The 40-Year-Old Virgin’s popularity owes much to Blank’s melodic compositions – their lively melodies filled with street art references and freestyle rhyme. These unique sounds helped establish Paul Rudd as more than an unlikable figure.
It takes two of the most potency drum ingredients from Nineties music – James Brown’s tireless snares and George Clinton’s P-Funk rhythm nation – and blends them into an entertaining song.
Das-EFX
Das-EFX are one of the few groups who truly captured the public imagination when it came to rap music, due to their inventive lyrical styles that emerged from underground scenes like New York City sewers and made an enduring mark on hip-hop music. Their debut album Dead Serious went platinum and produced several hits; lead single “They Want EFX” remains an underground classic while follow up track “Mic Checka” offers similar themes, with its powerful yet widely used snare used across Nineties music tracks.
Dead Serious’s standout track, “Looseys,” features Dray and Skoob rapping about diarrhea over Booker T and the MGs “Hip Hug Her,” making for an enjoyable listen. Although not as polished or coherent as other tracks on the album, “Looseys” still makes for an entertaining listening experience and was also notable as being among many tracks where Dray & Skoob sampled KRS-One and Erick Sermon for inspiration.
“Mean Stuff,” another standout track from the album, boasts a strong beat from producer Solid Scheme and features a bassline sample from Biz Markie’s “I Can Do That.” Additionally, drums sound smooth and punchy; it could easily become popular again if reimagined by contemporary rappers.
Das-EFX only attempts concept songs twice on their album: “Looseys” and “Dum Dums.” The former is an amazing story rap from that period about hard rock criminals wreaking havoc and drawing police attention; while “Dum Dums” pays homage to James Brown’s movie Black Caesar by using huge Fred Wesley horn arrangements with Lyn Collins as a scene stealer and boasting a strut that rivals that of Harlem crime boss James Brown himself!
The rest of the album combines hard-hitting rap with soulful R&B. “Shine,” however, disappoints due to an underwhelming beat and overused sample from DMX’s over-appreciated song of the same name; fortunately however, its successor track stands up well.
Shock G & Co.
Gregory Jacobs, popularly known as Shock G from nineties hip-hop group Digital Underground has passed away at age 57. As co-founder and key gatekeeper for new talent entering the industry, Shock G was responsible for hits like “Doowhatchulike” and “Same Song,” while also introducing 1970s funk into 90s hip-hop music. Furthermore, 2Pac credits him as having an impactful influence over their style; Shock G has written two tracks on 2Pac’s first album thanks to Shock G’s influence – both influences which will surely be missed by fans alike.
Shock G was an all-round talent; he played drums, wrote and produced original music himself, illustrated album covers for his band and even appeared in music videos and live shows! A gifted multi-instrumentalist who could also play piano, synthesizer and keyboards, Shock G used various personas such as his main one (Shock G) or Humpty Hump (with exaggerated buffoon traits) to promote his music; these included Shock G himself or Humpty Hump who had Groucho glasses and nose characteristics similar to Groucho’s from Groucho himself!
Shock G was no joke; he was serious about music, a master producer who could convey an array of styles and sounds through his productions. One example is found in their debut single, “Underwater Rimes,” where Shock G demonstrated his talent at weaving together multiple samples into an engaging final product that left listeners gasping for breath.
Shock G left an indelible mark in Bay Area hip-hop. He helped draw in new audiences by championing up-and-coming artists, such as Tupac Shakur. Shock G was also a prolific producer who collaborated with Dr. Dre, Monie Love, Bobby Brown, Luniz and KRS-One among many others.
Shock G’s death has left many mourning his absence, yet his memory is being honored in unexpected ways. Oakland-based Hella Coastal Brewery and Federation Brewing have joined forces to produce a limited-edition golden ale with cherry aroma and featuring an image of him vibing out to music he loved most – headphones on head while listening.
The Beasties
After adding their brand of chaos to Madonna’s Like a Virgin Tour in 1984, the Beastie Boys were quickly signed to Russell Simmons’ Def Jam label by Russell Simmons himself. Within months they found themselves touring alongside Run-DMC, LL Cool J and Timex Social Club tours; due to massive success of Licensed to Ill, which nearly split apart the group; Ad-Rock and Mike D began becoming discontent with each other, their own success and what had become an embarrassment of riches of being part of it all!
Paul’s Boutique marked an artistic breakthrough for The Beasties; for one thing, it marked their first venture away from white bourgeois hip hop and into something funky and experimental. Touring also became more frequent; “No Sleep Till Brooklyn” perfectly captures that spirit with lyrics like: “Another plane/ train/ bottle in brain/ girl fight/ driving all night…”
The Beasties first venture into disco was 1989’s Raising Hell, although it didn’t become an overwhelming hit. Still, Raising Hell helped establish them among mainstream audiences and gained them new fans.
That same year, they took a strong stand against sexual assault at live shows by performing at MTV’s Video Music Awards and denouncing sexual misconduct at live performances; calling on all performers to speak out about this issue; as well as changing their lyrics to exclude songs with offensive content from concert sets.
After the success of Licensed to Ill, The Beasties felt pressure to record their next album immediately; however, they wanted a break. Eventually they connected with producer Rick Rubin who had worked on their debut LP; his production on “Fight for Your Right to Party” perfectly combined their punk rock roots and hip-hop influences into an irresistibly catchy tune.
The Beasties would go on to release further albums that mixed their punk and hip-hop roots, never fully abandoning them – you’ll hear evidence of that on albums such as Check Your Head (1992) and Ill Communication (1996).
Madonna
Madonna’s iconic song and an 80s classic, Like A Virgin is about losing your virginity for the first time and taking risks without fear or regret. A timeless tune, its meaning remains relevant today – becoming an emblem of sexual freedom among women.
Although Like A Virgin was not Madonna’s debut single, it became her breakthrough hit. A dance song featuring heavy rhythm and synths with Madonna’s delicate voice floating throughout. Additionally, its lyrics contain many subtle references and innuendoes which create an intriguing listener experience.
Dress You Up from Madonna’s Like A Virgin album was another major hit for her. A synth-pop number inspired by doo-wop and girl groups of the 1950s, Dress You Up finds its inspiration here as Madonna sings of seducing men, with lyrics full of subtextual meaning that allude to male sexuality – all while addressing issues related to insecurity for women.
Madonna made headlines for her music video for Dress You Up by donning a wedding gown and veil while playing piano and sipping champagne, creating controversy by portraying her as promiscuous woman. Additionally, filming scenes in Venice where certain people consider sacred was considered controversial while the video also contained offensive images like lions and wedding gowns that may offend religious viewers.
Madonna followed up her success of Like a Virgin with another triumphant album release called Gone With The Wind in 1984. This pop ballad focused on her breakup with Sean Penn and was an international smash, becoming both the UK and USA top sellers and Madonna’s third highest selling single from Music. Its powerful message of female empowerment and self-respect touched millions of listeners; becoming her top-selling single. Additionally, this single proved pivotal to Madonna gaining prominence among young adults; later being reissued several times across different formats.