September 2011
10 posts
Space Ho's Decomposed
As corny as it might sound, this is probably the song that got me into hip hop. It’s not that it is a bad song, in fact, I still like it, but it is off a novelty album about Adult Swim (The Mouse and the Mask by Dangerdoom). How much nerdier can I get? In retrospect, it is a little puzzling why this would have been my favorite with other tracks like Old School and The Mask. Space Ho’s...
Resurrection Decomposed
I’ve been listening to Resurrection by Common Sense, its remixes, and songs supposedly sampled in it all morning, and I’m still barely confident enough to publish a post on it. This song has given me a lot of trouble! Wikipedia listed a lot of samples used in Resurrection but right now I’m operating under the assumption that some of those samples were used in remixes and not the...
Check the Rhime Decomposed
I’ve been meaning to listen to more of A Tribe Called Quest so I guess I’ll start by breaking this song down. With a catchy beat, fun rhymes, and a really interesting structure (pay attention to the verses before and after they start asking each other, “you on point, (phife/tip)?”), Check the Rhime is really easy to get into. I got a kick out of a couple lines that...
August 2011
3 posts
NY State of Mind Decomposed
Illmatic is known for fantastic production and NY State of Mind sets the tone for the whole album. After a slow buildup, you know what its all about. Struggle, poverty, and getting by in the city. It’s amazing that a beat can convey so much in its opening seconds which makes this song one of DJ Premier’s biggest accomplishments (no small feat). Here are the ingredients.
The backdrop...
