Bands and Brains - Free Hip Hop For Smudge

For the sake of scoring a free cd, your new favorite zombie contemplates her three favorite hip-hop songs.

1 comments

by Smudge the Zombie | Nov 18 2007

The other night I went to a sneak preview for the movie Beowulf. If you’ve ever gone to one of these things, you probably know how the people who are sponsoring the preview like to give stuff away. Sometimes it’s memorabilia for the movie, sometimes it’s just self-promotion. Either way, it’s usually pretty cool. (Actually, I lie. It’s usually chintzy crap, but it’s still free.)

Anyway, this particular preview was being sponsored by a local radio station. They were giving away free hip hop samplers as an incentive to help with some market research. All they wanted was your name, age, and three favorite hip hop songs. What an easy way to get a free cd! I had no idea what would be on it, so just in case it turned out to be interesting I decided to go stand in line and fill out their quickie survey. Now, hip hop is not exactly my genre of choice, but I still listen to enough of it that it was hard to choose just three songs. After careful consideration, here’s what I ended up with:

Culture for Dollars by Dälek

Sample lyrics: Who trades his culture for dollars?/the fool or the scholar?/griot, poet, or white collared?
This song has the honor of being part of the first rap album I ever put on my iPod. It’s noisy – sometimes almost Throbbing Gristle noisy – but it still has a strong beat and a pleasing trip-hop feel. Originally I was impressed with the song’s artful discord (something I hadn’t heard before in rap); later I found myself equally impressed with the song’s message and intelligent lyrics. Really, anyone who uses the word “griot” in a rap song has to be worth listening to.

Danger Will Robinson Danger by Boom Bip & Dose One

Sample lyrics: (Actually I couldn’t find them transcribed anywhere, and I’m crap at hearing lyrics accurately. Sorry about that.)
Despite the potentially annoying Jad-Fair-of-hip-hop vocal style, this song has (in its own way) a very relaxing, dreamlike feel. It never gets repetitive; the music completely changes several times, and each time the song’s atmosphere gets stronger and better-defined. As far as I can tell, this song can only be found on the Boom Bip & Dose One/cLOUDDEAD Peel Sessions cd.

Lucas With the Lid Off by Lucas

Sample lyrics: Whatever bubbles bubbles up (I feeeeel)/Come follow me around, come follow me now (Yeah-eah!)
I vaguely remember this song from when it came out, in 1994. I didn’t really think much of it then. But a few years ago, an art professor of mine made the class watch a DVD of music videos directed by Michel Gondry. The video for this song was on there, and for some reason when I heard it then, I really fucking loved it. I think I like it so much for the same reason that it makes a good third track; it’s completely different from most of the other hip hop I listen to. Dälek and, to an extent, cLOUDDEAD are pretty heavy stuff, both musically and lyrically… almost like rap for music nerds. Lucas is just catchy, funky and fun – but he manages to be those things without seeming contrived or unoriginal. Lucas is proof that there’s nothing inherently wrong with pop music, as long as the musicians are not afraid to push boundaries and be themselves.

(In case you’re curious, the free cd turned out to be a single for 5 to tha 4 by DJ Headbussa and Thrax, featuring Cadillac Joe. In my opinion, all of the songs listed above are much better.)

Tags: music, lucas, clouddead, hip hop, dälek

Comments

Shadowmancer

#1

Nov 19, 2007, 03:21:05 PM

I have Lucas With the Lid Off stuck in my head now.

Thanks.

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