Production Breakdown: What Rappers Should Know Before Attempting to Rock and/or Roll

In my childhood, possibly during a long car trip with my Dad controlling the radio dial, I came to a shocking realization: rock musicians spend a lot more time getting ready to or even just desiring to rock than they do actually rocking. Think about it: why “I Wanna Rock” (thanks, Twisted Sister) and not “I Am Rocking?” “We Will Rock You” makes sense in the context of a sporting event (with “rock” being used as a synonym for “beat”), but if you're feeling the urge to do it all night (and party every day), why not skip the foreplay just do it? Or... could it be that these so-called rockers aren't sure that they can't last all night? That they subconsciously know that the reality of rocking will never live up to their fantasies?

OK, maybe not. A likelier scenario: nobody, not even the musicians, knows exactly what it means to 'rock' – it's just something you say to sound cool, when you can't think of anything else to write a song about. And – this part is important – these days, no modern rock musician expecting to be taken seriously writes songs about wanting to rock, or getting ready to rock someone, or building a city on rock 'n' roll, or partying/living/f*cking like a rock star (or f*cking in a mosh pit, for that matter). Just like nobody expecting to be taken seriously in today's music game sports shiny, crotch-bulging leather pants and a glam-metal haircut.

Thanks to these unsavory stereotypes, the title of Memphis-based live-band ensemble FreeSol's latest Booth feature, “RocknRolla,” had me bracing myself for an absolute travesty – a distortion-soaked, Rebirth-style (you knew I was going to get a dig in there) travesty. To my surprise, however, I found that the record was based around a sample from 1979, one of the poppiest (and best, in my not-so humble opinion) records in '90s rock group Smashing Pumpkins repertoire:



The '96 single, a melodic track which found frontman Billy Corgan tinkering with samples of his own voice, was regarded as something of a departure for the group, who were known for a more abrasive sound – as exemplified by “Zero,” another track off the same album.



Not that I don't enjoy a little eardrum-shattering noise from time to time, but could anyone have made that into a decent hip-hop cut? I doubt it.

Anyways, one of the things I find most interesting about “RocknRolla” is the final verse, in which rapper Free references to a dozen or so popular bands. Of those mentioned, U2 is the closest to 'RocknRolla's own pop-appealing sound. Many of the others are about as far-removed as it gets – Poison? Nine Inch Nails? Lamb of God? Guns N Roses? ZZ Top?!

Kind of makes you wonder: are those Free's own favorite bands, or were they just the ones that were easiest to fit into the verse? Or were they put there to emphasize the “rock 'n' roll” concept to an audience who may not be intimately familiar with '90s alternative? The world may never know – but, if it's the latter, I commend him for finding a way to get the point across without resorting to musical cliché.

To me, “RocknRolla” is a sign that hip-hop acts are becoming savvier in their approach to genre-blending – and several other features backed that notion up: after hearing Nikki Lynette sing Portishead's “Glory Box” over the beat from “Luchini” (this despite the fact her forthcoming mixtape is named after washed-up rockers Guns' 'n' Roses), and Connecticut representative OnCue flip Dave Matthews Band's “Crash Into You” without sounding corny, I have to say: Rock on! Or, you know, just keep making good music.