The 2008 Remix Report Card, Vol. 3
"Gangsta Rap Made Me Do It (Remix)" by Ice Cube featuring Scarface and Nas
I thought the original was brilliant, and Cube really picked the perfect guests for the remix, guys nore or less from his generation that are still commercially relevent (or at least, moreso than him) that can bring their own perspective to the song's message, especially Nas's zinger "if they call you a nigga, ain't nothin' to it/ tell 'em Nas made you do it." But Cube shows his age by thinking he doesn't have to write a new verse for the remix, and I think a lot of the original version's impact came from the video and the ballsiness of the whole concept, so it just doesn't feel as fresh here.
Best Verse: Nas
Overall Grade: C+
"Hostile Gospel Pt. 1 (Remix)" by Talib Kweli featuring
The token Just Blaze beat on Eardrum was pretty limp and disappointing (even "Part 2" is better), so I was surprised when it became a single. The remix doesn't really do anything to improve on it (although Kweli's flow is a little better), and really the additional singing on the hook makes it work. Don't know who this Blu cat is but he's pretty annoying, and Joell Ortiz has always struck me as kind of feeble to be acting like some last of a dying breed real MC type.
Best Verse: Talib Kweli
Overall Grade: C
"Paper Touchin' (Remix)" by Red Cafe featuring 50 Cent, Jadakiss and Fabolous
The fact that both 50 and Jada are on this makes it even more visibly assembled piece by piece than most remixes these days, but good on Red Cafe getting a bunch of NYC cats who still (just barely) matter to support a new school NYC cat who'll never matter.
Best Verse: Fabolous
Overall Grade: B+
"Single Again (Remix)" by Trina featuring Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Plies
This is full-on tabloid rap, Trina's thinly veiled song about her breakup with Wayne remixed with Wayne himself on there, commenting on the situation but not really saying anything particularly shocking or heartfelt. Still, what he does say would work better as a back-and-forth duet, not just the first of several verses in a posse cut, ang Plies wins for just stumbling in and starting his quick 8 bars by hollering "YA DAMN RIGHT I CHEATED" (I support this proposal for Plies to act a fool on every remix from now on).
Best Verse: Plies
Overall Grade: B-
"Superstar (Remix)" by Lupe Fiasco featuring Young Jeezy and T.I.
This is, as far as I know, the first verse that T.I.'s released since he started recording at home on house arrest, and decided to start writing his lyrics down again, and it really shows. His flow is more meticulous and Andre 3000-like than ever, each word carefully chosen and enunciated, which is kind of refreshing to hear after the autopilot of the last album, and makes me pretty optimistic about Paper Trail. Lupe is irritating to me even when he's good, and he's almost as irritating here as he was on the original. Jeezy's intro definitely brings a new energy to this terrible, leaden song, and his extended bit about The Wire and Bmore makes me smile, but there was really never any time that he could outshine T.I. on a track.
Best Verse: T.I.
Overall Grade: B
"Touch My Body (Tricky Remix)" by Mariah Carey featuring Rick Ross and The-Dream
I've been skeptical of all the praises rained on The-Dream as both a songwriter and a performer in the past year -- OK, I may have recently referred to him as a "chinless helium-voiced hack." I think he's nothing special on the former count ("Just Fine" excepted) and downright unpleasant on the latter ("Shawty Is The Shit" grudgingly excepted). But I also think his songwriting partner, Tricky Stewart, is a pretty versatile producer, and he shows his range really well with the contrast between the original "Touch My Body" and this remix. Mariah still sounds like Pebbles Flintstone on the verses, but it's a total improvement. Just like on the "Single Again" remix, though, it would be better without Ross, and for once The-Dream is a worthwhile prescence for the little breakdown that comes with his verse (although he sounds a little too proud of that stupid YouTube line that he hoots his own variation on).
Best Verse: The-Dream
Overall Grade: B-
I thought the original was brilliant, and Cube really picked the perfect guests for the remix, guys nore or less from his generation that are still commercially relevent (or at least, moreso than him) that can bring their own perspective to the song's message, especially Nas's zinger "if they call you a nigga, ain't nothin' to it/ tell 'em Nas made you do it." But Cube shows his age by thinking he doesn't have to write a new verse for the remix, and I think a lot of the original version's impact came from the video and the ballsiness of the whole concept, so it just doesn't feel as fresh here.
Best Verse: Nas
Overall Grade: C+
"Hostile Gospel Pt. 1 (Remix)" by Talib Kweli featuring
The token Just Blaze beat on Eardrum was pretty limp and disappointing (even "Part 2" is better), so I was surprised when it became a single. The remix doesn't really do anything to improve on it (although Kweli's flow is a little better), and really the additional singing on the hook makes it work. Don't know who this Blu cat is but he's pretty annoying, and Joell Ortiz has always struck me as kind of feeble to be acting like some last of a dying breed real MC type.
Best Verse: Talib Kweli
Overall Grade: C
"Paper Touchin' (Remix)" by Red Cafe featuring 50 Cent, Jadakiss and Fabolous
The fact that both 50 and Jada are on this makes it even more visibly assembled piece by piece than most remixes these days, but good on Red Cafe getting a bunch of NYC cats who still (just barely) matter to support a new school NYC cat who'll never matter.
Best Verse: Fabolous
Overall Grade: B+
"Single Again (Remix)" by Trina featuring Lil Wayne, Rick Ross and Plies
This is full-on tabloid rap, Trina's thinly veiled song about her breakup with Wayne remixed with Wayne himself on there, commenting on the situation but not really saying anything particularly shocking or heartfelt. Still, what he does say would work better as a back-and-forth duet, not just the first of several verses in a posse cut, ang Plies wins for just stumbling in and starting his quick 8 bars by hollering "YA DAMN RIGHT I CHEATED" (I support this proposal for Plies to act a fool on every remix from now on).
Best Verse: Plies
Overall Grade: B-
"Superstar (Remix)" by Lupe Fiasco featuring Young Jeezy and T.I.
This is, as far as I know, the first verse that T.I.'s released since he started recording at home on house arrest, and decided to start writing his lyrics down again, and it really shows. His flow is more meticulous and Andre 3000-like than ever, each word carefully chosen and enunciated, which is kind of refreshing to hear after the autopilot of the last album, and makes me pretty optimistic about Paper Trail. Lupe is irritating to me even when he's good, and he's almost as irritating here as he was on the original. Jeezy's intro definitely brings a new energy to this terrible, leaden song, and his extended bit about The Wire and Bmore makes me smile, but there was really never any time that he could outshine T.I. on a track.
Best Verse: T.I.
Overall Grade: B
"Touch My Body (Tricky Remix)" by Mariah Carey featuring Rick Ross and The-Dream
I've been skeptical of all the praises rained on The-Dream as both a songwriter and a performer in the past year -- OK, I may have recently referred to him as a "chinless helium-voiced hack." I think he's nothing special on the former count ("Just Fine" excepted) and downright unpleasant on the latter ("Shawty Is The Shit" grudgingly excepted). But I also think his songwriting partner, Tricky Stewart, is a pretty versatile producer, and he shows his range really well with the contrast between the original "Touch My Body" and this remix. Mariah still sounds like Pebbles Flintstone on the verses, but it's a total improvement. Just like on the "Single Again" remix, though, it would be better without Ross, and for once The-Dream is a worthwhile prescence for the little breakdown that comes with his verse (although he sounds a little too proud of that stupid YouTube line that he hoots his own variation on).
Best Verse: The-Dream
Overall Grade: B-
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