errbody know it ain't trickin' if u got it

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

OMG T.I. IS SO FIIIIINE. Those cheekbones! My knees are weakening just looking at them.

Anyway yes the great thing about T.I.'s amazingly sexy voice is that it works equally well whether he's swaggering hard or doing this singsong romantic croon, this is like a softer flip-reversal of 'What You Know' for the LAYDEEZ and I think I love it.

There hasn't been enough Lil' Wayne talk on poptimists either - he's made probably the best hip-hop album of the year, in a really great year for hip-hop albums (Bun B and Gucci Mane are two other favourites, eagerly anticipating T.I., Lil' Kim and Young Jeezy). Anywhere here is the video for 'A Milli' which has by all accounts eaten America alive, and I really do hope it does the same here.

It looks like the post-'Lollipop' singles off Tha Carter III are going to form some sort of overarching narrative too which is cool - I like the way the 'Got Money' video casts Weezy as, like, some sort of post-Katrina Robin Hood figure redistributing wealth as opposed to just a rapper bragging 'bout $$$$. Anyway as I was saying elsewhere today this track really grew on me, on first listen it's a(nother) cheesy T-Pain club banger but there are so many odd little tics throughout to keep your interest piqued - the handclaps, "I'm a GREAT DANE", the 'Umbrella' riffing, "so much ice they yell SKATE WAYNE", "bitch I'm the bomb like TICK - TICK - BEEYATCH!!!". Sadly half of those tics are in Wayne's third verse which is replaced to no discernibly positive effect on the single version by a Mack Maine guest verse but really you should be going out to buy the album anyway in order to encourage stoopid record companies to release these singles here at all.

Comments

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

I like the 'A Milli' video, and Wayne seems reasonably interesting as an MC, but I still can't get with the track much. I'd probably casually dance to it happily enough but really I don't think I've ever liked hip-hop this slow and especially not this sparse.

Sometimes it can be one or the other and I'll enjoy it more (e.g. Drop it Like Its Hot, altho that needed a few months to grow on me) but when its both I find it pretty hard to get excited about. It's been going on a while now and I just don't think rhymes over 808 (or similar) beats is enough and I can't see my attitude changing on this.

Your thing about it (not) blaring from cars is apt here. This trend in hip-hop production really sounds like 'for the car first', particularly cars with huge systems, so that the 808 kickdrum sounds as immense as possible (it can often sound pretty weak otherwise). But this isn't a big stumbling block really (doesn't hurt booty-bass or whatever), it's just the speed/space issue for me.

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

if the MC is good enough rhymes over 808 will always be sufficient - as much as I love great production and think it can really make a track, the MC's meant to be the centrepiece, I think 'A Milli' is a real statement on Wayne's part as to how great he is. I like all the freestyles on it which have sprung up, Lil' Mama's is especially great. Have you heard Tha Carter III btw? I think objectively it's not quite as amazing as Tha Carter II but this doesn't seem to matter, I'm still in the throes of an obsession with it...favourites apart from 'A Milli' are 'La La', 'Shoot Me Down' and 'Mr Carter' probably.

Re: current favourite C3 verse

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

i heard the Chris Brown freestyle but no others yet. i've avoided the albums due to my aforementioned issues with production ethos. hard to not think it might be not worth it as i'll just be listening for cool rhythmic ideas/sounds that just ain't there (like going to a cocktail bar for a belgian beer, or something).

i am REALLY bored of 808 (also 'orch hits' which i hear in 'Got Money' altho i probably prefer that to 'A Milli' on first listen) now personally tho and it's become a bugbear for me. please use other drums (e.g. like the ones on New Amerykah?)! i don't want my indifference for a lot of this stuff to turn to actual dislike :/

also as an aside youtube is pretty much the only way i hear this stuff now, and the sound on this clip was weird - the bass/"A milli" loop going really muffled for the verses but much louder elsewhere. weird.

Re: current favourite C3 verse

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

Tha Carter III is really varied, production-wise.

Yeah the sound on all the clips I found was weird, dunno why that is! figured that was better than the (ugh) clean version though, like way to destroy half the appeal.

current favourite C3 verse

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

(Lil Wayne)
(Uh!)
Sittin in a Caddy, Wright like Betty
Floatin up the aisle like the bride and her daddy
Hip-hop addict, hip-hop addict
Man I swear I'm on top like the attic
Yeah bitch, I be with my dog like Shaggy
And we stay clean but get dirty like Harry
Flyer than bluebirds, cardinals and canaries
Fuck me, I'm all about "Oui" like Paris
Hilton Presidential Suite already
I'm richer than Nicole and I'm a Lion like her Daddy
I'm am hotter than the Sunday after Saturday
I swear I'm a savage like Lil Webbie and Randy
Oscar De La Hoya, box you like a casket
Or Diego Coralles, nigga keep jabbin
See my style it varies, like drugs in an alley
My leather so soft my paint prettier than Halle
Wittier than comedy, nigga write a parody
But I ain't tellin jokes...apparently
Apparent, yeah my daughter be the twinkle of my eye
You hurt her, you kill me and nigga I ain't bout to die
See y'all are at ground, and my daughter is my sky
I swear I look in her face and I just want to break out and fly
Four tears in my face and you ain't never heard me cry
I'm richer than all y'all, I got a bank full of pride

(Chorus)
Ow, started out hustlin, ended up ballin
Nigga I'm the shit, get the fuck up out my toilet
Started with my girlfriend, ended with her homies
Started out hustlin, ended up ballin
Started out hustlin, ended up ballin x2
Nigga I'm the shit, get the fuck up out my toilet

Re: current favourite C3 verse

[alexmacpherson.livejournal.com]

haha and I've ONLY JUST realised yet another double meaning thing, apparent = a parent DYS!!!!

Re: current favourite C3 verse

[chezghost.livejournal.com]

ha ha, i know the lyrics are often good/funny but i never really care about what's being specifically said (applies to pretty much all music not just rap)