Too Legit For the Pit: Hardcore Takes the Rap
Various Artists
Radical
Whenever someone asks me “what kind of music do you like?,” I reply, “just about everything, with the exception of REO Speedwagon.” There’s always the follow-up question: “even rap?” To which I reply, “of course, rap is great!”
And I am by no means alone, as proven by several things, 1) all the extreme metal bands I’ve met were listening to rap and hip-hop in their tour vehicles or homes, 2) all the metalheads I know have extensive collections of rap, and 3) there’s this great compilation. It’s a collection of current hardcore and extreme bands covering their favorite rap tunes. Covered in a hardcore/extreme way, of course, and that’s the album’s charm. For example, F.O. The Smack Magnet’s version of Digital Underground’s “The Humpty Dance” is pit-worthy, yet retains all the bumping and grinding necessary. The same can be said for the versions of “Baby Got Back,” “I Can’t Do Nuthin’ For You, Man,” “Jack Hustler,” and “Mamma Said Knock You Out,” covered by Throwdown, The Movielife, Hoods, and Clocked In, respectively. You’ll be impressed, believe me, with Bad Luck 13’s rendition of “White Lines” and Diehard Youth’s version of “Bust A Move.” I’ve always said that rap has all the energy of punk and metal, and this album might as well be a supporting article for my thesis.
Radical Records, 77 Bleecker St. #C2-21, New York, NY 10012; http://www.radicalrecords.com
