Nas, “Be a Nigger Too” [Fader]
So here’s one you can debate for the next eight hours: incisive takedown of latent racism? Shameless media-hogging and manipulation? A little bit of both? Or neither? One thing’s for sure: we can’t wait to hear the “Weird Al” parody of this one.
Atmosphere, “Shoulda Known” [Rhymesayers]
Only Nas could make a song about heroin addiction and cheap sex and existential desolation seem tame by comparison. We’re torn: part of us really likes this, but it reminds the other part of us of that rap our “cool” English teacher made up to help us remember The Scarlet Letter.
Billy Bragg, “I Almost Killed You” [MySpace]
Did someone say “existential desolation?” Billy Bragg is back at what he does best: making political songs sound like love songs and leaving it to us to tell them apart. This one is mostly just an accordion and handclaps, but it still grabs by the throat.
Ashlee Simpson, “Outta My Head (Ay Ya Ya)” [Video]
In the strange, inside-out, vacant realitainment world we all blissfully inhabit, all of this chatter about whether or not Ashlee Simpson is pregnant is actually considered by high-level record executives to be “positive buzz.” Though to be fair, right after we were born, sales of our mom’s records went through the roof.
Mighty Sparrow, “We Want Barack” [AOL] / Coco Tea, “Barack Obama” [Video]
A few months ago, calypso legend Mighty Sparrow recorded an endorsement of Barack Obama that helpfully outlines the high points of Obama’s political career. Not to be outdone, dancehall superstar Coco Tea also released a song endorsing Barack, which is looser and happier and spryer and better than Sparrow’s. This leaves Clinton and McCain frantically scrambling for the coveted Ninjaman vote.
[Photo: Getty]