I know I specified DDR Extreme as the next episode for Dance Dance Retrospective, but before we can go into that, we have to get something else out of the way first. Extreme features song crossovers from every series from the Bemani franchise, the catch-all trademark for Konami's music games, up to that point. Therefore we should take a moment to examine and understand all these games, and what kind of music (if any) they specialise in. NB: Very few Bemani games outside of Dance Dance Revolution have had official releases outside of Japan, so expect disappointment if you should become inspired enough to look for one of them at your local arcades. Furthermore, all game counts refer to arcade releases unless otherwise noted.
Beatmania (1997-2002, 13 games)
The first Bemani series was a DJ simulation game, utilising a 5 button keyboard and a turntable. While earlier games did have more of a focus on hip-hop, hence the turntable, the range of genres present throughout the Beatmania games is extremely eclectic; so much that genres are listed along with song titles. The last game, beatmania The Final, was released in Japan in July 2002.
Beatmania IIDX (1999-Present, 19 games)
Pronounced "2-D-X", this spinoff of Beatmania added two keys to the control setup, and for some reason overtook the original series in popularity. The latest game, beatmania IIDX 19: Lincle, was released in Japan in September 2011. It also got an American release, simply titled beatmania (PlayStation 2, March 2006) (read my review here), which sadly failed to gain much attention in the post-Guitar Hero market.
Beatmania III (2000-2002, 5 games)
A short-lived offshoot of Beatmania which used the 5-key-and-turntable controller from the original series, plus a bass pedal (think Rock Band's drum set). The last game, beatmania III The Final, was released in Japan in July 2002.
Dance Dance Revolution (1998-Present, 14 games)
If you don't know what this is, you need to start over. The latest arcade game, DanceDanceRevolution X2, was released worldwide in June 2010, with DanceDanceRevolution X3 vs. 2ndMIX currently in development. The latest home game, DanceDanceRevolution II, was released for Wii in North America in October 2011.
Dance Dance Revolution Solo (1999-2000, 3 games)
Sometimes counted as its own series. Read more here. The latest game, Dance Dance Revolution Solo 4thMIX Plus, was released in Japan in December 2000.
Guitar Freaks & DrumMania (1998-Present, 19 games)
A sort of precursor to the Guitar Hero/Rock Band dynasties. Guitar Freaks uses a guitar controller with 3 fret buttons, and DrumMania uses a drum kit with 5 pads and a bass pedal. Both Guitar Freaks and DrumMania arcade games run on separate cabinets, but can be linked to play together. The latest game in the core series, Guitar Freaks & DrumMania V8, was released in Japan in March 2011.
Guitar Freaks & DrumMania XG (2010-Present, 2 games)
Basically the original GF & DM on steroids. The GF guitar now has 5 fret buttons, and the DM drum kit has 7 pads and 2 bass pedals. The latest game, Guitar Freaks & DrumMania XG2: Groove To Live was released in Japan in March 2011.
KeyboardMania (2000-2001, 3 games)
The KeyboardMania series uses a 2-octave piano keyboard, similar to the one we got with Rock Band 3. KeyboardMania machines can also link up and play simultaneously with some versions of Guitar Freaks & DrumMania. The last game, KeyboardMania 3rdMIX, was released in Japan in Winter 2001.
Pop'n Music (1998-Present, 19 games)
Pop'n Music has been described by some as a cuter beatmania. This description, while an oversimplication, is surprisingly apt. Like in IIDX, when Pop'n Music goes hard, it gets really intense. The controller uses 9 large, coloured buttons (an "easier" 5-button mode is also available). The latest game, Pop'n Music 19: Tune Street was released in Japan in December 2010, with Pop'n Music 20: Fantasia currently in development.
Dance ManiaX (1999-2001, 3 games)
A different type of dance game, to play Dance ManiaX (spelled differently from Dancemania), you wave your hands over or under a set of four motion sensors. This is one of the few Bemani series (to date) that has never had any home console releases. The last game, Dance ManiaX 2ndMIX Append JPARADISE, was released in Japan in 2001.
ParaPara Paradise (2000, 2 games)
This is similar to Dance ManiaX, in that you wave your hands over five floor-mounted motion sensors arranged in a semi-circle in front of you. It was designed to tie into the para-para dance craze (think "Hare Hare Yukai"), and indeed some of the charts mimic the actual dance routines for their respective songs. The last game, ParaPara Paradise 2ndMIX, was released in Japan in 2000.
Mambo a Go Go (1 game)
While Mambo a Go Go was not technically released under the Bemani brand, it did have a few songs used in DDR Extreme. It uses 3 conga drums which can be hit in 3 different zones each, so it plays somewhat like Namco's Taiko Drum Master series, but with Latin music.
From here on out, the Bemani series you're about to read... about did not exist prior to DDR Extreme, but hey, I strive for completion.
Jubeat (2008-Present, 4 games)
Pronounced "you-beat", with a German 'J'. Unlike most other Bemani games, Jubeat doesn't try to invoke playing a particular instrument; you tap a grid of 16 buttons, each with a mini-screen behind them, and you must press buttons when a marker grows to a certain point, in time with the music. The latest game, jubeat Copious, was released in Japan in September 2011. The latest home game, jubeat Plus (Japan, 2010) / jukebeat (USA, 2011), is also available for the iPad.
Reflec Beat (2010-Present, 1 game)
Reflec Beat uses a large touchscreen, on which you must hit moving notes when they cross a line, and is (a bit too) similar to the rival DJMAX Technica series. The latest game, Reflec Beat, was released in Japan in September 2010, with Reflec Beat LIMELIGHT currently in development.
Dance Masters (2010-Present, 1 game)
Unlike all the other Bemani series, the first Dance Masters (known as Dance Evolution outside North America) game was released for the XBox 360, and uses the Kinect camera system. It is a full-body dancing game much like its rival series, EA/Harmonix's Dance Central, but eschews Euro-American pop for Konami original songs used in DDR and other series. An arcade port for Japan is currently in development.
Wednesday, October 19, 2011
Friday, October 14, 2011
Dance Dance Retrospective: DDRMAX2
If you've been paying attention throughout my Dance Dance Retrospective series (and since the last entry was over three months ago, I'll understand if you haven't), you'll remember me having referred to DDRMAX rather nostalgically. Although it holds a special place in my heart as the first arcade mix I truly grew up on, I'll admit it didn't have a lot of staying power. While new gimmicks like the Freeze Arrows were well-integrated, if not well-executed, the game's biggest drawback was that it only had around 45 songs, cutting out anything and everything from all the entries that preceded it. Fortunately its sequel, DDRMAX2: Dance Dance Revolution 7thMIX (Arcade, 22 March 2002) proved to be a perfect junction between old and new.
MAX2's colour scheme is an edgy departure from the last few games, dominated by dark reds, oranges, and greys. The menus are built identically to those from MAX; you go through the style and difficulty selections in the same fashion. Should you keep pressing right on the difficulty menu, you'll access the Nonstop Challenge mode, which we'll get to later. The music selection menu is also carried over from MAX, however in addition to the Groove Radar carrying over, the traditional "feet" rating counter makes its triumphant return, this time expanded to a maximum level of 10 to accomodate the boss songs. One new modifier has been added to everything we got in MAX: It's called "Dark", and it turns the step zone invisible, making it harder to play by sight alone (not that you're supposed to anyway).
The song list has been expanded to a grand total of 116 tracks, broken down into three segments: new songs, MAX revivals, and other revivals. This means we get all but two of the songs from DDRMAX making a return (with proper difficulty ratings), and 30 of the most popular classic Konami originals, as voted on by a Japanese online poll. Obviously not everything's been revived, but we do get hits like "Brilliant 2U", "Dynamite Rave", "B4U", and five versions of "PARANOiA".
Should you have noticed that there were no course modes of any kind in 5thMIX and MAX, have I got something for you: the Nonstop Challenge mode. The courses here string anywhere from 5 to 10 songs in a row, each centered around a particular theme. The catch is that whilst playing a Challenge course, your Groove Gauge is replaced by a battery with four lives. Getting any mark Good or lower, or an NG on a Freeze Arrow, docks a life, and when you run out, you're booted out of the course immediately. Suffice it to say, this is meant to be a challenge for seasoned DDR veterans, and the fact that many of the songs on these courses use Heavy-level charts only makes it worse in this regard. In addition, many of the returning Konami originals have remixes which are only playable in Challenge courses.
Notable new songs include:
On the next Dance Dance Retrospective, we will showcase what many assumed to be the last mix for arcades: Dance Dance Revolution Extreme.
 |
| The new, edgy colour scheme. |
The song list has been expanded to a grand total of 116 tracks, broken down into three segments: new songs, MAX revivals, and other revivals. This means we get all but two of the songs from DDRMAX making a return (with proper difficulty ratings), and 30 of the most popular classic Konami originals, as voted on by a Japanese online poll. Obviously not everything's been revived, but we do get hits like "Brilliant 2U", "Dynamite Rave", "B4U", and five versions of "PARANOiA".
 |
| Some of the songs get new background FMV clips. |
Notable new songs include:
- "Break Down!!" by BeForU. A fast J-rock song with lots of crossovers on Heavy.
- "Burning Heat (3-option Mix)" by Mr. T feat. Mototaki F (no, not that Mr. T). A tie-in with beatmania IIDX 7th Style, this is a song based on Konami's own Gradius video games. This is one of the few songs with a 12-beat structure, meaning that the "chaos steps" are 12th notes rather than the usual 8ths or 16ths. ...If that went over your head just now, take some music lessons.
- "D2R" by Naoki. Since apparently there were no songs by Naoki in MAX, we get two. The first is a speed rave song following the bloodline of "B4U", and the second...
- "Destiny" by Naoki feat. Paula Terry, is a hyper eurobeat song which, again, follows its own tradition.
- "Little Boy (Boy On Boy Mix)" by Captain Jack. To be honest, there's nothing much notable about this song, except for the subtitle. It was originally "Boy Oh Boy Mix", but the innuendo-infused rename came from a website which misspelled it whilst reporting on MAX2's location test, and apparently it stuck.
- "Long Train Runnin'" by Bus Stop, adapted from the hit by The Doobie Brothers. I don't know about you, but from my experiences it became a frequent pick from casual gamers when it got included on the American PlayStation 2 port.
- "Tsugaru" by RevenG vs. De-Sire. Composed by Naoki Maeda, who for some reason used two of his own aliases. A feudal-Japan-inspired song which may evoke a samurai battle, except for the electro bridge near the end.
- The Extra Stage system also returns, using these two songs:
- The Extra Stage is "MaxX Unlimited" by Z (Naoki Maeda). A remix of "MAX 300", but with far more jumps, Freeze Arrows, and tempo changes.
- The Encore Extra Stage is "Kakumei" by DJ Taka vs. Naoki. A trance remix of a piece by classical composer Frederic Chopin. Appropriately enough, "kakumei" is Japanese for "revolution". When played as an Encore Extra Stage, the new Dark modifier is used on top of everything from MAX. It also appears in a Challenge mode course, with an exclusive Challenge-level chart, which is ironically a tad easier than Heavy.
On the next Dance Dance Retrospective, we will showcase what many assumed to be the last mix for arcades: Dance Dance Revolution Extreme.
Thursday, October 13, 2011
Music Review: Regulate
"Regulate:
*shades*
...the Ides of March. *shot* ...May I never do that again. Back on topic, Nate Dogg was best known for his low-register singing voice and his collaborations with numerous famous rappers. But the one I'm focusing on today would prove instead to be a one-hit wonder for his opposite number: "Regulate" by Warren G.
Now, I only heard out about this song because it samples its backbeat from "I Keep Forgettin'", a hit from Michael McDonald which is one of my favourite songs of the 80s. As far as I'm concerened, that's as good a reason as any to attract me to some new music. And if it's a choice between sampling an old hit and just using some original, barely-there loop you whipped up in half an hour on FL Studio, I'd gravitate towards the former. (Unless J. R. Rotem is involved.)
NB: For clarity (and to avoid having to keep writing artist tags), Warren G's lines will be coloured red, and Nate Dogg's will be written in blue.
With a description like that, "Regulators" would be a cool name for a superhero team.
Thank you for avoiding the "dark and stormy night" setting. ...Would you believe I'm not tired of that line yet.
Recall the four themes of hip-hop from my last review. Warren G is acting on the "girls" mode for the time being...
...As is Nate Dogg.
NB: LBC is short for Long Beach, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. 213 is an area code in the LA area... which Long Beach is not a part of anymore (split since 1997).
Some idiot you are. Why would he go and strike up a conversation out of nowhere? What with gang relations being what they are in (your version of) Los Angeles, wouldn't you recognise their colours and stay away from them? Oh, and while I can appreciate the self-censorship, I very much doubt that you really would have said "I'm stuck". Something that rhymes, maybe... I got nothing.
It's easy to miss, but based on the music video, this scene describes Nate getting distracted by some girls and running his car off the road. For the longest time I didn't even know what this passage meant. But it's not all bad...
...He's just in time to rescue Warren!
Well, this scene is scripted just like a movie - and not a very original one at that.
At this point we have our first chorus, which... has no lyrics. Disappointing, but with the verses carrying so much of the narrative, how would the chorus compete?
Going back to our four themes of rap, it's nice of Nate to let us know when he's flipping the switch!
Just like I thought, they were in the same spot
I don't know, this passage seems a little...
...RAEPTIEM!!
Now, some edits of this song end the track at this point, cutting off the third and final verse. So what could be beyond this point that made them take it out? They're not about to describe what Warren, Nate, and the girls did at the motel, by any chance?
This is a mindbender. Does this mean that there's no melody anymore? The sad devolution of popular music people. Or, with the ambiguous phrasing, you could look at it the opposite way, that the drumline's been taken out. ...Whatever makes you happy, I guess...?
This... is how... Shatner... does... rap.
Wait, so now this isn't supposed to be a dance track?
If you smoke like I smoke
Then you too can make poor decisions like striking up social interaction with dangerous strangers!
Oh. Besides, that was Warren fouling up anyway. So, the moral of the story?
Oh, right, they're promoting killing again. As long as you're a "busta", vaguely-defined as it is. But all in all, this is a rather good song, being a ballad in the traditional sense (as in a narrative). The parallel storylines of Warren and Nate, especially in the beginning, resonated well with me. Given that most "traditional" rap songs only serve to vacillate among the four themes I keep mentioning, having an actual story is one way to rise above the usual fare.
Lyrics: 4 stars out of 5
Music: 4 stars out of 5
Production: 4 stars out of 5
The Call: 4 stars out of 5 (B)
Next Episode: Well... I haven't done History of DDR for a while now? How about that for a change!
- Artist: Warren G & Nate Dogg
- Album: Regulate: G-Funk Era
- Release: 1994
- Label:
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
*shades*
...the Ides of March. *shot* ...May I never do that again. Back on topic, Nate Dogg was best known for his low-register singing voice and his collaborations with numerous famous rappers. But the one I'm focusing on today would prove instead to be a one-hit wonder for his opposite number: "Regulate" by Warren G.
Now, I only heard out about this song because it samples its backbeat from "I Keep Forgettin'", a hit from Michael McDonald which is one of my favourite songs of the 80s. As far as I'm concerened, that's as good a reason as any to attract me to some new music. And if it's a choice between sampling an old hit and just using some original, barely-there loop you whipped up in half an hour on FL Studio, I'd gravitate towards the former. (Unless J. R. Rotem is involved.)
NB: For clarity (and to avoid having to keep writing artist tags), Warren G's lines will be coloured red, and Nate Dogg's will be written in blue.
Regulators
We regulate any stealing of his property
And we da~amn good too
But you can't be any geek off the street,
Gotta be handy with the steel if you know what I mean, earn your keep!
Regulators! Mount up!
With a description like that, "Regulators" would be a cool name for a superhero team.
It was a clear black night, a clear white moon
Thank you for avoiding the "dark and stormy night" setting. ...Would you believe I'm not tired of that line yet.
Warren G. was on the streets, trying to consume
Some skirts for the eve, so I can get some funk
Recall the four themes of hip-hop from my last review. Warren G is acting on the "girls" mode for the time being...
Just hit the East side of the LBC
On a mission trying to find Mr. Warren G.
Seen a car full of girls ain't no need to tweak
All you skirts know what's up with 213...As is Nate Dogg.
NB: LBC is short for Long Beach, California, part of the Los Angeles metropolitan area. 213 is an area code in the LA area... which Long Beach is not a part of anymore (split since 1997).
So I hooks a left on 2-1 and Lewis
Some brothas shootin dice so I said "Let's do this"
I jumped out the ride, and said "What's up?"
Some brothas pulled some gats so I said "I'm stuck."
Some idiot you are. Why would he go and strike up a conversation out of nowhere? What with gang relations being what they are in (your version of) Los Angeles, wouldn't you recognise their colours and stay away from them? Oh, and while I can appreciate the self-censorship, I very much doubt that you really would have said "I'm stuck". Something that rhymes, maybe... I got nothing.
Since these girls peepin me I'ma glide and swerve
These hookers lookin so hard they straight hit the curb
It's easy to miss, but based on the music video, this scene describes Nate getting distracted by some girls and running his car off the road. For the longest time I didn't even know what this passage meant. But it's not all bad...
I see my homey and some suckers all in
his mix
...He's just in time to rescue Warren!
They got guns to my head, I think I'm going down
I can't believe this happenin' in my own town
If I had wings I would fly, let me contemplate
I glanced in the cut and I see my homey Nate
Well, this scene is scripted just like a movie - and not a very original one at that.
Now they droppin and yellin', it's a tad bit late
Nate Dogg and Warren G. had to regulate
At this point we have our first chorus, which... has no lyrics. Disappointing, but with the verses carrying so much of the narrative, how would the chorus compete?
I laid all them busters down, I let my gat explode
Now I'm switching my mind back into freak mode
Going back to our four themes of rap, it's nice of Nate to let us know when he's flipping the switch!
If you want skirts sit back and observe
I just left a gang of hos over there on the curb
But wait, do you mean the girls who distracted you and unintentionally made you run off the road? Because you didn't say anything about them stopping as well.
In need of some desperate help
The Nate Dogg and the G-child
Were in need of something else
I don't know, this passage seems a little...
One of them dames was sexy as hell, I said "Ooh, I like your size"
She said "My car's broke down and you sing real nice,
Would ya let me ride?"
I got a car full of girls and it's going real swell
The next stop is the Eastside Motel
...RAEPTIEM!!
Now, some edits of this song end the track at this point, cutting off the third and final verse. So what could be beyond this point that made them take it out? They're not about to describe what Warren, Nate, and the girls did at the motel, by any chance?
I'm tweaking into a whole new era
G-Funk, step to this, I dare ya
Funk on a whole new level
Of course not. It's some tripped-out ramble on what this "G-Funk" thing is. I blame the marijuana.
The rhythm is the bass and the bass is the treble
This is a mindbender. Does this mean that there's no melody anymore? The sad devolution of popular music people. Or, with the ambiguous phrasing, you could look at it the opposite way, that the drumline's been taken out. ...Whatever makes you happy, I guess...?
Chords, strings, we brings, melody
G-Funk, where rhythm is life and life is rhythm
This... is how... Shatner... does... rap.
If you know like I know
You don't wanna step to this
Wait, so now this isn't supposed to be a dance track?
If you smoke like I smoke
Then you too can make poor decisions like striking up social interaction with dangerous strangers!
Then you're high like everyday
Oh. Besides, that was Warren fouling up anyway. So, the moral of the story?
And if your ass is a buster
2-1-3 will regulate
Oh, right, they're promoting killing again. As long as you're a "busta", vaguely-defined as it is. But all in all, this is a rather good song, being a ballad in the traditional sense (as in a narrative). The parallel storylines of Warren and Nate, especially in the beginning, resonated well with me. Given that most "traditional" rap songs only serve to vacillate among the four themes I keep mentioning, having an actual story is one way to rise above the usual fare.
Lyrics: 4 stars out of 5
Music: 4 stars out of 5
Production: 4 stars out of 5
The Call: 4 stars out of 5 (B)
Next Episode: Well... I haven't done History of DDR for a while now? How about that for a change!
Wednesday, October 12, 2011
Music Review: Drop It Like It's Hot
"Drop It Like It's Hot"
make fun of review. Or it could be that when they go bad, it's a very special kind of bad that has to be seen to be believed. ...On second thought, scratch that. If you'll recall my review of "Empire State of Mind", I said that it was fairly good, albeit offensive to anybody not from New York City. So whatever the reason, the bling train keeps on rolling with a track from Snoop Dogg.
Mr. Calvin Broadus, or Snoop Doggy Dogg as he was first known, got his start by guest-starring on Dr. Dre's late-1992 hit "Nuthin' But A G-Thang", and put out his first solo album, Doggystyle, the following year. Snoop Dogg, as he later shortened his name to, remained active ever since, so with such a long career, there's bound to be a point where you think he "jumped the shark". For me, that would be 2007's "Sensual Seduction"; the song has him singing (with Auto-Tune), and the video is this campy throwback to the 1970s and/or 80s. It may not have been his worst work, but everything he's done after that never seemed to catch on - in a good way, at least. Once guest-star rappers came back in vogue over the past couple of years, he's collabbed with Katy Perry and Big Time Rush. That's right; a boy band from a kid's/tween's TV show. But that's a crisis for another day. In the meantime, here's a look at the song which first got me into him: 2004's "Drop It Like It's Hot".
Now, in "traditional" rap, lyrics tend to encompass up to four thematic elements: material wealth, female pleasure (gender-swapped as necessary), partying, and gang violence. At least these days, you'll have to venture quite a while out of the mainstream before encountering other topics, primarily protesting racial profiling of African-Americans or poverty in their ghettos.
NB: This song comes in many varieties: uncensored, clean, super clean, instrumental, a capella, and I think there's some more. The lyric samples below are censored according to the regular clean version, whereas the music video (watch above) uses the super clean version. Pay attention how much gets cut out from the super clean version - even I think it's insane.
So what does dropping it like it's hot entail? Let's analyse the chorus:
When the pimp's in the crib ma, drop it like it's hot
Drop it like it's hot, drop it like it's hot
Traditionally, to drop it like it's hot involves the person, usually a female with a well-endowed caboose, to bounce up and down on her haunches whilst vigorously shaking said booty. The context of this line could qualify it for either the "party" and/or "babes" mode.
When the pigs try to get at ya, park it like it's hot
Park it like it's hot, park it like it's hot
Oops, guess this doesn't have to do with the above. Still, Snoop Dogg's advising you to peacefully pull your car over in the event you get followed by the police? It's not like rappers to hand out useful advice in their songs, so thanks a lot!
And if a ??? get a attitude, pop it like it's hot
Pop it like it's hot, pop it like it's hot
Yeah, in case you haven't learned by now, some rappers advocate violence as a first response to so-called "haters". Please don't act like it's a new thing, especially since by 2004 it had long since gone out of style. All the same, I pray to God and/or Sabrina that they're just being poseurs about the whole thing.
With that out of the way, we'll start off the first verse with the switch set to "stuff". The first verse is done by Pharell Williams, one half of The Neptunes, the duo who produced the track. That's right: a producer doing guest vocals on a song before it was popular. David Guetta, you'd better get on this wagon fast. Now, The Neptunes' production style is defined by minimalism (although thankfully not nearly as minimalistic as we'd get with snap music, that bane of my existence), as evidenced on some of their other hits: "Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake, "Milkshake" by Kelis, and "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani. And before you ask, they did co-write that song.
I'm a nice dude, with some nice dreams
See these ice cubes, see these Ice Creams
Apparently, Ice Cream is also a brand of shoes. ...Which get blurred out in the music video. It's product placement without the product!
Cheat on your man, that's how you get ahizzead [ahead]
I very much doubt that willfully committing infidelity against your married partner will improve your social and/or financial status, at least in the long run.
Killer with the beat, I know killers in the street
Wit the steel that'll make you feel like chinchilla in the heat
I also doubt that getting shot by a gunman would induce the sensation akin to a sexually-charged chinchilla. Seriously, don't take any advice from this guy. But why would he want to have you killed?
So don't try to run up in my ear
Talkin' all that raspy ??? trying to ask me ???
[...]
Matter [of] fact, you should take four
And think before you ??? with little Skateboard P
Further cementing my distrust of Pharell, or "Skateboard P" as he nicknames himself, he apparently has a hair-trigger temper when it comes to annoying people.
The second verse of the song, and the first one by Snoop Dogg, should teach you everything you need to know about the guy
I'm a gangsta, but y'all knew that
And in case you don't, here's Snoop Dogg lesson #1: he got his start in the early days of gangsta rap, and hasn't changed much since (again, at least until "Sensual Seduction", and even his albums since then have been true to form).
I cut so much you thought I was a DJ
two, whippy whippy, one, yep, three
S-N double O-P, D-O double G
Snoop Dogg lesson #2: he likes to spell his own name in his songs. Now with record-scratch sound effects for extra fun!
I can't fake it, just break it, now when I take it
See I specialise in making all the girls get naked
Shifting over to babes, I see.
So don't change the dizzle, turn it up a little
I got a living room full of fine dime brizzles
Waiting on the bizzle, the dizzle and the shizzle
G's to the bizzack, now ladies here we gizzo
Snoop Dogg lesson #3: his other trademark is adding the syllable "iz" in the middle of words. I have to admit this part of the song always makes me crack a smile, seeing as how there's so much of it.
Oh you got a gun so you wanna pop back
AK-47, now ??? stop that
Meanwhile, in the third verse, we are exposed to the fourth and final phase of rap, gang warfare. And whereas Pharell only has you lynched for annyoing him, the "crime" that'll get you on Snoop Dogg's blacklist is... displaying a gun in public. I'm starting to feel a lot safer around Pharell all of a sudden. Although, if you've got the super clean version, this line comes out to:
Oh you got a ??? so you wanna ??? back
???????, now ??? stop that
Which sounds seriously broken in action.
Must I remind you I'm only here to twist you
Pistol whip you, dip you then flip you
Then dance to this mother??? music we crip to
Woah! Snoop just downshifted from "gang" to "party" mode so suddenly I got whiplash!
"Drop It Like It's Hot" does this and so much more, showcasing pretty much everything you need to know about Snoop Dogg and gangsta rap in general. In fact, I'd recommend this song should you ever need to pick a track for a "Snoop Dogg 101" course or something. ...That said, this is the same kind of thing he's been doing for over ten years at the time, so again, don't act like this is some groundbreaking new concept.
Lyrics: 3 stars out of 5
Music: 2 stars out of 5
Production: 3 stars out of 5
The Call: 3 stars out of 5 (C)
Next Episode: Whoopdee-doo, I'm reviewing another rap song.
- Artist: Snoop Dogg & Pharell Williams
- Album: Rhythm & Gangsta: The Masterpiece
- Release: 2004
- Label: Geffen
- Genre: Hip-Hop/Rap
Mr. Calvin Broadus, or Snoop Doggy Dogg as he was first known, got his start by guest-starring on Dr. Dre's late-1992 hit "Nuthin' But A G-Thang", and put out his first solo album, Doggystyle, the following year. Snoop Dogg, as he later shortened his name to, remained active ever since, so with such a long career, there's bound to be a point where you think he "jumped the shark". For me, that would be 2007's "Sensual Seduction"; the song has him singing (with Auto-Tune), and the video is this campy throwback to the 1970s and/or 80s. It may not have been his worst work, but everything he's done after that never seemed to catch on - in a good way, at least. Once guest-star rappers came back in vogue over the past couple of years, he's collabbed with Katy Perry and Big Time Rush. That's right; a boy band from a kid's/tween's TV show. But that's a crisis for another day. In the meantime, here's a look at the song which first got me into him: 2004's "Drop It Like It's Hot".
Now, in "traditional" rap, lyrics tend to encompass up to four thematic elements: material wealth, female pleasure (gender-swapped as necessary), partying, and gang violence. At least these days, you'll have to venture quite a while out of the mainstream before encountering other topics, primarily protesting racial profiling of African-Americans or poverty in their ghettos.
NB: This song comes in many varieties: uncensored, clean, super clean, instrumental, a capella, and I think there's some more. The lyric samples below are censored according to the regular clean version, whereas the music video (watch above) uses the super clean version. Pay attention how much gets cut out from the super clean version - even I think it's insane.
So what does dropping it like it's hot entail? Let's analyse the chorus:
When the pimp's in the crib ma, drop it like it's hot
Drop it like it's hot, drop it like it's hot
Traditionally, to drop it like it's hot involves the person, usually a female with a well-endowed caboose, to bounce up and down on her haunches whilst vigorously shaking said booty. The context of this line could qualify it for either the "party" and/or "babes" mode.
When the pigs try to get at ya, park it like it's hot
Park it like it's hot, park it like it's hot
Oops, guess this doesn't have to do with the above. Still, Snoop Dogg's advising you to peacefully pull your car over in the event you get followed by the police? It's not like rappers to hand out useful advice in their songs, so thanks a lot!
And if a ??? get a attitude, pop it like it's hot
Pop it like it's hot, pop it like it's hot
Yeah, in case you haven't learned by now, some rappers advocate violence as a first response to so-called "haters". Please don't act like it's a new thing, especially since by 2004 it had long since gone out of style. All the same, I pray to God and/or Sabrina that they're just being poseurs about the whole thing.
With that out of the way, we'll start off the first verse with the switch set to "stuff". The first verse is done by Pharell Williams, one half of The Neptunes, the duo who produced the track. That's right: a producer doing guest vocals on a song before it was popular. David Guetta, you'd better get on this wagon fast. Now, The Neptunes' production style is defined by minimalism (although thankfully not nearly as minimalistic as we'd get with snap music, that bane of my existence), as evidenced on some of their other hits: "Rock Your Body" by Justin Timberlake, "Milkshake" by Kelis, and "Hollaback Girl" by Gwen Stefani. And before you ask, they did co-write that song.
I'm a nice dude, with some nice dreams
See these ice cubes, see these Ice Creams
Apparently, Ice Cream is also a brand of shoes. ...Which get blurred out in the music video. It's product placement without the product!
Cheat on your man, that's how you get ahizzead [ahead]
I very much doubt that willfully committing infidelity against your married partner will improve your social and/or financial status, at least in the long run.
Killer with the beat, I know killers in the street
Wit the steel that'll make you feel like chinchilla in the heat
I also doubt that getting shot by a gunman would induce the sensation akin to a sexually-charged chinchilla. Seriously, don't take any advice from this guy. But why would he want to have you killed?
So don't try to run up in my ear
Talkin' all that raspy ??? trying to ask me ???
[...]
Matter [of] fact, you should take four
And think before you ??? with little Skateboard P
Further cementing my distrust of Pharell, or "Skateboard P" as he nicknames himself, he apparently has a hair-trigger temper when it comes to annoying people.
The second verse of the song, and the first one by Snoop Dogg, should teach you everything you need to know about the guy
I'm a gangsta, but y'all knew that
And in case you don't, here's Snoop Dogg lesson #1: he got his start in the early days of gangsta rap, and hasn't changed much since (again, at least until "Sensual Seduction", and even his albums since then have been true to form).
I cut so much you thought I was a DJ
two, whippy whippy, one, yep, three
S-N double O-P, D-O double G
Snoop Dogg lesson #2: he likes to spell his own name in his songs. Now with record-scratch sound effects for extra fun!
I can't fake it, just break it, now when I take it
See I specialise in making all the girls get naked
Shifting over to babes, I see.
So don't change the dizzle, turn it up a little
I got a living room full of fine dime brizzles
Waiting on the bizzle, the dizzle and the shizzle
G's to the bizzack, now ladies here we gizzo
Snoop Dogg lesson #3: his other trademark is adding the syllable "iz" in the middle of words. I have to admit this part of the song always makes me crack a smile, seeing as how there's so much of it.
Oh you got a gun so you wanna pop back
AK-47, now ??? stop that
Meanwhile, in the third verse, we are exposed to the fourth and final phase of rap, gang warfare. And whereas Pharell only has you lynched for annyoing him, the "crime" that'll get you on Snoop Dogg's blacklist is... displaying a gun in public. I'm starting to feel a lot safer around Pharell all of a sudden. Although, if you've got the super clean version, this line comes out to:
Oh you got a ??? so you wanna ??? back
???????, now ??? stop that
Which sounds seriously broken in action.
Must I remind you I'm only here to twist you
Pistol whip you, dip you then flip you
Then dance to this mother??? music we crip to
Woah! Snoop just downshifted from "gang" to "party" mode so suddenly I got whiplash!
"Drop It Like It's Hot" does this and so much more, showcasing pretty much everything you need to know about Snoop Dogg and gangsta rap in general. In fact, I'd recommend this song should you ever need to pick a track for a "Snoop Dogg 101" course or something. ...That said, this is the same kind of thing he's been doing for over ten years at the time, so again, don't act like this is some groundbreaking new concept.
Lyrics: 3 stars out of 5
Music: 2 stars out of 5
Production: 3 stars out of 5
The Call: 3 stars out of 5 (C)
Next Episode: Whoopdee-doo, I'm reviewing another rap song.
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