Things That Make You Go Hum #8
Wu-Tang Clan - I Can't Go To Sleep, feat. Isaac Hayes (Columbia, 2000)
It's pretty scandalous how good this track is, honestly.
My auntie once said that 'rap music' doesn't have soul. What absolute nonsense.
When RZA comes in with the second verse, he's wailing. Seriously, listen to it.
"I can't go to sleep, I can't shut my eyes
They shot the father of his moms, killed him seven times
They shot Malcolm in the chest front of his little seeds
Jesse watched, as they shot King on the balcony"
He's in tears by the end. And that's before Issac Hayes points out "the power is in your hands".
*** WARNING: The link below takes you to a video of the track in question, which contains explicit lyrics ***
An astonishing piece of music.
Hip-hop has blood, sweat and tears. Hip-hop makes grown men cry. Hip-hop has soul.
Or it used to, anyway.
Comment number 1.
At 14:22 26th Jun 2009, ATL Bell wrote:Decent track that, but Wu-wise it don't get any better than the 'Enter the Wu-Tang (36 Chambers)' album. That is pure magic. Remember being slightly disappointed at seeing an extended interview with the lot of them though in which they kept emphasising how it was all about the money. Maybe they didn't have as much soul as some of us thought.
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