13 Jan 2009

Baggy Jeans and Lesser Of Two Phat Laces


Fnarr fnarr and apologies for the terible visual pun but following an email from a Horse Named Steve I have been listening to Q Tip's 2008 release, The Renaissance. So far its excellent. Feel a little confused as I heard the track, Official, on Giles Peterson's Radio One show a few years ago. Not sure if its a different version but the basics are the same.

As I wandered home tonight it was nice to be listening to some right proper Hip Hop. While i would never pretend to be the biggest Hip Hop fan or tmost knowledgable listener, I do love the beatnology, scratchology, lyricism and sneekers, when it all comes together.

The Horse Steve made a good point, "I think I love it. It's like one of those hip-hop albums you used to get before they all started doing 20+ tracks with special guests and skits everywhere."

Very good points im my opinion. Its true that the obsession with expensive guest contributors is so prevelant when it spread into jungle it made so many albums and tracks bloated and incoherent ego epics. Anyhoo, listening to The Renaissance was useful return to the basics of what I like without sounding old.

It reminded me a little of the Jungle Brothers and their album Raw Deluxe which I stupidly traded for a Laidback big beat album on Bolshi Records!!! Not so much a reminder in its sound but a reminder of a bling free production which was not afriad to have phat beats rather than so much of the r'n'b nonsense in the charts which sounds like it gets its beats from tapped a carrot on a biscuit tin.

I have added my favourite track of the album below and its accompanied by The Jungle Brothers and Eric B & Rakim. Break!!!

Q Tip - Gettin' Up

The Jungle Brothers - Brain

Eric B & Rakim - Know the Ledge

1 comment:

Steve said...

DUDE. Fine post. I'm all about "You" at the moment, it's tremendous.