Paul BanksyesfromInterpol. And a Hip Hop Mix-tape.
“This is a selection of my favorite hip hop songs. These are tracks that have all given me moments of transcendent bliss wherein I’ve been arrested with awe by both the lyrics and the production. Probably in all of them you can hear the crackle of vinyl – the hallmark of a sample – which gives the music a touch of weight and nostalgia. The past resonating through time and finding it’s place again in a new creation. All of these tracks also feature poets of our time. There is no other genre of music that actually engenders new idioms in the vernacular. Street slang has become common usage language many times over via hip hop songs. Which is incredible and testament to the fertility of the genre. I could speak for days about each and every one of these tracks. But short of that, I hope you listen and receive some of the rewards that I have enjoyed. PS, in writing this, I’ve recollected one last song that MUST be included – since I used the term “poets” in this blurb – listen carefully to what is said in “Thieves in the Night” by Blackstar. Heavy shit. Seriously.”
Wu-Tang Clan – Bells of War
A Tribe Called Quest – Bonita Applebum
Nas – It Ain’t Hard To Tell
Deltron 3030 – Mastermind
Gang Starr – Mass Appeal
Mobb Deep – Right Back At You
Kool Keith – 27 Shots
Mike G – Crash
Anti-pop Consortium – Rinseflow
Mike Jones – Still Tippin
Pete Rock & CL Smooth – T.R.O.Y.
Biz Markie – Vapors
Black Star – Thieves In The Night
