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Nobody Dances To Hip Hop No More

Breakdancing

Here’s the problem with T-Pain — and believe me, this is coming from someone who absolutely adores the robot-voiced man and his music. The problem with T-Pain is that sometimes when I listen to his music alone in the private comfort of my living room (and I do, often), and am given a booze-free mind and club-free atmosphere to ponder what he is actually talking aboutthe words themselves, mind you — well, I feel a bit guilty. What comes out of his mouth is about 90% complete and utter, unadulterated nonsense. Or at very least, not very lyrically sophisticated. Which, sadly, is the case for most pop music and, in particular, most music that you’d care to hear when you go out to get your shake on.

For the most part, Club Rap has become a trite series of the same old rhymes.

I ain’t mad. I get it. It’s the way stuff works. You can’t have a bunch of crazy words interfering with your baseline. Drums are more important than metaphors when you’re grinding up on the girl of your dreams. But this is only a half-truth. There was a time when you could hit a dancefloor and step out your troubles listening to the same music that got you hype in your car, in your shower, in your headphones. Songs that had a certain, how shall we say, complexity. It doesn’t mean that the lyrics themselves have to be philosophical gems each and every one, but that there’s more to ’em than languidly rhyming “Lamborghini Gallardo” with “Toronto”. (And this from a guy who loves “Can’t Believe It” as much or more than my mother.)

I’m really not hating. Not trying to anyway. I just wanted to remind y’all that dancefloors need more Hip Hop like this:

–New Mighty Mos: so neccessary

Q-Tip blessed us with a truly great album last year; this is a track that seemed to have slipped through the cracks

Wale + Ayers = the future.

–And as for Suga Free… Shee-it. I’m from L.A. y’all. This is the closest thing we’ve got.

Enjoy dancing.

Mos Def - Quiet Dog
taken from the forthcoming album The Ecstatic on Downtown Records (2009)

Q-Tip – Manwomanboggie (feat Amanda Diva)
taken from The Renaissance on Jive (2008)

Wale – Roof (DJ Ayres Remix)
taken from the whitelable 12″ (2008)

Suga Free – Cool
taken from the 12″ on Laneway (2003)

  • Ballantino

    Sorry to burst your bubble homie, but Suga Free is from Pomona. He’s also allergic to bullshit, just for the record.

  • Thun

    I agree wholeheartedly. There is no reason that a danceable song has to have dumbed down lyrics or must shy away from any attempt at meaningfully communicating something other than “shake your ass.” Every song that sounds good in a club doesn’t have to be about clubbing.

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