Friday, December 26, 2014

Flashback Friday: "Gangsta Lean" - DRS (1994)

Hey everybody! I hope you had a wonderful Christmas! Well, in Canada, the day after Christmas is known as Boxing Day. Think of it as a Christmas Black Friday. So, for today's pick, I've decided to go with "Gangsta Lean" by DRS. No thematic connection, just wanted to see if anybody measured up to Bone Thugs-n-Harmony.


You see, both groups had their biggest hit mourning the loss of a friend through R&B crooning. So the comparison is natural. How does DRS measure up to a hit that came two years later?

Well, despite similarities, the songs are also very different. "Crossroads" goes all over the place, while "Gangsta Lean" tends to stick to one tone. Each stylistic choice suits the song well, but each also hinders it a little.

"Crossroads", while an incredibly engaging song throughout, has the tendency to lose me a few times through its fast-paced lyric-spitting. And "Gangsta Lean", while seeming more like a mourning song, doesn't do as much to distance itself musically from, say, a Boyz II Men song about boning a chick. So each has their highlights and their flaws. Which is the superior song?

My love for creativity is telling me to go with "Crossroads", but I honestly think that "Gangsta Lean" gets the job done better. It sets the mood through its music and lyrics, and the singers sound like they're giving it their all. You really hear the heartbreak over their friend's death. So there we have it, the last Flashback Friday of 2014. But I can't help but feel there's some unfinished business...


...what? What are you doing back? I thought I got rid of you!


AHHH! Bad country and worse country! Take your pick as to who's who!


AHHHH! NOT THE BUTTS! NOT THE BUTTS! THEY'RE IN MY SOUL! MY SOOOUUUUULLLL

Coming soon: The worst hit songs of 2014

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