OH NO! Guest Contributors?
November 10th, 2006 at 7:30 pm (Uncategorized)
Mrs. Georgia Rabnett has been the assistant music director of the Walkholm Seniors Residence for the past 7 years. Although she doesn’t play any instruments per say she is surprisingly talented at making noises that sound like a tuba with her mouth. Nicknamed “Dutchess” after the Dutch style clog dancing dress she wears every single day, Rabnett has been an avid music fan since conception. She sent me an msn message yesterday asking to make a posting on SONGSTORY. I don’t know how she got my email address. Here’s what she sent:
What is it with the youngsters these days? I’m CRAZY for this song right now. Maybe it’s the baby rattle in the background that triggers my affection to this track, but I can’t help melt into my chair and drool when I hear it. To all pregnant mothers out there - a recommended soundtrack for the womb. “Oh No’s” real name is Michael Jackson-that’s enough stimulus to love him. You might notice subtle hints at this interesting coincidence in his lyrics i.e. “ask Billie Jean, I can make the ground glow”. You’ve probably also heard of his older sibling Madlib, but that’s not important right now. I still harbour ambiguous feelings towards his accomplice on this track. I always thought Vast Aire was a loser-with his whole angry rapping, Canibus featuring, Tupac hating front… But this song kind of revealed the more indie side of him. It especially exposes his syrupy, yet conceited nature with this lyric “I’m Vast Aire, you’re small like an airplane pillow “. Airplane pillows are so small, shit. His voice flatters this beat so beautifully too; can you honestly think of a better pair now that you’ve heard this? I’ve heard more of Oh No’s stuff on Stones Throw releases than anyone else these days. Though I’ve only heard two of his albums, already his sound is recognizable and UNTOUCHABLE. Not to mention his sound is hardly similar to Madlib’s, thus his distinction as a Stones Throw emcee impressive. This is my favourite track off “Exodus”, let alone my favourite song right now.
I devote the happiness this song brings to my park (Winston Churchill Park), because today I sat in the park, and also didn’t cry.
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songstory said,
November 11, 2006 at 1:16 am
I tried to rate this song but the rating buttons weren’t working. I was going to give it a 4/5, but really I feel its closer to 3.5/5. Not that I don’t enjoy it. I think its a really interesting track, but 4 is so close to 5 and 5 is perfect which is close to impossible to achieve. I rate this song a 7.5 out of 10.
I don’t know how to describe the sounds Oh No uses in his production. Its synthetic yet raw at the same time. So many interesting sounds in this song tickling my brain and my rhythm bone at the same time. I think its funny when Vast Aire says in the chorus “its a rap”. It reminds me of one of my favourite will ferrell skits where he’s Robert Goulet sitting in his LeBaron trying to sell his cd “The Coconut Bangers Ball…It’s a Rap!” “Who let the dogs out, who let those dogs out, who let those little mutts goooooo?? YEAH!”
mister joey junk said,
November 11, 2006 at 4:02 pm
i’m confused. anyway, i rate the track at 2.5. its a 6 out of ten at best. nothing special.
me said,
November 11, 2006 at 5:02 pm
Who is joey junk? I dont respect your opinion.
Bryce said,
November 12, 2006 at 12:35 am
This song sucks. It definitely is a “rap” in all senses of the word, when I hit the stop button and no longer listen to this crap. Check the needle, check the monitor, check the whatever, it’s a rap…shut up. The beat sounds like something Joey Junk would make.
Bryce1 said,
November 12, 2006 at 4:43 pm
i like how you referenced my real-life name in one of your posts. i also really like bailey rae she’s drinking lots of dope sauce.
this is a horrible song though.
me said,
November 12, 2006 at 8:41 pm
bryce!! grow up..your just saying you dont like this song because you dont understand it its like puberty all over again
garret said,
November 12, 2006 at 9:29 pm
I just wrote a long fucking response and the message didn’t post. I think I forgot to put in my email. Fuck. Now I am too lazy to rewrite what I wrote. I basically said that I am in Korea at my desk at my new job at Jungnam high school and I can’t listen to loud rap music. I think it might be a cultural tabou. Grease, I was wondering who the hell this woman who posted the original message is? Is she real or make believe? Who the hell is Bryce 1 and Bryce 2? Confusing. Any ways, here it goes: The beat is as heavy as a bag of asian pears (they’re cheap here). I love synth bass. Rough, Rugged, Raw. Vast Aire is an incredible emcee. Captivating. Grabs your attention. You wanna follow him, sounds like he has something poetically important to say. He kinda plays with words the same way Pharoah does. I think most of our friends are having a harder time listening to hip-hop these days. Including me. Joey listens to too mush band/morrison, tony too much dylan, and bryce is like a moxy fruvous chorus, Stuck in the 90s again. Wanna fight?
Scary Gary
Bryce said,
November 13, 2006 at 2:32 pm
Can’t argue with that, I am stuck in the 90s. Last night I drove to ball hockey and sang along to Roots’ Illadelph Halflife on shuffle. What can I say? As for Bryce1/Bryce, I’m pretty sure Bryce1 is not myself, Andrew Bryce, but actually Andrew Chang. That’s my best guess, due to Bryce1’s strange diction and sense of humour. I don’t know about Vast Aire being an incredible emcee though: “I’m like Johhny Nneumonic with the ill verse, but I’m hooked on phonics. You wanna get up on it, it’ll cost you six mill to get bionic.” That’s “poetically important”? As for the comparison to Pharoahe?? I don’t see it. The lyrical styles and experimentation Pharoahe was practicing in my favourite era are VASTly superiAIRE to anything this guy’s saying. Listen to the song again. What was that about Jesus, fish to the bait, beef and steak, payin ya dues, and cheesecake in the second verse? Nothin new, nothin new, he ain’t sayin nothin new. The only lines that stick with me, that Greisman already mentioned, are the line about the airplane pillow (great line), and “ask Billie Jean, I can make the ground glow” (an ununusual line that didn’t make sense at first but upon further consideration I realized he was referring to the MJ music video for Billie Jean). Admittedly though, upon subsequent listens the beat does grow on you. The clack clack sounds kind of remind me of De La’s “Pease Porridge.”
Chang said,
November 13, 2006 at 7:17 pm
I’m no imposter. I’m just a foster. child or brotha, aint no otha. grab yo denise richards cause im straight unda cova. that pretty much resembles the garbage spit in this song.
upon subsequent listens (what’s your mentality), this beat cant grow on you. synth bass isnt used correctly. you cant make music like this it fucks with people’s serotinin levels.
songstory said,
November 13, 2006 at 7:28 pm
Hey Chang relax. Subsequent’s a good word. And you shouldn’t be so fast to bash your rhymes. They’re pretty dope. Especially the part about “garbage spit”. HAHAHAHAH!!! Thats sooooooo true. It reminds me of my friend Cornelious.
Chang said,
November 13, 2006 at 8:32 pm
im relaxed YOU RELAX someobdy get me a rolaid
me said,
November 13, 2006 at 8:53 pm
baby rattle…calm down..
Ana said,
November 13, 2006 at 11:54 pm
this man who they call ‘oh no’ sounds like he has water in his mouth. like he really wants to spit it out but instead he’s letting it seep out as he rhymes. i’m’ no rap connoisseur (you have NO idea how long that took me to find on dictionary.com) so my comment has nothing to do with his talent…just his voice. as for the song itself…well…not an immediate fan but it could grow on me. i give it a potentially climbing 4.5/9…just cuz i like to be different
mister joey junk said,
November 15, 2006 at 5:08 pm
i may listen to too much of the band and van morrison, but that doesn’t mean i can’t rate this song as poorly as i did. music is something you either feel or you don’t. i don’t feel this shit. in fact, i believe anyone who does is forcing it. including mr keown, whose musical taste i regard very highly. this song simply doesn’t do it for me.