Diplo, Santogold Trip Down Hip-Hop Memory Lane

Dan Gibson | July 22, 2008 11:30 am
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The Diplo/Santogold mixtape Top Ranking is news nearly everywhere in blogland these days–it’s a sequel of sorts to all the fun we had with Piracy Funds Terrorism, after all! The hype is somewhat merited; the disc is an entertaining listen, with most of the disparate influences that influence Santogold’s debut appearing in one form or another. While the dancehall tracks and remixes appeal to someone like me who enjoys listening to the genre’s hits while preferring to not consider the larger social implications of that particular cultural crossover, the mix’s classic rap tributes nearly brought a nostalgic tear to my eye.

The sudden turn toward fame that Three 6 Mafia took post-Hustle and Flow nearly erased the occasional crazy genius of their discography from my memory, but all it took to bring all those sweet memories back was a remix of this deeply misogynistic track:

Oh, Gangsta Boo, you should have held out for that Coach purse. Lady, you only deserve the best, even if DJ Paul doesn’t agree. Sure, he’s staying at the Sunshine Motel, but I’m sure he’s got some cash in his pocket.

My obsession with the Video Juke Box is well documented, and in 1988, there were few bigger hits than “Posse on Broadway.” Sir Mix-A-Lot was the “JR Ewing of Seattle,” after all.

Gangsta Boo could learn something from Sir Mix-A-Lot, actually. At very least, Mix takes his freaks to get a bite at Taco Bell (I assume allowing them to order anything they wanted, even outside the popular value menu), although the establishment turned out to be closed. 59 cent tacos aren’t exactly the same as your man paying for your hair appointment, but it’s something, right?

Diplo & Santogold – Top Ranking [Turntable Lab]