Monday, February 2, 2009

Hip-Hop goes 80's?

Does that make sense?

>>Lately, I've noticed a trend in the hip-hop scene that both bothers and intrigues me. Actually, I noticed it a while ago but it's becoming more frequent as the years go by. Various Hip-Hop artists are coming out with singles that basically take over the radio for weeks at a time because they're so damn catchy. All of the radio/MTV addicts become obsessed with the song, and then you realize it's EVERYWHERE. But what they don't always tell you is that they're basing these songs on those from the eighties. A few years ago ( in '06 I believe ), Rihanna came out with the song "SOS". I personally love that song, but from the first few notes I realized that it was oddly familiar, even the first time I heard it. As it played I realized the beat was from one of my favorite songs from the 80s, "Tainted Love" by Soft Cell. Rihanna acknowledged that she based her song off of that one, so I was okay with it.. & it didn't hurt that I liked her song too. Recently, Flo Rida came out with "Right Round", which is ever so slightly reminiscent of "You Spin Me Round (Like A Record)" by Dead or Alive. Even though it came out in '85, it has been covered several times over the years. Flo Rida didn't cover it so much as sample it fer the chorus of his song and as an influence of the beat. He changed the chorus to better "fit the times" I guess, but it's pretty different. I like his version, but not in comparison to the original.

What do you have to say about this trend?
Into it? Over it? Let me know.

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