#dj mango

It is known that hegemonic narratives have a tendency to center themselves around white, cishet men. If things were different, perhaps Sister Rosetta Tharpe would be a household name. Often heralded as the “Godmother of Rock and Roll.” Tharpe combined spiritual themes of gospel music with unique rhythmic sensibilities, creating a sound that preceded rock and roll. In the early twentieth century, being a queer Black woman in the music industry was a rarity in and of itself. Still, she appealed to secular and religious audiences alike with her one-of-a-kind sound and influenced early rock stars like Chuck Berry, Little Richard and Elvis.

Such is the namesake of Dua Saleh’s 2020 EP, Rosetta. It is clear Tharpe had an impact on them as well. Like Tharpe, Dua must navigate the music industry as a queer Black person. Their music explores the conflict between their queerness and their strict Muslim upbringing: tracks like “smut” and “Sugar Mama” are confident displays of their sexuality, while “windhymn” grapples with sin and internalized phobias. Their sound is a mélange of hip-hop and R&B that finds them braggadociously rapping and wistfully singing in both English and Arabic, and their often abstract lyrics are reminiscent of their early work as a poet. Dua’s production choices - skeletal soundscapes with deep bass and eerie synths - reflect these themes.

2020’s release of Rosetta certainly has me excited for Dua Saleh’s debut album. Until that comes, I will be watching their music video on repeat.

Favorite tracks: smut, Warm Pants, Sugar Mama

With the proliferation of cameras, satellites and other technologies that collect biometric data, it is easier than ever to track the location and behavioral patterns of individuals. The internet has made it possible for millions of people to spy on each other at will through social media and applications like Google Earth. This is the premise for the music video by rapper Vince Staples.

This video was produced as though we are watching through Google Street view, with some shots being stills and others containing movement. It takes place in “Norfy”, California, which is Vince’s nickname for his hometown of northern Long Beach. The camera follows Vince as he passes by other residents who are seen doing a variety of activities. In the end of the video, it is revealed that a teenager identified as “Lucas” has been watching these events unfold from his computer screen - when his name is called, he quickly closes his laptop and leaves the frame.

There are some details about Lucas that shed some light on the intersection of race, class, and the vicarious life of the hip-hop fan. Lucas is portrayed as a teenage white male; based on his room we might assume he is somewhere in the upper-middle class, and based on the “Free Kodak” poster on his wall we can deduce he is a hip-hop fan. Vince Staples knows his audience quite well - though hip-hop is one of the most diverse genres of music, people like Lucas make up a considerable chunk of its demographic. When a genre of music that is rooted in the struggle of an oppressed people is consumed by those who have not experienced that struggle, it becomes commodified as entertainment.

There is an irony in us watching someone watch someone else. To this end, I think “FUN!” serves as a criticism of not only Lucas, but the viewers themselves. After all, are we not spying on Vince as well?

It is no secret that hip-hop values masculinity. The most popular rappers - even those who are not men - display traditionally masculine traits such as self-reliance, power, and aggressiveness (note I am not saying these traits are necessarily masculine, however, in a historical sense they have been presented as such). However, where there is an established norm there will undoubtedly be resistance to that norm. In this post, I will be exploring two artists who challenge the established norms of gender within the hip-hop genre.

Since his rise to popularity after the release of Veteran in 2018, JPEGMAFIA has become a favorite for hip-hop bloggers (whom he has no shortage of choice words for). People like to praise his experimental production choices and confrontational lyrics, but I don’t see many talking about the defiance of gender norms within his music. Nowhere is this more apparent than his 2019 release All My Heroes Are Cornballs. Though he makes some of the most aggressive music I’ve ever heard, Peggy appears notably vulnerable on this album. From wearing flowy silk clothing on the album’s cover to adopting a feminine persona in songs like “Jesus Forgive Me, I Am A Thot” and “Thot Tactics”, JPEGMAFIA has shown he is unconcerned with traditional constructions of masculinity.

JPEGMAFIA collaborator Abdu Ali is similarly unconcerned with gender conventions. As an unapologetically black and queer artist, they embody the masculine and feminine in a way that is both captivating and memorable. I had the privilege of seeing them live when they opened for Peggy at his 2019 A Tribute to Buttermilk Jesus show in New York. Their stage presence was unmatched - at one point, I remember they entered the crowd and had us all sit down before screaming at the top of our lungs. It was a truly visceral experience.

There you have it. This was by no means an exhaustive list of artists defying gender norms in hip-hop, only a few that I find the most exciting. The fact that even mainstream artists - such as Tyler, the Creator, Young Thug, Princess Nokia, and Lil Uzi Vert - are exploring these themes seems indicative of a shift in the culture, and who knows? Maybe one day we will see the dismantling of gender norms in hip-hop once and for all.

Time to put on those faux fur Uggs and head to the nearest Starbucks for a pumpkin spice latte because it’s finally fall! Just kidding. Please don’t do either of those things. Instead, embark on an autumnal auditory adventure with this playlist of my fall favorites!

September by Earth, Wind, & Fire: The 21st night of September marks the final day of summer in the Northern hemisphere, so this song is the perfect way to ring in the fall. I promise this is the last time I’ll be Septemberposting. Until next year.

Autumn Leaves by the Bill Evans Trio: During his time in the Miles Davis Quartet, Bill Evans played an integral role in the recording of Kind of Blue, which is considered to be one of the most influential jazz albums of all time. Immediately after he recorded Portrait in Jazz with his own trio. Their rendition of the standard “Autumn Leaves” really captures the aura of the season with only the textures created by a piano, drums and upright bass.

Where We Used To Live by the Esbjörn Svensson Trio: Following Bill Evans and company is the Esbjörn Svensson Trio with another jazz composition. Whereas “Autumn Leaves” portrays the warm, energetic side of fall, “Where We Used To Live” evokes feelings of melancholy and longing.

Fall in Love by Slum Village: For this classic, J Dilla sampled Gap Manigone’s “Diana in the Autumn Wind”. The result was an intimate instrumental perfect for the Slum Village.

Dead Leaves and the Dirty Ground by The White Stripes: With this track, The White Stripes offer us a slightly more aggressive approach to the autumnal sound. It would be the perfect song for angrily raking leaves in your yard.

Thriller by Michael Jackson: Of course, fall isn’t just pretty leaves and flannels. It’s also the spookiest time of the year, and there’s not a single song more synonymous with Halloween than Michael Jackson’s “Thriller”.

That’s the playlist! What are some of your favorite fall songs?

Sampling is the recontextualization of a preexisting work in a new composition. While this practice is utilized across genres, it has become a cornerstone of the hip-hop tradition. Since its inception, producers have been sampling soul records, funk records, world music and even cartoons to create head-bobbing beats. Drawing from numerous styles and time periods, here is a sample platter of some of the spiciest samples in hip-hop music!

Late Nights & Heartbreak by Hannah Williams & the Affirmations: Courtesy of producer No I.D., this song was sampled in the titular track of Jay-Z’s 4:44. It’s the perfect backdrop for Jay-Z’s intimate confession of infidelity in his relationship with Beyoncé.

Try a Little Tenderness by Otis Redding: This soul ballad is wonderfully composed - it slowly builds in tempo, volume and urgency, and ends with Otis showing off his chops in a fiery finish. His vocal riffs were chopped up by Kanye West to create “Otis”, which features one of my favorite beats of all time.

Bam Bam by Sister Nancy: Hailed as a Jamaican dancehall classic, this song is perhaps the most frequently sampled song in all of popular music. It has been recontextualized more than a hundred times by the likes of Kanye West, Jay-Z, and Lauryn Hill. Read the full story here!

Why Can’t We Live Together by Timmy Thomas: If you were around in 2015 and 2016, you’ll remember how inescapable Drake’s “Hotline Bling” was. The song was everywhere, and for good reason - it’s an earworm. The bossa nova-style groove comes from Timmy Thomas’ 1972 track Why Can’t Live Together.

One Step Ahead by Aretha Franklin: Ayatollah chopped up this soul classic to create the beat for “Ms. Fat Booty” by Mos Def.

Whores in this House by DJ Frank Ski: Based on the title alone, I’m sure you can guess which song this was sampled in. That’s right - the iconic vocal line appears in Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion’s “WAP”, aka Ben Shapiro’s favorite song.

Pots ‘N’ Pans by Anthony King and John Matthews: An obscure early electronic song sampled by Don Cannon in Pusha T’s “Numbers on the Boards”. The result is one of the most head-bobbing hip-hop tracks in recent memory.

What Will Santa Claus Say? (When He Finds Everybody Swingin’) by Louis Prima: This Christmas tune was sampled in Kanye and Kid Cudi’s 2018 project Kids See Ghosts. “4th Dimension” is now a contender for my favorite holiday song.

I hope this sample platter has given you an eclectic taste of hip-hop source material. What are some of your favorite samples?

Sturgill Simpson is something of an oddity in the country music soundscape. His 2014 Release Metamodern Sounds in Country Music explored his fascination with philosophy, and 2019’s Sound and Fury was accompanied by a feature-length anime film. But I believe his best work arrived in 2016 with A Sailor’s Guide to Earth.

It would be a gross mischaracterization to call A Sailor’s Guide a country album: sure, there is an undeniable twang to Sturgill Simpson’s voice, but to assign a single identifier to this multifaceted project would be a disservice. Ethereal string arrangements found in “Welcome to Earth” and “Oh Sarah” suggest chamber pop influence, intricate horn sections in “Keep it Between the Lines” and “All Around You” are indicative of funk and soul, and lap steel guitars in “Breaker’s Roar” and “Sea stories” keep the album steeped in Southern sensibilities. Simpson and his band even manage to sneak a cover of Nirvana’s “In Bloom” into the tracklist and it sounds completely at home.

In terms of lyrical content, A Sailor’s Guide to Earth is essentially a love letter to Sturgill Simpson’s firstborn child. In classic dad fashion, he shares stories of his younger days in order to give his son guidance. From his teenage years spent selling drugs and smashing mailboxes to his young adult years traveling the world in the Navy, it seems Simpson has led an eventful life. As he says on “Keep it Between the Lines”: “Do as I say, don’t do as I’ve done/It don’t have to be like father like son.”

A Sailor’s Guide to Earth is many things, but boring is not one of them. Its kaleidoscopic sound makes it appealing to fans of any genre - I am by no means a country music fan, but I am certainly a fan of this album. If you’ve never heard it, I encourage you to give it a try!

Favorite tracks: Keep It Between the Lines, All Around You, Call to Arms

Happy Friday everyone! Here are the tracks that I’ve been vibing with for the past week (playlist here):

Sock It 2 Me (feat. Da Brat) by Missy Elliot: This track was one of the first hits of Missy’s solo career, and with Timbaland’s signature production, it gives us a taste of their killer creative chemistry.

Mutha Magick (feat. BbyMutha) by Black Noi$e: Noi$e’s erratic production is a perfect fit for BbyMutha’s appearance on this track. In less than two minutes, the mother of 4 drops a handful of lyrical gems that will have you pressing repeat for sure.

Baby by Donnie & Joe Emerson: Ariel Pink’s 2012 cover of this song made it an underground classic. Its soulful vocals and laid back groove make it a DJ Mango classic - it makes me feel like I’m floating.

12.38 (feat. 21 Savage, Ink & Kadhja Bonet) by Childish Gambino: Despite Donald Glover’s celebrity as a musician, actor and director, he’s relatively lowkey. The release of his latest Childish Gambino project was also lowkey, and it went under my radar for a while. “12.38” is definitely a standout.

MANGO (feat. Adeline) by KAMAUU: This new track from KAMAUU explores the idea of an unselfish love. It’s also funkier than a week old pair of gym socks.

September by Earth, Wind, & Fire: This classic is a celebration of the final days of summer and a fantastic way to ring in the fall. Interestingly enough, the 21st night of September holds no special significance - it just sounded good, so the writers went with it. Check out my full discussion of the lyric here!

TRICK DADDY by ICECOLDBISHOP: BISHOP’s aggressive and eccentric delivery makes him an oddity in the hip-hop soundscape. Singles like “TRICK DADDY” have me excited for his debut!

Chameleon by Jenae Ailia: Jenae Ailia’s unique blend of neo-soul, indie and R&B is quite ear-grabbing. They’re a new artist to me, but I’ll certainly be on the look out for their new stuff!

It has been said many times in many ways that good artists copy and great artists steal. What does this say about the person from which the artist steals?

If imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, Sister Nancy is perhaps the greatest artist of all time. The Jamaican DJ and singer’s track “Bam Bam” has been sampled nearly a hundred times. If you’ve listened to Kanye West’s “Famous”, Lauryn Hill’s “Lost Ones” or Beyoncé’s live version of “Hold Up” you’ve heard the song, which was released in 1982. “Bam Bam” was by no means an instant hit: it wasn’t until 2014, when the song appeared in movies and commercials, that Sister Nancy realized others were using her work without compensation. With the help of a lawyer she was able to win 10 years worth of royalties, but who is to say how much she missed out on?

To complicate the story further, “Bam Bam” isn’t an original work in itself - it’s a cover of a song of the same name by The Maytals and Byron Lee and the Dragonaires, and its instrumental samples a well-known backing track called “Stalag 17” by Ansel Collins. This raises a few interesting questions: What is their role in the creation of one of the most frequently sampled songs in popular music? Are they entitled to credit and compensation? Where is the line between recontextualizing someone’s idea and ripping it off? Is it ethical to impose a system of laws upon something as subjective as the artistic process?

While the ethics of fair use and copyright law make for a contentious debate, it is clear that no ideas are conceived in a vacuum - artists draw inspiration from every corner of the world. If good artists copy and great artists steal, then a few of us are thieves, the rest of us are copycats and none of us are absolved.