The Great HTF Music Challenge (1 Viewer)

[John Dirk]

Richie Rich, "Do G's Get to Go to Heaven" - The support tracks are good. It still lost me with the vocals as it's non-meter poetry read over music in such a way to force rhymes and rhythm. Like with most rap songs I missed lots of the lyrical content but heard enough of what sounded like excuse making that I looked up the lyrics. I don't particularly like the intent as it sends a very mixed message with its excuses/justification for a life of crime as the means to support a family asking God at the end if it's OK anyway because it was for my family and I knew better.

Fair enough. I took it more like a poetic deathbed confession asking for forgiveness when faced with ones ultimate demise.

 

[JohnRice]

2,441 posts.

Impressive work John.

 

[BobO'Link]

Of all the threads here, this one is the one I get most happy about when there's a new post. It, more than any other on HTF, has cost me more $$ due to purchases based on posts and has caused the largest growth spurt my music collection has seen in several years.

 

[John Dirk]

Thanks @JohnRice for the kind words. Thanks @BobO'Link for your amazing knowledge and depth in multiple genres of music. Whether I ultimately agree or not, I look forward to your comments because they are always well thought out, something I appreciate.

I am just happy I can discuss my love of music with like-minded individuals although I do wish some of the Hip Hop and Rap fans I've heard exist here would join in.

 

[BobO'Link]

Could it be that they're afraid, or hesitant, to expand their listening environment? I've known lots of people with that attitude. It's why I force feed all those styles to my grandkids when they ride with me so they'll at least have experienced multiple genres and hopefully be less narrow minded about music styles.

 

[jcroy]

Could it be that they're afraid, or hesitant, to expand their listening environment? I've known lots of people with that attitude. It's why I force feed all those styles to my grandkids when they ride with me so they'll at least have experienced multiple genres and hopefully be less narrow minded about music styles.

As far as I can figure out, my younger nieces/nephews by default find the music of "older people" to be automatically crap. They think I and their parents have really poor taste in music.

 

[BobO'Link]

As far as I can figure out, my younger nieces/nephews by default find the music of "older people" to be automatically crap. They think I and their parents have really poor taste in music.

Mine do not. My oldest grandson, a 18yo (in a month) boy loves Bon Jovi, Clapton, Pink Floyd, ZZ Top, Zeppelin, Steely Dan, and many other classic rock groups as well as 90s alternative groups like Nirvana and Pearl Jam. His oldest sister (14yo) considers The Beatles the greatest rock group ever and also likes ZZ Top. His other sister (11yo) also loves The Beatles, Ides of March, Harry Nilsson, The Allman Brothers Band (yes, an 11yo girl loves ABB), early Chicago, Tyrone Davis, The Supremes, ZZ Top, and more (she likes mid-late 60s pop, rock, and soul more than her brother and sister). Most Art Rock (Yes, King Crimson, ELP, and others) is a harder sell as is Fusion (Stanley Clarke, Jeff Beck, Mahavishnu Orchestra, etc.) but they generally don't complain if I put it on - it really depends on the song with those. Their mom, my daughter, also listens to many things from my collection and injects stuff from her HS years, some of which I don't listen to as she was given similar treatment growing up.

My son's kids (ages 5, 8, and 10) live too far away to be regularly influenced by my collection but their dad listens to lots of things that could easily have come from my collection, after all - he received a similar indoctrination into music, and other material as well so I tend to think they, too, are getting a good musical education.

 

[sleroi]

Do Gs Get to go to Heaven - I like his voice and the actual rapping. The repeated chorus not so much. The organ or keyboards in the background was nice, but the main beat was too slow and dull for my tastes. But Ill probably sample some more of his music over the next few days and see if I find something I like.

And as far as lamenting that more rap or hip hop fans havent joined in, I scoured my collection for hip hop-ish or rap songs and this is what I came up with:

Foxy Shazam, I Like It - the music may not be hip hop but the subject matter is.



Moistboyz are a punk band, but they think theyre gangster.





I had forgotten about this song from Afroman, but I like it



And finally theres this:

 

[John Dirk]

Foxy Shazam, I Like It

- the music may not be hip hop but the subject matter is.

I would respectfully disagree. Hip Hop was born out of a desire to channel aggressive energy into something positive. Back in the day street gangs solved their problems with knives or possibly even guns. Hip Hop was a movement meant to change this dynamic and violence gave way to Break Dancing and Rap competitions. The film Beat Street does a pretty good job of chronicling the movement.

As for this particular song, I would call it "Grunge Rock" but I could be wrong.

Moistboyz - 01 - Carjack

Moistboyz are a punk band, but they think theyre gangster.

Well, perhaps they are both? I didn't find this one at all interesting musically however it does illustrate the combining of two seemingly disparate genres, which I like. It's always been my belief that your preferences are more defined by environment as opposed to race or anything else. Songs like this support that theory, as do artists such as M & M, Lenny Kravitz and Bobby Caldwell who I mentioned back in post #2333.


Moistboyz - 03 - Lazy And Cool
This one has a decent rhyme flow if you can get past the unnecessary yelling. Again, I like the combination of styles here. As I listened I was thinking, "this song could use a good guitar solo" and then they played one! Not a bad tune.

Afroman - Because I Got High (Official Video)
This is an old school classic and perhaps the most humorous cautionary tale I've heard.

Das Racist - Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell​

A fitting closing selection for this post.

The good news here is, if these songs are a true representation of your overall exposure to Rap and Hip Hop, there is a literal world of amazing content out there just waiting for you to discover should you be so inclined.

 

[BobO'Link]

Foxy Shazam, "I Like It" - I'd call this grunge/punk bordering on metal more than anything else. It's OK but not in my wheelhouse though I'd not change the channel should it come one the radio.

Moistboyz, "Carjack" - This one, too, sounds more grunge/punk to me with leanings towards rap based on the delivery of the lyrics. It kind of reminds me of Green Jello (aka Green Jelly after being sued by Kraft Foods) a bit. I didn't particularly care for this one's "melody" but the backing track has potential.

Moistboyz, "Lazy and Cool" - Nothing here for me. Kind of repetitious and the fuzz box vocals don't help at all.

Afroman, "Because I Got High" - I like this one. Speaks to some of my mis-spent youth years quite well... I wasn't nearly that irresponsible but *did* skip a few college classes because... Oh... I also liked Jay and Silent Bob's cameos...

Das Racist, "Combination Pizza Hut And Taco Bell" - This one's just... odd... Kind of good for a one-off but nothing I'd listen to with any kind of regularity. I've know lots of people who'd be rolling in the floor listening to this one.

 

[John Dirk]

(The text editor has decided everything will be bold - No idea why)​

I'll risk the assumption that most here are familiar with Vanessa Williams, either from her film work, infamous past or perhaps both. While never known primarily as a singer, I've always enjoyed this selection by her.​

Vanessa Williams - Save The Best For Last (Official Video)​

​

 

[BobO'Link]

Vanessa Williams, "Save The Best For Last" - Nice song. Who would've thought she could sing?

 

[John Dirk]

We've discussed The O'Jays here before but not this particular song to my knowledge. It pretty much explains my feelings on the subject and should have been the song I used to start the thread.

The O'Jays - I Love Music (1975)​

 

[John Dirk]

We've also covered a couple of songs by female phenom, Lauryn Hill but here are a couple more I felt were noteworthy.

This one is a collaboration with Carlos Santana and Ceelo Green on male vocals.

Santana Feat Feat Lauryn Hill & Cee-Lo - Do You Like The Way (Studio Version)​

This is one of those songs that I feel perfectly captures the true nature of the dilemma of when art and business collide. I think it worth repeating from the last time I featured this artist, she was only 23 years old when she wrote this song. It is truly unfortunate her erratic personal issues made her an "unbankable" talent and led to her demise as I feel she had a whole lot more to offer artistically.

Lauryn Hill - Superstar​

 

[Malcolm R]

Vanessa Williams, "Save The Best For Last" - Nice song. Who would've thought she could sing?

She had seven Top 40 hits from 1988-1995. Another of hers I liked was the theme from Disney's Pocahontas, "Colors of the Wind"

 

[BobO'Link]

The O'Jays, "I Love Music" - I really like the open and percussion track on this one. Song's not bad either in spite of it sounding borderline disco. Yeah, this *would* have made for a very good first post.

 

[Bryan^H]

Foxy Shazam - I Like it.
This reminds me of the band 'The Darkness' and their video for " I Believe in a Thing Called Love". Music video is out there, and over the top, with the actual track being pretty uninteresting. Not my thing

Moistboyz - Carjack
I didn't like this one at all.

Afroman - Because I got High

Funny lyrics, and musically pretty decent. I remember this, but just barely. Brought a smile hearing it again. Fun.

Das Racist - Combination Pizza Hut, and Taco Bell.
Sounds like two dudes got stoned got a hold of a $300 Akai drum machine, and spent the day whipping this track up.
I'm sure they had fun making it, but nothing for me to like about it.

Vanessa Williams - Save the Best for Last

Love her voice, love the track, and oh yeah she is one of the most beautiful girls to ever walk the earth, so there's that too.

 

[BobO'Link]

Santana Feat Feat Lauryn Hill & Cee-Lo, "Do You Like The Way" - Well... I normally like Santana but not this song. It's too much a rap song. Santana was mostly wasted with a boring, almost monochromatic, background and a couple of solos, which was good but not good enough to save the rest for me. It *did* develope true vocals in the last half but that incredibly boring, repeating 2 measure step up/2 measure step down chord structure was just too much of nothing.

Lauryn Hill, "Superstar" - This one took a bit too long, IMHO, to get going. Otherwise it was OK but just didn't really do much for me. Kind of like the song with Santana it was a bit too repetitive/monotonous with the rhythm/chord structure. She has a nice voice and some good technique in spite of this. And then it turns into a rap toward the end... oh well...

 

[Bryan^H]

Love Unlimited Orchestra - Love's Theme



Fantastic. I wish instrumentals like this still existed in the radio landscape of modern music.

 

[BobO'Link]

Vanessa Williams, "Colors of the Wind" - I liked the first track posted much, much more. This was a rather typical Disney animation song - I very much like most of the songs in Disney animated features.