I appreciate you re-upping this post. I hadn't read it and didn't realize just how much you anticipated my first selection in the "Top 5" post (from a few weeks ago) -- which used both the Tom Lehrer and Daniel Radcliffe videos . . .
I love this deep dive into the list song. I hadn’t read anything quite like it. The Daniel Radcliffe clip was awesome -- I remember hearing “Alphabet Aerobics” whenever it came out (1999 says the internet). I loved the adventurousness of a lot of hip hop of the ‘90s, Blackalicious, Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang, etc. I hope a new renaissance is coming. Artists like Noname give me hope, though I’ve aged out of being able to fully recognize such a renaissance.
Thanks for commenting Steve. Yes, '99 for Blackalicious (I say little bit more about the EP in part 2 of the list pieces: https://songstudies.substack.com/p/nightsticks-water-cannons-tear-gas). I too feel like my hip hop radar may not be up to recognising the renaissance these days. I also wonder whether the relentless virtuosity through 'the gift of the gab' I talk about here is a marker of on older style of hip hop and the new virtuosity resides elsewhere, something to do with vocal curiosity or vocal texture? I don't know. I feel I listen to a lot more hip hop from outside the US these days, though that does often present linguistic challenges.
I appreciate you re-upping this post. I hadn't read it and didn't realize just how much you anticipated my first selection in the "Top 5" post (from a few weeks ago) -- which used both the Tom Lehrer and Daniel Radcliffe videos . . .
Further evidence that we gravitate toward a lot of the same things! I enjoyed seeing those videos in your post as they are favourites of mine.
I love this deep dive into the list song. I hadn’t read anything quite like it. The Daniel Radcliffe clip was awesome -- I remember hearing “Alphabet Aerobics” whenever it came out (1999 says the internet). I loved the adventurousness of a lot of hip hop of the ‘90s, Blackalicious, Tribe Called Quest, Wu Tang, etc. I hope a new renaissance is coming. Artists like Noname give me hope, though I’ve aged out of being able to fully recognize such a renaissance.
Thanks for commenting Steve. Yes, '99 for Blackalicious (I say little bit more about the EP in part 2 of the list pieces: https://songstudies.substack.com/p/nightsticks-water-cannons-tear-gas). I too feel like my hip hop radar may not be up to recognising the renaissance these days. I also wonder whether the relentless virtuosity through 'the gift of the gab' I talk about here is a marker of on older style of hip hop and the new virtuosity resides elsewhere, something to do with vocal curiosity or vocal texture? I don't know. I feel I listen to a lot more hip hop from outside the US these days, though that does often present linguistic challenges.