By Francisco Manzo-Flores
There is a plethora of groups that could be introduced through Song Share in the vein of what I know is tested, tried and proven to be well liked in this venue, but the fact is that we find ourselves anemic when it comes to music that is outside the adult alternative and acoustic areas. A recent brave submission of Saul Williams has made it easy for me to follow the newborn trend when it comes to less than mainstream hip hop.
Handsome Boy Modeling School is easily one of the most amazing collaborations hip hop ever witnessed - however short lived - and unfortunately is also one of the most under appreciated. Nevertheless, the combination of Dan the Automator and Prince Paul (of De La Soul production fame) proved to be so 'money', that most people with an ear to the ground found it impressive, regardless of their background, testament to their wide appeal.
Part of their secret was the fact that both of them are producers, generally shying away from the microphone and in turn the spotlight. Instead they reached out to a multitude of artists and populated their two albums with a rather eclectic but effective mix of sounds. "The Truth", with its lingering piano and jazzy vocals provided by Roisin Murphy (another artist you must look up if you are unfamiliar, try her songs 'Ramalama' or 'Night of the Dancing Flame'), was the first song I ever heard from them and perhaps for that reason it holds a bit more of a connection with me. Hope you guys find it enjoyable as well.
Lyrics:
[Roisin Murphy:]
Go
Go to the mountain if you must
Go to the burning bush
Happy would ease your troubled mind
How do the fade, just stay behind?
I know you better than you think I do
Don't worry
This is why i fell in love with you
The man in the looking glass
Is looking back at you at last
You can't hide from the truth
Because the truth is all there is
You can't hide from the truth
Because the truth is all there is
You can't hide from the truth
Because the truth is all there is
You can't hide
If happy times are too few and far between
It's a pity, dear
We can't erase the things we've seen
So disappear, vanish if you wish
Just go before you're swallowed up by bitterness
And the truth is you can't hide from the truth
And the truth hurts because the truth is all there is
I realized some time ago
That I would have to let you go
May not be true to see that you would return one day
But in your present state
You may as well not be here at all
You wear a thin disguise, it's from yourself you hide
Just take a look at us, we are heading for a fall
[J-Live:]
Now presiding in this court of hip-hop
Justice, my rap fort�
is Judge, jury, bailiff or prosecuting D.A.
Et ceteras, paraphas
My modus operende
It's carpe diem whether de facto or de jure
Comprende?
The people versus, you and your Sensi
Teaching that style of word-play
Weaker than Wednesday
Regardless of what your friends say
They're all dissable
Stricken from the record and deemed inadmissable
And this long arm of the law grabs the mic to
Shoot dope lines first and ask questions later
The death sentences of this live litigator
Close the case tighter than the jaws of a 'gator
Stenographers are steady loggin, the jargon
That your counselors are barking, in hopes of a plea bargain
But when you read back verbatim
What they're saying to pursuade them
They realize exactly how i played them
I come with the truth, whole truth and nothing but
'Cause the truth hurts just as much as fuckin' with 'Live will
I brew skill with refills from now until
Plagiarizing MC's get their flows to steal
[Roisin Murphy:]
Baby, I don't die without you by my side
As long as you return into these arms that burn
Baby, I won't die, just take a look inside
Into these eyes that burn
Come to these arms that yearn
I won't die if you leave me high
I won't die if you're not by my side
And the truth hurts
Because the truth is all there is
You can't hide from the truth
Cause the truth is all there is
You can't hide from the truth
'Cause the truth is all there is
You can't hide from the truth
Because the truth is all there is
You can't hide from the truth...
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This is cool stuff. I'm always big fan of jazzy music and dan the automater. I first heard of him when he did Lovage(album and band name) with Mike Patton. Anyway nice track me likey.
ReplyDeleteI would hope that there should be no fear of sharing music "outside the adult alternative and acoustic areas" here. I know the only reason I don't is because I haven't really had much chance to explore out there, but I am always eager to hear what there is in the great wide unknown.
ReplyDeleteI really dig this track. I remember hearing similar style stuff a few years back in my friends car, though I have no recollection of who it was. I liked it a lot back then too.
Someday I'll find time/means to explore...
This reminded me a lot of Guru's Jazzmatazz album. I've never heard of handsome boy modeling school but I'll have to make myself more aquainted. I heard that The Black Keys teamed up with a few from Wu Tang Clan (RZA and Reakwo I think) for an album and I think this just motivated me to actually go out and look for that.
ReplyDeleteMusic Night and by extension Song Shares are about sharing and discovering music. If there are trends then they are unintentional and if we are anemic to a certain style or genera then that means it's time to share it. Seriously, there should be no limitations or considerations on a song to be shared at Music Night . . . all right maybe vulgarity and length (10+ minutes), but those aren't hard and fast. Exceptions should be made.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, cool song, Cisco! You don't think (and by that I mean "I don't think") of hip hop being mellow like this. I really liked it a lot more the second time I listened to it. I don't have a vocabulary for describing music but I really like that it sounds like an old song. As if it was recorded 50 years ago or something. Especially the piano.
Very cool.