Styles P: Introspective Gangster

Styles P has been one of my favorite rappers for a while now.  Coming up in New York during the golden era of hip-hop, Styles'... style is a unique combination of (ostensibly) authentic gangster posturing and profound stoner introspection.

As a 'head' I claim to appreciate all forms of hip-hop.  However, I can't deny that aggressive, mean, gangster rap is one of my favorite sub-genres.  Styles P, as he will tell you, is one of the hardest out.





...damn.   AraabMuzik... you are crazy for this one, you are a fool for this one.

As always, choosing a proper beat is a crucial for rap artists, and P frequently collaborates with one of my favorite producers, also one of the hardest out, Alchemist:






I challenge you to listen to these tracks without mean mugging the shit out of... everybody.  Not possible.

Despite being such a cold-hearted gangster, P often comes with incredibly instrospective, personal tracks:



SP often indicates that he is haunted by his past...



Styles' ability to reflect and show vulnerability is one of his main strengths; you can feel his pain in his tracks.  Of course, he isn't the only introspective gangster.  He is, however, one of the best to do it.

Dang.  That Waka track slaps.  Haven't heard that one in forever.



-vd

Chanson D'un Jour D'hiver - Who flipped it better?

Lupe Fiasco released his latest album 'Tetsuo & Youth' this week and I'm sure many of you noticed a very familiar sample in the song 'Mural.'

 The sample is taken from the beautiful song 'Chanson D'un Jour D'hiver' by Cortex.

 

 It turns out this sample has been used in a surprising number of songs that have come out recently. So, which flip is the best?

  V12 The Hitman flipped it for this Curren$y joint...

 

  LoKey came through with this banger for King Louie

 

 Is C-Sick 'crazy for this one' he did for Logic?

 

 What about this MellowHype joint that Left Brain produced?

 

 While these beats are all similar in terms of how the producer utilized the sample (mostly just looping), my personal favorite is the King Louie flip.  However, I would love to hear someone else flip this and take it in a completely different direction... I might give it a try and I'll post my flip if/when I do. In the meantime, feel free to comment about which flip you prefer, and let me know if I missed other songs that use this sample.

 PCE

 vdime