What exactly is an 808?

I've been dithering around for the last hour or so, trying to find something, anything new to blog about. Nothing seemed to be hitting the spot but, eventually, I stumbled across something that cheered me up no end: It's a video of rap pioneer Egyptian Legend programming his Roland TR-808 drum machine.

No doubt, you've heard of the 808 many times. Beyonce namechecks it in Deja Vu, Outkast extol the virtues of its sub-bass frequencies in I Like The Way You Move, and Madonna informs us that she is compelled to sing "hey-hey-hey like a Girl Gone Wild" when she "hears them 808 drums". As you do.

But have you ever seen what an 808 looks like? They're lovely. Big, chunky prehistoric hunks of plastic that could easily be a cheap knock-off of the 1970s TARDIS console. But they sounded better than they looked, particularly that low and dirty kick drum.

There's also something pleasingly robust about the machines, first produced in 1980. Look at how Egyptian Lover pounds those keys like they're indestructible. I might be able to programme more complex beats on my phone these days, but if I stabbed it that hard my fingers would go through the screen.

The video comes in two parts. First an excerpt from a 1981 documentary:


And then an extended tutorial filmed last month for FACT Magazine. I love how he rolls his sleeves up as he gets ready to programme the kick drum.


And thus concludes today's history lesson.

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Debatable rap statements of our time

"Nothing is more attractive than a heavily pregnant woman" - Andre 3000.

Let's weigh this up for a moment. On the plus side, pregnant women have a beautiful serenity and the sensuous glow of impending motherhood. They also (and I suspect this is the real selling point for Andre 3000) get bigger boobs.

On the other hand, a heavily pregnant woman has difficulty walking, the appetite of a ravenous grizzly bear, and the constant desire to do a wee. In the words of Nora Ephron: "If pregnancy were a book they would cut the last two chapters".

On the other hand (I have three hands), I'm sure there's nothing more attractive than seeing your partner in the final flush of pregnancy, before your social life is put on permanent hold for the next 24 years.

Whatever your stance on this hot button topic, I'm sure we can all agree that the song it comes from - I Do - is a masterpiece. Just two minutes long, this doo-wop-hip-hop track has a swagger and a confidence which suggests Andre 3000's long-awaited solo album will be a strong rebuttal to Outkast bandmate Big Boi's recent, and fabulous, Luscious Left-Foot CD.

Andre 3000 - I Do (leak)

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Video: Big Boi - Shutterbug

I wrote about this track two months ago when it premiered on the radio. Now there's a video, and the video is awesome. Feast your eyes on this.

Big Boi - Shutterbug


The Outkast star's first solo album, Sir Lucious Left Foot, is out on 6th July.

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Everything you need to know about Big Boi's excellent new single, Shutterbug

:: Big Boi is one half of superlative Atlanta rap duo OutKast

:: OutKast are best known for Hey Ya, a single with the inventive lyrical couplet: "Hey Ya. Hey Ya."

:: Big Boi had nothing to do with that song because of a DAMAGING RIFT with his cohort, André 3000

:: But he did have a hand in other great singles such as The Way You Move and Ms Jackson.

:: History does not record which hand.

:: For the last three years, Big Boi has been trying to get his improbably titled solo project - Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son of Chico Dusty - onto your iPod, but record company wrangling has hindred his artistry and stifled his creativity. These are the troubled times we live in, readers.

:: The upside to the delay is that Big Boi has invested some quality time in rekindling his bromance with André 3000 (he bought him a box of Milk Tray and sent a "thoughtful" card on his birthday). Thus, the duo have been collaborating on the new record.

:: Upon hearing the good news of a semi-runion, Def Jam stepped in and suggested they could put out Big Boi's record, after all. It is now slated for a May release.

:: The first single was unveiled last night. It is called Shutterbug and it is a hot'n'funky slab of electro-rap, with a brief nod to Soul II Soul's Back To Life.

:: It features the rather unpleasant lyric: "I'm shittin' on niggers and peeing on the seat". Some people have no manners. No manners at all.

:: Shutterbug (a slang term for paparazzi, fact fans) sounds exactly like this.


Big Boi - Shutterbugg

What do you reckon??

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Some people call me Morris

Is the new outkast single to your musical taste? Let me explain with this handy chart:



In summary, then, it is "alright".

To help you make your decision more accurately, there is an mp3 of the song - for evaluation purposes, of course - right here.

Or you can watch the no-frills, low budget video below.

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Video of the Week: Ms Jackson

There's no high-faluting thesis behind this week's choice. Quite simply, it's a hip hop video based on Doctor Doolittle instead of a porn movie.

Quite why this should be the case is never explained. The song itself is a heartfelt examination of André 3000s break-up from his wife, Erykah Badu. Making clear the guilt and sadness he feels about his divorce, he asks Ms Jackson for forgiveness. In real life, Ms Jackson is Badu's mum, whose real name is Kolleen Wright.

History does not record whether the song's plea for understanding changed Wright's opinion of her former son-in-law, nor whether she appreciated his message being delivered by a parrot on MTV.

Buy Outkast's Greatest Hits on DVD at Amazon

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