tuneage:

Big Boi (ft. Gucci Mane) - “Shine Blockas”

It’s a simple formula, really. Step 1: take an old soul track, find a segment of the song where the singer enthusiastically pronounces a vowel. “Aaaaaaa”s and “Oooooo”s are safe choices - here, Big Boi and Co. went with an “Ohhhh”/ “Ahhhhh” combo. Step 2: Make sure that the sample has piano or melodic percussion - a vibraphone, used here, works fine. Step 3: Add trumpets/ synth pads to fill up the track. Step 4: 808 Kick + Stutter Snare. This step is non-negotiable. Step 5: If the spirit so moves you, rap a little bit.

The formula is far from fail-proof. Turn on your local radio station ending in -Z for a near-continuous stream of exemplary failures. But Big Boi, however, is Big Boi. Unlike his purple-wigged “Hey Ya”-ing ex(?) team-mate, his output is consistently solid, full-sounding, developed, and excellent. When he strips the sample for his second verse and leans back on the organ, Big Boi sounds like a man on top of his game. It lacks the abstract ambition of Stankonia, and the hackneyed piece of misogyny in the beginning is a turn-off, sure, but once the glorious, just-won-the-Peace-Prize groove sets in, it’s all “Shine” and no “Blocka.”