’t have sex with him cause he was too drunk, instead he had a mess around on his piano and what was produced is one of the finest songs of the 80’s with a funky dance beat this track is great for the dancefloor as well as listening at home. The video is also brilliant, because Cocaine sure is a helluva drug!
Honourable Mention
Diana Ross- I’m coming out (Chic Mix)
This track is just brilliant, and the only reason I didn’t choose it is because I had already placed a Nile Rodgers track in this list. Diana Ross’s stock was the lowest it had been in her illustrious career before Bernard Edwards and Nile Rodgers took the helm and brought a disco sound for Ross’s new album. Nile Rodgers got the idea for the ‘I’m Coming Out’ chorus of the song when he went to a gayclub in New York and saw 3 men using the urinal who all looked like Diana Ross, he decided to make Ross into a sort of gay icon. The version below is the Chic version, as the album version was actually edited but this is the funkiest and fullest version of the track that is out there.
90’s
Robin S- Show me Love
This 1994 released track from New York based singer Robin Stone was a massive international hit, reaching top 10 in the UK and the US and has been remixed and sampled several times since. The track is dominated by it’s synthesizer riff and Robin’s vocals on top which make this a 90’s dance classic.
Faithless-Insomnia
By far the darkest dance track on all of this list, it shows elements of trance music as well as more conventional dance music and the beat at 2.47 on the video below is incredible, something to give you nightmares as well as total euphoria on the dancefloor. The track has been remixed and recut numerous of times but the version I have gone for is the 8 minute Forever Faithless version on the Greatest Hits and can be heard…
Honorable Mention
Marky Mark & The Funky Bunch- Good Vibrations
Juxtaposed with Faithless for maybe the first time ever, this shows Mark Whalberg in his finest moment. Particular props go to the lyric ‘Bringing this to the entire nation//black, white, red, brown//feel the vibration.’
00’s
Shapeshifters- Lola’s Theme
Every time I look at the charts and see some Little Mix/Conor Maynard shite at number one, I remember that this nation put ‘Lola’s theme’ into number 1 also. This big track from disco/house duo ‘The Shapeshifters’ has me thinking about the fair-ground every time I put the song on and the video and tune can be heard below
Daft Punk- One More Time
Before they were getting lucky with Nile Rodgers and making ballads with Giorgio Moroder (this list has an unintentional link!) Thomas Bangalter and his mate who’s name I can’t remember made one of the greatest dance tracks in One More Time with the cheesy lyrics auto-tuned and placed on top of a heavenly sounding synth track. The video is also pretty special with it acting as a promo for a visual realization of ‘Discovery’ called Interstella 555, and the Japanese Anime really matches up with this futuristic dance track.
10’s
The Lovebirds- Want you in my soul Ft. Stee Downes
I don’t actually know much about this track or this house track other than it is the solo work of a Hamburg based DJ and it is a sensational dancefloor track, with it’s build up and then Stee Downes vocals soaring over the track, it is the ultimate euphoric, grab your mates and sing track. Enjoy.
Candi Staton -Hallejuah Anyway (Larse Vocal)
This is a re-cut of Candi Staton’s classic ‘Hallejuah Anyway’ and one of the happiest songs I know, no one can be in a bad mood after hearing this track. FACT
This is an idea I got to look through the years starting from the 70’s to modern day at the best songs in a particular genre. I shall look at the two best Rock, Soul/Rnb, Dance and firstly Rap song in the 70’s,80’s,90’s,00’s,10’s (so far) so here is the list. Obviously this will be hard to decide and will all be personal opinion but listen anyway.
70’s
The Sugar Hill Gang- Rapper’s Delight
The song released in 1979 which is often cited as the start of rap music in the mainstream. The song doesn’t just sample Chic’s ‘Good Times’ it lifts the whole beat and guitar with the gang rapping over it. The band was actually manufactured by Sugar Hill records and put together by Sylvia Robinson who had overheard her kids listening to rap music and wanted to jump on the bandwagon. The band were a group on unknown rappers with none of them possessing any credibility on the streets, they met a couple of days before the studio session and then recorded thee classic rap song in one take, enjoy the long version below!
Marvelous Three & The Younger Generation
This was Grandmaster Flash’s first gig as he went to a major disco record label telling them about his band Grandmaster Flash and the furious five, the disco label who essentially had no idea what the fuck to do with rap music at the time told them to change it. They went into the studio with this new name and what followed is a great roots of rap record with much better rappers than Sugar Hill Gang and better rhymes, it just wasn’t as catchy. Listen to the record below, the way it builds up and the guitar riff in the background make this an early rap classic.
80’s
Grand Master Flash- The Message
This was a really tough choice, it had to be a Grand Master Flash tune in the 80’s but I wasn’t sure if it would be this monster track or ‘White Lines’ but just for the chorus ‘It’s like a jungle sometimes//It makes me wonder how I keep from going under’ I had to choose this seminal track. Melle Mel is the chief rapper in this track and the imagery he creates is brilliant, which is why he this is regarded by Rolling Stone is the best ‘Rap/Hip hop song of all time’.
De La Soul- Me, Myself and I
I think this is gonna be the hardest decision I have to make through this articles, the 80’s produced Boogie Down Productions (KRS ONE and Scot La Rock), Run DMC, Beastie Boys, NWA, Eric B and Rakim and Slick Rick. Even whilst writing this I have changed my mind numerous times, but I felt I had to go for a De La Soul tune because of how great 3 Feet High and rising is, the track I have chosen is Me, Myself and I due to the smooth, cool rapping over the brilliant sample of Funkadelic.
90’s
Ice Cube- It was a good day
This was quite a straight forward decision being one of my favourite rap songs, the sample of ‘Between the Sheets’ by The Isley Brothers with Ice Cube taking the listener through a journey of his good day produces a sensational track. Some guy has actually figured out using all the clues Ice Cube drops (Supersonics beating Lakers, and no one dying) when this ‘Good Day’ happened and supposedly it is 20th of January 1992, which is now national ‘Good Day’!
The Notorious B.I.G- Sky’s the Limit
My favourite Biggie track, the smoothness of 112 vocals in the chorus and Biggie at his ultimate relaxed flow really kill this track and cement his place in history. The sample of Bobby Caldwell ‘My Flame’ is also brilliant and subtle as the beat hypnotizes in the background, just a great song.
Honorable Mention,
The Brand New Heavies and Master Ace- Wake me up when I’m done This track of having a live backing band really pathed the way for bands such as Linkin Park and The Roots and gives Masta Ace (from Wu Tang fame) a really full sound as he raps over it, listen below.
00’s
Outkast- B.O.B
This rap juggernaut that was released at the dawn of 2000’s off of ‘Stankonia’ was the first introduction to many of the rap genius behind Big Boi and Andre 3000. The song isn’t actually political with Andre 3000 admitting he heard the phrase whilst on tour in London and thought it could sound good on a track he was working on, what we have is this fast pace rap classic.
Royce Da 5’9”- Boom
I read somewhere that someone made a diss track of Royce Da 5’9” and Royce returned the insult and completely destroyed this guy, ever since this, rappers are scared shitless of ever coming on the wrong side of Royce Da 5’9”. Another interesting Royce Da 5’9” fact is that when Dr Dre’s brother died, Dre released a moving tribute to his dead sibling, however Dr Dre being the crook that he is in his inability to write his own raps, actually used Royce’s lyrics and just passed them off as his own for his deceased brother. Anyway this track is huge and it all comes from DJ Premier’s incredible beat, listen below.
Honourable Mention
Common- Be (intro)
In my opinion the greatest intro track to an album ever starting from the jazz bass and building up until Common’s smooth rapping voice over one of the best instrumentals featured on a rap/hip-hop track, it is a nice summery tune and an awesome intro to what is a great album as well in ‘Be’.
10’s
Asap Rocky- 1 Train ft Joey Bada$$, Danny Brown, Big K.R.I.T, Action Bronson, Yelawolf, Kendrick Lamar
I chose this song because it features seven of the best rappers of the last three years and comes across just like an amazing cypher on record, the beat is low key and all focus is on the rhymes which Joey and Big K.R.I.T especially kill.
Odd Future- Oldie
This is another track chosen because of the influence Odd future have had since 2010 on rap music and culture, a lot of their material is very obscure and difficult to listen to but listening to Oldie and every member of OF jumping on a verse, you understand the true talent they all possess.
I have written a lot about Jay Z and Nas and their feud, and with the advent of Jay-Z’s latest song which isn’t on MCHG in ‘Dead Presidents 3’, I thought I would write a little about the history of the track ‘Dead Presidents’ which is a term referring to money.
Before Jay Z changed the landscape of rap music with his seminal Reasonable Doubt, Shawn ‘Jay Z’ Carter released Dead Presidents, which can be heard below.The track is regarded as one of the best rap songs of all time but was merely a promotional record before the release of Reasonable Doubt.
On Reasonable Doubt, Jay Z wanted to include ‘Dead Presidents’ with fans voicing their mass appreciation of the track, but he felt that it would be cheating by just putting on the same track that he released months prior, so instead he keep the beat and the chorus and changed the verses, calling it ‘Dead Presidents II‘ which can be heard below.
What is interesting about Dead Presidents I and II is the use of the sample in the chrous which is clearly Nas from the track ‘The World Is Yours’ which can be heard below from Nas’s classic ‘Illmatic’. All of this pre-dated the Nas vs Jay Z beef but would become relevant with Jay Z’s diss track ‘The Takeover’.
Nas was invited by Jay Z to come and re-rap the ‘Dead fucking Presidents to represent me’ for Dead Presidents II, but declined and this is what many state started the feud. Just before ‘The Takeover’ Nas released a promotional freestyle for Stillmatic which dissed Jay Z involving the rhyme ‘You show off, I count dough off when you sample my voice’ in reference to the royalties Nas receives off the ‘Dead Presidents II’ sales.
Jay Z responded to Nas’s freestyle with ‘The Takeover’ the third best diss song ever made, behind ‘Hit em up’ by 2pac and Ether by Nas, but more on that in a bit. Jigga’s rap included the line ‘So yeah, I sampled your voice; you was usin’ it wrong: you made it a hot line, I made it a hot song’ in direct reference to Nas line in his Stillmatic freestyle, it can be heard below.
The diss track happened, and Nas ignored it for a while, he wasn’t going to make a rebuttal, until his brother interjected and told him that people on the streets of New York were saying that Nas career would be finished if he didn’t respond, so Nas went in to the studio and what followed was one of the most brutal diss tracks of all time in Ether which involved some classic lines such as ‘Gay-Z and Cockafella Records wanted beef’ and ‘First Bigge’s your man, Then you got the nerve to say that you better than Big, Dick suckin’ lips’ and also ‘What you think, you getting girls now cause of your looks’.
However following the beef, Nas and Jay Z have made up with Nas briefly joining Def Jam a record label that Jay Z has a lot of say in. The two came together during Jay Z’s ‘I Declare War’ concert and performed ‘Dead Presidents II’ and officially ending the feud, the video is a milestone in rap music and is a must see. A fan recorded video is below, and it is brilliant especially when Jay Z says ‘Come on Esco’. and that concludes the long history of one song ‘Dead Presidents’
Earlier this month Amir ‘Questlove’ Thompson released his biography ‘Mo Meta Blues’ which is all about Questlove’s work with some of the best rappers/rnb singers of our generation including run ins with random celebrities including OJ Simpson. The book is gaining a lot of plaudits and great reviews so I thought I would look through some video highlights of Questlove’s career from The Roots to film/TV appearances which highlight the drummers incredible talent and wide knowledge of music.
This track was from The Roots third album called ‘Illadelph Halflife’ and the track is called ‘What They Do’ featuring Raphael Saadiq, Questlove played drummed and co-produced this track, it was just at the start of the Roots journey but remains as one of their most classic tracks.
After the success of their third release The Roots released ‘Things Fall Apart’ which at the time was regarded as their most complete release, and it included their most successful hit in ‘You got me’ featuring Erykah Badu. This song really sent The Roots and Questlove into pop’s consciousness after winning the Grammy for best Rap performance by a duo or group in 2000.
Also featuring on ‘Things Fall Apart’ was a track with DJ Jazzy Jeff called ‘The Next Movement’ which is a throw-back hip-hop tune which some regard as one of the best singles of the 90’s, it also features a fantastic video which can be viewed above.
Probably The Roots most recognizable tune in The Seed 2.0 this track is a complete effort with every member of the band showing their genius with a great featuring spot from Cody ChesnuTT and fully produced by Questlove
Away from The Roots, Questlove did production on a lot of solo albums including D’angelo’s ‘Voodoo’ which featured the classic ‘Untilted (How Does it Feel).
Questlove would also appear on drums for a number of people in the live capacity and on track, one example of this is when he appeared on John Mayer’s track ‘Clarity’ in 2003 for his album ‘Heavier Things’ and the pair remain friends today.
Questlove also made an appearance with Lenny Kravitz on N.E.R.D’s album ‘Fly or Die’ with one of the best tracks off the album called ‘Maybe’
Questlove also became friends with comedians and actors making cameo’s in a number of films and TV episodes, my favourite is his brief appearance on The David Chappelle show with a skit about 2pac still being alive.
Questlove has gone from strength to strength over his long and illustrious career and is now part of The Roots live band on The Jimmy Fallon show as well as recording new material with John Legends, D’angelo and The Roots, the above video is of a performance the other week with Ice Cube’s comeback to music and below is a funny video of Freestylin’ The Roots.
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