Jackie Chain – “Diamonds & Cadillacs” (via BLVD ST )
Jackie Chain – “Alabama Dodgers” (via DGB)
Jackie’s perfected this style of rap that is super direct and determined and where there are no wasted words and every line is like a very pointed statement of purpose. I get the sense that he writes every rhyme two lines at a time and then connects them together for verses because all of his songs are about cars, drugs and girls, but it yields amazing results where his songs are just full of incredible couplets that are basically like mottos. Here are my favorites from “Diamonds & Cadillacs”, in random order and in all caps cuz Jackie is a very urgent rapper:
ALL ABOUT MY MAHNEY
SUNGLASSES ARMANI
BOUT TO HOLLER AT THIS BITCH THAT LOOK LIKE GWEN STEFANI
AC BLOWIN
WHOLE TRUNK BOOMIN
BIG BOY SHIT
CHROME GRILL AND WOMAN
LOBES ARE CAVALLI, RC DIAMONDS STUDDED
CADILLAC IS CUSTOM WITH THE INTERIOR GUTTED
CADILLAC PIMPIN, AINT NOTHIN LIKE IT
PUT THE TOP UP SO I CAN WATCH THESE HOES DYKE IT
etc.
He reminds me of Paul Wall (only partly cuz both are light-skinned) in how he shows that simple couplets about material shit can yield great rap if you’re to-the-point, you know what you’re talking about and you realize that words like “studded” and “gutted” make a dope rhyme.
“Alabama Dodgers” is great in its own right:
I BASE MY WEED PRICES ON EXCHANGE RATES
WE CROSS THE BORDER SWITCH CARS AND THEN CHANGE PLATES
I DONT UNDERSTAND MY PLUG, HE GOT THAT FUNNY TALK
AND I DONT SPEAK HIS LANGUAGE, I JUST LET MY MONEY TALK
This is just total chest-thump shit to me and I think it’s the best. Jackie is one of my five favorite rappers right now and he needs to put out an album immediately.
I second third and fourth all of that! Jackie off the Chain!!
yeah anyone who isnt feelin jackie chain has some fucked up standards. yall did a nice job of putting his appeal into words here. here’s a compilation i put together that you can send to anyone who needs an introduction to his shit. we didnt mix down the tracks at all but im pretty proud of the photoshop work for the cover http://zone2homebrew.com/2009/04/28/walk-the-line-2009/
I made this beat
Djay Cas for The Academy
“He reminds me of Paul Wall (only partly cuz both are light-skinned) in how he shows that simple couplets about material shit can yield great rap if…”
Whoa. What did Paul Wall ever do that was great? Besides the album with Chamillionaire, which is mostly great because of Chamillionaire. I’ve listened to, like, six Jackie Chain songs, and Paul Wall is no Jackie Chain. Or Jack Kennedy. Although to be honest I don’t really see this guy’s shit holding up through a solo, and like him better when he’s working with others (as on ‘Wood Grain’).