Is this another novelty track or is it topical hip-hop commentary? It can be both. As a song on it’s own it is fine enough, vaguely heading towards MC Lars territory, the track itself is almost a childlike parody of itself but this actually works well with the, at times, incredibly funny and, at others, cuttingly satirical lyrics. The video (supposedly turned down by MTV for being too political!?) is a must see for anyone with three minutes to spare. Only time will tell if this one can viral it’s way to bigger things or if indeed it is only amusing for five minutes online. I hope it’s the former, if only so the lyrics get the audience they deserve.
Rizz MC – The Post 9-11 Blues
biggYbigg – It’s Bigger Than You Think
On no, please gods no. It’s an inuendo ridden summer novelty song being given radio play by Howard Stern. These things should really be banned by Act Of Parliament (Tone Loc being given special exemption status). Hopefully uncounted downloads will keep this forever out of the charts and off UK radio because if it gets any exposure the sun-addled UK record buying public will snap it up with cries of “it’s not shite, it’s funny & catchy and I like it”. Pity the fools and remember kids, too much sun is bad for you, under no circumstances purchase music while under the influence of it.
The Holloways – 2 Left Feet
June 18, 2006
This is Ska, this is for dancing to. There are shades of Dexy’s Midnight Runners in here with that violin riff wrapping around the guitars. And there’s shades of many a long night for me when the only thing in the world that mattered was the dancefloor and that the ska-ska-ska beat never ever stopped. Wonderfully uplifting and drunkenly self-deprecating hopeless romanticism. I have little understanding of how anyone could listen to this and not smile and dance and skank and smile. This is what I’d always wished 2-Tone had progressed directly onto, it lacks the emotional emptyness of late 80s Ska and it lacks the american pop-punk debasement the skater kids offered ska. It has the light-hearted fun, the “this is my life, this is what I sing about” simple social commentary lyrics and it has that wonderful, wonderful ska bounce—I’m dancing as I type.
The Rank Delux – Style / Do What You Want
June 17, 2006
This is real filthy, filthy ska—worlds away from the post-2-Tone UK radio fluff and unrecognisable to american teen pop-punk skaters and I’m glad. Ska should always have options on that rough and angry fighting from the gutter feel to it found here. It’s not nice and it’s not pretty, it’s as if a 60s Jamaica band have ran through a sewer full of 70s UK punk avoiding the softening influences of other ska incarnations through the years and you’ll be lucky to escape this without a bloody fight. Angry dancing stuff & I love it.
