Since I have my own site, I may as well have my own countdown.
This was an excellent year for music. Every genre I enjoy had powerhouse albums and new comers alike. I am going to dedicate a post a day to each album I feel really summed up this year or just gave me the best piece of art.
#10
Blakroc – Blakroc
This album makes no sense…on paper.
Take The Black Keys: Ohio-blues rock popular amongst bearded journalists and their moms. They’ve stepped into the limelight with commercial spots and late night TV appearances, heavy touring schedule, and many festival stops. Now take that band and mix in some of the most succesful rap artists of the past two decades (RZA, Mos Def, Ludacris, Q-Tip, Raekwon, Jim Jones) putting words over the duo’s rock and blues.
It actually works out very well.
Immediately, one of the best emcees to levae this Earth, Ol’ Dirty Bastard lays down some insight into the female persuasion and the core of romance and relationships:
She used to tell me how much she loved me and how much she need me
How she can’t wait to get home and rub me, and hug me and squeeze me
And after that, she just popped that bubbly, and touched me and teased me
Whe she was mad, she would push and shove me, and fuck me and feed me
I gotta admit, I would spoiled and rotten, dirty down to the core
And I’m insane, almost to the point where I really don’t want it no more
But never that, I got back on track, and I had to put it together
Because without ‘em, my world is gone, so slip away, I won’t let her, I tell her
Most impressive is the ability of The Black Keys to keep their sound in this merger. Usually, you find the rock band stepping back, cutting out solos, free-form jam, and anything else they may do if they had the studio all to themselves. On the flipside, the fact that all these rap dudes saw this as a good idea and really put some heart into the collaboration just makes for a really tight package.
This makes me wonder why so many rap-rock products end up so poorly when this one worked so well. Maybe it’s that need for both sides to see the good side of both worlds and let one another bring their piece to the studio. Instead of saying “Hey, you rap after my solo” maybe it’s “Listen to this, write some lyrics, hit record” and I think that’s why this was such a success.
Metal Riot
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