Of all the R&B pop stars to have emerged in recent years, Kelis is by far and away the most interesting. Having launched herself on an unsuspecting public with the almost violent 'Caught Out There' in 1999, she went on to cement her credentials as being marginally unhinged with the homage to hand jobs that is 'Milkshake'. Recently she took some time out to get married (and divorced) and have kids, which means the world of strutting R&B pop has been without it's brightest star. Not anymore.
Kelis is featured on the new single by Italian producers Crookers, who are perhaps most famous for remixing Kid Cudi's 'Day 'N Nite' single and helping it reach no. 2 in the UK. 'No Security', the second single from Crookers' new album, is a clattering, dubstep-influenced slice of spluttering synths and weird gurgling sounds, with Kelis' brash delivery riding the beat to perfection. It is, basically, the best banger we've heard since the last one.
It's impact is marred slightly by a Radio 1 DJ talking over it. She does think it's going to be 'big', which we have to agree with.
Who remembers the good old days when you could buy a commercial hip-hop album and be safe in the knowledge that all you'd hear is some mindless rhymes about money, bitches and bling with a chorus sampled from a recent hit single, usually sung by a young female singer? Now it's all MGMT this and Ratatat that (hey, that rhymes!), with all these experimental production flourishes getting in the way of all the pimpin' and braggin'.
One recent exponent of this phenomena is Kid Cudi. Fresh from working with Italian dance producers The Crookers on 'Day 'N Nite', he's back with a new single called 'Pursuit of Happiness'. Produced by Ratatat and featuring MGMT on the chorus, it's a brilliantly stoned, skillfully executed fusion of rap and OTT guitars.
Lovely stuff.
Not to be outdone, Raps elder statesman Jay-Z has gone and employed a certain Luke Steele from Empire of The Sun fame on his Blueprint 3 album.
It's got a similarly spaced out beat, this time provided by Kanye West and No I.D. Perhaps it's the start of a whole new genre; Prog-Hop anyone?
When we first mentioned this song we thought it was something Kid Cudi and friends had knocked up as some kind of 'hilarious' response to Lady GaGa's 'Poker Face'. It's not a joke though, it's actually Kid Cudi's next single and has now, thankfully, been re-named 'Make Her Say'.
The video is pretty good, utilizing a nice split screen effect and probably loads of film reference that we're too young (ahem) to notice. Even the song sounds better now, that beat popping more then it did when we were distracted by the sex abuse (poking it in her face!?). Common's verse is still a major let down, even if he does somehow have a "conscious dick".
