« Previous Entry | Main Diary | Next Entry »
03.17.06 01:05 AM
lean wit it rock wit it
even before the oscar win of three six mafia, i began to notice that any music containing the 808 (Roland TR-808), synth blips, snaps, and the bounce, as well as any hint of southern slanging drawl was becoming a hit nationwide. but of course it's not just the head-nodding beats making this music affective — tales of crack and cocaine make for good hip-hop music too.
the stickiness factor of much of this type of music is aided and abetted by the fact that the song is often named after a dance step, or that some dance step is created for the song's music video. of course it doesn't hurt to have the polysyllabic-spitting busta rhymes featured on the remix either.
observation 1: it's a saturday afternoon at the foot locker on 125th street. dem franchize boyz - lean wit' it rock wit' it video appears on multiple tv screens throughout the store. there's a freeze in action. everyone stops shopping and starts staring at the television - in a trance. employees and customers alike are glued to the tube. a gaggle of young girls start working their own version of the dance in the corner. things don't return to normal until the video ends. even i find myself caught in the trap.
observation 2: go to any club and hear the dj mix any combination of big boi's purple ribbon allstars "kryptonite," rick ross's "hustlin'," shawnna's "gettin' some," bow wow's "fresh azimiz," and anything by dem franchize boyz, d4l, or three six mafia and the party is sure to jump for several hours. let the dj put on kanye west or black eyed peas and watch the floor clear. (but let's clarify for a second...let this dance club be a dance club primarily attended by african-american, afro-caribbeans, or latino revelers and the party will jump. if it's primarily filled with white attendees then kanye and the peas will be de rigueur.)
bonus: listen to Rick Ross - Hustlin' 
posted by lynne | link to this |
TrackBack
TrackBack URL for this entry:
http://www.lynnedjohnson.com/cgi-bin/pingit.cgi/705
Comments
Could this be an age thing as well as a music thing? How old were these crowd? Als, some Africans say that the ceramic Udu drum, from which the 808 drop is loosely derived, has magical hypnotizing power.
Go figure.
posted by jimi | March 18, 2006 2:21 PM #
I once heard an interview with Chuck D. when he described why PE started putting in their trademark whistle-type and other synth generated audio blips. He said that when they heard people roll by with music playing all they could hear were the beats and couldn't figure out what tune was playing. They put in high pitch whistles and other sounds cut through the bass so they could hear when PE music was rolling by. He said that later, the sounds became a calling card to let people know that it was PE music and that it would make people stop to listen to new songs when turning the dial or in a club.
Perhaps it's something similar today where people hear the 808, recognize the sound, and listen, hoping it measures up to what they've liked in the past.
posted by michael | March 20, 2006 12:30 PM #
Hey Jimi, I've seen this happen in clubs with all age groups - from teens up to the 40s. As for my first observation on 125th street - it was majority teens - and a few adults.
Thanks for that info on the udu drum though, it could come in handy.
And Michael, that's really interesting on PE.
I just think there's something about these beats that are really resonating with people. I don't even think anyone really cares what the rappers are saying - bc in most cases some of these rappers aren't saying much.
posted by lynne![[TypeKey Profile Page]](http://www.lynnedjohnson.com/nav-commenters.gif)
| March 20, 2006 2:46 PM #
it's definitely something about the drum. i don't think its an age thing, necessarily. If you listen to some of the classic Motown and Philly soul stuff, the drum is a powerful counterpoint to the rhythms and harmony (How Sweet It Is to be Loved By You or Got to Give It Up immediately come to mind).
i would also argue, though, that D4L and their ilk have tapped into something that many east-coast (and east-coast style) rappers have forgotten - that Black people LOVE to dance. the lyrics may be questionable or even illegible (Louie Louie, anyone? the Iko Iko song? we ain't the first to go there), but the bass drum and the snap moves us like no other.
been in a few arguments here recently with the black college DJs because they REFUSE to play southern rap for the 21 and over Black crowd - they argue that the music attracts the "wrong crowd" - and then they wonder why no-one comes to their parties...
not even the bourgie grad students who profess to only listen to conscious rap but drop it like its hot when "Lean Wit It Rock Wit It" comes on in the club.
**sidebar** i'm really interested in hearing your feedback on BWB-R...are you going to go deep on us?
posted by Bemused | March 20, 2006 11:42 PM #