I mean.....I actually have always REALLY liked that song. The horns are dope, and I was a huge Nick Van Exel fan so the reference to him was money. But....I’m interested to hear an explanation for this choice?
12. "I think I know - and agree with - what his approach was w/that list." In response to Reply # 4 Tue Nov-03-20 01:29 PM by Brew
First of all I agree with both of you, that song is dope as fuck and always has been. Jay's verse is fire.
And I think what he was going for was to say that if you're trying to teach an "alien" what hip hop is, you're not necessarily gonna go for your 3 favorite songs. Nor are you gonna go for 3 songs that all sound the same or are of the same ilk.
The point would be to try and show this "alien" how expansive and diverse this particular genre can be. So he picked an overtly pro-black, political song, an introspective, soulful track, and a pop/r&b track to show that hip-hop can be both dope *and* have mass appeal.
I may be 100% wrong about this lol but that's the way I perceive the three songs he picked. And I think that's probably the right approach for this type of hypothetical.
>>Crazy in Love - Beyonce and Jay Z > >I mean.....I actually have always REALLY liked that song. The >horns are dope, and I was a huge Nick Van Exel fan so the >reference to him was money. But....I’m interested to hear >an explanation for this choice?
Hip-hop started as a social movement so that's why Alright is there. Maybe Fight the Power or Wicked or The Message is more reflective of the politics of their age but Alright also is anthemic and uplifting in a way some other political songs aren't. Plus its modern sounding.
If T.R.O.Y. isn't the epitome of the 'classic' hip hop sound it's pretty damn close. It introduces hip-hop jazz which was such a bedrock of 90's East Coast hip hop. It's a touching song while having a great deal of range of subject matter.
And it made sense to have a song that included a woman and also was fun. It also adds the lane of hip-hop R&B/pop. There are some other great fun songs but Crazy in Love was the song that matched all of the criteria.
Maybe the songs could have been edgier but it probably isn't a good idea to show the alien how fucked up we are as a species at first. Ha.
8. "RE: You have 3 songs to show an alien what Hip-Hop is..." In response to Reply # 0
The Notorious B.I.G. - Juicy. This, to me, is the best example of what hip hop is all about. Biggie is a great lyricist and the sample/hook gives the song radio/mainstream appeal so it satisfies the "heads" and casual audience. It's a storytelling song, another important aspect of hip hop, but not only that, the story is the classic rags to riches, from the projects to the penthouse story that defines so many rappers' arcs.
Nas - Nas Is Like. Some peak lyricism from one of the genre's greatest to ever do it, not to mention a classic Preemo beat (arguably the GOAT producer) and a "hook" that features heavy scratching, another important aspect of hip hop.
Talib Kweli - Get By. I had a few in mind for the third, but I decided to go with my personal favorite hip hop song of all time. The theme of the song is pretty common in the genre, and I love the rapping of a "we're grinding, doing what we can" in such an uplifting tone. The hook is catchy but not corny. The beat is stellar and vintage early Kanye.
I'm on record that Train of Thought is my favorite album of all time by a wide margin.
And "Africa Dream" is probably a top ... 3 or 4 song from that album, if I were to guess without giving it a ton of thought.
That slow intro is beautiful. Then the beat hits you over the head. Hi Tek killed that transition - it's such a nice mix of the ancestral sound and the modern (at the time) hip-hop sound.
Then "if you can talk, you can sing; if you can walk, you can dance" which is such a terrific refrain.
And Kweli came so so so hard over that beat once it hit. Great verse.
And "Above the Clouds" that beat is an all fucking timer.
1 Rather Unique - AZ produced by Pete Rock 2 C.R.E.A.M. - Wu-Tang Clan produced by RZA 3 Return Of The Crooklyn Dodgers - Chubb Rock, OC, Jeru The Damaja produced by DJ Premier
25. "Wait, do we even know what they want or why they're here?" In response to Reply # 24
This seems like a really weird strategy for our first contact. Like if aliens landed on Earth and they're desperately trying to find a way to communicate with us to let us know that the Cressarians have a Class Z Dreadnaught Planetcrusher heading straight for Earth. But the first person they come into contact with is KRS-One, and without even trying to create a baseline of some common language, in fact not letting them say anything at all, he starts playing a series of rhythmic sounds, that while pleasing, are unlikely to stop Lord Krekko's carbon extinction ray.
---- I check for: Serengeti, Zeroh, Open Mike Eagle, Jeremiah Jae, Moka Only.
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