Radical Revisions & Adaptions

In today's music industry, it's not uncommon for various artists to release multiple versions or remixes of their songs. After a song's original release, many hip-hop artists will go back into the recording studio with the intent of completely adapting their original song into something totally different. Often times, the remix will feature new artists that weren’t present in the original. This can give the new song a drastically different sound and feel, while still building off of the success of the original track. Sometimes these new artists will be from completely different genres, and the remix will end up sounding nothing like the original. These remixes can introduce different genres to different audiences, and potentially bring in more money for the artist. By reaching out to different audiences, the artist may be able gain more mainstream popularity in today’s competitive market.

Jay-Z - "Encore"

Jay-Z & Linkin Park - "Numb/Encore"

Jay-Z's "Encore" was popular among the hip-hop crowd when it was first released in 2003 on The Black Album. Later in 2004, Jay-Z and Linkin Park teamed up to release a collaboration album called Collision Course. The hit single off the album combined lyrics from Linkin Park's "Numb" and "Encore" by Jay-Z. The song became very popular and ended up reaching number 20 on the Billboard Hot 100. This is a great example of a hip-hop artist remixing a previously popular song with an artist of a different genre, in order to reach a completely new audience and obtain commercial success. Rock fans were introduced to hip-hop, and vice-versa.

Kid Cudi - "Day 'N' Nite"

Kid Cudi vs. Crookers - "Day 'N' Nite"

"Day 'N' Nite" was originally released by Kid Cudi on his 2008 mixtape A Kid Named Cudi. Later on in 2009, a remix was released with the Crookers that added a very heavy dance influence to Cudi's original track. The remix became very popular among both hip-hop and electronic music fans. "Day 'N' Nite" was Cudi's first hit song, and the remix only enhanced his mainstream popularity.

Florida Georgia Line - "Cruise"

Florida Georgia Line - "Cruise (Remix) ft. Nelly"

Rappers aren't the only ones who feature artists from different genres in their remixes. Sometimes rappers themselves may be featured on remixes that allow the original artist to reach an entire new audience. Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" became a huge hit among country music fans in 2012. Later on, they released a remix with Nelly that received radio play on pop stations throughout the country. This collaboration introduced mainstream audiences to Florida Georgia Line.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The VS. EP & The VS. Redux 

Some hip-hop artists will create an entire album that consists of remixes of their previous songs. In 2009, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis released The VS. EP, and a year later, they released The VS. Redux which consisted of the same songs, just remixed. 

Female Rappers Going Extinct?

    When I asked my roommate to name me five rap artist, she replied with the following: "Kanye West, Lil' Wayne, Drake, Jay-Z, aaaaaaannnnndddd T.I.!" It took her a little time to think of the last one, but then again she isn't the biggest hip-hop fan. The point of the question was to see whether or not one female name would be brought up in the mix; and as thought, it wasn't. This comes as no surprise to me due to the fact I had asked several other people before her that same question, getting varied answers of coarse, yet still being a list of only male rap artists. This then bring up the question, "are female rappers an extinct species?"

      Luckily for the young girls and women who take a liking to this male dominated genre, the answer is no. In 2010, Nicki Minaj broke an eight year dry spell for solo female MCs with album Pink Friday, which ended up going platinum. The album displayed her talent to play with words, and use metaphors and similes that blew your mind, putting her on the same competing field as many male rappers today. The fact that Nicki Minaj has collaborated with artist like Kanye West, Lil Wayne, Ludacris, and Drake, exemplifies that even the men in the game take a liking to her style. 

Her verse on Ludacris's "My Chick Bad," is one of my favorite of hers:

    And Nicki Minaj isn't the only female MC making a name for herself in this "man's world." Artist such as Iggy Azalea, Australian born rapper, was the first female ever to make the cover of XXL magazine's annual "Top 10 Freshman" cover issue, where they announce the lookout of upcoming artists. Her style is not as animated as Minaj, but her talent and sound may be as good. With her debut album The New Classic, Nicki Minaj may just have the type of competition that is needed to open the door for other female rappers. 

 

     

   The great thing about female rappers like the ones mentioned above is the "bad bitch" mentality they serve in hip-hop music. Redefining terms that at one point have subjugated women in this industry and owning their sexuality through their clothing choice and dance moves, help bring alive the post-feminist movement in the hip-hop culture. 

Illmatic

Nasir bin Ola Dara Jones (Nas) grew up in public housing in Queens, New York. His Father was a jazz and blues musician and his Mother was a postal service worker. Nas dropped out of school in 8th grade and soon began pursuing a career in rap. In the early 1990's, he began to gain attention in New York, and in 1992 he was signed by Columbia records.

            Nas' debut album, Illmatic, was released in april, 1994, when he was just 20 years old. This album is considered to be one of the greatest, and most influential hip hop albums of all time despite the fact that it is only ten songs and 40 minutes long. Still today, many people would argue that Illmatic is the best album of the genre.

            Illmatic greatly influenced hip hop and more specifically, east coast rap. With the release of the album, Nas set a new bar for lyricism and production. Nas' lyricism is one of the  main reasons this album is so highly regarded. His lyrics had many poetic elements that were not typically found in hip hop. Nas experimented with different rhyme schemes and inspired many other rappers of  the time to do the same. The clear, precise execution of his rhymes, is another trait that gained Nas attention at this time. This album also revolutionized the production of hip hop. Nas used several producers on this album, something else that was not common in the early 90's. Before this, most artists would just use one producer an album, but after Illmatic, more artists used multiple producers. His beats have a blues/jazz influence, which can be heard in songs like "Life's a b*tch," "The World Is Yours," and "One Love."

            Most other artists have been greatly influenced by Illmatic. Even Jay-Z and Biggie Smalls used some of Nas' techniques. Shortly after the release of Illmatic, Jay-Z released Reasonable Doubt, which was clearly influenced by Nas. Jay-Z even used some of the same producers on his album and wanted Nas on one of his tracks. Many other artists have indirectly been influenced by Illmatic, due to its influence on the entire genre.

Life's A B*tch
The World Is Yours
 One Love