mixtape maestro (2.0)

Estelle knows the rules of the game. With the occasional exception, it’s mostly about who you’re connected to if you wanna break in the American urban market. For the West London-born singer/ rapper’s upcoming second effort (and first through John Legend’s Homeschool Records), Shine, she’s already enlisted the talents of proven hitmakers Will.I.Am, Wyclef Jean and Swizz Beatz among other A-list names. Album track “American Boy” teams her with the ubiquitous Kanye West.

A neo-soul number brought to life with a sprightly, Euro-disco base from the House of Jamiroquai, the good-natured ditty has Estelle completely enamored by the dopeness of an American crush, wishing to herself that he would whisk her on a romantic journey through all of the major, State-side hot spots. “Take me to New York/ I wanna see LA,” she breathlessly begs on the coasting hook, but an escapade throughout the predictable places aren’t all she cares to peep. In hopes of getting a deeper understanding of how his thug appeal came into being, Estelle encourages a visit to his stomping grounds (“Let’s go on the subway/ Take me to your hood/ I never been to Brooklyn and I’d like to see ‘what’s good’”), sweating the projects like we would Amsterdam’s famous red light district.

Kanye West does like he always does, placing all focus on himself in a goofy, self-referencing guest verse (“What’s your persona about this American-a rhyme-a?/ Am I shallow?/ Cause all my clothes design-a?”). Embracing his status as a materialistic tantrum-thrower, West bypasses Estelle’s US fanaticism, finding more interest in utilizing the mirror ball groove to hype his own greatness (“I’m feeling like Mike at his baddest/ Like the Pips at they ‘Gladys’ (gladdest)”) with a few UK slang terms thrown in for good measure.

His appearance is needless, but appreciated nonetheless, since his name being attached will only give this likable breezer a better chance at making Estelle an American household name.

DL: “American Boy” (YFH)