Old School Ice T

By Nico Lustgarten

Be careful what you wish for.

My wish was to never play hip hop again. I thought it was unrealistic but I think the audience might be more sophisticated than I thought.

Or maybe we’re just out of touch.

I doubt this, however as evidenced by the manifold shit that has been broadcast from, what I hope to be, the last screaming beacons of unintelligible hip hop. I hope that to not confuse this with some of the statesmen of this genre such as Jay Z or Common or even Black Eyed Peas.

Yes, I’ve heard alternative hip hop. Some people will list the Cool Kids as an example but how many times did we listen to their album before chucking it into that virtual void of mediocrity?

It’s not that I don’t like hip hop. I just don’t like what it’s become. Put on some old Nas, Wu-Tang, Tribe, Ghostface, Biggie, and even Tupac to see me get into the mood.

I wonder if I’m just out of touch but I don’t think so.

I knew standards had been lowered when 50 Cent was listed among some of the greatest rappers of all time. It didn’t feel right to call him that. When Lil Wayne started amassing fame, fortune, and critical praise, I knew it was over. Not that I’m a total hater because I’m not. It’s easier to swallow to just consider his voice as an instrument rather than a conduit for sloppy rap lyrics. If I were him, I’d never boast about my freestyle ability.

“Call me Mr. Flintstone. I can make your bed rock.” (really?)

Yeah, sometimes I want to hear that b-boy beat drop, and there are ways around it, such as mash-ups and classic funk tracks. Listening to a rapper lean into the beat and spew a lyrics that express his intellect and experience is akin to feeling the bass of a jazz song rumble your heart free of its steady and predictable beat. I guess that’s what I’d rather hear. Fortunately, I think that’s what a lot of others would rather hear, too.

We’ll see which way the vibe blows this Saturday. Maybe the other stuff won’t adequately satiate moods but at least I will pay attention to those concerns even if it’s answered with a classic track.

Anyway, on to some of what I’ll be playing tonight.

1. Human League “Don’t You Want Me? (Computer Club Edit)
2. Depeche Mode “Enjoy the Silence (Ewan Pearson Remix)”
3. The Cure “Love Song (Diplo Mix)”
4. Ellie Goulding “Starry Eyed”
5. Penguin Prison “Something I’m Not (Krispin Korg Remix)”
6. Little Boots “Meddle (Baron Von Luxxury Technicolor Remix)”
7. New Order “Blue Monday (Patrick Wayne Remix)”
8. The Smiths “How Soon is Now? (Mark Ronson Remix)”
9. Franz Ferdinand “No Your Girls (Trentmoller Remix)”
10. Sia “Buttons (CSS Remix)”