Crossing over......

My tastes in music are very broad. While my preference is mostly country, I'll listen to anything with a decent tune and words that I can understand. This rules out my listening to a large portion of today's rap music. I just can't understand what they are saying. But, let's face it. You'd probably have trouble understanding me too if I tried to sing with a mouthful of rocks. That's one fad that makes about as much sense as tits on a boar hog. Whatever happened to good old fashioned philanthropy? Giving to the needy and all that kind of stuff? But don't get me wrong. I do listen to a few of the newer rap songs. And even know some of the words too.

Now old school rap? That's different altogether. Even the geezers will bob a head to Sir Mix-a-lot and his "Square Dance Rap" and maybe even "Buttermilk Biscuits"; but would threaten to hang the DJ if he followed either of these with "Baby Got Back". And it's the same artist, just at different times in his career and of totally different subject matter. The first two are fun songs that will probably make most people smile while the other one is singing the praises of the feminus posterius gigantis and would likely offend quite a few of the tighter wound crowd. And I won't even mention the "Funky Cold Medina". This one will get equal acceptance from everybody. From the singing drunks guzzling $2 draft beers at Billy Bob's to the ritzy poodle-toting bitches sipping $40 glasses of wine at The Blvd. It's just one of those fun songs.

I was at a friend's house Friday night and we were just messing around on his PC and I noticed a song title in his music library that was followed by "rap remix". The song is probably one of the most recognized songs in the entire world. I would be willing to bet that over half the adult population of any nationality could name this song within the first 12 notes. You'll see what I mean when you get down to the end of this post...unless you just can't take not knowing and scroll ahead to listen to it. Either way, I think you'll agree with me on the popularity of the original version. I clicked on it just to see what a rap remix of this song might sound like. Turns out, it's a pretty catchy little tune. I liked it enough to email it to myself right then. I've listened to it several times here at the house and the more I listened, the more I wondered about the how's and why's of a song like this.

Which brings me to the whole point of this post...Rap Remixes.

Do rappers remix classic songs to try and get the "non-rap" crowd to listen? Or maybe to generate a few more album sales? Or maybe it's to try and capitalize on the already proven success of the original? Or maybe even to poke fun at different lifestyles? Or a combination of any or all of these? I can't say for sure. But what I can say is that it apparently works both ways. I mentioned the song "Square Dance Rap" earlier in this post. Before Mix-a-lot came out with this song, I would dare say that 10% of the demographic audience that his style of music is aimed at could give you a single "call" from a traditional square dance. But a month after it charted, 80% or more knew what "Choose your partner...now take a bow" referred to. I'd be curious to know how many "hits" related to square dancing Google would have had in those days if it had been around. If you really think about it, traditional square dance callers were pretty much the first rappers. So it's only fair that both cultures benefit from it. And by the same rule, I'm sure that he managed to pique an interest in rap music for a lot of people that had never been privy to it until then.

I read that when MC Hammer released "You Can't Touch This" in 1990, the similarities to Rick James' 1981 old school funk hit "Superfreak" were so apparent, a new interest sprang forth for James and his then-waning psychedelic funkiness. But James was too strung out on drugs at the time to take advantage of the borderline plagerism that brought Opportunity back to his door to knock once more. I'm sure there are countless other similar instances like this too. Where one artist "scratched the back" of another. Country inspired Rap that turned to Funk that resulted in a Rap remix that caused a new generation to revisit Funk and then remix a Rock song and sell it as Rap . Good luck on figuring the royalties on that.

My whole reason for writing this post was just wondering if the scratcher was doing it intentionally or not. And if it was appreciated by the scratchee. Either way...on to the basis of this "record length" post for me......

I present to you...the "rap Remix" of the redneck's anthem:




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