“H.A.M.” and “Going Through Hell” and a coin analogy.
Today this happened:
I, after a fair amount of beers discovered new tracks by “The Streets” as well as Kanye West and Jay-Z. Profound stuff happened (supposedly).
Then this happened in my brain:
I love the The Steets and Kanye West allot. It’s a confusing affliction trust me. Young rappers from very different places (London and Chicago respectively) have both released 3 records that have affected my life and (interestingly enough), are now releasing their crescendos. It is becoming readily apparent that both Kanye and Mr.Skinner are reaching their creative peaks. This is it. You can love them as much as you want, but if you listen to both of the new singles, one thing is readily apparent. This is as far as It goes. This is the White Album and it’s down hill from here; Enjoy yourself now because this is as high as the roller coaster goes. The thing that interests me most is how similar two very different artists are concluding.
“Going Through Hell” is a song based around the chorus of the Winston Churchill quote, “If your going through hell, keep going”. If Mike Skinner has a wheelhouse it is enduring shit. This song really encapsulates all that he as done for the last decade. The verse is ambidextrous and slippery. Describing the difficulties of living in general, whilst goading the listener to “keep going”, its awesome listen to it, trust me on this.
“H.A.M.” is not that much different of a beast but it’s a song that embodies the exact same spirit while shinning in a much different way. The south side Chicago West implores us that he is “Hard as a MuthaFucka”, but in deep contrast to Skinner’s East Bingham London “Streets” song the verse is secondary to the ‘fuck you in the face’ production value. Half way through the track I was left questioning why Ye and HOVA were even talking during all the Choral movements interspersed with the two rap demigods imploring me to be tougher than I really am. It all creates an environment of what can only be described as “Just Buy this fucking album.” The beats make you want to do something. And something is allot more than what most rap artists who don’t call themselves Outkast can say these days.
The thing that intrigues me about the two songs is simply the readily apparent mason Dixon line of alternative music and modern day rap. Both songs attempt to do the same thing, talk about painful shit under the guise of looking awesome. Both accomplish this through the use of marquee production and an assaulting repetition of chorus, but at the end of the day it’s the same goddamn song done subtlety different ways.
And what’s the difference really?
Maybe ill figure this out.
H.A.M. will undoubtedly go down as a keystone collaboration between modern hip hop geniuses and “Going through hell” will be a footnote to, “that shit brits were doing “in the mean time.
Is this a problem?
Is this to be expected?
I hold answers to neither, but I feel it should definitely be talked about.
Collaboration between Mr.West and Jigga Man is nothing new but if Mike Skinner and Kanye were to, for at least a second, recognize that they’re doing the same thing.
Would that prove more interesting?
Fuck if I know.
I have them both on repeat.
Ill see you tomorrow,
DGO
