Were Your Lyrics Always That Simple???
Big_Stacks
"I don't worry about hittin' power, cause I don't give 'em nuttin' to hit." 4,670 Posts
Hey Guys,I'm currently playing "Midnight Marauders" in the ride and I was struck by how simple Q-Tip's lyrics were. I never realized how much so until it hit me while listening to "Sucka Niggas". Anyway, I've always thought of him as one of those MC's that sounds great to his music (dope voice, too), instead of being a great lyricist in general. Some examples of other cats I would put in that camp include:-Guru.-Diamond.-Butterfly.-B-Real.Has this kind of experience ever happened to you guys before? Holla!!!!Peace,Big Stacks from Kakalak
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Just before the release of daily operation he revealed he would be dumbing down his lyrics from that point on, and he clearly did.
"The Ownerz" was his absolute worst lyrical showing on LP.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
It just goes to show you how much the music weighs into the equation.
Yep!!! That's the point, Day. Some cats jive so well with the music that you sometimes forget how simple the lyrics are. Dope delivery has a lot to do with it too. I'd say Masta Ace fits this steelo as well.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Good example.
He seems to have really simplified his lyrics on "Long hot summer" but there still so stylish.
I would say though in him off beat/on beat "slaughter house" period he was more complex/technical and pulled it off well.
Dude has a voice that gets over the silliness of some of his verses...
Yo BuburOck,
I remember Ace flippin' some lyrical styles on "Take a Look Around." After that, his flow simplified a bit, so he didn't always rock such a simple style.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
you got me there, i must admit to only being really familiar with Ace from slaughterhouse onward
I can't remember. I'll have to go back and listen to it. I don't listen to that one as often as I should.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Also, Bushwick Bill
Tip never used intricate cadences or anything, but he always used some ill ways to say certain things that were just... well, I guess abstractly poetic. "Raise up, squire / adjust your attire / we have no time to wallow in the mire"... That's just one that comes to mind and there are probably many other better examples, but at that time you just weren't gonna hear too many emcees say something like that!
"Sucka Niggas" was actually a kinda disappointing song to me as far as what Tip was saying. But I loved that Jack Wilkins loop, though! You're 100% right, Stacks- with Tribe, I think the music and vocals went so well together that they kind of enhanced each other and even if you weren't blown away in a lyrical sense, you were just blown away by the albums as a whole.
Philly Most droppin' the insight like always (are we related????). To piggy-back off of what you said, it just occurred to me how the least intricate MCs (and groups) had the longest careers (with the exception of KRS-ONE, Busta Rhymes, and maybe De La). This is probably due to the fact that they don't capitalize on novelty (of their rhyme styles), which will fade over time (e.g., Das Efx, Nine, Onyx, etc.).
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Man I just listened to that joint over and over for like an hour yesterday - the whole LP acutally. There must've been a Midnight Marauders vibe flowing coast-to-coast this week.
Sure Tip never came with the complex cadence or rhyme structure, but his delivery and voice and feel for the beat he was riding was impeccable. On the other hand you've got your amazing lyricists that have trouble really getting into a beat and making a song "work" except on rare occassions (Ras Kass comes to mind). Tip was consistent. Consistently fresh.
...Too bad about that recent solo album of his.
-e
Ice muthfuckin' T. He's never been an "oh damn, he flipped that shit!" type of rhymer to me, but his style really worked for him (until he fell off, of course).
O. D. B. over '94 Rza beats fits this description pretty well I'd say.
Yep, Ice-T would definitely fit into this category. Like Guru said, "It's mostly the voice that gets you up..." I'd add flava and charisma to the list as well.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Yes, i always thought Phife was the better rapper in Tribe. "now that I got that out my system, watch me stab up the track as if my name was OJ Simpson" But I think some of these guys just had a really good voice, so combined with great beats it sounded really good. No doubt Guru and Tip have really cool voices. Diamond was a producer who picked up the mike so I give him a lot of room for simplicity. Most rappers are just talking about their life, so that's the real apeal. Does he/she have a cool voice and do you like what they are saying. Plus, think about some of the original rappers.... some of that stuff was mad corney, but they were inventing a style and had strong personality. B-Real just got hyped cuz of the nasal style and the fact that people worshiped C Hill when they first came out. Once again it was the voice and what he talked about. Plus, some of the "rappers" today just suck!!!!! 20 song about get on the floor and fuck me. No originality and no personality unless your impressed by sexist assholes. 50 Cent was great on How To Rob, now he just keeps re-making the same damb song over and over.
Seriously though Phife the better MC in tribe?
You are denying the genius of:
?!?
Yo, do you even listen to rap?
I just watch PORN!!!!
Hey Volumen,
Actually, I was sort of disregarding the Phifer in discussing Tip, not comparing the two. Plus, I generally just "tolerated" Phife because he came with the package, sort of how I felt about 5ft. Excellator in Black Moon, Sin Dog in Cypress Hill, Doodlebug in Digable Planets, Pete Nice in 3rd Bass, Son Cease in Onyx, U-God in Wu-Tang, Danny Boy in the House of Pain, or Tomahawk Funk in Funkdoobiest. Since Tip was "the hype" of the group, I was just surprised at how lacking I found his lyrics to be. His presentation made him enjoyable, but the lyrics were just so damn basic. It really stood out to me for the first time last night, though I remain a die-hard Tribe faithful. They made great albums (no "Love Movement").
I agree with your statement about Diamond. I was just pointing out that he was generally simple lyrically, but his rhymes sounded dope because of his voice and wittiness. Many MC's get over because of this, but they don't seem to be as clever or interesting these days.
Peace,
Big Stacks from Kakalak
Dude, get the wax utensil.
No seriously, i hear what you're saying. Tip didn't (doesn't) have crazy rhyme schemes or rapid-fire delivery, but he did have some interesting/unusual ways of getting certain ideas across, so i'm having trouble agreeing that his lyrics are all 'so damn basic'.
However, he also seemed to start regressing lyrically after low-end. remember when he was on that Beastie boys track on ill Communication? freestyle or not, that was weak!