Not the first 'Rap' record (Rapper's Delight by The Sugarhill Gang was a hit before 'The Message' was released), but the first to address serious issues. Like all outstanding singles it threw down the gauntlet, setting new standards of excellence for all that followed.
While 'Rapper's Delight' had been a candy coated, easy to swallow confection, 'The Message' was sharp and unforgiving, armed and dangerous. The electro pulse of the music - nail hard - chrome bright - initiated the sensory stun session, and the lyrics finished the job. The starkly brutal portrayal of life under the bottom rung was new to pop and a boundary had been irretrievably pushed back. (Vox)
Whatever your views on 'Rap' there's no getting away from the excellence of this record. (CB)
No comments:
Post a Comment