The 2008 Remix Report Card, Vol. 10
"Boyz (Remix)" by M.I.A. featuring Jay-Z
Jay's flow isn't what it used to be, but sometimes it seems like he just decides to jump on songs that he has absolutely no idea how to flow over, like "Rehab" or the song he totally ruins on the new Raphael Saadiq album, usually when he's trying to show how diverse his tastes are or some shit. I totally expected this to be like that, but he finds a decent groove in here. I wrote a thing on Gov't Names recently about how for 3 years I was annoyed by the army of rock critics that worshipped M.I.A. and went nuts every time any mainstream U.S. hip hop artist like Missy Elliott acknowledged her existence. But then in the past few months that all turned around, and suddenly "Paper Planes" is getting played on rap stations and sampled on a T.I. song, and K-Swift was spinning this song, "Boyz," a lot right before she passed away, and it started to kinda grow on me. I still think M.I.A.'s a terrible vocalist and lyricist and her music is mostly nothing special, but I guess I gotta just tolerate her ubiquity in a larger arena now.
Best Verse: n/a
Overall Grade: B
"Lost! (Remix)" by Coldplay featuring Jay-Z
And here's yet another example of a Jay-Z corporate merger diversifying his portfolio collaboration, this time with his buddies in Coldplay, who you'd think he might stop repping so much after this, but oh well. I don't know anyone who thinks this, but I really liked "Beach Chair," it may not be saying much but it was by far my favorite song on Kingdom Come, and even if the whole Coldplay/hip hop thing is a thoroughly weird and unwelcome phenomenon, it worked a hell of a lot better than Kanye or Swizz's Coldplay songs. I really like this song, but the remix is pretty much gratuitous and unnecessary, Jay dropping a short verse that he wrote 2 years ago.
Best Verse: n/a
Overall Grade: C
"Magic (Remix)" by Robin Thicke featuring Wale and Mary J. Blige
I was kinda surprised by this, Mary's jumped on remixes like Ne-Yo's "Do You" before but that was kind of a slow jam that made sense as a duet, this is just an upbeat song with her singing one verse and kinda warbling over the chorus, but it actually sounds really good.
Best Verse: n/a
Overall Grade: B+
"Paris, Tokyo (Remix)" by Lupe Fiasco featuring Pharrell, Q-Tip and Sarah Green
I guess this is Lupe's little gesture, after coming off like a total defensive jackass swearing up and down that he doesn't care about Tribe and never did, to bring Q-Tip onto a remix of his totally awful and vaguely Midnight Marauders-esque single. Of course, Tip is still, so far past his peak, ten times the MC anyone else on this track is or ever will be.
Best Verse: Q-Tip
Overall Grade: C-
"Pop Champagne (Remix)" by Ron Browz featuring Swizz Beatz, Lil Kim and Ludacris
Now that Jim Jones has jacked this song for his own single, we'll probably get a different remix of this after that runs its course, but right now I guess this is the official remix. It was funny to me that right after I wrote on this site about Ron Browz's mixtape album from earlier this year, which was all hardheaded traditional NYC shit, he blew up with a ridiculous bandwagon-jumping Aututune song. I still haven't totally decided if I like this song or it's just annoying, but it's slowly growing on me. Kim still sounds as awful with Autotune as she did on that "Sensual Seduction" remix months ago, but Luda's flow is pretty great, one of my favorite verses from him lately, that "freeze my hand up, and pinky ring it" shit is cold.
Best Verse: Ludacris
Overall Grade: B
"Summertime (Remix)" by New Kids On The Block featuring Jadakiss
I think we're past the point when anyone can genuinely act all OMG WTF when a respected rapper works with a white pop act, but this matchup is still pretty funny. Jada's been murdering every verse lately, but he doesn't really lay into this like he could've, and I actually kinda like the original song.
Best Verse: n/a
Overall Grade: C
"Supa Sexxy (Remix)" by Charlie Wilson featuring Jamie Foxx and T-Pain
I hadn't heard the original version much before I put it on that T-Pain production mix the other day, so I've really been jamming to it lately and it's really one of my favorite beats of his. This remix is just OK, though, same melody and basic idea but the uptempo original beat was much better than the generic slow jam shit on this, it's basically just like that that "She Got Her Own" version of "Miss Independent," right down to the appearance by Jamie Foxx, who sounds pretty good on this.
Best Verse: Jamie Foxx
Overall Grade: C+
Jay's flow isn't what it used to be, but sometimes it seems like he just decides to jump on songs that he has absolutely no idea how to flow over, like "Rehab" or the song he totally ruins on the new Raphael Saadiq album, usually when he's trying to show how diverse his tastes are or some shit. I totally expected this to be like that, but he finds a decent groove in here. I wrote a thing on Gov't Names recently about how for 3 years I was annoyed by the army of rock critics that worshipped M.I.A. and went nuts every time any mainstream U.S. hip hop artist like Missy Elliott acknowledged her existence. But then in the past few months that all turned around, and suddenly "Paper Planes" is getting played on rap stations and sampled on a T.I. song, and K-Swift was spinning this song, "Boyz," a lot right before she passed away, and it started to kinda grow on me. I still think M.I.A.'s a terrible vocalist and lyricist and her music is mostly nothing special, but I guess I gotta just tolerate her ubiquity in a larger arena now.
Best Verse: n/a
Overall Grade: B
"Lost! (Remix)" by Coldplay featuring Jay-Z
And here's yet another example of a Jay-Z corporate merger diversifying his portfolio collaboration, this time with his buddies in Coldplay, who you'd think he might stop repping so much after this, but oh well. I don't know anyone who thinks this, but I really liked "Beach Chair," it may not be saying much but it was by far my favorite song on Kingdom Come, and even if the whole Coldplay/hip hop thing is a thoroughly weird and unwelcome phenomenon, it worked a hell of a lot better than Kanye or Swizz's Coldplay songs. I really like this song, but the remix is pretty much gratuitous and unnecessary, Jay dropping a short verse that he wrote 2 years ago.
Best Verse: n/a
Overall Grade: C
"Magic (Remix)" by Robin Thicke featuring Wale and Mary J. Blige
I was kinda surprised by this, Mary's jumped on remixes like Ne-Yo's "Do You" before but that was kind of a slow jam that made sense as a duet, this is just an upbeat song with her singing one verse and kinda warbling over the chorus, but it actually sounds really good.
Best Verse: n/a
Overall Grade: B+
"Paris, Tokyo (Remix)" by Lupe Fiasco featuring Pharrell, Q-Tip and Sarah Green
I guess this is Lupe's little gesture, after coming off like a total defensive jackass swearing up and down that he doesn't care about Tribe and never did, to bring Q-Tip onto a remix of his totally awful and vaguely Midnight Marauders-esque single. Of course, Tip is still, so far past his peak, ten times the MC anyone else on this track is or ever will be.
Best Verse: Q-Tip
Overall Grade: C-
"Pop Champagne (Remix)" by Ron Browz featuring Swizz Beatz, Lil Kim and Ludacris
Now that Jim Jones has jacked this song for his own single, we'll probably get a different remix of this after that runs its course, but right now I guess this is the official remix. It was funny to me that right after I wrote on this site about Ron Browz's mixtape album from earlier this year, which was all hardheaded traditional NYC shit, he blew up with a ridiculous bandwagon-jumping Aututune song. I still haven't totally decided if I like this song or it's just annoying, but it's slowly growing on me. Kim still sounds as awful with Autotune as she did on that "Sensual Seduction" remix months ago, but Luda's flow is pretty great, one of my favorite verses from him lately, that "freeze my hand up, and pinky ring it" shit is cold.
Best Verse: Ludacris
Overall Grade: B
"Summertime (Remix)" by New Kids On The Block featuring Jadakiss
I think we're past the point when anyone can genuinely act all OMG WTF when a respected rapper works with a white pop act, but this matchup is still pretty funny. Jada's been murdering every verse lately, but he doesn't really lay into this like he could've, and I actually kinda like the original song.
Best Verse: n/a
Overall Grade: C
"Supa Sexxy (Remix)" by Charlie Wilson featuring Jamie Foxx and T-Pain
I hadn't heard the original version much before I put it on that T-Pain production mix the other day, so I've really been jamming to it lately and it's really one of my favorite beats of his. This remix is just OK, though, same melody and basic idea but the uptempo original beat was much better than the generic slow jam shit on this, it's basically just like that that "She Got Her Own" version of "Miss Independent," right down to the appearance by Jamie Foxx, who sounds pretty good on this.
Best Verse: Jamie Foxx
Overall Grade: C+
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