Thursday 29 March 2012

The Rap Dutch Henry Brown


Tip of the twelve gallon hat to DB Tha General for Ghetto Cowboy from his latest album because, more than any other form of entertainment, Gangsta-Rap is a continuation of many of the themes prevalent in the Western movie; be that the classic American Westerns of the 30s, 40s, 50s and early 60s, Sam Peckinpah's Mexico films, the more lurid Spaghetti Westerns of the late 60s to mid 70s, and even a satirical parody like Blazing Saddles * :

"What you runnin' for? You thought you was gonna get shot?
My n*ggas end shit, period, GOT!
You runnin' off at the mouth, my bullets is gettin' hot
You want me to take him out? John F. in the drop"


DB Tha General - Ghetto Cowboy
(From I Shine, We All Shine album; 2012)


There'll surely come a day when old Western themes become the sample choice du jour for Rap producers, and that day really needs to result in someone spitting over the Burt Bacharach and Hal David composed theme from John Ford's 5/5 classic The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance which Gene Pitney later recorded after Ford dumped the original song from the movie's OST :

Gene Pitney - (The Man Who Shot) Liberty Valance
(From Only Love Can Break A Heart album; 1962)


(* Forget his touted Juice remake, Soulja Boy needs to star as sheriff Bart in a reworking of Blazing Saddles.)

8 comments:

done said...

Hopefully, westerns havent been used enough(or to their full potential at least) - Kool Moe Dee, Will Smith, that one Tragedy video, that song with Kurupt off Doggfather and the Doug E Fresh video you linked to that time are the only other examples I can think of. Shits ripe for the plundering.

I think the 2012 rap droughts starting to tip on, the NHT Boyz tape was a little patchy but that and new DB has me optimistic. Man DBs the dude.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Wild Cowboys and Hang 'Em High by Sadat X.

done said...

Damn I forgot the pinnacle of stetson rap.

I love Puba but that theres the greatest Brand Nubian solo, its just more of an album imo.

Viva Django said...

if you enjoyed downbeat spaghetti westerns like The Great Silence, you should give Cut Throats Nine a go, blud.

http://youtu.be/Q7jLM4uHcJM

Nyquil the Most said...

I agree with donal, DB is the shit. Stoked that I live near him, but can't say I'll venture into his turf on my whip (a fucked-up mountain bike) anytime soon.

Kelvin Mack10zie said...

Done - Reel To Reel >>>>>

Viva Django - that looks fucking incredible.

Nyquil - you should go there on your mountain bike because it'd be physically impossible for him to be able to hide under that waiting to kill you like he did when he hid under the dude's car before jumping out and shooting him in the Upgrade 'em 2 video.

done said...

Ah now. I put everything in my alias I dont put nothing in my government. Nyquil if you bump into DB at Walmart or whatever, ask him how someone goes about getting "grandma game".

Reel To Reel doesn't have this landmark conscious rap moment though: "I'll free the Haitians off the boats and give 'em the finest ocean liners, I hate brothers thats walking but mentally they in recliners"

Will said...

lest we forget ::: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7ORLq1zSNow