mixtape maestro (2.0)

Peter, Bjorn & John‘s early ’09 single “Nothing To Worry About” may have lacked an irresistable whistle hook for us to endlessly dig, but what it did house (the ferocious stomp-clap drum beat, that catchy-as-hell kiddie hook) was sufficient enough to guarantee it “instant favorite” status. The only problem? That nagging feeling that the production would have worked much better supporting a rapper’s sharp sixteens, rather than the band’s non-threatening indie chirps.

That fantasy becomes reality thanks to this awesome Kickdrums remix, the first taste of a forthcoming Mick Boogie-helmed remix(tape) of PB&J’s entire Living Thing album. Totally omitting PB&J’s presence, this 2.0 version instead plants the original’s best elements alongside the rhyming team of Wale, Young Chris and Rhymefest.

Not really the hip hop dream squad we would’ve first picked, but they service the joint just fine, especially Rhymefest, whose track-stealing ending verse (“‘At parties I part seas/ These partly emcees/ Could hardly tempt me/ You entry/ Level, beginner…”) only reminds us how sad it is that he remains such an underappreciated talent after all these years.

Look for Boogie’s Re-Living Thing on a blog near you on August 1st.

DL: “Nothing To Worry About (Kickdrums Remix)” (alt)

Rhymefest, the Grammy winning co-writer of “Jesus Walks”, has woken up on the wrong side of the bed from the sounds of this Lil’ Jon-produced track, a glimpse of what’s to come on his second album, El Che.

Pushed by Jon to “put me in the mind of some Public Enemy” over militaristic marching drum beats and murder-minded synth basslines, Rhyme busts through the suffocated production spewing pissy frustration at the public’s general silliness. “All of us is killing our children/ Sold Myspace for $500 million/ Sold Youtube for $1.6 billion/ You in the projects fighting over a building,” Kanye’s buddy spits in inflamed ire, putting gangstas to shame by idolizing what he feels are the true hardcore (Marcus Garvey, Malcolm X). Later he mocks us for shedding more tears for Anna Nicole Smith, a “whore” he matter-of-factly proclaims, than the much more tragic casualties of the on-going war.

Amping up the battle rhyme precision and politically-based lyricism that prevailed on his acclaimed, but largely ignored, debut album, Blue Collar, “Angry Black Man…” finally adds a sense of depth lost in hip hop’s current rap/ rock revival. Forget “partying like a rock star”, it’s time to truly rebel like one, Rhymefest announces on this tense cut.

Angry Black Man On A Elevator (Prod. by Lil Jon) – Rhymefest