Hey all, PCR here (again!)
I’ve been in a weird music mood lately as I drive around for my job, and I’ve been falling back in to some Classic/Old School Rap tunes, so for those of you who love it so loud your rear view mirror vibrates, here’s what I’ve been bumping lately…
California Love – Dr. Dre/Tupac. A quintessential West Coast anthem. The lyrics from Dre feel laid back while Tupac’s verse has a sense of urgency feel to it. Both sides of that coin flow amazingly with the beat and the musical hook. “Bumpin’ and Grindin’ like a slow jam” indeed.
Gangsta’s Paradise – Coolio. Quite possibly the most memorable thing about the movie “Dangerous Minds”. The haunting violins and chorus merge with the window-rattling beat as Coolio weaves his verses about being a victim of his surroundings and street upbringing. a subwoofer thumper for sure.
Rockbox – Run DMC. An even further back classic from their debut album, it was one of the first rap songs I can remember that merged with shredding guitar tracks to create something that had as-of-yet been unheard of.
Shake Ya Tailfeather – P Diddy, Nelly, Murphy Lee. From the Bad Boys II soundtrack, this is like a mini-recreation of “P. Diddy and the Fam”. Each verse is unique and fits each artist’s style while still maintaining the flow of the song. Still hits.
ANYthing off “No One Can Do It Better” – The D.O.C. I can’t even begin to think of how many hours and hours and hours this CD used to play in my car on road trips back in the day. A car accident crushed his larynx and changed his voice, but 7 years later he regained enough of it for his second album, but the debut record for the man who co-wrote Eazy E’s solo debut remains a classic.
– PCR
