Showing posts with label LL Cool J. Show all posts
Showing posts with label LL Cool J. Show all posts

Friday, January 23, 2009

Classic: Teenage Love


Slick Rick is my dude. The picture with this post was taken by me in the third row of the Legends concert with Tyler & Daaaaaave last year. Of course I was blown away seeing Big Daddy Kane, Dana Dane, and Whodini, but Ricky & Doug E. Fresh frickin' killed something else.


So you should prolly know at least half of "Children's Story" off the top of your head and recognize "La Di Da Di" on the first beat, but my favorite Slick Rick song is "Teenage Love". I'd actually heard the sampled chorus off of Talib Kweli's ridiculously amazing bonus track "For Women" before I heard the original. So I had that immediate connection to the song already.


This one just hits a lot different than Ricky's usual song matter on women. This one sets aside his usual stone-emotion pimp persona and assumes a fragile, understanding dude. Even if it just lasted this one song, I believe it. No matter the other stories he tells. The song got a more recent ode with Alicia Keys' "Teenage Love Affair", even more so with the LL & Swizzy remix that directly sampled it. Slick Rick is my dude.

"Don't, don't, don't hurt me again ..."

... this was whatcha all been waitin' for ain't it?

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Monday, October 27, 2008

G.O.A.A.A.A.T.


Just to be slightly more elaborative, the greatest of any and all applicable time.


To quote myself from a verse that'll never see the light of day cuz the ensuing bars sucked, "Everybody claimin' to be the best rapper alive/Answer me one question, 'When did Rakim die?'"

And that's my general thought process on that. I laugh off LL Cool J saying it. Weezy's just intentionally buffing his bigger-than-the-game persona by saying it. 50's frickin' remedial, so you can't blame him for maybe accidently saying it. And whoever else, uff outta here. (c) Charles Hamilton

I believe (and who'da thunk it?) that Andre dealt with the question best in his line from "Mighty 'O'" saying, "I'm not sayin' I'm the best, but till they find somethin' better/I am here, no fear. Write me a letter." He ain't saying it, but he's saying it. Ya know? So here is my best rapper list. Of course it's subjective ... but trust me on it. I wouldn't lie to you.

5) Lupe Fiasco
4) 2Pac
3) Cee-Lo
2) Rakim
1) Andre 3000

I'll reserve my heartfelt reasoning on individual posts highlighting these monsters' careers so far. But for now take the song appetizers as proof. Gimme your list.

.... and so concludes another masterpiece

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