My Hip Hop Song for Alien Genre Challenge

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MichaelA

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« on: May 17, 2020, 12:46:06 PM »
I was quite enthusiastically inspired by the permission to leave my comfort zone provided by the Alien Genre Challenge. So - also a bit bored in lockdown -I got on with it right away. Of the two genres I was allocated - Reggae and Hip Hop- the latter seemed a complete mystery to me. Plus I could never imagine rapping for one minute.

But I did choose Hip Hop for perverse and masochistic reasons  ;D  - and then went to work finding some Hip Hop drum loops that sat well together, which at least would give me the foundation of the genre. Together with a verse bass line that follows the bass drum, lots of rhyming rap and some (daft) effects I thought I'd given the song a nod in Hip Hop's direction.

But I've added some bluesey/jazzy/trippy musical embellishments that completely muddle the melting pot. Fun though! For me anyway :)

To get round the problem of a guy of my generation, and cultural upbringing, convincingly doing rap I invented a new persona. So in this song I take on the acting  role of a Grandad who would be - believe it or not - even slightly older than me! And I have dug out the soft Lancashire dialect of my old home town to complete the act and add to the incongruity of it all.

I'm slightly nervous of putting this in the public domain ;) Gulp, but here goes! There's a delete button on Soundcloud after all!

https://soundcloud.com/michael-a-duffy/grandads-turned-hip-hop

Lyrics

Teeth like sharks my wife's remarks
When out shopping in Marks & Sparks
A tidy flat cap for this cool chap
She said  fancy dress? You deserve a clap
So I chose in haste, again not her taste
Nice trousers with elasticated waist
Let's pay, let's go, I've still got it y'know
She cried no, no

But I'm no sad clown, so off with the frown
Grandson was in town so I tracked him down
And I made him stop at his fave fashion shop
I said what's this music? He said Hip Hop
I goes Chuck I'd like to get your look
He said I'm sixteen Grandad what the fluck
I says Sprout don't doubt me mojo's out
He cried no, no!

Lad said Gran
Make it stop
Grandad's turned Hip Hop
But I was glad that I had
Though the lad took it bad, more than a tad mad
Proper sad


So I went underground with this Hip Hop sound
Wore my baseball cap the wrong way round
Me gangsta hoodie thing and all that bling
Tattoos smacked large on everything
I said lad don't be mad, Chuck ain't I bossed it?
He said OMG Grandad you've lost it
Then on the patio, break-dance cameo
He cried no, no

So I said let's stroll to my watering hole
For a pint with my homies and crown green bowls
Keepin' MC time rappin' out in rhyme
It ain't no crime Big G digs Grime
He's like Grandad you ain't no Eminem
No Snoop Dog, Stormzy, none of them
But my mates yelled Yo, go Grandad-io
He cried no, no

RPT Chorus

But from Big Granny Chief there was no relief
I says what's up Your Majesty, why all the grief?
She goes who’s s this chubby Mr Hip Hop hubby
With your kecks down your arse and your gangsta hoody
You're a fashion mishap, where's that nice old chap
With his afternoon nap and his dapper flat cap
I says don't agitate, babe it's just too late
I is Big G of Hip Hop and fame awaits

Lad said Gran
Make it stop
Grandad's turned Hip Hop
But I was glad that I had
Though the lad took it bad, more than a tad mad


And me wife


« Last Edit: May 21, 2020, 02:08:29 PM by MichaelA »
My latest novel: pls check it out!

‘Gavin & The Bodysnatchers’, a quirky comedy crime thriller. Easily found on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09GZ7C8M7?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

pompeyjazz

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« Reply #1 on: May 17, 2020, 01:47:54 PM »
I was waiting with anticipation @MichaelA after our Friday evening chat. What a work of genius. The lyrics had me laughing out loud. Love the new persona. You've smashed this genre, Yo ! I loved the ending btw  ;D

adamfarr

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« Reply #2 on: May 17, 2020, 01:58:52 PM »
Are you sure this is outside your normal genre?! From the rhythm track I actually get a slight classic "Jump Around" feel. I also like the doubled voices for emphasis - very 80s hiphop that too. And I highly appreciate that you don't just rhyme the end of the line, internal rhymes are the bomb.
Great ending too.
Where next?!
Fun times.

Paulski

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« Reply #3 on: May 17, 2020, 02:26:43 PM »

This is really dope man. Love the lyrics and the groove  :D
Best line:

Quote
He cried no, no!

Some of the keys sound a bit - IDK - carnival? - but what the hang! - knowhatimsayin?

You've set the bar pretty high for hitting the genre - god help the rest of us  ;D ;D

Paul

Grubstar

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« Reply #4 on: May 17, 2020, 02:27:33 PM »
Absolutely brilliant, loved it, very funny clever lyrics made even better by the droll delivery in a Lancashire accent.Great backing track as well really like the hip hop drums and other references you've incorporated.1st Class.

PaulAds

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« Reply #5 on: May 17, 2020, 02:40:23 PM »
This is fabulous, Michael.

I was toying with doing something "funny" myself...but you've blown that idea out of the water with this laugh-out-loud masterpiece...I'll have to go deadly serious for my entry, i think...as I couldn't come up with anything that could even begin to compete with this.

Not just funny, either...it's brilliant and very clever too.

'ip 'op  ;D

Hooray!
heart of stone, feet of clay, knob of butter

CaliaMoko

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« Reply #6 on: May 17, 2020, 03:15:36 PM »
Excellent! I agree with everybody else. No more to say.

cowparsleyman

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« Reply #7 on: May 17, 2020, 04:37:03 PM »
@MichaelA - i won’t be listening to it until I’ve finished mine, I don’t want to be influenced by your piece...it’s harder than I thought to rap and i really admire them, bro

Dayamm


MichaelA

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« Reply #9 on: May 18, 2020, 12:33:44 PM »
Hi all, well what a relief people seem to like it! I thought there would be a chance I'd be in hiding by now, ha ha!  ;D

@pompeyjazz, great comments. I may well encore my new persona in the future. I think he is more charismatic than me  ;)

@adamfarr, yes I think I went for echoes of earlier Hip Hop and glad you spotted most of the tricks I stole. It was fun indeed and yeah maybe genre hopping as copyrighted by @cowparsleyman would be a rewarding way to go! Cheers.

Hi @Paulski , glad you enjoyed it and yep I know some of the instrumentation snippets were a little less Hip Hop, but I was just improvising on the synth to the backing track and thought what I came up with was just fun. I originally had a more cinematic sound that was a bit more genre authentic, but felt it was all too serious in the end. Might do a Carnival song next after your comment.  ;D

Thanks @grubstar, glad you appreciated Grandad's Lancashire accent  ;)

Cheers @PaulAds - 'laugh out loud masterpiece', can I quote you on the record sleeve?  ;) Grandad blushed at that comment.

Talking of 'Grandad' I was reading yesterday about Clive Dunn and his one-hit-wonder song of early 1971. He was just 51 at the time but had made a speciality most of his career of playing much older men. Anyway in an interview I read he said the song 'bought me a house'. It made me realise that I've missed out on my one-hit-wonder comedy song potential, as these days nobody makes money from singles. Bloody shame that, but never mind, at least I can share my creation with about a dozen folk on here! ...would have liked the house though. In Portugal I think.

Thanks @CaliaMoko and @Melusine2 for the appreciation. Good idea @cowparsleyman, I'd have done the same thing if you'd have published first.

My latest novel: pls check it out!

‘Gavin & The Bodysnatchers’, a quirky comedy crime thriller. Easily found on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09GZ7C8M7?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

montydog

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« Reply #10 on: May 18, 2020, 02:42:57 PM »
Oh my Gaaaaaaaawd! This is going to win the competition hands down - no one is going to get anywhere near it. One of the cleverest, funniest, wittiest and genius things I have ever heard on this forum. I laughed till I cried. Alan Bennett would be proud of your lyrics and musical arrangement is perfect - shades of "Matchstick  Cats & Dogs" with the brass band touches. What a bloody brilliant piece of music.
M

MichaelA

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« Reply #11 on: May 21, 2020, 02:15:37 PM »
Hi @montydog, now that's the kind of feedback I'm talking about.  ;D I shall print it out hand it to my wife next time she complains about my live composing pains - "Now what shite is that you're singing?" - and similar insults I endure if she's watching Eastenders in the next room!

Thanks very much!
My latest novel: pls check it out!

‘Gavin & The Bodysnatchers’, a quirky comedy crime thriller. Easily found on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B09GZ7C8M7?ref_=pe_3052080_397514860

Jamie

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« Reply #12 on: May 22, 2020, 06:18:44 PM »
@MichaelA
Everyone else has said it, brilliant, made me laugh my socks off, especially the ending, amazing. No one can beat this.......

Made my day...

Cheers
Jamie

Sterix

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« Reply #13 on: May 22, 2020, 06:42:45 PM »
Lolz Michael. reminded me of Frank Sidebottom... didn't he do a rap once? :P

5 guys named Lars

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« Reply #14 on: May 24, 2020, 11:02:24 AM »
This is great Michael. Lovely idea & excellent ending.Well done.