For the last few months, the soundtrack for my 2.5 mile drive to work has been sponsored by the good people at XM Satellite Radio. This gives me about 10 minutes to enjoy three songs. In what promises to be an inconsistent and irregular regular feature here on MGF, I thought I’d offer up what I thought about what I heard”¦
XM Channel: 66-Raw (Uncensored, Uncut Hip Hop)
50 Cent – “In Da Club”: Well, it’s good to know that for $11.99/month, I’m getting all of the hottest new club tracks direct to my radio. This one remains the only commercial cut from Curtis Jackson that I can stand, as the beat was so nice Dr. Dre used it twice. It was recycled for The Game’s “Westside Story” a few years later. As far as I can tell, in terms of quality, “In Da Club” remains the most inversely proportional single in relation to the entire album (Get Rich or Die Tryin’) it came from. Prove me wrong.
Killer Mike – “I’ma Shine”: Anyone else think it’s about time for America’s Second Civil War? The Dirty South sound has polluted Hip Hop almost past the point of no return and there appears to be no end in sight. And, what is Killer Mike giving back to the game? What will his legacy be? From the song title, it looks like he’s merely contributing to the urban evolution of “going to”. 40 years ago, this track would be called “I’m Going to Shine”. 30 years ago, it’d be “I’m Gonna Shine”. 10 years ago”¦”I’m Finna Shine”. And, today”¦”I’ma Shine”. Sample lyric: “”¦million dollar yacht/I got my own mascot.”
Bone Thugs – “Don’t Stop”: In a saccharin-rich attempt to reach out for radio airplay, those light-skinned Afro-Italian lyricists who brought us “Tha Crossroads”, “For Tha Love of $” and a bunch of other hot singles from around 1996 are back and better than ever! Their latest is the kind of harmless pop-rap that just might peak at #9 on the 106 & Park weekday kiddie countdown before sliding back into FM obscurity. Pretty much sums up their career, no?
