Posts tagged ‘Music’
Lolly’s Top 5 Hip Hop Hits of 2008
Runner-ups: “Swagga Like Us” by Jay-Z, T.I. et al., “Whatever You Like” by T.I., “Love in This Club” by Usher featuring Young Jeezy, “Touch My Body” by Mariah Carey
#5 Flo Rida featuring T-Pain “Low”
Apple Bottom Jeans have never sounded so good. Flo Rida’s solo debut album, Mail on Sunday, soared to the top of the charts with this first hit single. “Elevator” featuring Timbaland and “In the Ayer” featuring will.i.am solidified this preeminent rapper’s spot among the best. The catchy lyrics and ground-shaking/booty-thumping bass make this song almost impossible not to dance to. I found it hazardous to drive my car whenever “Low” came on because my hands inevitably ended up anywhere but on the steering wheel.
#4 Estelle featuring Kanye West “American Boy”
“Don’t like his baggy jeans, but I’ma like what’s underneath ’em,” sexy UK artist Estelle coos, as Kanye provides a little self-promotion: “Who killin’ ’em in the UK/Everybody gonna say you K/Reluctantly cuz most of the press don’t fuck wit’ me.” Kanye West’s laid back rhymes perfectly complement Estelle’s sultry melody: It’s as if they’re making love in the studio! What I enjoy most about this song, however, is its promotion of the United States. As Estelle cites all of the places she wants to visit in the Land of the Free, we feel enticed to do the same…and to have a little more love for our American boys at home and abroad.
#3 Kanye West “Love Lockdown”
Stylistically, Kanye West took a lot of risks in his most current album, 808s & Heartbreak. But Kanye has taken artistic risks throughout his career, usually with great success (e.g. not censoring the “N-word” in “Jesus Walks,” sampling Daft Punk in “Stronger”). 808s and Heartbreak is Kanye West’s first album without a Parental Advisory sticker, and he replaces rapping with singing to lyrics that undoubtedly reflect the recent death of his mother and break-up with his fiancee. The use of the 808 and tribal drums gives “Love Lockdown” an originality unparalleled by other chart-topping songs of 2008. In it, we hear a vulnerability, which is all the more refreshing when held up against the “bad ass” personas within Kanye’s ilk.
#2 M.I.A. “Paper Planes”
Although the background is relatively upbeat and part of it was prominently sampled in “Swagga Like Us,” “Paper Planes” has a sad tone to it, even without respect to the lyrics. A children’s choir, gunshot sounds, and the ringing of a cash register occupy the song’s chorus as Mathangi “Maya” Arulpragasam (M.I.A) spits out her poetry of sociopolitical satire. I feel “Paper Planes” captures the melancholy air of 2008 better than any other track.
#1 Lil Wayne “Lollipop”
In his hit single “Lollipop,” New Orleans native Lil Wayne boasts that he’s going to “hit it, hit it like [he] can’t miss.” Although he’s clearly talking about a sexual act, the same could be said about his ability to score a slam dunk on one of this summer’s most memorable songs.
Stephen “Static Major” Garrett, who died in February 2008, posthumously topped the Billboard Hot 100 as the featured singer in “Lollipop.” The music video is dedicated in his memory. Garrett was an incredible songwriter: Who could forget Ginuwine’s “Pony” (1996) or Aaliyah’s “Are You That Somebody” (1998)? Although multiple remixes followed its release, the version of “Lollipop” in the music video continues to be the most popular.
“Lollipop” deserves the foremost position on my countdown because, no matter how many times Movin’ 92 or KUBE 93 played it, I never grew tired of the song’s blatant allusions to oral sex or the scratchy vocals of Mr. Carter. If anything, I wanted to come back for more, just as Lil Wayne’s shawty does: “Just like a refund/I make her bring that ass back.”
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“Oops, I Didn’t Know We Couldn’t Talk About Sex”: Feminine Angstiest Songs #1
In 1994, Madonna released Bedtime Stories, an album with less overt sexuality than Erotica (1992) but with plenty of imagery nonetheless. Although “Secret” and “Take A Bow” were the most popular singles on this multi-Platinum album, “Human Nature” takes the cake when it comes to expressing feminine angst. I’ll explain why in this first installment of many about songs I like to jam to when I’m feeling like a man-eater.
Before Madonna rendered herself curveless through yoga and God only knows what else, she filmed the music video for “Human Nature,” wearing body-hugging black vinyl and donning chestnut cornrows among a sea of smutty men and women. Anonymous hands begin to fondle a seated Madonna just before she slams her legs shut. We then see her dancing in a white box, along with the other dancers in S&M-esque garb. Throughout the song, Madonna seductively whispers the following mantra: “Express yourself, don’t repress yourself.” The backless, frontless boxes could represent superficial repression from which Madonna is ultimately free with access through the front and back doors.
Madonna is unapologetic about her sexuality, self-expression, and decisions: “I’m not sorry / It’s human nature / And I’m not sorry / I’m not your bitch / Don’t hang your shit on me.” Sometimes a partner’s words and actions serve as an attempt to silence us, but we can take the upper-hand in the blame game. I’ve taken this too far by refusing to apologize for things that actually are my fault, but I like the concept of using human nature as a defense when appropriate.
“Human Nature” came back to life in Madonna’s 2001 Drowned World Tour as she performed it while riding a mechanical bull. Not to be outdone by her past self, Madonna recruited Britney Spears to sing along in November 2008. This version of “Human Nature” includes the infamous line, “It’s Britney, bitch!” The cougar and her cub have been released into the wild yet again.
Unabashed and unwilling to adhere to haphazard social constructions, Madonna delivers yet another knockout performance. My favorite line of the song poses an age-old question: “Would it sound better if I were a man?”
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“The Dutchess” is D to the E to the L-I-C-I-O-U-S!
Fergie’s solo debut album, “The Dutchess,” came out in September 2006, but several of the singles continue to dominate on top 40 and hip hop stations. I received the CD in the mail a few months ago as a sort of gag gift and ended up enjoying it more than the sender or I could ever imagine. As far as hitting a home run track after track, I would put it on the same shelf as Alanis Morrisette’s “Jagged Little Pill,” Eminem’s “The Eminem Show,” or Lucinda Williams’s “Essence.” Here’s a track-by-track analysis of what this album has to offer:
- “Fergalicious” – This light, upbeat track kicks off the album with Black Eyed Peas band mate, will.i.am, making his first of many cameo appearances. Fergie flexes her rapping muscle by rhyming “promiscuous” with “suspicious,” “fictitious,” and “kisses.” Those who enjoyed Black Eyed Peas’s “My Humps” will definitely dig “Fergalicious.”
- “Clumsy” – Reminiscent of the soda shop pop of the 50s and 60s, “Clumsy” captures the fun and fresh vibe of a different era while still adhering to hip hop standards. Released as the album’s fifth single, “Clumsy” was the first track that reached out to me from the radio waves, luring me in with its clever coyness.
- “All That I Got (The Make Up Song)” – This song gives us a glimpse of Fergie’s vulnerable side as she asks, “Would you still love me if I didn’t workout or I didn’t change my natural hair?” It seems a bit odd coming from someone who boasted, “And I know I’m coming off just a little bit conceited / when I keep on repeating how the boys want to eat it,” two tracks before, but it showcases some of her vocal talent.
- “London Bridge” – The album’s first single came across as annoying at first, but it grew on me. If nothing else, it has a good beat, and the cockiness of the lyrics gives the song a lot of energy.
- “Pedestal” – Co-written by Fergie (like all the songs on the album), the song aptly begins with, “Your pedestal is falling down,” to the tune of the nursery rhyme, “London Bridge is Falling Down.” With clever angst, Fergie dishes out her opinion of haters in the industry.
- “Voodoo Doll” – I think this song is about the difficulty of coming to grips with sexuality, feminity, and biology. Fergie laments, “This body’s a temple of doom,” and a lot of my ladies probably understand where she’s coming from. No, being a sex symbol is not all it’s cracked up to be.
- “Glamorous” – Although it’s not one of my favorite tracks, I can see why it became such a huge hit. There’s something glamorously ghetto about the way Fergie spits out her rhymes.
- “Here I Come” – Fergie and will.i.am sample “Get Ready” by the Temptations and, in doing so, produce a fresh and modern hit. While Fergie’s vocals fit the song, will.i.am steals the show on this one with his rapid rhymes.
- “Velvet” – This track is more sensual than Fergie’s backside with romantic poeticity (<-yes, that’s really a word…I found it hard to believe at first myself) and lyrical smoothness throughout. The last 10 or so seconds are nothing short of arousing: There’s a reason this one wasn’t played on the radio.
- “Big Girls Don’t Cry” – This smash success really allowed the world to see that Fergie was more than a pretty face and rockin’ bod. Unfortunately, I still can’t get over the following line: “And I’m gonna miss you like a child misses their blanket.”
- “Mary Jane Shoes” – It’s a little bit reggae and a little bit rock ‘n’ roll, and everytime I listen to it I want to throw on a baby doll dress and some matching mary janes. I appreciate the simplicity of this song, and it’s a welcome departure from the sexed up vibe of most of the other tracks.
- “Losing My Ground” – As she did in “All That I Got,” Fergie displays a bit of vulnerability in this ballad.
- “Finally” – Stacy Ferguson could be mistaken for Christina Aguilera because of her range and vocal control throughout this song. I must admit to having chills run down my spine the first time I heard it.
- “Maybe We Can Take a Ride” – Keep listening for this ghost track: It’s worth the few moments of silence.
The Lollygabber 
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