It’s odd, really. This is a Busta Rhymes track, but it’s not Busta I remember when I think of the song, it’s that laid-back piano beat (almost certainly John Legend, who is featured on this track) and Legend’s cool voice singing the hook (even though Mary J Blige AND Jamie Foxx sing before him).

But then I listen to it, and I realize how good his verses are. He’s a beastly MC, even if I don’t like most of his work, and it’s an interesting change to hear him rapping low-key. I mean, even in other tracks with slow-ya-roll beats, there’s a certain aggressiveness to the way Busta approaches it. But not here, here you can really here the way Busta accents each and every word and there isn’t any snarl to it (don’t get me wrong, Busta’s snarl is one of Hip Hop’s best, right up there with Ludacris and a few other choice MCs). Some of the change in tone may be the actual volume of the vocals: they’re a little quieter in “Decision” than some of his other tracks.

This realization led me to another, a ‘decision,’ if you will: this track isn’t his. Sure, this is his track in the literal sense, perhaps most of it was even done under his direction, but this track no longer belongs to him. Why? Because there are so many voices here that this track ceases to be about any one of them.

Normally, I hate these sorts of tracks (with two exceptions: “Yes We Can” that featured Hollywood as a whole, and rap tracks that have more than 5 rappers – any less and it’s just someone trying to capitalize on big names). That this track no longer belongs to him is only an issue until you really understand what this track is all about, and the chorus is pretty clear about it: 

“I made a decision, despite all the things that we go through, 
I’m going to take more time with you, and be a friend indeed 
I made a decision, that everything will be alright 
Going to stay strong and keep it tight, I’ll be there indeed.”

I’m not going to go into the deeper meaning of this track, because I’m not really sure it has one and I don’t want to take a pompous misstep. I don’t often keep up with Hip Hop’s beef, much less it’s close friendships, so it’s hard to tell if Busta really feels this way about all the people he brought in on the track. My guess is that he does about some but not all. 

Honestly, from a production standpoint, I would take both Blige and Foxx off the track. To me it would feel much more authentic with just Busta, Common, and Legend on the track. Blige and Foxx have the unfortunate side-effect of somehow making this song sound a little less sincere. Maybe I’m wrong; maybe they’re all great friends, in which case this preponderance of voices is understandable.

Despite it, “Decision” is a track that feels better and better with every listen. Take special note of Common’s verse.

Busta Rhymes – Decision [mp3]

Download audio file (decision-feat-jamie-foxx-mary-j-blige-john-legend-common.mp3)

9 inches of snow, apparently. That, is a shame. I have an exam this evening, but in the mean time here is some fantastic music:

Duffy feat. Wale – Warwick Avenue [mp3]

Download audio file (warwick-avenue-feat-duffy.mp3)

The guitar comes in, a little vinyl cracke in the background, it swooshes into the beat and Wale rhymes over a lush beat and some thick strings. In his typical style of wordplay and wrapping each line into the next, he’s frustrated but still clever as he raps “You make me beat around the bush/Just to beat around your bush.” Duffy, though her appearance in her own track is limited (this is a remix, mind you), has a gorgeous voice. In the last 30 seconds of the song she really gets to shine, pained voice and all.

Colin Munroe – Piano Lessons [mp3]

Download audio file (piano-lessons.mp3)

A pleasant piano plinking in the background, Munroe’s vocals in this track are fascinating – they get shifted up and down to pleasant intervals in the middle of a sentence, creating an oddly disjointed experience that comes together rather nicely. Joell Ortiz’s verse is pretty crisp, about a girl he’s crushing on who is learning to play piano.

Colin Munroe feat. Wale – Will I Stay [mp3]

Download audio file (will-i-stay.mp3)

I’m not sure how I know the background beat already, but it’s reminiscent of some fabulous 70′s ish. His voice is so smooth. Dropping almost every 4th beat during the verse, the anticipation leading up to the chorus is great, and right after the first chorus Wale chimes in. He knows exactly when to ride over the beat and when to let it drop. The chorus itself is great, his “woah”s are the perfect crossover into power-pop anthem territory. Production note: the processed falsettos he throws into his songs is so funky, I’m feeling it.

And because the weather is just so perfect, it’s time to revive my favorite rap from a commercial ever. “Gifted like christmas ’cause I love to (w)rap” is a fantastic line and it’s telling that Common can make a better commercial than most rappers can do in a whole album.