The direct homage to one’s influences seems to be emerging as a trend in hip-hop of late. Of course, MCs have always given proper respect and acknowledgement to their forebearers — this is nothing new — but what is new is the practice of dedicating an entire song to said forebearer, and even mentioning him by name in the tribute track title. It popped off recently, albeit in a roundabout kind of way, when J. Cole put out “Let Nas Down.” Ironically, Nas may have actually started the practice back in 2004 with “The Unauthorized Biography of Rakim." Regardless of whether Nas, J. Cole, or pure coincidence is to blame, this week alone, I received e-mails about two new tribute tracks: "RZA" by Tha Connection’s Hus Kingpin and this “Popular (Thank You Kool Keith)” by frequent Keith collaborator Prince Metropolis Unknown a.k.a. Metropolis.
It doesn’t take more than a bar or two to hear the influence of Keith Thornton on Metropolis, and in case you didn’t know, this song’s title and chorus both reference the Ultramagnetic MCs’ 1992 classic “Poppa Large.” What really appeals to me about Metropolis here and elsewhere is how much he sounds like Diddy at times, not in lyrical content of course, but in tone and delivery. Thus, when I listen to Metropolis, I get to picture Sean Combs spitting lines like, “I’m with your mother eating Wheaties/ Reading about Tuskegee in Tahiti” or “I might ask to eat your children/ I thrive on stillborns,” which makes lines like these all the more absurd.
If you’re into that sort of thing, stream “Popular (Thank You Kool Keith)” below and look out for Prince Metropolis Known’s War Against Music mixtape, dropping today.
• Prince Metropolis Known: http://princemetropolis.bandcamp.com
• Junkadelic Music: http://www.junkadelicmusic.net
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