soulja boy- crank that. triumph or tragedy?

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S

simon silverdollar

Guest
is it...
a nadir for hiphop, and pop music generally (reducing the pop song to being an extended advert for the novelty ringtone, etc etc yadda yadda...)

OR
are the haters just snobby, po-faced miserabilists running scared of hiphop's embrace of an irresistable, silly pop hook?

my (popist?) instinct is to go with the latter view, but then i listen to 'crank that' and, really, it's just rubbish isn't it?

anyway, what's the dissensus?
 

UFO over easy

online mahjong
the groove is so good it doesn't really need anything else

I hadn't made the reduction/ringtone connection though.. makes sense!
 

swears

preppy-kei
It's apples and pears isn't it? You can enjoy "Crank That" or "Laffy Taffy" and at the same time listen to Ghostface or Nas or whatever for different reasons. It's not as if ALL hip hop is going to be like this FOREVER. Unless this style is the rap hegemony in the States at the moment, and that's what pisses "real heads" off. Hasn't really made much of a dent over here aside from this particular tune.
 

tox

Factory Girl
I have to admit I have a soft spot for Mims' This is Why I'm Hot and love the steel drum type thing on Crank That while not being so into the Nu-Metally vibe.

When I visited a West Coast University town 6 months ago they were going crazy for this proper repetitive vacant commercial Hip-Hop sound. Certainly interesting as a visitor, though if I were a Hip-Hop die-hard perhaps I would take a different view.
 

swears

preppy-kei
I hope this turns thread turns into a smart music vs dumb music debate, 'cause I like that one.
 

tox

Factory Girl
Aaah, didn't realise that was a remix. I heard it on Radio 1 and thought it was the original.

The - what I assumed was a - stripped down version is much better.
 
It is JUST a hook isn't it? it's about as reductive as pop music can get. in that way it is a kind of ne plus ultra as much as a nadir...irressistible but utterly devoid of any "content"

I heard him interviewed and he was such a nice polite chap! that kind of won me over.

as far as hip hop goes- this is pop music really and operates outside the genre. if its success has offended some headnodders...well...they're hardly known for being broadminded. its got as much to do with "agadoo" as "the message".
 
S

simon silverdollar

Guest
It is JUST a hook isn't it? it's about as reductive as pop music can get.

yeah, definitely, and that's why i'm surprised that I don't like it. I thought I loved pop as 'disposable', as a hook and nothing else, but then I heard Crank That and was like; hmmm, actually, perhaps some content would be nice.

it's such perfect bubblegum pop that it shows you that bubblegum alone is not enough.
 

Gavin

booty bass intellectual
It's more than a hook -- it's an internet dance phenomenon!

There is something about his flow that gives this song way more replay value than "Umbrella" or "Lip Gloss" or practically any other pop song that came out last year. And no love for the simple DIY aesthetic? Early versions of the song (and the entire -- quite satisfying -- snap mixtape that preceded the album) sounded like they were recorded on a computer mic. The kid is 17, comes from a shit town in Mississippi, makes his own beats, got signed off a YouTube vid, is saving money to study 3D animation (his first love). Also, the Superman is covert playground slang for an absurd sexual move! It doesn't get more punk rock than that in '07.
 

mistersloane

heavy heavy monster sound
It's more than a hook -- it's an internet dance phenomenon!

There is something about his flow that gives this song way more replay value than "Umbrella" or "Lip Gloss" or practically any other pop song that came out last year. And no love for the simple DIY aesthetic? Early versions of the song (and the entire -- quite satisfying -- snap mixtape that preceded the album) sounded like they were recorded on a computer mic. The kid is 17, comes from a shit town in Mississippi, makes his own beats, got signed off a YouTube vid, is saving money to study 3D animation (his first love). Also, the Superman is covert playground slang for an absurd sexual move! It doesn't get more punk rock than that in '07.

Yeah I'm pretty much agreeing with that. With all of the YouTube dancing videos, someone had to come along and make a song that was literally just a playground chant, and then have the dance and ringtone in place, it's genuinely more than just a song. Collipark's a smart cookie.
 
It's more than a hook -- it's an internet dance phenomenon!

sure, i was talking in purely musical terms- the surrounding phenomenon speaks for itself- this tune has a direct line into the stalk brain of the general public

or maybe it doesn't even reach the brain ;)

it is inescapable though that it's an absolute void, a blank. though of course this may partially explain its huge success- lends itself perfectly to versioning, parody etc.

yes the diy aspect of it is very heartening. apparently the original was made in a matter of a few hours.
 

Gavin

booty bass intellectual
Fokse, are you looking for more lyrical content? I think the American listening public has shown no patience for "substantive" lyrical themes in their popular rap songs. Indeed, the trajectory of censorship, corporate control, self-censorship on BET and rap radio, the promotion of new teenage stars over established rappers, and the continual hysterical criticism (popular and academic) hurled at all but the most milquetoasty rap has led commercial hip hop to this cul-de-sac -- it literally can't say anything. Cool new beats and dances are pretty much the whole equation now.
 
I'm not looking for anything- it's just interesting HOW big this has become.

there's a PARTICULARLY vacuous quality to this tune, and i don't even mean that as a criticism- it's a genius piece of dance/ pop music in its way. like i say, it's a kind of blank. the words are barely articulated, they're mush...its got this bellowing, hectoring quality but without the anger that's the stock in trade of most club bangers.

as for cool new beats and dances being the whole equation now...remember the twist? mashed potato? ;)
 

Guybrush

Dittohead
Fokse, are you looking for more lyrical content? I think the American listening public has shown no patience for "substantive" lyrical themes in their popular rap songs. Indeed, the trajectory of censorship, corporate control, self-censorship on BET and rap radio, the promotion of new teenage stars over established rappers, and the continual hysterical criticism (popular and academic) hurled at all but the most milquetoasty rap has led commercial hip hop to this cul-de-sac -- it literally can't say anything. Cool new beats and dances are pretty much the whole equation now.

This reminds me of what Robin Carmody wrote:

Robin Carmody said:
ok I listened to Westwood for the first time in AEONS, and haven't since been able to stop myself listening to "Crank That (Soulja Boy)"

because I think it's a classic example of what happens a couple of years after something uncontainable, *uncontrollable* goes pop: i.e. the motions it set out become controllable, become a kind of reinvented teenpop: i.e. it's basically the Lil Jon sound gone pop

and also I think it's symptomatic of any number of current US tendencies in a way I can't really define in words: a sense of *loss of meaning*, a sense of blocking out, a sense of commercialised nihilism, a sense of dancing and consumerising a crisis away

for whatever reason, it's almost perversely compelling, even a decade and more older, even in a room where it so clearly doesn't make sense

(I am going to cringe at this in the morning)
 

Guybrush

Dittohead
My 13 year old flatmate has played this on repeat over the last couple of months, so I have actually grown to detest it. Still, it’s an improvement on Green Day.
 
I just find it bizarre that there were so many of these crank songs, to be honest. Noz at cocaine blunts made two comps this year of them. The Soulja Boy one isn't even the best or first of this bad bunch, some of them (imo etc) are much much better. It's a bit of a shock that that is the one that made it big really, but what can you do.

Just look at the titles. Crank Dat Carlton Dance/Megatron/Lion King?! Where did this stuff come from? Crank that holy ghost is the Christian rap version.

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=Q1ZLJVW8
1. Yung Trill - “Crank Dat Aquaman”
2. Pop It Off Boys - “Crank Dat Batman”
3. J-Roc Jr - “Crank Dat Folgers Boy”
4. BBP - “Crank Dat Hulk”
5. Deltts f/ Scubba - “Crank Dat Iceman
6. Soulja Boy - “Crank Dat Jump Rope”
7. King of Clubs - “Crank Dat Lion King”
8. Mr. Clean - “Crank Dat Megaman”
9. Luch Millions - “Crank Dat Road Runner”
10. Cheve Chavell & South Bound - “Crank Dat Robocop”
11. PLP - “Crank Dat Roosevelt”
12. Dat Mound - “(Skeeted on Dat Hoe as I) Crank Dat Roosevelt”
13. TOC - “Crank Dat Ryu”
14. Custume Made - “Crank Dat Smirnoff’
15. Crank Squad - “Crank Dat Spiderman”
16. Pop It Off Boyz - “Crank Dat Spongebob”
17. Soulja Boy - “Crank Dat Soulja Boy”
18. Ladii Unique f/ Montana & POB - “Crank Dat Watcha Call It”
19. Bo Bo - “Crank Dat X-Man”
20. Cash Camp - “Crank Dat Yank”

http://www.megaupload.com/?d=0J86PATQ
1. Yung Trend Settas - “Crank Dat Carlton Dance”
2. Slikk Wayne - “Crank Dat Cock Back”
3. Saint 22 - “Crank Dat Cookie Dance”
4. Da Crank Squad - “Crank Dat Frankenstein”
5. Lunie 3:80 - “Crank Dat Holy Ghost Pt. 2″
6. Yung Savage - “Crank Dat Jackie Chan”
7. Atlanta Boi Zone 3 - “Crank Dat Martin Martian”
8. QMF & Thamm - “Crank Dat Megatron”
9. Young Stunnaz - “Crank Dat Motorcycle”
10. Bri Easy - “Crank Dat Mr. Freeze”
11. Georgia Threatz Clique - “Crank Dat Pacman”
12. Shawty J - “Crank Dat Peter Pan”
13. Them Concrete Boyz f/ Lil Runna - “Crank Dat Road Runner”
14. T Skillz - “Crank Dat Rugrat”
15. Yung Seph - “Crank Dat Spiderpig”
16. Heavy - “Crank Dat Spongebob”
17. The 3UC - “Crank Dat Stuntman”
18. Playa C Da Great - “Crank My Rocket”
19. AC - “Crank This And That”
20. Bonus Track: Lil Swisher & Ney Ney - “Supa Mario Dat Hoe”
21. Bonus Track: Soulja Boy - “Supa Soak Dat Hoe”
 
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