Now Here's A Little Something You May Not Like

Feels like a while since there's been a rap selection and, with Saturday's sunshine, shorts and smiles during the day replaced by torrential rain through the night, something a little less languid for a soggy Sunday seems in order.

A mixed bag, as ever, mostly 21st century, apart from a remix of Beastie Boys from 1999 that I couldn't resist including and which provides today's post title. A little bit of an alternative music crossover here and there, with Lethal Bizzle taking on The Ruts and The Black Keys masquerading as Blackroc, collaborating with Jim Jones.

There's the characteristic nod to my birthplace, care of local boy done good Tricky, and another track from one of my favourite albums so far this year, from Mr. Oizo (yes, really) and Phra aka Francesco Barbaglia from Crookers. 

I'll confess that I haven't listened deeply to the lyrics of all of the tracks featured here, so my apologies for any inappropriate cussing or questionable content.

1) Big 'n Bashy (Original Mix): Fallacy ft. Tubby T (2003)

2) Alive (B.R.A. Remix By Bentley Rhythm Ace): Beastie Boys (1999)

3) Sea Level: Little Simz ft. ALXA & Mick Jenkins (2015)

4) Bristol To London: Tricky ft. Blackman & Marlon Thaws (2010)

5) The City (Remix): Darwin Deez ft. DJ Hummus (2011)

6) Babylon's Burning The Ghetto: Lethal Bizzle (2007)

7) Flip Flop Rock: Outkast ft. Killer Mike & Jay-Z (2003)

8) Queen Of Hearts: The Black Opera ft. Mayer Hawthorne (2012)

9) What It Look Like (Pocketknife's Poppinspiel The Glockenspiel Remix): Spank Rock (2007)

10) Rumbling: Young Fathers (2011)

11) Un Attimo (Album Version): Mr. Oizo & Phra (2022)

12) Ain't Nothing Like You (Hoochie Coo): Blakroc ft. Mos Def & Jim Jones (2009)

13) Ghetto Pop Life (Album Version): Danger Mouse & Jemini (2003)

1999: Alive EP: 2

2003: Blackmarket Boy: 1

2003: Ghetto Pop Life: 13

2003: Speakerboxxx: 7

2007: Back To Bizznizz: 6

2007: What It Look Like EP: 9

2009: Blakroc: 12

2010: Mixed Race: 4 

2011: Tape One EP: 10

2011: Wonky Beats: 5

2012: Libretto: Of King Legend: 8

2015: Age 101: Drop X EP: 3

2022: Voilá: 11

Now Here's A Little Something You May Not Like (46:12)

Waiting For My Life To Change

Another Bandcamp Friday, another clutch of new songs to add an already impressive 2022. Ten random selections of highlights from the year so far, some so newly purchased that I listened to them for the first time whilst compiling this playlist.

Catherine Anne Davies aka The Anchoress delivers another beautifully balanced cover of a song that Jackson Browne wrote when he was 16 and Nico recorded for her debut solo album, Chelsea Girl, in 1967. In between, a smattering of songs from albums that set the bar high early from Andy Bell, Dan Wainwright, Mr. Oizo & Phra and Trentemøller. Momus' latest album officially dropped on 1st April and I wrote about it here. Confidence Man have also released their latest, Tilt, and on a single play so far, it's enormous fun.

 

David Holmes & Raven Violet have followed up last year's superb Hope Is The Last Thing To Die with the equally brilliant It's Over, If We Run Out Of Love. The song was initially released on Valentine's Day and a clutch of remixes have just dropped. Darren Emerson and Hardway Bros aka Sean Johnston deliver superb mixes, but they're all good, as this one (of two remixes) by Lovefingers & Heidi Lawden amply demonstrates.

 

I knew absolutely nothing about Jeshi, being drawn in by the flurry of label and artist mail drops that come in prior to Bandcamp Friday. A quick Google search reveals that Jeshi is from East London, has previously worked with slowthai and Vegyn and "turns the richness of British culture in swerving, genre-moulding rap". Ross From Friends, better known to his chums as Felix James Clary Weatherall, "provides his own compressed, fidgety interpretation of techno/house". It's a good combination.

 

Closing the selection and quite rightly celebrated on Bagging Area yesterday, is a track from the latest EP by Jesse Fahnestock aka 10:40. The lead track is a 2021 highlight, Kissed Again, originally appearing on the excellent Higher Love Vol. 1 compilation and deservedly getting a release in its own right. Its accompanied by two new songs, Coat Check and Fin, the latter described as "a haunting blissed out beauty tailor made for the majesty of a warm summer sunset". I can vouch for the fact that it works equally well on a dark, cold spring night and a bright, frosty April morning. What better way to finish the playlist, before hitting replay again?

1) These Days (Cover of Nico): The Anchoress

2) Riverside: Andy Bell

3) Relieve The Pressure: Confidence Man

4) Ruin From The Flood: Dan Wainwright

5) It's Over, If We Run Out Of Love (Lovefingers & Heidi Lawden Low Tide Mix): David Holmes ft. Raven Violet

6) 3210 (Ross From Friends Remix): Jeshi

7) Influencer Village: Momus

8) Hits Me (Instrumental): Mr. Oizo & Phra

9) Glow: Trentemøller

10) Fin: 10:40

Waiting For My Life To Change (49:48)

Insanity By One Man Jury

Beats and rhymes for these uncertain times.

 

With apologies for the potty mouth language throughout.

 

1) War: Chuck D vs. Ticc-Tacc ft. Ambersunshower (1998)

2) Appetite For Destruction: N.W.A. (1991)

3) Woman: Little Simz ft. Cleo Sol (2021)

4) Now Is Tomorrow (Shabba Soul Mix By Donwon & Rimsky Korsokov IV): Definition Of Sound (1991)

5) Mankind (Part 2): Jalal (1993)

6) Spectacular (Kaos Remix By Tucker): Fantastic Plastic Machine ft. Verbal & Afra (2003)

7) Sylvie: Mr. Oizo & Phra ft. Frah Quintale (2022)

8) Females (Get On Up) (12" Edit By The Beatmasters): The Cookie Crew (1987)

9) Another Sound Mission (Mystic Handyman Pt 2) (Single Version By Green Gartside, David Gamson & DJ Revolution): Scritti Politti & Likwit Crew ft. Defari & Tash (1999)

10) California Über Alles (Album Version) (Cover of Dead Kennedys): The Disposable Heroes Of Hiphoprisy (1992)

11) Ain't The Devil Happy (Tiny Desk (Home) Concert): Jeru The Damaja (2020)

12) Pink Matter (Remix): Frank Ocean ft. Andre 3000 & Big Boi (2013)

13) Make My: The Roots (2011)
 

Insanity By One Man Jury (56:14)

It's Hot Up In This Joint

France meets Italy in a full on rap soundclash on Mr. Oizo & Phra's new album, Voilá, released last Friday (18th).

 

Mr. Oizo aka Quentin Dupieux is still considered a one-hit wonder in the UK, thanks to his ubiquitous 1999 hit (and Levi's ad), Flat Beat. Interestingly, the Official Charts Company lists the same release twice, so it has the strange distinction of spending both one and nineteen weeks in the UK singles chart, peaking at #98 and #1 respectively. Some achievement.

 

Phra is perhaps better known as Francesco Barbaglia, initially one half of DJ/producer duo Crookers, but running solo since 2012. Having previously collaborated with Mr. Oizo on tracks in 2016 and 2019 this is (I think) their first album-length collaboration, and an absolute corker it is too. 

 

When I say "album-length", in truth it extremely short: the nine tracks are bolstered on the vinyl and digital formats by an instrumental version; all eighteen tracks still come in under 40 minutes, only one pushes over the three minute mark.

Tucked away in the middle is a cover version of Nelly's 2002 smash, Hot In Herre, re-titled Hot In Her for this album. I love the original song, although my presiding memory of Nelly is that my wife and I used to find him uncontrollably hilarious whenever he appeared on the screen and this video for this song was no exception. Don't get me wrong, Nelly wasn't intentionally a comedy act, but there was something that used to make us laugh, time and time again. Maybe it was the overly earnest swagger, maybe it was the trademark plaster (maybe he just really couldn't shave), maybe it was the reliably clichéd "cars and girls" videos. All I can say is that tears of laughter would generally ensue whenever Nelly rolled into view.

The song, ignoring some of the equally clichéd lyrics, is fantastic though. Canadian DJ/producer Tiga Sontag clearly thought so too, when he covered the song for his 2002 DJ-Kicks compilation. The track was subsequently released in September 2003, just over a year on from Nelly's original. The latter had peaked at #4, one of Nelly's biggest hits, and I was surprised to find that Tiga's version - featuring Scissor Sisters' Jake Shears and remixes from Richard X & Radio Slave - managed a respectable #46.

 

I don't think Mr. Oizo & Phra's version can expect the same chart success, twenty years on, but I would recommend the album. You can buy the digital version on Bandcamp; vinyl has already sold out, though you will find copies via Discogs and other retail outlets.

Hot In Her: Mr. Oizo & Phra (2022)

Hot In Herre: Tiga ft. Jake Shears (2002)

Hot In Herre: Nelly (2002)