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Pharoahe Monch
Desire, 2007
Wow…what to say? So many things…I’m not a hip hop historian by any means but I can’t name another hip hop cover, can you? And if there is one (there must be) I bet that it was supposed to be funny a la Weird Al.
This is a very well-timed appropriation. Public Enemy’s original came out in March of 1990, during the George Bush Sr.’s presidency, 5 months before the first gulf war. By most approximations everything that was going wrong then is much worse now (not to mention “new” problems like unlimited wiretapping). Accordingly, Pharoahe uses Chuck D’s entire first verse but writes his own second verse to incorporate new themes.
Unfortunately I don’t have the liner notes so I can’t get more info like who produced the song and whether or not the horns are from 70’s Bay Area funk group Tower of Power who are featured on another track on this album. Tower of Power were ahead of their time, opening their 1974 Urban Renewal album with “Only So Much Oil In The Ground.” I say they were ahead of their time but what do I know? I wasn’t around and maybe it was already a big issue at that point. Either way, kudos to them for writing lyrics like this at any time:
There is only so much oil on the ground
Sooner or later there won’t be much around
Tell that to your kids while you driving ’round downtown
That there’s only so much oil on the groundCan’t cut loose without that juice
Can’t cut loose without that juice
If we keep on like we doin’
Things for sure will not be cool
It’s a fact we just ain’t got suffiecient fuelCause there’s only so much oil in the ground
Sooner or later there won’t be none around
Alternate sources of power must be found
Cause there’s only so much oil in the groundYes there’s only so much oil in the earth
It’s a fact of life for what it’s worth
Something every little boy and girl should know from birth
That there’s only so much oil in the earthThere’s no excuse for our abuse
No excuse for our abuse
We just assume that what we use will not exceed the oil supply
But soon enough the world will watch the wells run dry
Does anyone recnognize the speech at the beginning of Pharoahe’s version? I’m wondering if that’s something they did for the record if it’s from an actual public speech.
>> songs are available for two weeks (192 kbps) [5.0 MB]
>> songs are available for two weeks (320 kbps) [8.2 MB]
October 26th, 2007 at 9:43 am
The only other hip-hop cover I can think of is ‘lodi dodi’ by Snoop…
This track is hot, btw. It’s going into my heavy rotation, immediately.
::c::
October 26th, 2007 at 1:50 pm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1973_oil_crisis
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1979_energy_crisis
You probably don’t remember, but mom and dad used to keep a notebook in the car and would meticulously note the price per gallon and the mileage since the last time they filled up to calculate how many miles per gallon they were getting. I don’t remember because I was too young, but there used to be lines at the gas stations back in the 70s.
Also, the 1973 crisis caused the federal government to mandate 55 MPH speed limits (that law wasn’t repealed until 1995… side note, when it was repealed, Montana eliminated speed limits all together for a while).
Sorry for posting a blog post up in your comments.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:23 pm
Also… I suppose you mean hip-hop covers of hip hop songs because there are several (though not commercial) covers of hip hop songs - think Nina Gordon’s Straight Out of Compton, the Gourds’ Gin and Juice and that cat that covered Hey-Ya… though, I guess those can fall into comedic (kinda).
ps. I can’t find it now, but get your hands on Tori Amos’ cover of Eminem’s ‘97 Bonnie and Clyde (yeah, I know… what?!!?!?). Bone chilling.
October 26th, 2007 at 2:48 pm
Tricky (well, I think his wife was on vocals) covered children’s story (on pre-millenium tension… I think). and didn’t black star do a cover of said song on their album?
October 27th, 2007 at 8:29 am
RATM covered Microphone Fiend and How I could just Kill a Man on their RAGE album too. Presuming you mean a hip-hop cover of a hip-hop song, that snoop one is the only other one I know of…
::c::