Wednesday, September 10, 2003
I like, but don't love, the Streets's Original Pirate Material. Two things about it nag at me.
1. I suspect that in a couple of years, we'll respond to it the way we do to Moby's Play (Pazz & Jop '99 winner): "Well, it's good, but it's not that good/I never listen to it."
2. It's one of those rap-albums-that-(white)-people-who-don't-like-rap-like. Arested Development (Pazz & Jop '92 winner), please come to the white courtesy phone.
Of course, I do like it better than the trio of albums which beat it in this year's Pazz & Jop (Wilco, Beck, Lips). Musically, it's interesting, though not astounding. And what white guy doesn't occasionally enjoy the sound of an other white guy, lazily rapping? But I've gotten to thinking about the Streets again in light of the Mercury Prize nod for, and win last night by, Dizzee Rascal. Frankly, Dizzee makes the Streets look like a rank amateur.
First of all, Dizzee's 18. 18! Secondly, he's weird: for his current single "Fix Up Look Sharp," he built the track around "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier - yes, that Billy fucking Squier. And yeah, Reynolds is right - he's clearly the most exciting, and important, UK MC since Tricky. And the scary thing is, he might be better. [BTW, Simon's got an excerpt from Dizzee's acceptance speech up, in which he big-ups the bloggers!]
Yeah, this post is a bit underdone, 'cause I don't have Boy in Da Corner with me at the moment. May try to flesh it out later.
1. I suspect that in a couple of years, we'll respond to it the way we do to Moby's Play (Pazz & Jop '99 winner): "Well, it's good, but it's not that good/I never listen to it."
2. It's one of those rap-albums-that-(white)-people-who-don't-like-rap-like. Arested Development (Pazz & Jop '92 winner), please come to the white courtesy phone.
Of course, I do like it better than the trio of albums which beat it in this year's Pazz & Jop (Wilco, Beck, Lips). Musically, it's interesting, though not astounding. And what white guy doesn't occasionally enjoy the sound of an other white guy, lazily rapping? But I've gotten to thinking about the Streets again in light of the Mercury Prize nod for, and win last night by, Dizzee Rascal. Frankly, Dizzee makes the Streets look like a rank amateur.
First of all, Dizzee's 18. 18! Secondly, he's weird: for his current single "Fix Up Look Sharp," he built the track around "The Big Beat" by Billy Squier - yes, that Billy fucking Squier. And yeah, Reynolds is right - he's clearly the most exciting, and important, UK MC since Tricky. And the scary thing is, he might be better. [BTW, Simon's got an excerpt from Dizzee's acceptance speech up, in which he big-ups the bloggers!]
Yeah, this post is a bit underdone, 'cause I don't have Boy in Da Corner with me at the moment. May try to flesh it out later.
# posted by Thomas : 8:49 AM
