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Who Clarified Jigga's 'Moment' the Best? 9th Wonder or Just Blaze?

 

If you're anything like me, you've amassed more than a king's ransom in unofficial Blueprint, Black Album and American Gangster remix projects. Sometimes, you get lucky and land on something golden, like Von Pea's American Angster, MidiMarc's Newprint, or the S. Carter Mixtape. For today's Battle of the Remixes, I've decided to pit Jay-Z's "Moment of Clarity" against Jay-Z's "Moment of Clarity," but with two distinct executions. In one corner we have Just Blaze, who's responsible for some of Jigga's biggest-sounding records ("U Don't Know," "Show Me What You Got") and former third of Little Brother, 9th Wonder, who blessed Jay-Z's "Threats." One has more of a big band style while the other is considerably more soulful and laid back. Which do you prefer?


Jay-Z: "Moment of Clarity" (Just Blaze Remix) (from the S. Carter Mixtape)


Jay-Z: "Moment of Clarity" (9th Wonder Remix) (from Black is Back!)

nOvaMatic  |  06/26/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (13)  |  Permalink

Which Girl Group Do You Want To Spend 'All Night Long' With?

 

This week it's an all-female rumble in the soul jungle to see which girl group comes out on top. Sorry, fellas, there's no mud or Jello involved. This virtual Battle of the Beats pits those '80s fantasy ladies, The Mary Jane Girls, up against the '90s around the way chicks, SWV with their songs entitled "All Night Long." These groups are about as different as night and day, but the music has a central theme: loving your man all night long. Can I get a soul clap?

The Mary Jane Girls were the love children of Rick James and weed. Group members Joanne "Jojo" McDuffie, Candice "Candi" Ghant, Kim "Maxi" Wuletich, and Ann "Cheri" Bailey all played dress up in outfits to match their sexed-up personas. They released "All Night Long" in 1983 and the ode to rooftop loving became a hit and will still fill the dance floor during an old school set. Quite frankly, if this song doesn't make you move, then you really need to check yourself into a funeral home.

When SWV popped up on the scene, they were a little rough around the edges. I remember back in the day a comedian on Def Comedy Jam once said they looked like Jodeci in drag. Ouch! Despite the trio not being glamour girls, Cheryl "Coko" Gamble, Tamara "Taj" Johnson and Leanne "Lelee" Lyons truly were Sisters With Voices. And by the time their cut "All Night Long" landed on the Waiting to Exhale soundtrack, these young ladies stepped their style game up and were polished to perfection. And the song? It was as sexy as a kiss upon the collarbone.

So what's it gonna be, folks? The flirtatious dance floor classic or the soothing slow jam?

I have an idea how of this is gonna go down, so I'd like to apologize in advance for the mollywhopping SWV is about to receive in the comments section. Thanks.

Mary Jane Girls: "All Night Long"


SWV: "All Night Long"

Butta  |  06/19/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (13)  |  Permalink

Whose 'Lean' is More Gangsta? DRS or The Clipse?

 

Continuing with today's "gangsta" theme, we thought it might be a good idea to have it boil over into Battle of the Beats. "Diggin' in the scene with a gangsta lean" was coined by William DeVaughn in "Be Thankful for What You've Got" a track that, sadly, didn't make our recent sampler for not being in the iTunes store. But the term has been invoked many times since, and today's battle features two tracks that share the name "Gangsta Lean"--one, an ode to fallen soldiers and the other, to marijuana--a substance with which we are most certainly unfamiliar.

DRS: "Gangsta Lean"


The Clipse: "Gangsta Lean"

nOvaMatic  |  06/12/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Would You Rather Have a 'Late Night Rendezvous' with Carl or Vikter?

 

Carl Thomas and Vikter Duplaix are both certified romantics. While one is probably more likely to crank up the Marvin, break out the VSOP and light some incense, the other might just spontaneously appear at the window of his ladylove like a valiant prince, with tickets to an unlikely exotic locale and the promise to simply play it by ear. With that in mind, today's Battle of the Beats asks you, which one of these brothers would you rather steal away with on a late night tryst? Both of today's tracks are entitled "Late Night Rendezvous" and have very distinct approaches.

By the way, Carl's So Much Better was so much better than folks gave it credit for. Grown man R&B is endangered, ya'll.

Carl Thomas: "Late Night Rendezvous"


Vikter Duplaix: "Late Night Rendezvous"

nOvaMatic  |  06/05/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (11)  |  Permalink

Who Would You Rather Creep With? 'Part-Time' or 'Secret Lovers'?

 

1985 was a good year for adultery. After all, there was not only one but two chart-topping odes to getting your sneaky freak on: Stevie Wonder's "Part-Time Lover" and Atlantic Starr's "Secret Lovers." Both of these songs were about something so wrong, but they sounded oh-so right.

Stevie's uptempo ditty--with Luther Vandross on backup no less--about "undercover passion on the run" was a breakthrough hit when it dropped. Off his In Square Circle album, "Part-Time Lover" hit number one on four charts simultaneously, making him the first artist in history to do so. Yeah, Stevie was the man even when singing about cheating.

Atlantic Starr's Barbara Weathers and David Lewis sang their faces off on "Secret Lovers." This slow jam about two married lovers was one of the band's biggest hits and is still a staple on urban radio. This song just makes you want to sing along with it--and I'm sure we all have--even if you don't agree with the subject matter.  

So if you were gonna creep (not that we're encouraging that type of behavior), what would your soundtrack be?

Stevie Wonder: "Part-Time Lover"


Atlantic Starr: "Secret Lovers"

Butta  |  05/29/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (10)  |  Permalink

Sample-Slam: Who 'Chose' to Do Willie Hutch Justice?

 

For the uninitiated, a "Sample Slam" is a BOTB in which we match two tracks that sampled the same classic. Previous entries saw Nas and SWV duke it out over Michael Jackson's "Human Nature" and Mary J. and Janet over James Brown. Today, we're invoking the Willie Hutch classic "I Choose You" and the contenders are Jaheim and UGK.

Easily the best track from the 2006 release Ghetto Classics, Jaheim's "The Chosen One" has "single" written all over it. It would've been a better look than the Jadakiss track, given how Jaheim's appeal wears thinner and thinner with each release. "The Chosen One" had the instant recognizability due to the sample. This was right under his nose and the label completely missed the boat. UGK's "Int'l Player's Anthem" had the Internet going bananas when it was released, due to its playful, star-studded video and the Outkast cameo, which is never a bad idea. This came out a year after Jaheim's album and UGK was able to ride the wave of Willie's melody. It was just brilliant, especially because of the original's recent (at the time) connection to Hustle & Flow. Pimps up!

Jaheim: "The Chosen One"


UGK feat. Outkast: "Int'l Players Anthem"

nOvaMatic  |  05/22/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (6)  |  Permalink

Who Makes You Go 'Back and Forth'? Cameo or Aaliyah?

 

This Battle of the Beats pits the '80s against the '90s in this "Back and Forth" showdown. Cameo versus Aaliyah. Let's get ready to rumble!

Cameo's "Back and Forth" came after they'd been in the game for over a decade and at a time when lead singer Larry Blackmon brought our collective focus to his red codpiece-clad crotch. That gimmick aside, the synth-heavy "Back and Forth" featured Cameo harmonizing about the tug of war in relationships and was one of the standout tracks on the album Word Up! alongside the hit title song and the stone-cold jam "Candy."

Aaliyah's "Back and Forth" was her debut single that introduced "the L. I. Y. A. H." to the masses. The songs' "funky mellow groove" made her a staple on radio and in the clubs, while the video showcased the teen beauty with a voice and swagger that belied her age. Maybe it was her association with hitmaker (and husband on the-not-so-down-low) R. Kelly or her fresh street but sweet style, but Aaliyah came out the gate with a hit and never slowed down.

So who's "Back and Forth" is it gonna be? The funkdafied band of brothas or our beloved babygirl?

Cameo: "Back and Forth"


Aaliyah: "Back and Forth"

Butta  |  05/15/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (15)  |  Permalink

Battle of the Remakes: Hello It's Them

 

I will always credit The Isley Brothers for "Hello It's Me". No diss to Todd Rundgren, but if not for Ron and the fellas, this song wouldn't have landed on my radar. Okay, full disclosure: my dad may have had something to do with that. Moving along, I naturally don't take any retreads of this song lightly. But, Mary J. Blige, Groove Theory and John Legend are plenty qualified to take on the track. For some of you, this might be a difficult choice. Between Mary's layered, old school take, Groove Theory's sexy, jazzy rendition and Legend's, which is closer in spirit to Rundgren's original, you're going to be banging your head against the wall. Do I even have to tell you which one's my favorite?


Mary J. Blige: "Hello It's Me"

nOvaMatic  |  04/08/2008 at 4:00 PM  |  Comments (25)  |  Permalink

Who Do You Want To 'Find A Way' With? A Tribe Called Quest Or Dwele?

 

The past two Battle of the Beats have produced some lopsided results, and the fun continues again this week with A Tribe Called Quest squaring off against Dwele with their identically-titled songs, "Find A Way." It's not right, but it's OK.

Tribe's "Find A Way" came from their 1998 album, The Love Movement, which sadly turned out to be their last together as a group.  Although the disc as a whole wasn't as good as their previous work, "Find A Way" was one of the better songs on there and can still get bodies moving when the needle hits the record.

Whereas ATCQ's "Find A Way" came at the end of their recording career, Dwele's song came at the beginning of his. "Find A Way" was one of the singles from his tight debut album, Subject. Another dance floor groover, this Dwele cut helped to put him on the map and his talent has kept him there.

So, who's going to win in this hip-hop and soul battle, folks?

A Tribe Called Quest: "Find A Way"


Dwele: "Find A Way"

Butta  |  04/02/2008 at 5:00 PM  |  Comments (17)  |  Permalink