全专浅析-纽约黑手党的说唱蒙太奇
原文链接:http://mp.weixin.qq.com/s/AqG4wToVPBBt86beo5iTvg
1995年,东岸说唱鼎盛的年份,传奇说唱团体Wu-Tang Clan (武当派) 中三员大将 (GZA, Ol’ Dirty Bastard和Raekwon) 在这一年发行了三张足以载入史册的经典个人专辑,为当时团体的“五年计划”添上了浓墨重彩的一笔,今天将介绍的就是其中犹如黑手党电影般的专辑——由Loud Records发行, Raekwon the Chef 的 Only Built 4 Cuban Linx... 专辑概念
整张专辑由Wu-Tang Clan首脑RZA全权制作,概念来源于多部经典的黑手党电影如《疤面煞星》,《美国往事》和《喋血双雄》等(在后文中会详细提及),专辑曲目通过采样,skit桥段和叙事性的歌词呈现出东岸纽约黑手党枪林弹雨的街头生活和真实的内心独白。虽说是Raekwon(后文简称Rae)的个人首张专辑,但另一位武当大将Ghostface Killah (后文简称Ghost) 在专辑中与Raekwon交相辉映的配合和出色的化学反应也同样无法忽视,专辑封面上两人经典和合照,也彰显了这场黑帮大戏将由这两位“武当双子“联袂出演。制作人RZA曾表示采用双人组合的形式,灵感来源于吴宇森导演的经典黑帮片《喋血双雄》。其他武当成员和风头正劲的Nas参与了客串,则让专辑在多样性和故事情节方面更加引人入胜。 黑手党意象
从22年后的今天回顾历史,这张经典专辑对Hip-Hop的影响力非常深远,它使“Mafioso Rap”(黑手党说唱)(由80年代末期Kool G Rap发展出的东岸说唱风格)成为了当时的标志性风潮。这张专辑能将黑手党主题如此切合生动地表现出来,这与Rae和Ghost的成长环境以及对经典电影的借鉴有密切关系。Rae和Ghost成长于纽约Staten Island,制毒贩毒,街头斗殴,打家劫舍和匪帮枪杀在他们的街区如同家常便饭,刀尖舔血的年轻人则信奉黑手党的行事作风。Rae借鉴经典黑帮片《美国往事》和儿时喜爱的漫画人物,给每个武当成员都取了一个新的黑手党名字,比如Rae自己是Lou Diamonds, Ghost是Tony Starks(漫画中钢铁侠的名字),GZA是Maximillion (来源于美国往事的角色Max)等,并将这些角色带入OB4CL专辑中。 专辑曲目 1. Striving For Perfection (Feat. Ghost) RZA采样了《喋血双雄》电影中由卢冠廷作曲的开场主旋律,略带悲凉宿命感的曲调瞬间将听众带入了尔虞我诈的黑帮世界中,为专辑的电影感奠定了基调。主角Rae和Ghost正在探讨未来的宏伟蓝图:厌倦了贩毒生涯的两人打算金盆洗手,让家人不再过担惊受怕的日子,而在彻底淡出江湖享受天伦之乐前,他们在纽约之外找到了更好的供货渠道,所以决定再干一票大买卖… “Cause I'm not tryna just be, sitting on motherfucking 200 thou And acting like I'ma just be a drug dealer all my life, (Nah) Son I got bigger and better plans Son.” “Son, long as the love and the trust is there Son we gonna grow God, We gonna grow like a plant, son.”
2. Knuckleheadz (Feat. Ghost & U-God) 在曲目开头Rae, Ghost和U-God三人在平分贩毒收益时产生了分歧,为了化解矛盾,三人决定对其他年轻毒贩实施抢劫,在RZA急促的钢琴loop采样中,一场大鱼吃小鱼的街头犯罪已经拉开帷幕,在三名黑手党老炮的枪下,那些人生地不熟的傻逼毒贩难逃财货两空的命运。在歌曲最后U-God设计自己在驾车逃逸时死亡,原因在于现实中他需要回监狱继续服刑,无法参与专辑其他部分的录制。 “Lay on the crime scene, sipping fine wines, pulling nines on UFOs taking they fly clothes, they eyes closed.” “Who's the knucklehead, wanting respect? Chop his fingers in the drug game, Money well known Lead singer, humdinger, flash is the aftermath, here's his photograph”
3. Knowledge God 1960年代在纽约哈林区的黑人群体中,诞生了一个名为5 Percent Nation的组织,其传播的知识和哲学影响了后来的一批纽约说唱歌手,武当派成员就是此组织的推崇者。这首歌名反应出了该组织的一套名为“Supreme Mathematics”的数字体系,”Knowledge”=1, “God”=7。Rae详细地叙述了自己的毒枭生涯:纽约街头毒虫横行,毒贩锒铛入狱,黑手党互相厮杀的匪帮生活都融合进了Rae两段叙事性极强的verse中。Hook部分,毒枭问手下: “What's today's mathematics, son?” (今天货卖得如何?)”Knowledge God”,(结合黑话的文字游戏,首字母缩写为KG, 其代表的数字是17,组合成了17kg),街头日常的细节通过这两个单词便跃然纸上。歌曲开头Rae在录音前吸鼻子的声音,也成为了契合主题的点睛之笔。 “Yo, why's my niggas always yelling that broke shit? Let's get money son, now you wanna smoke shit Chill God, yo, the son don't chill Allah What's today's mathematics, son? Knowledge God“ “Claiming New York was ancient Babylon Where the sky stayed the color of grey, like her-on“
4. Criminology (Feat. Ghost) 作为专辑的第二主打单曲,这首歌在延续黑帮电影旋律的基础上,展现了Rae和Ghost当时默契的化学反应,给听众上了一堂生动的街头“犯罪学”课程。歌曲开头,RZA采样了《疤面煞星》中Alex Rosa和Tony Montana在电话中的争吵桥段,电影中的这个桥段预示着双方正式开战。在制作方面,RZA采用DJ的制作方式,使用弦乐搭配碎拍鼓点烘托出帮派战争的宏大和激烈。Ghost开场贡献出了一段绝佳的verse: 环环相扣的押韵,5 Percenter的黑话隐喻和对应《疤面煞星》桥段的歌词让人印象深刻,Rae在自己verse中也给出了凶狠的回应,在枪林弹雨中穿插对自己平时穿着的描述,勾勒出了当时纽约街头最流行的Hip-Hop时尚。 “Throwing niggas off airplanes cause cash rules Everything around me, black, as you can see Swallow this murder one verse like God Degree“ “Fuck rap, hip hop put me on top 'Lo wears, and Tommy Hil fly shit with a knot The witty unpredictable live shit, drive by shit Do or die shit, I'll take your lye and shit“
5. Incarcerated Scarfaces
这首Rae为锒铛入狱的帮派兄弟写的歌,在开头再次采样了《喋血双雄》中的对话(一处是李修贤扮演的警探李鹰对周润发扮演的杀手小庄产生了惺惺相惜的感情,另一处是小庄用枪指着假装送钱来的黑帮中间人,说自己不相信任何人的桥段)。Rae在歌曲中继续描述着毒枭的生活和街头毒品泛滥的场景,除了枪战贩毒,说唱也是令Rae日进斗金的事业,而那些在狱中的黑帮份子终将回东山再起,如同也曾入狱的“疤面煞星”阿尔卡彭一样。 “Now, yo! Yo, what up? Your time is running out It's for real though, let's connect politic, ditto We could trade places, get lifted in the staircases Word up, peace, incarcerated scarfaces“ “I move rhymes like retail, make sure shit sell From where we at to my man's cell From staircase to stage, minimun wage But soon to get a article in Rap Page“
6. Rainy Dayz (Feat. Blue Raspberry & Ghost) 这首歌从一个女性的视角切入了帮派分子险象环生的街头生活,Blue Raspberry的人声在RZA阴暗的Beats间穿插,通过富有情感的独白反衬出了街头的冷酷无情,开头《喋血双雄》中警探李鹰和歌者珍妮间的对话也彰显了这一切入点(“你刚刚唱得很好听”“我是为他唱的,但是他不在这里了)。Ghost在歌词中回忆了曾经打家劫舍,与武当成员一起在街头说唱卖货的日子,表现出对名利极度的渴望。Rae的verse是当时在巴巴多斯的海边深夜写下的,表达了深陷贫民窟的黑人希望出人头地的真实想法和做法,为了生计不得不抛弃情感。 “No sunlight, more gun fights I've lost him to the street life, street life No cash flow, no more dough He's someone I don't even know, someone I don't know“ “But in due time, soon to get mine like Bugsy Heavy on the wrist, Polo Moc, Socks and Rugby's Old flicks remind me of Gucci's“
7. Guillotine (Swordz) (Feat. Inspectah Deck, GZA & Ghost) 开头采样经典邵氏功夫片《少林与喇嘛》中的台词,四员武当大将的轮番上阵,使这首歌直接从黑手党过渡到了纯正的武当派风格。Inspectah Deck, Ghost, Rae和GZA用纯粹的MC技巧--密不透风的押韵和Flow,把其他半吊子说唱歌手直接送上断头台。压轴登场的GZA用一段极为精炼的verse把前三位的歌词串联起来,如同构成了“武当剑阵”,堪称最佳表现之一。制作方面,RZA“偷师”了Issac Hayes的经典灵魂乐歌曲Do Your Thing, 用轻量级却抓耳的Beats使四位MCs的说唱部分更为突出。 “With a dosage, you overdosed in rap High explosives, my posters hypnotize with hypnosis I sell goods, my whole Clan is on the run like Natural Born Killers Record-breaking the album Thriller“ “The nigga don't get mad, I got mad styles of my own And it's shown when my hands grip the chrome microphone“
8. Can It Be All So Simple (Remix) (Feat. Ghost) 这首歌是Wu-Tang Clan首张专辑中的经典同名曲的remix, 镜头再次转回了弱肉强食的街头,Rae和Ghost发现在自己的地盘上有人越界卖货,本想教育“新人”却不料Ghost却被人开枪射伤。Ghost在歌词中如故事般描述了自己中枪的情景,Rae则对比了今昔往日的变化,街头越发血腥的丛林法则,让两位老炮怀念起义气尚存的昔日时光,从白手起家到飞黄腾达,街头从来不会论资排辈,成功所付出的代价也绝不简单。 “Stumbling, holding my neck to the God's rest Opened flesh burgundy blood colored my Guess Emergency trauma, black teen headed for surgery Can it be an out of state nigga tried to murder me?“ “Back in days, crime pays in mad ways Sporting Tommy Hil with caves, 360 waves And no searching for loose ends, now I flex 300 Benz Mad Timbs with mad diamonds“
9. Shark Niggas (Biters) (Feat. Ghost) Hip-Hop文化讲究多样性,所以保持独一无二的风格是说唱歌手最为看重的,不论是说唱还是着装都需要有自己的范儿才能获得尊重,Rae和Ghost在这个skit里面讨论了说唱歌手抄袭他人风格的行为(‘Biters’在说唱中即是指抄袭者),强调了rappers应该”Keep it Real”, 保持原创性。对话中Ghost暗指Notorious B.I.G 94年发行的专辑Ready to Die抄袭了Nas 同年发行的Illmatic的专辑封面,而前者在之后的发行的歌曲Kick in the Door中进行了还击。Rappers之间结梁子的段子屡见不鲜,这样的Beef也使得Hip-Hop一直保持着竞争性。 “Bad enough nigga, I don't want nobody sound like nobody from my Clan, man Keep it real, get your own shit man, and be original“
10. Ice Water (Feat. Cappadonna & Ghost) 另一位武当成员Cappadonna在这首歌中贡献了他的处子秀,他此前曾在狱中服刑8年,因为U-God的引荐参与到Rae这张专辑中,这位武当派曾混迹街头的老炮在歌曲中展示了不俗的说唱实力(他也在该专辑的经典曲目Ice Cream中进行了客串)。作为武当派来自街头的最佳佐证,中间穿插的叙述来自被判终身监禁的Big Un,Rae和Ghost继续讲述着他们的可卡因主题,RZA延续着极简阴暗的制作风格,Ghost在verse中提及的穿金戴银的街头时尚风格,也成为他日后的标志性穿着。 “Jewelry shopping out of the country, deluxe luxury People saying that my chains look truck on me But what about the Wonder Woman bracelet Two-oh point three diamond cut engraved rubies kid, I laced it“ “Donna holy fat bags of weed, ravioli pasta Bodyguard the Killa Bee songs like Kevin Costner Infra-red all inside your bumbo, rasta Cappadonna pimp the derby like the mobster“
11. Glaciers of Ice (Feat. Ghost, Masta Killa & 60 Second Assassin) 歌曲开头Ghost在车上高谈阔论如何定制自己的Clarks Wallabees鞋,才能成为夏日街头的时尚焦点,但作为Criminology的B-side单曲,纽约街头阴暗的犯罪现场和真枪实弹的拼杀才是该歌曲的主题,另外两位武当成员的客串凸显出“家族“的强大实力和凝聚力,RZA在Hook部分采样的枪声搭配着Blue Raspberry高亢近似尖叫的歌声,让整首歌在制作上显得混沌而紧张,与Rappers有条不紊的flow形成了鲜明对比,让听者仿佛置身混乱的街头。 “Proceed with caution as you enter the symphony Degrees of punishment increase intensely Syndrome was caused by the deadly drums But the battle was won by swords being swung“ “My seeds, grow with his seeds, marry his seeds That's how we keep Wu-Tang money all up in the family“
12. Verbal Intercourse (Feat. Nas & Ghost) 作为该专辑中唯一一个非武当成员的客串,当时风头无两的Nas在这首歌中贡献了其生涯最佳的verse之一,在短短的16个bars的歌词里描绘出了黑帮与警察和敌对势力的周旋,犯罪分子在街头中枪或锒铛入狱后,妻子接着帮丈夫打理贩毒生意,出狱后又循环往复地犯罪的街头众生相。Ghost回忆当时Nas在录音室就写出了好几段歌词,而Nas的灵感爆发也激发了Rae和Ghost的化学反应,三人联手让身陷囹吾的犯罪生涯跃然纸上。 “Through the lights, cameras, and action glamour glitters and gold I unfold the scroll, plant seeds to stampede the globe When I'm deceased, by then the beast arise like yeast To conquer peace leaving savages to roam in the streets“ “Flashbacks, of the day room, mop wringer style Your faggot ass got bashed trying to turn the dial You told your boo you was Wildin' Once you heard Wu, out of the blue, your family's from Shaolin“
13. Wisdom Body (Feat. Ghost) 在这首Ghost的solo曲目中,他暂时把枪林弹雨的生活放在一旁,化身为“Pretty Toney”向听众展示了他街头猎艳搭讪的技巧。在录制这首歌时Ghost已经酩酊大醉,因此重录了好几遍才最终成形,在Ghost第一句歌词处能听到细微的衔接卡壳。或许也是喝醉的缘故,Ghost在这首歌里的flow略有变缓,但其标志性高亢奋进的声调让每一句的搭讪都显得直白急切,Tony Starks俨然一副黑帮花花公子的派头。 “Your waistline, banging like a bassline Physical form is well complex And yo, I love your outline, boo Your whole body is wild, with your rugged profile Enough to make a hard rock smile“
14. Spot Rusherz 在Ghost的猎艳之旅后,Rae在这首自己的solo曲目中再次展现了自己精湛的叙事技巧,以第一人称视角为听众讲述了自己和Ghost“黑吃黑“洗劫另一个皇后区毒枭据点的故事。Rae生动描述了从确定目标,查清对方底细和据点位置,制定方案,到集结人手以及发动突袭的每一个细节,让听众仿佛亲身参与到整个的犯罪行动中,跟随着环环相扣的故事线,身临其境地感受黑帮拼杀的残酷。 “Laying, two bottles of brass I was slaying Meditating, red dot be waiting for my payment Heard the key in the lock, cocked the Glock Turn the lights out, dip behind the couch Kion, gag his mouth“
15. Ice Cream (Feat. Ghost, Method Man & Cappadonna) 这首堪称武当的“情圣之歌“,一经推出就成为了当时的大热单曲,Method Man在抓耳的Hook中将不同肤色的女生比喻成法式香草,奶油胡桃,巧克力和焦糖圣代等不同口味的冰激凌,擅长此类主题的Ghost再次在歌词中通过有趣的比喻和引用,展示了自己的说唱调情技巧,相比之下Cappadonna的段落就稍显露骨。Rae曾觉得这首歌的主题不符合整张专辑的硬核基调,然而该歌曲不仅收获了电台的大量播放,并且还为Wu-Tang Clan服装生意起到了推波助澜的营销作用。 “Watch these rap niggas get all up in your guts French-vanilla, butter-pecan, chocolate-deluxe Even caramel sundaes is getting touched And scooped in my ice cream truck, who tears it up“
16. Wu-Gambinos (Feat. Masta Killa, RZA, Method Man & Ghost) 这首歌曲重新回归专辑的黑手党主题,灵感来源与纽约黑手党五大家族之一的甘比诺家族,堪称整张专辑点睛之笔。开头《喋血双雄》的台词采样再次出现,五位武当成员围坐圆桌轮番报出自己的黑手党假名,整首歌曲仿佛是家族成员们在大杀四方之后,坐下来开的一场黑手党家族会议。RZA再次沿袭黑手党电影的风格,用弦乐采样搭配极简的钢琴loop和鼓点烘托出了氛围,并亲自上阵贡献了一段包含多样隐喻的复杂说唱段落,展现了其武当首脑的实力。 “Who come to get you, none, they want guns I be the first to set off shit, last to run Wu roll together as one I call my brother Sun cause he shine like one“ “The grand exquisite imperial wizard or is it The RZArector come to pay your ass a visit? Local bio-chemical, universal giant, the black general Licking shots at Davy Crockett on the bicentennial“
17. Heaven & Hell (Feat. Blue Raspberry & Ghost) 至此专辑即将接近尾声,Rae和Ghost在同一段verse中通过对话的形式再次演绎了一场街头日常般的抢劫犯罪,然而这次带出的主题更为深刻自省:他们这样在街头成长的孩子不会相信有天堂,因为他们每天都深陷比歌词更加凶险百倍,危机四伏的街头“地狱“中,就算有朝一日飞黄腾达,有了”天堂“般的感觉,但一切都是朝不保夕,因为你可能很快就会被洗劫一空,难逃横尸街头的命运。这首歌中体现出的黑手党的宿命感,与《疤面煞星》的结局有异曲同工之妙。本歌曲也作为专辑的第一支单曲在94年上映的Fresh电影原声出现。 ‘“What do you believe in, heaven or hell? You don't believe in heaven cause we're living in hell“ “Niggas think it's all about a real live Allah A little hundred dollars and that make you a man KnowhatI'msayin? (You ain’t even promised tomorrow Son, word up) Niggas don’t understand how life can be so short Come so fast (With the blinkin of eye, blinkin of eye you’re gone baby Straight up, knowhatI'msayin, get turned to dust Return to the casket)“
18. North Star (Jewels) (Feat. Popa Wu) 在专辑最终的曲目里,Rae如蒙太奇般回忆了自己的犯罪生涯,怎样才能在冷酷无情的街头生存下去,像黑手党一般功成名就之后又该何去何从?因此Rae向武当的精神领袖Popa Wu请教了人生的建议,如果不了解自己的过去将无法进步向前,善恶只在一念之间且无法兼具,只有完全认清自己,仔细权衡周围的环境才能做出正确的判断,信仰如同暗夜中的北极星会在必要时指明方向。 “The child you was is making you the man you is today And if you don't know where you came from baby You DAMN sure know that you don't know where you going“ “No man, can judge for another But each man must weigh all facts and circumstances And find truth in his own judgment of righteousness See, the way to evil, balance equality in no man“