Electro-Synth-Pulse-Pop Means The Death Of Hip Hop!?

Well slow down now, that is a large title, I know, but for the first post of 09 I had to go all out. So here's the lowdown: Common released his latest LP Universal Mind Control this November and the Pharrell produced, title track is the latest single. The beat kicks in hard with this jam, and you want to nod your head immediately, sounding like it was co-produced by Kanye and Gorgio Moroder(the dude in the picture up top). There are pulsating, icy synths that dance back and forth, along a bass-heavy disco beat reminiscent of 808s, yet not as reverby. Yes, that is a lot of adjectives for one song, but when you press play you'll be asking where the robot voice-over is too. Anyway, the song unfortunately falls flat. I wanted so badly to like this song, but Common just does not pull through. He doesn't have that Kanye growl, or that JT falsetto to compliment the super synths on this song. Instead his voice is practically drowned out by the beat and comes off as somewhat obnoxious. Common's delivery here is reminiscent of Grandmaster Flash and The Furious 5 on "The Message," yet far less funky. He attempts to catch up with the club ready dance beat, but sadly stumbles along in its wake. I think Common should stick to silky Chicago style production where he seems to have flourished in the past, with his 'for da ladies' style of rapping (RIP J DIlla). So what does this all mean? Kanye's and Lil Wayne are singin, and Common's become a robot? Well it could signal a 'back to basics' route for mainstream hip-hop, where DJs of the early 80s were heavily influenced by late 70s disco pop. Yet, more likely this is the end of mainstream hip-hop. Yes, I said it and mean it...music is changing and synth-pop is close to reaching world domination. Common is no traitor to his genre, but merely progressing with the times. American pop music has long been dominated by Hip-Hop, but we can see it is now shifting back towards synth based dance music...much like the transition that occurred in the early 80s. Well I reckon that's enough talking down to you, just check out Common's new track and Hype Williams directed video here. The clip isn't much to write home about either, Common (who looks more like Isaac Hayes than ever before) and a robot are lost in some vortex on the itunes Visualizer and so Common decides to rap about it...I think.:

Common - Universal Mind Control [DVDRIP] from Taz on Vimeo.