When you think about it, your favorite rapper's latest album is already irrelevant. The internet has transformed modern, toe-tapping laypeople into snobby toddlers combing through Costco samples.
You don't know what Pusha T's last album was called (I don't blame you). We'll save the modern day mixtape reviews for Pitchfork. Think you've heard that chord progression before? Need inspiration? This series will delve into some of your favorite artist's favorite albums.
As The Dust Settles on Jamiroquai's Travelling Without Moving, Pharrell & Tyler, The Creator are chuckling in pastel shoes, breaking speed limits. Here are three of my favorite tracks off the album.
1. N*E*R*D Jamiroquai - High Times
This post-Kool & The Gang, pre-BADBADNOTGOOD blend of jazz, R&B, rock, dub and funk fuse warm synths with lead singer Jay Kay's raspy falsetto to ultimately create something that sounds eerily familiar. You can find the song yourself.
2. Jay Kay - Everyday
You might have noticed that Jay Kay is the "Napoleon Dynamite Boogie is 4Real guy!" Yes. Canned Heat was an amazing tune and Jared Hess is superior to Wes Anderson. But that's beside the point. Travelling Without Moving is the precursor to acts such as Toro y Moi, The Internet & Mac DeMarco. You now see the influence of the fastest man on BBC's TopGear. Watch the lap here.
3. Wallis Buchanan & Stuart Zender - Didjital Vibrations
This is not another obnoxious YouTube cannabis snob video. The man pictured above is in fact, a master of the original Aboriginee instrument (the Didgeridoo). Incorporating atypical sounds with almost rappable drums marked the pinnacle of one of the most pivitol genres in recent years. Groups like A Tribe Called Quest and Tony! Toni! Tone! all drew from the same funky, synth-ridden well. This song showcases the influence acid jazz had on the mainstream. 90's UK computer-oriented pop artists such as Radiohead, Massive Attack and Aphex Twin all used this sound to their advantage. Even hip-hop prolifics Guru and J Dilla were inspired by Jamiroquai (See Jazzmatazz Vol. 2 & Black Capricorn Day). To hear some of the fairly common instances where they went against the grain, you'll have to delve deeper into their discography.
I hope these songs have taught you that it's socially acceptable to loosen your tie, unbutton your collar and pour a double shot of Wild Turkey. Serious people work 9 to 5's. It's the eccentrics that get to dance while simultaneously rolling joints on stage and participate in Suzuki Liana time trials. A stiff upper lip with cufflinks will get you tickets to the Bon Jovi concert and a renewed Valium prescription (if you're lucky). Do yourself a favor and incorporate some more funk into your diet.
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