biggest rap songs on urban radio 2011

i dunno i dont want to rag on a-banks more than i already have bcuz i think my initial ire was a bit ott -- i think all the comparisons to rappers-i-like was real off putting when i heard it & everyone's saying BEST SHIT OF THE YEAR -- its closer to lily allen than trina imo

ummm she's not really close to either

Reema Major's single was better anyway

I see mostly shtick in Nicki Minaj, though I’m thrilled to see a woman break apart the boys club and sexualize men in her hit video.

didn't Salt & Pepa spend half of the 90s doing this

yeah but every time a female comes along and raps about sex and men being sexy, every time people act like no one's ever done it before (which is where we return to azealia banks)

I mean, I get why Missy wouldn't be a good avenue for comparison because IIRC the vast majority of her videos have ppl in borderline skiwear up until "Lose Control" so it's not like the videos themselves were objectifying dudes but didn't S&P paw shirtless guys in practically every single one of their post-"Push It" videos?

ummm she's not really close to either

― degas-dirty monet (lex pretend), Friday, December 16, 2011 11:23 AM (11 minutes ago) Bookmark Permalink

idk precocious cutesy theater kid is kind of her steez
i was actually going to say that one chick critics were into 5 yrs ago who did theatrical 'hip-hop'-esque showtunes but i couldn't remember her name for the life of me

nellie mckay?

thats the one

allen and mckay aren't really "rappers" as such, they just experiment with it. banks can actually rap really well.

also, press and image aside, i don't think banks' theatre-kid thing actually comes across on record at all

i dont know why that sess 45 / keedy black song we both like doesn't have similar levels of label interest, if its just down to rapping skill; but it isn't, of course, its her theatrical irony & general indie-ness that gives her coverage

also, press and image aside, i don't think banks' theatre-kid thing actually comes across on record at all

Really? My reaction to "212" was the overwhelming impression that someone had played a Betty Boo single for her and said "okay sound like this, only more arch".

archness is a better word for what i'm thinking than 'theatrical irony & general indieness' thnx

i dont know why that sess 45 / keedy black song we both like doesn't have similar levels of label interest, if its just down to rapping skill; but it isn't, of course, its her theatrical irony & general indie-ness that gives her coverage

or reema major, or brianna who does that "marilyn monroe" song, or yeah many others. so many others.

this happens all the time though! "why are you paying attention to this and not that" is like, something i whine every month. odd future, the weeknd, frank ocean, asap rocky, yadda yadda yadda. at least this time there's a legit great pop song, in terms of hooks and earworminess, that feels somewhat ~alive~ and not just like someone's mumbled something intp their laptop at 3am

i really don't hear archness in it though...and usually that's a real turn-off for me

I don't see how you can listen to the switch from flat-affect robot to overly conversational verging on surfer girl verses to the sung part to the shouty part without imagining her stopping each take in the studio to change her hat and sunglasses to better get "into character" for each voice.

I don't think it's a bad song but it absolutely is dripping with artifice for me, in much the same way as a good chunk of Nicki's material.

i should say, i don't even think its 'bad' just very slight, which feels almost more opposed to the arguments made in its favor than if i actively disliked it like that

like there's a sense of a small group of ppl willing it into importance

"the thinking man's Alexandra Stan"

ha i was thinking about all the vocal switch-ups the other day - they absolutely make the song for me, but it's so recognisably her every time that the idea of them being minajian characters never crossed my mind. they seem to flow into each other quite naturally.

i did think "212" was slight when i first heard it, then it earwormed me - admittedly it only grabbed me totally after i googled the lyrics, which i couldn't really make out before. once you can rap along to it it's completely different.

like there's a sense of a small group of ppl willing it into importance

which makes azealia banks different in what way to any other rap/r&b act that critics stan for?

like would it legitimise her if "212" ended up being a hit? it's not like odd future have had hits either

I don't think it's slight in terms of popularity, I think it's slight because it really reminds me of "Mr Saxobeat". Its hit potential isn't even on my radar; if anything, I think it has a shot because of the combo of filthy lyrics + frothy beat + cuet rapper/singer, but then again I also thought ppl were going to go for Janelle Monae as a pop star rather than "a respected musician" so I am not a good barometer for these things.

i'm not trying to 'delegitimize' her though. i'm just trying to describe her stuff in a way that i feel is accurate. i dont think there's much hit potential in this song, i have no idea what to think abt her long-term prospects. i do feel like she'd do better in britain than here.

minaj is all schtick at this point but it kind of seems useless to knock her for that -- when she leaves aside the schtick you just get horribly bland platitudes like "right thru me" or the verses on "moment 4 life"

I don't think "212" will be a hit but the buzz around it is reminiscent of the buzz around "Galang" (only it's been faster b/c these things travel faster now).

and like MIA, we end up discussing her in ilx threads about radio rap for some mysterious reason

"212" is interesting but breakout pop single? gtfo. hook isn't strong enough.

it wouldn't go straight to radio playlists if they just tightened up the chorus, though

the song's fun is all in the bleeped out parts

this is just gonna be a song that hipsters play a lot at hipster house parties

how dare they

what kind of craft brew do they drink while listening to it

good results

HAM got rob'd

isnt that song widely considered a flop

i mean, i don't like it either, but i thought the general consensus was 'WOW' followed by 'eh'

i just assumed that post was sarcastic

wow I would like "Ima Boss" a lot more if it wasn't for the videogame strings/horns

dunno why you would think a post made by poster 'gayfish' was sarcastic tbh

http://theremixbaby.tumblr.com/post/14643521667/unpopular-opinions-super-bass

kinda sums up my feelings about 'super bass' (except I wouldn't rank it that low on PF)

wow I would like "Ima Boss" a lot more if it wasn't for the videogame strings/horns

haha I love shitty fake synth brass sounds in rap songs

I mean why shouldn't I feel like I'm playing Lufia when I listen to Meek Mill

sawce all over me

haha I love shitty fake synth brass sounds in rap songs

― that wiener from Emearlds (step hen faps), Thursday, December 22, 2011 6:46 PM (12 minutes ago) Bookmark Permalink

seriously!

fake brass is awesome

"ima boss" is my favorite song on here, but if anything it would be better if the beat was varied for like even a few bars. it's hard as hell but it's soo repetitive.

i have zero issues w/ that album

er, song