This Saturday, Feb. 18, Andre Romelle Young, known the world-over as Dr. Dre, turns 47. For the past few years the day’s been an occasion for fans in major cities around the world (Toronto too!) to commemorate the West Coast wiz. But a good measure of cultural impact is also how much your beat gets recycled. I’m celebrating Dre Day by flipping the misogynist pimpery of “Xxplosive,” a Chronic 2001 favourite with these girls:
“Bag Lady remix” by Erykah Badu
In this remix of the Mama’s Gun original, Erykah Badu’s lyrical soul hearkens back to the orchestral resonance of Isaac Haye’s “Bumpy’s Lament,” the sample source for “Xxplosive.”
“Stillness is the Move” by Solange
Beyonce’s little sister made her Williamsburg debut injecting Dre’s languid bass into a cover of the Dirty Projector’s “Stillness is the Move.”
“Bag Lady (The Cover Up)” by Bizzarh
Ten years since its release, “Xxplosive” finds new expression in this fledging Toronto twosome, who is actually paying respects to Badu with this playful, sing-rap re-work.
posted by
Anupa Mistry
on Feb 15, 2012