The busy, busy Kanye West took a pretty simple approach to his much-hyped bringing together of teeny-bopper Justin Bieber and the Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon: he basically recorded Rae and himself rapping over the grimy finger-snap beat from the 1993's "Wu-Tang Clan Ain't Nuthing Ta F' Wit" (funny that, when Rae was so careful to write lyrics appropriate for his 16-year-old co-star), and laid clips of Bieber's vocal track overtop for the chorus. But in the way that shows how simple is so often best, it sounds pretty great. It definitely has the feel of the mid-'90s heyday of hip-hop/R&B mashups. You could almost imagine hearing it between Method Man and Mary J. Blige's "All I Need" and Mariah's "Fantasy" remix with O.D.B. at the Tunnel. And at least from the first few listens, I prefer it to this other Kanye track that came out over the weekend, "Monster," featuring Rick Ross, Jay-Z, Nicki Minaj and Bon Iver.
Tuesday, August 31, 2010
10
The Bieber track isn't bad at all, but I'm still digging "Monster" more. "Put the pussy in a sarcophagus" is so stupid it's good (it somehow helps that Kanye is breaking the meter to get it in there), and that Nicki Minaj verse is comparable to Cappadonna's one moment of greatness, at the end of "Winter Warz."
I like that "sarcophagus" line, too. And, yes, Nicki steals the show. But I'm still too often put off by the way she ends so many of her lines by going into THAT SHOUTY SHOUTY SHOUT VOICE!!! The overemphasis draws my attention from her rhymes, which are often clever and good. It's too "funny style."
That's a really good point. It took me awhile to actually hear some of her lyrics, and I still drift in and out a little listening to her.
Dave, I agree, but I'd also add that another problem is the speed at which she tends to jump from one stupid "voice"/"impression"/"character" to another. Her lyrics are on point sometimes but overall the effect of the delivery is to make listening to a verse of hers like watching a trailer for one of those "Movie" movies ie Date Movie, Epic Movie, etc. It's just a bunch of really lowbrow attempts at comedy at a machine-gun clip.
I don't know -- I see Nicki as a kind of old-school Mary J. Blige of rap, channeling everyone before her (and wrapping it all up with a little Carribbean warrior goddess bow.) I hear everyone from Lyte to Lily Allen to Nona Hendryx and of course Missy when she speaks in her voodoo rap tongues. It may be postmodernism 101, but she's the only one willing to split her personality apart to make something new. Everyone else just concentrates on the one-note brand identity ... what some call "funny" I hear as profound Looney Tunes.
I like her "funny style." I don't think she's good enough to just rap with a normal delivery, so her style on this is what makes it good to me. It's like old school Busta.
Anyone else totally get a Young Michael Jackson vibe from Bieber in that first track?
Yup.
Oh yes totally.
maybe i've listened to the 36 chambers too many times, but this bieber track sounds totally stapled-together.