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────┤ Info ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
└────────┘
Artist | Hammer
Title | The Funky Headhunter
Genre | Rap Format | Album
Source | CD Time | 68:08
Label | Giant Records Store | 1994
Catalog | 9 24545-2 Rip | 2021
Bitrate | 895 kbps Size | 459.98 MB
Freq | 44.1 kHz Encoder | FLAC 1.3.1
┌────────┐
────┤ Tracks ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
└────────┘
01. Intro 2:11
02. Oaktown 4:16
03. It's All Good 4:11
04. Somethin' For The O.G.'s 4:15
05. Don't Stop 5:34
06. Pumps And A Bump 5:07
07. One Mo' Time 4:07
08. Clap Yo' Hands 3:47
09. Break 'Em Off Somethin' Proper 4:18
10. Don't Fight The Feelin' 3:40
11. Somethin' 'Bout The Goldie In Me 3:49
12. Sleepin' On A Master Plan 4:50
13. It's All That 3:56
14. The Funky Headhunter 3:45
15. Pumps And A Bump Reprise (Bump Teddy Bump) 6:38
16. Help Lord (Won't You Come) 3:44
┌────────┐
────┤ Notes ├─────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────────
└────────┘
ôIÆm an O.G. fool, the O stands for Oaktownö
When Stanley Kirk Burrell made this statement in 1994 he was not taken
seriously. Despite having dropped the ôM.C.ö from his name and adopting a
harder G-funk based sound for ôThe Funky Headhunter,ö few people found it
believable that the man behind ôU CanÆt Touch Thisö and ôPrayö had suddenly
gone from radio friendly pop music to being an underground hard rock with
street credentials. The now infamous ôPumps and a Bumpö video only made
matters worse. Considering heÆs better known for his Christian ministry
than his rap career these days, even he must be embarrassed by what appears
to be a RAGING boner he sports throughout the clip in the presence of the
beautiful women the song references.
The video proved to be SO controversial that Hammer actually had to reshoot
it, releasing it as ôpart twoö in the series, but he was still supporting a
suspicious bulge in his Hammer Pants as he did his Hammer Dance. ItÆs hard
to say whether him wearing more clothes makes it better or worse.
Critics still took aim at the fact he seemed to be swagger jacking straight
from Death Row in the new video. ItÆs hard to deny that in the new clips he
looks like he could be rolling through Compton with Dre and Snoop. ItÆs not
a coincidence either ù he wound up signing with the label a year later.
Ultimately he left after Tupac ShakurÆs untimely passing without releasing
an album, but itÆs clear on ôThe Funky Headhunterö that he was pursuing a
new GÆd up from the feet up musical direction. Singles like ôDonÆt Stopö
pulsed with what the choral singers described as ôO.G. funkö thanks to
samples from George Clinton and Tom Browne.
ôI keep on tryin to tell yÆall/You keep dissin and dissin and dissin but I
donÆt fall/Yo, tell me who gots da props? (I got da props!)/Tell me whose
got the loot? (Hammer got lots!)ö Clearly that was before he went bankrupt
in Æ96. Even those the excessive posturing from the man behind pop songs
like ô2 Legit 2 Quitö and ôAddams Familyö seems comical, thereÆs an untold
truth behind the album you might find surprising ù ôO.G.ö Hammer was closer
to the truth than ôM.C.ö Hammer. He actually WAS connected in Oakland, and
if you dared to cross him or insult him, there could be dire consequences.
If youÆve never heard MC Serch talk about Hammer flexing his muscle to put
a contract out on 3rd Bass, itÆs quite an eye opener. Even with his brand
new sound, Hammer still tried to put out dance friendly songs like ôBreak
æEm Off SomethinÆ Properö and ôOne MoÆ Time.ö
ôIÆm goin for mine, one moÆ time/IÆm gettin my goals accomplished while the
others sit back and whine/None of yÆall can fade me, so donÆt even
try/Cause IÆm the best at what I do and IÆma tell you why/You see IÆm 2
Legit, 2 ever Quit.ö These bars illustrate HammerÆs problem in a nutshell.
Problem number one ù heÆs trying to flex as a lyricist but puts so many
syllables in one bar he almost misses the beat. Problem number two ù even
though heÆs now portraying a harder image he never cusses or swears on his
records. Like the late Eazy-E once said, ôI never met an O.G. who never did
shit wrong.ö Problem number three ù despite trying to shed his pop music
image, he canÆt HELP but be proud of his previous successes and millions of
record sold. Hammer canÆt escape his past while heÆs still referencing it.
Oddly though ôThe Funky Headhunterö isnÆt really a BAD album. This was the
source of several contentious debates I had in my college days, because
like many others I found the new ôhardcoreö Hammer to be a silly concept
with an absurdly pornographic video that only made matters worse. His
defenders had a point I adamantly refused to accept ù even if going from
pop rap to G-funk was a swerve so bad he could only crash, the music was
actually good. I concede. ôItÆs All Thatö is a highly listenable song as
are so many others on this CD. It sounds like a 1990Æs collision between
Teddy Riley and Warren G and it works perfectly.
In retrospect thereÆs no way Mr. Burrell can deny the derision that would
come from such a drastic makeover. It smacked of a desperate attempt to
stay relevant in the face of a changing musical scene, and it wreaked of
being inauthentic because he wouldnÆt go ALL IN on it. The gangsters of rap
were smoking weed, drinking 40Æs and fucking bitches all over their songs.
Hammer looked tougher and sounded rougher but underneath the surface he was
still as clean cut as ever. Enough of his old fans stuck around for the
album to go platinum, but when youÆve gone EIGHT TIMES platinum in the
past, that actually seems like a failure by comparison. I canÆt deny the
transformation is comical, but itÆs also not as terrible as first I
thought.
┌────────┐
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└────────┘