The first is Kanye West's new song "Power." Hip hop has always had a post-modern element; its use of samples from various genres as well as movies and other spoken text is a defining characteristic of the genre. "Power" makes this element its subject matter.
It begins with a chanting unison – wordless and vaguely tribal – over a steady clap. This intro could just as easily be leading into a hippy freakout as a hip hop song. Next, Kanye begins rapping, followed by a layering of somewhat disparate sounds: a siren sound, a rock-like guitar line, a muffled saxaphone, and finally the hip hop drum and bass beat. All of these elements combine to dizzying effect, but Kanye must have felt this wasn't enough to make his point. To really hammer home his commentary on the state of our modern life he pauses everything to play the title lyric of King Crimson's "21st Century Schizoid Man."
I am still not sure what to make of this, although what I feel when listening to this song is something like what I imagine schizophrenia to be like. The content of his lyrics only add to this effect in that they seem to be about a different topic entirely. While this may add to the overall effect, the song could be much stronger if the lyrics made some connection to the '21st century schizoid man' clip used throughout the song.
As a side note, I have to ask my readers what you make of this lyric: "I don't need your pussy, bitch, I'm on my own dick." I have had students ask me "man, why you on my dick?" when I was asking them to get to work. In this context it seems to be another way of referring to "riding someone's ass." Hip hop culture conflates this however with homosexuality, so that in saying someone is on your dick, your calling them queer. At least I think so. This still doesn't quite help me understand the Kanye lyric above. Any thoughts?
The second instance of an interesting sample in hip hop that surprised me recently is done in the Roots' new album "How I Got Over." The song "Right On" uses a sample of Joanna Newsom's "The Book of Right-On" from her first album. This was more shocking because it is a contemporary sample, unlike the decades old King Crimson classic. The Roots don't seem to use it for any apparent reason however, other than to possibly let us listeners know that they have broad tastes.
Anyone else have an example of a surprising sample in a hip hop song?
I'm still trying to work out what Kanye meant in "Gold Digger" when he says "I ain't saying she's a gold digger", but then the rest of the song seems to be saying a "gold digger" is exactly what she is.
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