I gotta get up at 6 tomorrow, and I know that like most mornings that I have to wake up with an alarm, I will have this song going through my head (with a slightly different mood and meaning, obviously) for the period of time in between when my alarm starts ringing and when I turn it off.
Gucci Mane – I’m Up (feat. 2 Chainz)
Someday Gucci Mane will make a one-syllable rap hook, and it’ll still be hot, and everyone will just quit making new rap songs after that.
Here’s another video to add to this weird great list:
Iamsu! – Goin’ Up (feat. Wiz Khalifa)
This was obviously supposed to get posted yesterday, but really we should be honoring our mothers every day, right?
Goodie Mob – Guess Who
Man it’s nice to see Skee-Lo re-emerge from a long silence with a song that doesn’t at all try to be the hippest new generic rap thing. He still just sounds like Skee-Lo. I support that.
Skee-Lo – Vibe is Right
For those that need a brush up on who Skee-Lo is, you’ve probably vibed to this one at least a couple times.
Skee-Lo – I Wish
As a dude who has to climb into his car from the passenger side, I really appreciate songs like these.
The Coup – Cars & Shoes
Devin the Dude – Lacville ’79
Here’s a great addition to this post from almost a year ago.
Paul White – Street Lights (feat. Danny Brown)
This is a real interesting one in that it slices right between the seriousness of parts 1 / 2 and the comedy of part 3 in a way that’s pretty hard not to grin and nod to.
The Pharcyde – She Said
This isn’t the only Labcabincalifornia track to feature a clear departure from rhyme in the chorus. In fact, I think most of the choruses on Labcabincalifornia don’t rhyme. Let’s get to the bottom of this:
1. “Bullshit“: “You gotta get on up off of that bullshit, stop fightin’ that feelin’.” – Doesn’t Rhyme
2. “Pharcyde“: “Imani, Booty Brown, Fatlip, & Slimkid Tre (x3), We do it this way (x2)” – Rhymes
3. “Groupie Therapy“: [no chorus, just Queen Latifah samples] – Doesn’t Rhyme
4. “Runnin‘“: “Can’t keep runnin’ away.” – Doesn’t Rhyme
5. “She Said“: “And she said it’d be good if you’d stay with me tonight, so I granted her wish.” - Doesn’t Rhyme
6. “Splattitorium“: [no chorus, just chatter] – Doesn’t Rhyme
7. “Somethin’ That Means Somethin‘“: “Gotta spit somethin’ that means somethin.” – Doesn’t Rhyme
8. “All Live“: “All the way live! (baby baby baby baby baby baby)” – Doesn’t Rhyme
9. “Drop“: “Drop.” – Doesn’t Rhyme
10. “Hey You“: “Hey You! Can I take up a moment of your precious time to realize and define the whole truth? Hey you! Yeah take up a moment and clarify this for you.” – Rhymes
11. “Y?“: “Tell me why… Be like that, it just be like that. Baby tell me why it’s gotta be like that.” – Doesn’t Rhyme
12. “It’s All Good!“: “It’s all good baby baby.” – Doesn’t Rhyme
13. “Moment in Time“: “And we go round and round. Life is just a moment in time…” – Doesn’t Rhyme
14. “The Hustle“: “Some do it illegal, brothas just want more than their equal, tryin not to get caught up in the evil, this goes out to all my hustling people… just do it do it do it… do it do it do it…” – Rhymes
15. “Little D“: [no chorus, just an interlude]
16. “Devil Music“: “Every time I step to the microphone I put my soul on 2 inch reels that I don’t even own.” – Rhymes
17. “The E.N.D.“: “This ain’t nothin’ but the E-N-D, follow me into the sun and let your soul be free. The E-N-D, The E-N-D, The E-N, The E-N, The E-N-D.” – Rhymes
18. “The Emerald Butterfly” [bonus track]: “Feelin’ high… I’m the emerald butterfly.” – Rhymes
19. “Just Don’t Matter” [bonus track]: “Don’tcha ever try to get with this, it just don’t matter you’ll still get dissed.” – Rhymes
20. “Heart & Soul” [bonus track]: “Heart and soul, that’s what it’s all about. Heart and soul, let your spirit out. Take control, of everything about you. [something I can't understand], that’s without a doubt.” – Rhymes
So towards the end we get a little string of rhyming choruses, but I still count 11 out of 17 tracks (20 including bonus tracks) with non-rhyming choruses just on this one album. Incredible! I’m gonna go find Guiness’s phone number.
Damn it’s nice to hear some samples back in KRIT’s production. I mean “Money on the Floor” and “I Got This” and “What U Mean” were all great, but for me, his most powerful work is his sample-based material.
Big KRIT – R.E.M.
James Blake – The Wilhelm Scream
Speaking of Blake’s recent work with rappers
James Blake – Take A Fall For Me (feat. RZA)
So far we’ve only seen how these wonderful departures from rhyme can be used for dramatic effect, but we shouldn’t forget that they can be equally useful for comedic effect, as ODB will show us here.
Ol’ Dirty Bastard – Got Your Money
Sorry to interrupt the little series I had going here, but I just heard about this and I wanted to share it with you all.
Brad Paisley – Accidental Racist (feat. LL Cool J)
I don’t have much to say really, I mostly just think it’s a little disappointing that people are getting so upset about it. To me it sounds like a very genuine, honest, real attempt at starting an extremely important dialogue, and coming from a successful white country singer I think that’s a bold step, and an admirable one. And I think for LL Cool J to step in and handle the subject as genuinely and honestly as Paisley does is equally admirable, it’s way easier to naysay this kind of thing than it is to actually do it, it’s going to prove even more difficult to make the right next step, which is to openly talk more about this issue. Sure there are some questionable things said, but it wouldn’t have been an honest song without those things, and if we can all calm down a little bit and discuss these things like decent human beings then I think we’ll be way better off than if we just sit around and talk shit.
Also, Bun B agrees with me, so you know I gotta be right on this one.
