why don't UK dance artists and MCs hook up with each other and collaborate more like they do in the States?

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maybe a Mike Skinner cameo on the Audio Bullys album - or indeed Roots Manuva, he's done a few guest spots already tho i guess (Mr Scruff, Herbaliser etc.) - in the UK i notice the trend is to draft in vocalists from bands a bit out of the dance scene to broaden the appeal (e.g. Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack with Tracey Thorn, Liz Fraser and now Sinead, FC Kahuna with Gruff Rhys and ex Gus Gus lass) - but i wanna see more British MCs and toasters (where the hell is Slarta John for example?) dropping in on more British albums - i guess the hip hop scene here still isnt strong enough to really warrant it? but why shouldnt Basement Jaxx, Mike Skinner, Gamma, Lewis Parker, Miss Dynamite and Roots Manuva all work together for example?

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 February 2003 16:51 (twenty-three years ago)

because guest stars are all about marquee value?

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 20 February 2003 16:55 (twenty-three years ago)

Because if I hear Rodney fucking P turn up doing guest spots on one more album I'll go postal?

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 February 2003 16:57 (twenty-three years ago)

Because we have a culture of the remix where a new producer revamps the vocal and production. Which is effectively a producer guest spot instead of an MC one...

― Jacob (Jacob), Thursday, 20 February 2003 16:59 (twenty-three years ago)

i think i just really love the idea of Mike Skinner doing a cameo on other people's records rather than the others...but it wouldnt work unless they were also from London and were communicating similar messages to his

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:00 (twenty-three years ago)

Um UK hip-hop artists are all over each others records! It's just none of them are remotely big names. The Braintax album I was just listening to has Mud Family, Taskforce, Jehst and I think one of Aspects on it somewhere, for instance. It's not marquee value, it's a scene which is selling too little to be competitive anyway.

Also - So Solid guest on the Mis-Teeq album; Ms Dynamite has done a track with So Solid; the whole "remix" culture in the UK works as a kind of guest-star thing (Roll Deep doing a Streets track) etc etc. It is happening.

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:00 (twenty-three years ago)

I agree that Skinner cameos on other records would be good!

― Tom (Groke), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:01 (twenty-three years ago)

because most American rap cameos fucking suck?

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:02 (twenty-three years ago)

I want to see Skinner and Basement Jaxx. I realise things like this are kind of fantasy which may never work but still.

― Ronan (Ronan), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:02 (twenty-three years ago)

i agree with matos but i also know that a hot guest verse is a gift from baby jesus himself

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:04 (twenty-three years ago)

well the idea of Basement Jaxx remixing Missy Elliott blew my mind a couple of years back...then it finally happened and it was...okay - a bit of a cop-out in a sense though. likewise if Britney IS working with Daft Punk it will of course be palatable pop stuff (good thing of course) rather than fucked up avant garde acid-electro-type-stuff

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:05 (twenty-three years ago)

that's what b-sides are for

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:06 (twenty-three years ago)

i really want to see Skinner and the Bullys - its so dumb and obvious i know....maybe the Bullys could co-produce The Streets next album?

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:06 (twenty-three years ago)

I suspect it's more that the scenes don't mix (though the fans and even the musicians might).

― Tim (Tim), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:06 (twenty-three years ago)

(I did say "most," yes)

― M Matos (M Matos), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:06 (twenty-three years ago)

Besides the Blade II s/t I can't think of a single "dance artist" and MC that have hooked up in the States - no idea why, since it's all "club music" ain't it

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:30 (twenty-three years ago)

dance music = white, hiphop = black (and you see, black guys are named carl, while white guys are named lenny)

― jess (dubplatestyle), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:33 (twenty-three years ago)

http://www.splendidezine.com/reviews/sep-18-00/carl.gif

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:35 (twenty-three years ago)

i want to hear the Darren Emerson/P Diddy collaboration, whatever it was!

― stevem (blueski), Thursday, 20 February 2003 17:38 (twenty-three years ago)

"dance music = white, hiphop = black"

despite house and techno originating almost entirely among black people?

― robin (robin), Friday, 21 February 2003 00:18 (twenty-three years ago)

in the eyes of the american consumer, yes.

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 21 February 2003 00:24 (twenty-three years ago)

the majority of hip hop consumers are white - but still there's a yawning divide between "dance" and "hip hop" in terms of actual music getting produced; if it's not race then what is it?

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 21 February 2003 00:26 (twenty-three years ago)

(i am quite familiar with the history of dance music, robin)

also, as many people forget, plenty of people already dance, quite often and adequately, to hiphop in america, sans house undercarriage or d&b remix

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 21 February 2003 00:26 (twenty-three years ago)

this question seems backwards to me - Streets, Massive Attack, Tricky, they've all been working on some combo of rap and house; it's the US who seems woefully fenced-in on this count. putting it all down to tempo differences seems facile. but maybe putting it all down to race is, too.

― Tracer Hand (tracerhand), Friday, 21 February 2003 00:28 (twenty-three years ago)

(sorry robin, didnt mean for that to sound snarky)

see, i think that "hip-hop" artists DO do this (cf. handbag remixes of r&b hits, the mary j remix album, etc.) it just doesnt have particular use value to their audience, or at least as much as say missy doing a track at almost-house tempo already...it'll sound out of place in the mix...also, i dont think dance in america (fashion and drum&bass aside perhaps) is as "urban" as it might like to think, so i'm not quite sure what a house track with ludacris o'er top would do

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 21 February 2003 00:36 (twenty-three years ago)

Depends on where you are in America.

― Mike Taylor (mjt), Friday, 21 February 2003 00:41 (twenty-three years ago)

Ludacris should sign to UR.

― Ronan (Ronan), Friday, 21 February 2003 00:44 (twenty-three years ago)

hoez destroyah

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 21 February 2003 00:45 (twenty-three years ago)

no worries jess,just seemed like an odd generalisation
i kind of see what you mean though

― robin (robin), Friday, 21 February 2003 02:52 (twenty-three years ago)

is the new lil' kim album being produced by andreas tillander or did i imagine that?

― robin (robin), Friday, 21 February 2003 03:08 (twenty-three years ago)

that's the semi-verified rumor

― jess (dubplatestyle), Friday, 21 February 2003 04:33 (twenty-three years ago)

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