In my opinion, Wyclef Jean has a basketful of classic records under his belt. Fugees or not. This one just happens to have the beautiful Ms. Hill serenading with background vocals as well. But that just adds to its already perfect composition.
Wyclef Jean - Gunpowder (feat. Lauryn Hill)
This cut's from his solo debut The Carnival. It was hailed as an immediate classic post-Score. I don't disagree. It's decade later sequel of sorts is every bit as good to my ears as well. And a few of the several records in between, too. Ha. Well that's enough dubious honors alotted to the man for the moment.
"Gunpowder" is a back-from-war ballad, except Clef's brother didn't come back. I'm not gonna claim to be a connoisseur of reggae music, but I think Wyclef is the closest thing we'll ever have to another Bob Marley. Outside of the immediate Marley family, of course. There are quite a few of them ...
This song evokes all of the right emotions to play off of its crisp bongo accompaniment and tropical acoustic vibe. And Clef manipulates his voice magnificently as Lauryn accents certain lines in the anti-war song. I can't tell you how many times I've had this track on repeat.
... put 'em both together and you got yourself a super spork.
Showing posts with label The Fugees. Show all posts
Showing posts with label The Fugees. Show all posts
Saturday, May 2, 2009
Classic: Gunpowder
Tuesday, March 24, 2009
Classic: Ready or Not
While their Roberta Flack cover of “Killing Me Softly With His Song” deserving got the majority of the attention on The Score, there was another song that blew me away more towards the beginning of the album.
The Fugees are beyond legendary. I don’t think anyone really knows what’s going on with Pras at any given rhyme, but Wyclef and Lauryn are pivotal figures in cultural music. Period. Their rhythms are strictly and singularly theirs. Clef brings Haiti with him in every syllable while Ms. Hill carries all women and real people on her back. Needless to say, I got both of Lauryn’s undeniably classic solo efforts as well as all six of Wyclef’s solo albums.
"Ready or Not" is as catchy a song as you're ever going to hear. And not just because it features that same exact sample as that one Mario Winans song that you actually know all the words to. This is the vocal performance that made me fall in love with Lauryn Hill for all of eternity. And yet she still comes harder on her verse than your favorite thug rapper? Dang. I also included the Bootleg Versions remix of the track for kicks. And the aforementioned absolutely murder the remix as well. You don't even know.
... put 'em both together and you got yourself a super spork.
Monday, November 17, 2008
Classic: Retrospect for Life
I pray, quite often as a matter of fact, that Lauryn Hill blesses the world with more music at some point in the future. In my mind, Ms. Hill is the only voice out there that can compete with Ern right now. Dead serious.
Back in the day when the Fugees were everybody's favorite group, Lauryn made one of her extremely rare features on an amazingly touching Common track. This is circa 1997, mind you. Fresh off The Score. So this is serious. Lauryn humming under Common's lyrics gives me chills now nodding to the set-up of me and Ern's "My Life" track. It's just the stuff. I'm a sucker for piano loops in any given rap track, but a frickin' sucker for one with Lauryn Hill singing her soul out over that piano loop.
Find out if he stayed or not. And why he had to make that decision at all. This is real people music. And Common's jumped doubly ahead of every other rapper on my Classic series in number of tracks featured. Ha! It's crazy surprising to me, and I guess I take this track's perfectness for granted, but this is the only collabo between these two legends. Don't be the one who doesn't know.
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