Big Hip Hop Friday III

Republicans vs. Democrats, Mac vs. PC, Trek vs. Wars, Big Rock Friday vs. Big Hip Hop Friday: shall we ever find peace? I was greeted with a subversively unyogic arena-rock chant at my last class: ROCK! ROCK! ROCK!/HIP HOP! HIP HOP! HIP HOP! [which, to be clear, doesn't really scan]. Don’t hate the MP3 playa, hate the game: in this case, the game that’s got us thinking these styles of music as are Radically Different as radio stations† and video channels would have us believe. Sure, they’re different, doy, but they’ve both been developing to extraordinary depths over the last coupla decades [Lupe Fiasco OMG!] and as my friend Mr. Goodtimes used to say, when you reject an entire genre of music it’s like cutting off one of your fingers. He was talking specifically about musicians, so if you happen not to play anything let’s say it’s like cutting off one of your ears. And you only have two: One for Big Rock Friday, and one for Big Hip Hop Friday. Heeeere we go…

This one ended up a) kinda jazzy and b) a lot of love songs and [Heh.] body related songs. Not intentional, just kinda happened. To address the vicious rumours that I have created BHHF to refer to Teh Buttocks more often, it’s TOTALLY TRUE: Take the tops of the thighs back. Take the inner groins back and apart. Balance this opening with the tailbone rooting down. The beatings will continue until morale improves

“Call My Name”, Prince

“Ready or Not”, Fugees

“Flute Loop”, Beastie Boys

“Around The Way Girl”, LL Cool J [I loved this song when I was a tween. I had a Vuarnet bath towel and the Rosie-Perez-esque black Lycra-blend sundress with the sunflowers all over it and the flip-top Dwayne Wayne sunglasses, o rly]

“Just A Friend”, Biz Markie

“Ms Fat Booty”, Mos Def

“Happy Valentine’s Day”, André 3000

“Superstar”, Lupe Fiasco

“Compromise”, Shad [Coming to Vancouver on Feb. 21!!!1!!oneone!!]

“They Say”, Common feat. John Legend

“Happiness”, Dead Prez

“Namaste”, Beastie Boys

“Letter from Yokosuka”, Nujabes

“Alright”, D’Angelo

“Take Your Time”, Al Green feat. Corinne Bailey Rae

“How Long Has This Been Going On”, Brad Mehldau

†I realize the plural of anecdote is not data, and any representative of Vancouver’s rock radio stations is welcome to set me straight on this point, but M reports having never heard either Bad Brains or Living Colour on CFOX or Rock 101, at least not since this whole telecommunications-buyout juggernaut. Contrast that with an abundance of Beastie Boys or Average White Band [who don't even play rock IMHO]. <sings> One of these things is not like the other, one of these things just isn’t the same…sigh.

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