Thinking Man's Hip-Hop
Here's a playlist idea I've been kicking around in my head for the last few weeks. There's a lot of really intelligent lyrics in hip-hop that either get ignored because it's not easily sold or they just get lost in the beat. Here's a finely crafted (or at least to me) playlist of songs that evoke after thought, that make you want to go back, listen to them again, and then think about the subject matter, what the MC's argument is, and how they articulate their ideas. This is definitely a headphone playlist with a minimal amount of distractions, if any. You really need to listen deeply to the lyrics to get everything, but when you do it gives you faith in a genre that is so entrenched with negative stereotypes about a shallow, materialistic lifestyle that seems to be the fantasy of a large percentage of its listeners. So sit back and enjoy the sounds, and who knows... maybe you might learn something or change an opinion or even gain an opinion!
I also just wanted to add that these are my conclusions to the songs, feel free to agree, add, or disagree with them. Thank you.
01. "Letter From God to Man" -
Dan Le Sac vs. Scroobius Pip -
Angles (2008)
Probably one of the most intelligent looks at religion I've ever seen. It's neither biased towards one side or the other, but puts the listener in the shoes of "God" and what their opinion of us would be after seeing all the horrible things we've done to both this planet and in "his" name. Fairly straight forward in it's thesis, but gets the point across in an addictive way, and even samples some Radiohead song (so for many of you there's reason to listen to it already).
02. "This Is My Hit" -
Kyprios -
Say Something (2008)
A satirical look at what hip hop has become in the mainstream eyes, looking at people as statistics and demographics rather than actual individuals. He makes a great point that a 14-year old girl is pretty much the most sought after demographic from all angles. I have to say I'm very proud to be from the same country and city as this man and would totally love to sit down and have a beer with him some day.
03. ``A Radio With Guts`` -
Input -
A Radio With Guts (2004)
A different take on what Kyrpios was saying, basically adding that the height of the industry is to make a song with a catchy beat for a ringtone. He also makes the point that the radio has changed so much from being a reliable source for music, to nothing but artists trying to outdo each other and with no message or soul to their music.
04. ``The Gates`` -
CunninLynguists (ft. Tonedeff) -
A Piece of Strange (2006)
This is a very well crafted song that definitely needs to be turned up and paid VERY close attention to. In a nutshell it tells the story of a man ascending to Heaven, only to be stopped by a figure and told that they must atone for their sins on Earth. It then warps into this very interesting look at mixed-race relationships and their effect on children. My only complaint is that it`s too short, but perhaps there`s more cryptic information that I have just missed.
05. ``Pot of Stew`` -
Sweatshop Union -
Water Street (2008)
Almost everyone has reached a point in their life where they needed help, be it mental, physical, or financial. I am sure we all have a story about how a friend or family member helped you out when you needed it. Well essentially that`s what the song is about, helping others, but only after you`ve reached a point in your life where you are comfortable enough to be able to do so and as the chorus goes, ``You do what you gotta do just to get that pot of stew, and when you`ve got a modest pot you`ll want a lot it`s true. And once you've got a lot you gotta stop and lock your view on those that need it most get em on their feet and show em how to do what they gotta do just to get their pot of stew.``
06. ``Today`` -
LuciDream -
Choose the Madness (2006)
A personal favourite of mine which I have tried to bring more attention to over the past year. It is a perfect example that we are becoming a society of people who don`t listen, but just talk. When we meet someone we disagree passionately enough with, instead of listening we will just try and talk over them, voicing our opinions as loudly as possible and to hell with the rest.
07. ``Little Man`` -
Atmosphere -
You Can`t Imagine How Much Fun We`re Having (2005)
Perhaps this is a little biased of me to have an opinion on seeing as how I do not have a child, but it really is one of Slug`s more personal tracks. It certainly does raise the idea of what being a parent is all about, especially in an industry where drugs, alcohol, and promiscuity are standard business practices.
08. ``Alibi`` -
Dessa -
A Badly Broken Code (2010)
Friends fu
ck up. That`s just one of the things that come with having them. When they do fu
ck up you`re left with a few options, give emotional support from a distance, tell them it`s their own damn fault that they got into their predicament, or offer them some respite, a place to crash and let them work out their own problems without you drawing your own conclusions. The latter is certainly a hard decision to make, but if a friend is willing to make that kind of decision for you then you know they are a friend for life.
09. ``Deception`` -
Blackalicious -
Nia (1999)
OK this one is probably the easiest one to figure out, but still the message is solid. I`m not even going to bother explaining it because Gift of Gab flat out says what it is at the end of the song.
10. ``Stop Complaining`` -
Lyrics Born -
Later That Day (2003)
I decided to end with this song because it more or less offers some counter arguments to every song on this playlist, and therefore brings some balance to it. Life is full of sh
it, and sitting around complaining about it doesn`t solve anything or make anything better. It victimizes you in order to gain sympathy, and well sometimes you deserve it and sometimes you don`t. Take the song for what it is, but like I said, it`s mainly here to balance out the rest of the playlist.
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