With few exceptions, I don’t buy or listen to new hip hop. There’s only so much of Kanye West’s posing or Jay-Z guest verses you can take. Ringtones, Youtube stunts, I can go on. And there’s only so much hipster rap recycling the 1980s and Cyndi Lauper. There’s nothing new. Its done. I live off memories now. I must be getting old.
I am not mourning hip hop yet. Just having nostalgia. I wonder if this is how hardcore jazz afficionadoes felt about the period after the end of the 1960s. So taking my cue from Common I want to reminiscence on the love we have (since I am on a roll may as well as bite Mary J Blige’s lyrics too).
First up then: Blackstar. Talib Kweli and Mos Def.
The track I live by is “Respiration,” featuring who else but Common. It’s off the album, Mos Def & Talib Kweli are Blackstar, was released in August 1998. I saw them live a few months later in Boston (I was hanging out in Cambridge on a fellowship) when they were promoting the album. They eventually broke up like all your best groups (The Roots is an exception, but they change and add new personnel) and did solo projects. Two years ago my brother came to visit from Cape Town and we saw Kweli join Mos Def on stage at Nokia Theater for a run through their hits. Reminded me how good they were together.
From the opening two bars you can feel the energy as Mos lets it rip: “The new moon rode high in the crown of the metropolis / Shinin, like who on top of this?” The song is about daily life in New York City, particularly in Brooklyn where both MCs are from. Common does a guest verse extolling the virtues of Chicago (btw, the first US city I lived in). Hi-Tek, who later produced Kweli’s solo albums, produced the track.
I agree with u sean i have heard it thats why my interest has crossed more into world music and discovering more hip hop in other parts of africa
Must say that I have never been too informed on hip hop/rap,but through my kids coming of age had to re-tweak my eardrums a bit.Common to my ears seems to be the one,that that floats the most meaningful lyrics.But what fascinates me the most is the way how the musical styles flow back and forth across the tides of the Black Atlantic.Mixing and remixing endlessly across generation and time.Like Positive Black Soul doing a track on a Cuban rhythm bed of a Orchestra Boabab song that has come back home.And then someone like Mor Thiam taking African roots to The States thirty years ago,and now his son,Akon brings his sounds back to Africa.Also read Jean Grae.Love the Fela Tribute,Red Hot and Riot,where Common and Talib Kweli also features,bringing musicians from so many angles together to cook up the stew anew.Another aspect is how a lot of African Hip Hop has embraced Reggae as the medium to float upon.Water from an ancient African well!
Jean Grae. I know this sounds like hipster hip hop speak (although they prefer Cam’ron and Ghostface), but she is a phenomenal MC.
On new African hip hop, and I saw Rushay brought that up, I’ll put up a post of who appears to be the new generation of African hip hop groups sometime this weekend.
“respiration” is one of my alltime favorite songs, in any genre. the verses are pretty much perfect, & the beat is beautiful. i know it by heart.
I try to remember rap lyrics (well any song lyrics) but can’t seem to remember any. My wife usually laughs at how I either mangle or make-up lyrics to songs.
I love these guys – for a while I was buying everything of theirs that I could get my hands on. They are still in regular rotation in my playlist. I saw Talib Kweli once in New Orleans on stage with Mos Def, the only one that was on the roster to perform, so it was a bonus that Kweli was there. I’ve seen them both live separately and would do again given the chance.
I think it’s age, you know, struggling with the lyrics…
I seem to be stuck in a Native Tongues loop, and occasionally I turn up Public Enemy. God, I am growing old.
I’ve dug the Afrolution comp.,and there is also some fine stuff coming out on the small German label Out Here.