JAY-Z – 99 PROBLEMS
(ROC-A-FELLA RECORDS/MERCURY RECORDS/UNIVERSAL)
I bought this disc on
the internet from Germany. That fact is of no significance to anything
but I just like it.
When “99 Problems”
arrived it was sonically the punchiest Jay-Z track to date. With Rick Rubin manning the desk
it was old school Def Jam exhibiting the kind of sample Run DMC would have
chewed up and impaled back in the day.
Its all about the big beat, the boom.
The old school rolling drum machine.
A worrying aspect
about my relationship with this song is how the bitch element of the piece
didn’t occur to me in the least. I only
sensed myself being frowned upon when I presented the track as a possible play
while DJing an indie gig. The meaning of words really gets lost in hip
hop.
So is this song
misogynistic? Being that rap frequently
objectifies it could definitely be argued.
But where is the fun in that?
It’s a fine line.
Scepticism aside this
single is home to some great lines such as “half a million bail ‘cos I’m
African” and “they don’t play my hits, I don’t give a shit”. Its brash and likeable.
Moving onto the video
cred points are earned with the black and white technique coupled with sharing
space with Vincent Gallo and Rubin
himself.
For a punch and a charge
you will never top a heavy metal guitar for such an explosive effect. Rain down shame on the white people taking it
seriously.
Thesaurus moment:
rancorous.
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