I hope everyone had a great Christmas and received everything you wanted and more so everything you needed. My festivities were damped a little at hearing the news that we lost one of the greats earlier today, James Brown. He was a little before my time but he left his stamp on the music during my formative years as he was a staple among rap sample in the early years. I was supposed to see him live back in college but unfortunately the concert got canceled as he was arrested a couple days before for beating his wife. But for all his pitfalls he will always be remembered as the Godfather of Soul leaving us with some great music, my personal favorite being Papa's Got a Brand New Bag.Foe more on the life of James Brown check out: "Godfather of Soul" James Brown Dead at 73
For old school hip hop fans we don’t need Nas to tell us that Hip Hop Is Dead as we have know for some time now that it was. For proof look no further than the recent Grammy nominations where there were no rappers represented in the big four categories (Album, Song, Record, New Artist). The big question is who killed it: Was it Eminem who made it socially acceptable for thirteen year old suburban white chicks to listen to the genre? Or Nelly who took a step further and recorded a song with the very un-hip *NSYNC (and later with Tim McGraw)? Maybe it was Nas himself who sampled In-A-Gadda-Da-Vida not once but twice recently here on the title track of Hip Hop Is Dead.
But throughout the album Nas doesn’t call out names of who is responsible, even on the track Who Killed It?, instead he throws a blanket of blame over the commercialization of the genre and even hints at his motivation during the title track when he raps, “Nas rap is compared to legitimized crap.” The rest of the album plays out like a eulogy even giving love to those who never got the commercial success, most notably on the James Brown sampling Where Are They Now?, unlike their excessive bling wearing modern day counterparts. This is even though they laid the foundation that enabled the current stars to gain an embarrassment of riches that they are more than happy to show off on Cribs.
On Got Ur Self a... off of Stillmatic, Nas started one verse by say “My first album had no famous guest appearances, the outcome, I’m crowned the best lyricist” which was more than you regular boisterous rapper claim as there was plenty of truth in that statement. In early stages of this album, Nas suggested that his next would be without any guest and would be solely produced by D.J. Premier of Gang Starr but Hip Hop Is Dead ended up with a few guest appearances along with plenty of big name producers. Premier is conspicuously absent which makes me wonder if that album was just put on the back burner.
What hurts Nas the most is when he when he brings in those guest because rarely do they usually pale in comparison to one of the best lyricist. This most evident with The Game on QB True G who spend most of his verse blowing smoke at Nas and Dr. Dre who produced the track. This is also evident on Play on Playa with Snoop Dogg, but the track itself is not up to par thanks to the blandest producer in recent memory, Scott Storch. Ironically Nas opens up the song by ripping on the Hilton sisters when it is Storch who we can thank for Paris’s train wreck of an album. Another producer who couldn’t provide Nas a decent beat was Chris Weber for Blunt Ashes. And yes, it’s that Chris Webber.
But after a few boring guest spots and a mediocre comeback album, Nas’s onetime nemesis and current boss at Def Jam, Jay-Z seems revitalized on Black Republican a song that samples Marcia Religiosa from Godfather III, by far his best effort since coming out of retirement. Kanye West produces and gives a verse on Still Dreaming though doesn’t live up to their collaboration on We Major form West’s latest album. West does a much better job with the other song he produces on the disk Let There Be Light but it is the unknown Tre Williams that steals the song with his soulful hook.
And even though I ripped on it in the intro, the will.i.am produced title track is a stand out track that uses more than the Iron Butterfly sample including the go to sample for old school cats, Apache by the Incredible Bongo Band as well show stopping ending with Nas rapping over a crowd shouting “Hip Hop.” But no high priced producer was need for the closer Hope where Nas goes acappella for most of the track. Although like with every Nas album not named Illmatic, this one is uneven at times, but as long as there are rappers like Nas and his ilk, there is still hope for a hip hop resurrection.
Song to Download - Let There Be Light
Hip Hop Is Dead gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.
Many disliked the whole separation by races on the latest installment of Survivor but my biggest complaint for Cook Islands was that they un-segregated too soon. But I wasn’t too surprised that they merged tribes when they did because five members are small to begin with and if you were to lose multiple challenges you would be down to three tribe members. In fact that may have happened if the Hispanics didn’t throw a challenge the Black may have lost the first two challenges. So if there was one thing from Survivor: Race Wars is that never trust Hispanics because they even turn on each other quickly.
With the Hispanics self destructing and the Blacks unable to perform well at challenges, the season quickly turned into a dog fight between the Asians and the Whities. Unfortunately us Whities got overzealous and made the worst mistake in the game by mutinying. All they had to do was be patient for the merge and since Adam Gentry and Parvati Shallow controlled the one team and Yul Kwon and Jonathan Penner the other, they could have easily gotten down to the final six with Yul and Becky (remember before the mutiny Ozzy Lusth was on the outskirt of his tribe and so they wouldn't have to worry about him in individual immunity).
But the best part of this season, and possibly of any season, was Billy Garcia confessing his love for Candice Woodcock before getting voted out. Why, oh why, couldn’t the producers stepped in at that tribal council and said they couldn’t vote Billy out because Billy hooking up with Candice would make great TV. After this I totally advocate that from each season on Jeff Probst should get one veto per season for this reason. Think back to previous season, there is always someone, being a wack job or token hot chick that gets voted off way too early and just ruins the season a little bit. Is anyone opposed to this idea?
In the end Yul win as the majority thought his Machiavellian planning was better than Ozzie’s superhuman feats at the challenges. But if merging the races too soon was the worst idea of the season, the three person final tribal was a close second. It was totally unnecessary as seen by Becky not even getting a mercy vote. And what had there been a tie, would they really have the tie breaker months after the final votes were cast? And one thing that backfired yet again was the immunity idol that was hidden on Exile Island was not played for the second time in the two seasons that it has been introduced. Granted none of this will keep we from watching Survivor: Fiji when it starts up next week even though Probst’s suggestion that the most shocking thing a Survivor has even done will happen in Fiji will live up to his hype.
Survivor: Cook Island gets a on my Terror Alert Scale.
This installment hasn’t been announced for a release on DVD but hop over to Amazon to see the six of thirteen seasons of Survivor that are available. Or you can download the last five seasons, including Cook Islands on iTunes.
This month’s lyrics quiz has been culled from some of my favorite lines uttered this year and even expanded to thirty songs this month so I didn’t have to scale it down any. This doesn’t though reflect my upcoming Best Songs of 2006 that will arrive just after Christmas because I really hate publications that do their year in review in late November or early December thus missing an entire month of the year. For my full list of upcoming festivities, click on the Holiday Schedule on my sidebar. As for the lyrics quiz, leave your guesses in the comment section, both song title and artist. If you are correct, I will un-bold the lyric and give you credit. Just a little hint, the lyrics are in chronological order from when they were released so for the first couple think January while the last couple will be more recent songs. And though I disapprove of using search engines to find the answers, I don’t mind if you look around my archives as some of the lyrics have been mentioned on the 9th Green before typically in album review (click on the Terror Alert Scale link in my sidebar for those). Now on to the lyrics:
Hints:
13. The fifth single off the album that landed at number 2 of my Best Albums of 2005 list. The song also features a rapper that I made fun of multiple times this year for appearing on a Brooke Hogan song.
1. Feel the rain on your skin, no one else can feel it for you. Only you can let it in. No one else can speak the words on your lips. (Unwritten - Natasha Bedingfield; guessed by Dara)
2. You sing a sad song just to turn it around. You say you don’t know you tell me don’t lie. You work in a smile and go for a ride. (Bad Day - Daniel Powder; guessed by Dara)
3. I think I’ll start a new life. I think I’ll start it over where no one knows my name. Get out of California. Tired of the weather. I think I’ll get a lover and fly him out to Spain. (Boston - Augustana; guessed by Erica)
4. Gettin’ born in the state of Mississippi, papa was a copper and mama was a hippie. (Dani California - Red Hot Chili Peppers)
5. Where are you now? As I’m swimming through this stereo, I conduct a symphony of sound. (The Mixed Tape - Jack’s Mannequin; guessed by Russ)
6. Medals on a wooden mantle next to a handsome face that the president took for granted writing checks that others pay. (World Wide Suicide - Pearl Jam; guessed by Tiggerprr)
7. It’s alright, yeah I’ll be fine don't worry ‘bout this heart of mine. Just take your love and hit the road. (Leave the Pieces - The Wreckers; guessed by Tiggerprr)
8. Take on me (uh huh) you know inside you feel it right. Take me on; I could just die up in your arms tonight. (S.O.S. - Rihanna; guessed by Adilia)
9. I know you know I know so what's the point in being slow; let’s get the show on the road today. (Walk Away - Kelly Clarkson; guessed by Dara)
10. Who do you think you are? Ha, ha, ha, bless your soul. (Crazy - Gnarls Barkley; guessed by Dara)
11. Here face is the map of the world, is the map of the world. You can she she’s a beautiful girl, beautiful girl. (Suddenly I See - KT Tunstall; guessed by Dara)
12. It’s a sad, sad story when a mother will teach her daughter that she ought to hate a perfect stranger. And how in the world can the words that I said send somebody so over the edge? (Not Ready to Make Nice - Dixie Chicks; guessed by Dara)
13. My car’s like the movie, my car’s like the crib. Got more TV’s in here than where I live.
14. I go back like when Pac carried crates for Humpty Hump. I need a whole club dizzy. Why the CIA wanna watch us? Colombians and Haitians, I ain’t guilty, it's a musical transaction. (Hips Don't Lie - Shakira and Wyclef Jean; guessed by Erica)
15. I got a (expletive deleted) like a donkey, (expletive deleted) as a rock and a trigger finger itchier than chicken pox. (Rollin' with Saget - Jamie Kennedy & Stu Stone; guessed by Erica)
16. If heaven and hell decide that they both are satisfied, illuminate the “no’s” on their vacancy signs. (I Will Follow You into the Dark - Death Cab for Cutie; guessed by Zorak163)
17. You expect me to just let you hit it, but would you still respect me if you get it? (Promiscuous - Nelly Furtado and Timbaland; guessed by Erica)
18. Step one you say we need to talk. He walks; you say, “sit down it's just a talk.” (How to Save a Life - The Fray; guessed by Dara)
19. I said he doesn’t look a thing like Jesus, he doesn’t look a thing like Jesus, but more than you’ll ever know. (When You Were Young - The Killers; guessed by Dara)
20. If I lay here, if I just lay here, would you lay with me and just forget the world. (Chasing Cars - Snow Patrol; guessed by Dara)
21. Go tell that long tongue liar, go and tell that midnight rider; tell the rambler, the gambler, the back-biter. (God's Gonna Cut You Down - Johnny Cash; guessed by Erica)
22. This is 10% luck, 20% skill, 15% consecrated power of will, 5% pleasure, 50% pain. (Remember the Name - Fort Minor; guesed by Doug)
23. Right now she’s probably up singing some white trash version of Shaniakaraoke. (Before He Cheats - Carrie Underwood; guessed by Angie)
24. Couldn’t take the blame, sick with shame, must be exhausting to lose your own game. Selfishly hated no wonder you’re jaded, you can’t play the victim this time. (Call Me When You're Sober - Evanescence; guessed by Erica)
25. MC Escher that's my favorite MC. Keep your 40 I'll just have an Earl Grey tea. My rims never spin to the contrary you’ll find they're quite stationary. (White and Nerdy - “Weird Al” Yankovic; guessed by Russ)
26. I was so lost back then but with a little help from my friends I found the light in the tunnel at the end. Now you call me up on the phone for a little whine and a moan it’s only because you’re feeling alone. (Smile - Lily Allen; guessed by Dara)
27. Now if we had the power to bring our neighbors home for war, they would never had missed Christmas, no more ribbons on their doors. (Waiting on the World to Change - John Mayer; guessed by Erica)
28. If I had just one more day I would tell you how much that I've missed you since you've been away. Ooh, it’s dangerous, it's so out of line to try and turn back time. (Hurt - Christina Aguilera; guessed by Erica)
29. To the left, everything you own in the box to the left. You must not know ‘bout me. I can have another you in a minute, matter fact he'll be here in a minute. (Irreplaceable - BeyoncĂ©; guessed by Erica)
30. I hear in my mind all these voices. I hear in my mind all these words. I hear in my mind all this music and it breaks my heart. (Fidelity - Regina Spektor; guessed by Dara)