| Every so often, an artist or group comes along as a beacon (or bacon) of hope. The seas are angry with the low bellows of Ja Rule or the tired catchiness of Jay Z. They rap of the high life, a lack of respect that only platinum artists must feel and increasingly juvenile hooks. It may be closed-minded, but a xylophone player should never get popular song royalties. The last time this happened, with the pomposity of progressive rock choking the masses with organ solos and fashion faux pas, a little group called Sugar Hill Gang came |
| Little T and One Track Mike |
| Fome is Dape |
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| along, and used its rhymes as meal-makers (both figuratively and literally). “Rapper’s Delight” exposed the internal conflicts of eaters everywhere. Should you politely eat more of mom’s food, even though it’s gag-worthy? Discuss. The meantime, filled with Weird Al opuses, certainly seemed filling. But a curly-haired accordion player can do only so much – a new duo satiates our hunger for new and tasty music free of guilt. On Little T & One Track Mike’s “Fome is Dape,” the old school truly returns, shining reams of ultraviolet beams onto the skanky and dank hip-hop scene. The album breezes through everything from the perils of oily skin, hypochondria, dorm room phone controversies and yes, cheese. “Mozzarella, cheddar or American baby, Fome is dape, the rest is all gravy,” raps Little T, with a hint of Eminem giving away his (gasp) white-itude. The fun and self-deprecating album follows along the lines of a video MTV showed one time, Fatlip’s “What Up Fatlip?” And although you might feel self-conscious singing about “nerdy” subject matter, just try and keep tight-lipped when “Shaniqua” plays – the fresh and breezy musical accompaniment anchors the song while a bass line still can rattle the windows of your Geo Metro while you sing, “And I just want some peace and quiet/ Come to my room and it’s a telephone riot.” And though the album probably plays best as a soundtrack to the “Office Space”-loving, girlfriend-lacking, Dungeons & Dragons-playing, friend-filled Friday nights, there are some signs that the hip-hop duo can construct some very nice melodies. On “Wings” and “Only When It Rains,” food is forsaken for more somber, contemplative manner that feels just right. But the reason Little T and One Track Mike should enter the popular consciousness and become as American as McDonald’s and apple pie is this: It’s unadulterated fun. And anyone who can transform Donovan’s “Season of the Witch” into an even catchier incarnation (like this duo accomplishes with “Sammy”) has way too much talent to remain in the food-loving D&D set for long. Soup’s on. |
| Originally published Nov. 29, 2001 in the Northern Star, by Hank Brockett |