Classics on Trial - Week Three!

[The Curmudgeon]

Apologies for the tardiness of this weeks entry. To make it up to you, here's a little personal anecdote about this week's entry. Now this week is a little different, in that a) most of us were actually BORN when this song originally came out. Crazy shit, right? and b) it's not some light acoustic loveliness but rather a bit of a hip-hop classic.

So, the anecdote. At the T in the Park music festival a few weeks ago, on the Saturday afternoon, we were at a drinks tent that was selling cocktails. They had a big floor for people to dance around in, so drunk, sunburned teenagers were dancing along to the music. And this weeks song came on. I mentioned to Mrs C how depressing it was that there was no flicker of recognition in the teenage audience, no "oh cool, this song." They just didn't know it.

Fast forward a few hours to the headline act that night, Calvin Harris. And who would come out to introduce him? The person responsible for the song. And the same kids who didn't know the single LOST THEIR FUCKING MINDS that he was here. And hey, he's one of the biggest stars in the world no question, what the hell was he doing here???

Because that person no longer makes music, he's a Hollywood movie star. But when he DID make records, this guy shifted units let me tell you. Enough suspense. It's this guy.



See? I don't even have to name him and you know who it is.

Now, Will Smith's blend of pop rap got VERY unfashionable very quickly, not helped by Eminem's slam dunk disses of the guy. Yeah, he's safe. Yeah, there's no bad language, no sex or violence. Does there need to be? And yeah, a lot of his songs were pretty bad, but its one of his earlier singles that I think holds up as a genuine classic pop song. And kinda fitting with the weather right now, dontcha think?

www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kr0tTbTbmVA

Couple of things;

I don't know what happened to commercial hip-hop, but I believe everything in "Summertime." It just sounds authentic and genuine, about wanting new sneakers because girls will be there, old folks dancing at the barbecue.. all that. It could be real, not bullshit about flying about in jets and fuck knows what they talk about now.
This party looks like the most fun ever.
That Speed Racer shirt is bad-ass.
Will Smith is clearly immortal as he looks almost identical twenty three years later.

But that's me, and I'm calling it a classic. What say you?
I love

[trashcanman]

I've never been a fan of Smith's music at all, but you can't really deny that this is a classic summer tune. His flow is too slow to impress, other people wrote his toothless lyrics for him (literally a dozen writers listed on Wikipedia), and the whole production is just so comfortable, basic, and targeted for pop radio; it's just not what I look for in hip-hop. That said, everyone knows that hook and in its inoffensiveness the song is as listenable as they come. just because I'm not a fan doesn't mean it's not a classic.

[The Curmudgeon]

Awww, shit? He doesn't write his own lyrics? Fuuuck. Trash, you've kinda ruined my day. I thought for sure he wrote this stuff. He even said "and with a pen and pad I composed this rhyme." The lying BASTARD.

Still, three weeks and three straight "Classic" votes. I'm doing something right..

[trashcanman]

Classics are classic for a reason. But yeah, it's pretty much unacceptable in hardcore hip-hop to not write your own lyrics. The saying is if someone else is writing the rhymes, they might as well be holding the mic. Smith and P. Diddy (or whatever he's going by now) are both major offenders.

[The Curmudgeon]

Here's a little bit of a surprise. D'you know who wrote "Gettin'Jiggy With It?"

Fucking NAS.

[trashcanman]

I did know that. But I still don't believe it.

[Ben]

Will Smith is hit or miss for me, but there's no denying "Summertime" is a classic.