Wednesday, August 11, 2010

Rap Intros

For no particular reason, I'd like talk about the subject of introductions to rap albums for a quick minute. I don't know the historical reason for their prominence in the genre, but they are altogether very common, and can become integral to the listener's experience. If a rap intro is done well, one will never desire to skip it, likely it will get him or her excited for the music to drop. One of the greatest, and likely my favorite rap intro, is the "The Genesis" by Nas on "Illmatic":


A lot of this is based on the fact that the track is followed by one of the greatest rap songs of all time (N.Y. State of Mind); but I do think that there is something very special about the 1 minute and 46 second introduction itself. The rail car sound effect and vocal samples at the very beginning already hint at the album's themes of inner city life and struggle; with Nas' rapping in the distance acting as a display of the skills one is about to witness. Following that, a beat drops that gets the listener into a groove, and one finds himself bobbing his head immediately. Intentionally or not, Nas' conversing with his crew acts as a piece of the overall theme of ghetto loyalty, but regardless of how hard he may try to act here, the quality of his compatriots' voices and behavior is a clue to the fact that Nas was very young when the album was recorded (only 18).
The hectic nature of the conversation between Nas and his crew makes the introduction feel unscripted even if this wasn't the case. This allows it to avoid the goofy feel of the rap skit, a common form of rap introduction. A personal favorite rap intro along those lines is from Methodman and Redman's first "Blackout" LP titled "Special Joint (Intro)":

The song already prepares the user for the humorous, no boundaries, swaggering music and marijuana themed lyrics that they are about to hear.
Another humorous introduction, and one of two that got me thinking about rap introductions in general, is Busta Rhyme's "Part 2" on the album "When Disaster Strikes" [1998] (which I cannot find on youtube, unfortunately). Busta seemingly adlibs a spoken intro about the coming armageddon at the turn of the millennium in the form of his crew (the Flipmode Squad). He warns everyone to "stack their paper" and prepare for the end times. This is followed by the drop of an intense electronic rhythm and a shorter song.
A more serious rap intro that comes to mind is Goodie Mob's "The Experience" from the album "Still Standing":

For their second album, Goodie Mob, under the pressure of the rap community, cut back on the consciousness of their lyrics a bit and allowed themselves to record a few party oriented and gun boasting numbers. Besides being a powerful critique of the use of the word "nigger" and identity problems within the black community, the first song on the album also acts as a disclaimer to this change. Cee Lo raps, "You don't want to hear the truth/So I'ma lie to ya/Make it sound fly to ya".
The second rap intro that brought this subject to mind is the most recent of my examples; Petey Pablo's "Still Writing In My Diary: 2nd Entry" (2004) opens with a track titled "Part 2" (which also cannot be found on youtube). The first sounds of the album are a recording of a man giving credit to Pablo's character in a humble fashion ("I'm very proud to say I even know the young fella'"). This is set to a simple violin rhythm. Then the music cuts and Pablo himself says "My momma said, 'Can you give her three dollar for a five dollar book of food stamps so she can get her some cigarettes.' [laughter]". Immediately the crunk beat drops and Pablo goes into one of the LP's best songs (also part of the same intro track). This song is a boast about his skills and his return for the second album, as well as southern pride, and a thanks for the support that has been provided by his fans.
As with the other albums, Petey Pablo's introduction sets the mood, prepares the listener for the type of music they are about to be subjected to, and provides an index to some of the themes and subject matters that will be featured for the remainder of the recording. In Goodie Mob's case, the introduction to "Still Standing" is arguably the best song on the album. Regardless of their common brevity, a rap introduction can function as a vital part of understanding a whole LP taken as a cohesive work of art.

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