The Building Aint Big Enough

Me: There's a rapper called Kel Spencer who has a single out today.
You: What's up with all these 'real name no gimmick' MC's at the moment?
Me: I know. But this MC isn't actually called Kel.

You: So what's this Kel Spencer like? Is she good?

Me: It's a bloke, he's alright actually. He Co-wrote/ghost-wrote Switch by Will Smith.

You: Oh, I remember that track. It was pretty big in the charts and the clubs and that. But that's not exactly a good thing is it? I mean...Will Smith?

Me: Well, no. But this dude does obviously have the knack for writing a attention grabbing smash hit and it means he's sold a good few records!

You: So has he done anything a little more credible? Y'know, something I can be down with?

Me: Yeah fo' sho. He was on Jazzy Jeff's latest album on a track called 'The Definition'. Jazzy Jeff also said he's "The best rapper you've never heard of" and DJ Premier stated "Kel Spencer is Hip Hop". Can't mess with Premo can ya?

You: Oh. No.

'The Building' is definitely a club banger right down to the fact he's talking about being in a club. This track could easily be played alongside 'Pump it Up' by Joe Budden, 'Right Thurr' by Chingy and 'Tipsy' by J-Kwon. Make of that what you will. The track revolves around a Lil' Jon style chorus (the title of this post), a bassy kick andsome synthy claps.

Kel employs a funny little way of pronouncing his rhyming words ("I'ma turn it ud der du up//I'ma stutter der du der//See me push that whip through the hood der du der") that will have loads of girls drunkenly trying to imitate when it comes on. Spencer is on a 'this-is-how-great-I-am' trip here so expect to hear him compare himself to a pair of fancy kicks ("Im the latest edition, Limited der du der") amongst other such braggadocious metaphors.

By now the conversation between me and you is probably something like this:

You: But...you don't usually like this sort of music.

Me: No, I don't but you must understand this is a club track and it's a good club track. I mean, most clubs aren't gonna be playing Jehst or Braintax at their Hip Hop/R'n'B nights. No, those nights are made for music like this and therefore this music has it's place.

You: OK then, you have a point. I'm not going to deny I've never been on a night out to a place like that so I wont argue anymore!

Will Smith - Switch

Kel Spencer - The Building

DJ Jazzy Jeff - The Definition ft. Kel Spencer

In which I have hope for mainstream Hip Hop

I had decided to do this post before I heard this track but when I heard it yesterday it really summed up my thinking:

Kero One - Check The Blueprints

To sum his song up he's urging the Hip Hop community, particularly the artists, to look at how Hip Hop should be. He sees importance in analysing what made Hip Hop great in the 80's and 90's, taking those findings and applying it to making new music. Obviously this could lead to music sounding the same and being stuck in the past but what I hope to prove in ten tracks is that this might not be the case but that it actually might be the way forward. Many of these tracks are examples of how cats from back in the day have had to step up to the plate again to show the world how it should be done. I hope artists take note.

Guilty Simpson - Man's World (Produced by J Dilla)

J Dilla was a producer who really took inspiration from the culture of sampling in the 90's.

Q-Tip - Work It Out.mp3

Everyones favourite Tribin' ear cleaner is back and I'd be happy hearing this on the radio.

WC - Voodoo ft. The Game

That West Coast sound still does it for me.

Termanology - So Amazing (Produced by DJ Premier)

Sounding like Premo always does is not actually a bad thing and Termanology entertains.

DJ Jazzy Jeff - The Garden ft. Big Daddy Kane

Two Old School cats bring the freshness.

Mr. J. Medeiros - Silent Earth

This sounds 90's-ish due to it's feel good vibes and sampling.

Marco Polo - Nostalgia ft. Masta Ace

(Old guy + New guy) x 90's influences = good Hip Hop

KRS-One & Marley Marl - Hip Hop Lives

Old guy + Old guy - rivalry = good Hip Hop

Chamillionaire - Hip-Hop Police ft. Slick Rick

When I played this to my brother, he asked "Is this Chamillionaire?", I said "Yes, how can you tell?", he replied "Becasue it sounds like 50 Cent but without the mumbling" - or something like that. Slick Rick is funny. This is probably the most out of place choice here but I do like it.

One more to finish off with:

Jeru the Damaja - One Day

This is a nice short imaginary story personifying Hip Hop and telling of the day when it was kidnapped by the likes of Puff Daddy (or whatever ridiculous moniker he' going under today). Don't worry though, they get Hip Hop back safe and sound.

Download all the tracks here in a zippedy doo dah file.