nina gordon - "straight outta compton"

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straight up cover, just her and an acoustic guitar. but the way she prettily enunciates the "fucks" and the "ni**ers" - what the hell is she trying to prove here?

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:39 (twenty years ago)

download from here:

http://www.ninagordon.com/sightsandsounds.html

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:40 (twenty years ago)

is she allowed to say the n-word?

― um, Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:43 (twenty years ago)

I love it! A great song is a great song. Reminds me a little of Michelle Shocked or something.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

didn't she go to yale or something?

― cathy berberian (Jody Beth Rosen), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

she's allowed to do whatever she wants to. i'm just wondering what the hell she was aiming for here.

(xpost scott you are drunk)

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

she's no dynamite hack

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:48 (twenty years ago)

it would sound great inside a new age candle shop. she should do a whole album like that of gangsta favorites.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:50 (twenty years ago)

This is great!

Tori Amos says she's covered "Fear Of A Black Planet", but never released it. She did release her cover of "97 Bonnie & Clyde" though!

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:54 (twenty years ago)

it strikes me as oppressively instructive.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 20 January 2005 15:57 (twenty years ago)

Just another episode of "white girls do the craziest shit"

― mike h. (mike h.), Thursday, 20 January 2005 16:06 (twenty years ago)

I'm conflicted, 'cause on one hand, I think it's pretty and all. On the other hand, it feels too much like "isn't this crazy?", a novelty basically. The cover song itself is a bit too OK for it to exist (as opposed to, say, Mountain Goats doing "Ignition (remix)" which is awesome).

― alex in montreal, Thursday, 20 January 2005 16:10 (twenty years ago)

I prefer the DJ Quik version of "Smelly Cat".

― .ada.m. (nordicskilla), Thursday, 20 January 2005 16:11 (twenty years ago)

Remember when they played Pavement in a video?

― David Allen (David Allen), Thursday, 20 January 2005 16:14 (twenty years ago)

who?
anyway, this is too much of a novelty. but it made me chickle.

― Jay-Kid (Jay-Kid), Thursday, 20 January 2005 16:30 (twenty years ago)

People are still doing this kind of thing? Tres Alternative Nation. This is about as funny as when the Shins keyboardist talks in that hilarious "gangsta" accent when they play live; or a wacky morning zoo skit; or a wicked "According to Jim" bon mot.

― Chuckling at the Tomkat's Marquee (Ben Boyer), Thursday, 20 January 2005 17:22 (twenty years ago)

I totally forgot about Nina Gordon. Glad to know she's alive and well.

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 20 January 2005 17:32 (twenty years ago)

Travis Morrison's "What's You Fantasy?" remains my ironic-rap-cover fave of all time.

― miccio (miccio), Thursday, 20 January 2005 17:33 (twenty years ago)

Does every indie rock dickhead have to do a rap cover?

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:20 (twenty years ago)

What are the Stephen Malkmus or Stephin Merritt rap covers?

― Michael Daddino (epicharmus), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

or a wicked "According to Jim" bon mot

I didn't know that "According to Jim" had started having bon mots! I'm going to have to start tuning in.

― M@tt He1geson (Matt Helgeson), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:27 (twenty years ago)

It either works or it doesn't. I say it works. I like her phrasing and her line-readings. And I like the slowed-down pace. And I like the way she says she's straight outta compton at the end. It's poignant. It turns it into a lament and a yearning for a place instead of just a fist in your face. Which is what the original was to begin with, but it underscores the homespun and homely qualities that the original covered up with very loud noises.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:34 (twenty years ago)

scott go download dynamite hack's boyz in the hood cover. so much better than nina's bullshit. still, was nice to hear "seether" again! what a great song.

― Jams Murphy (ystrickler), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:36 (twenty years ago)

I think her cover of Cinderella's "Nobody's Fool" should engender as much outrage as "Straight Outta Compton."

― Haibun (Begs2Differ), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:39 (twenty years ago)

I was originally nauseated by this, but my winamp setting happened to be on repeat and it played about 10 times or so, and I'm really starting to like this, embarrassingly enough. her phrasing is actually better than Cube's, my opinion. it is rather poignant. weird.

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:41 (twenty years ago)

I don't really like her "18 and Life" cover much. Skid Row's is much better. I don't care what anyone says, that's a great song.

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

The dynamite hack cover of 'boyz in the hood' is violently awful. why won't people stop doing this shit.

― polyphonic (polyphonic), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:42 (twenty years ago)

Scott, bless you. The rest of you neo-max-zoom-dweebies can suck it. (NOTE: I'm fond of "Nobody's Fool", too.)

― David R. (popshots75`), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:43 (twenty years ago)

"her phrasing is actually better than Cube's"
It truly burns the eyes to read this.

Surely there's something offensive about this?

― Chuckling at the Tomkat's Marquee (Ben Boyer), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:46 (twenty years ago)

this is fucking stupid. what year is this, 1992?

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:48 (twenty years ago)

I am absolutely positive I've heard someone do this exact same schtick with this exact same song, heard it back around '97 or so - a male, but I can't remember who it was. Wasn't really interesting then either.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:49 (twenty years ago)

It truly burns the eyes to read this.

Normally, I'd agree, but go back and listen to the original right now, and you'll hear that Cube's phrasing is more annoying and faux-confrontational than pleasing to the ears. Yeah, yeah, I know it's supposed to be some sort of canonical moment, but Cube always got on my nerves with his cloying bravado, and honestly, his delivery on that song probably could have been done better by someone else.

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:57 (twenty years ago)

like NINA GORDON?!

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 20 January 2005 18:58 (twenty years ago)

It just occurred to me that no singer-songwriter type has ever made a whole album of original gangsta songs with only a guitar (not counting people like Johnny Cash). perhaps this is the wave of the future.

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:00 (twenty years ago)

like NINA GORDON?!

Obviously I meant another rapper circa 1988, Mr. Smarty-pants. ;Þ

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:01 (twenty years ago)

Agreed with the above: "Nobody's Fool" and "18 And Life" are really, really, really good. Especially the Skid Row. I've been listening to those pretty regularly for like a year now (I think).

Also, does this thread count as an additional vote in the Stereogum: C or D thread?

― Eppy (Eppy), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:06 (twenty years ago)

I'm ambivalent about this. Normally, I give kudos to cover versions that cleverly overhaul the style of the original, which is definitely the case here. That said, the vocals don't do much for me -- she's just so detached from the rage and intensity of the original song. She could be singing her grocery list over that guitar part and it would mean the same thing to me.

― MindInRewind (Barry Bruner), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:07 (twenty years ago)

50 years from now, will singing straight outta compton be like singing stagger lee in a beatnik coffee house in 1961?

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:12 (twenty years ago)

Is no one else uncomfortable with this young woman singing these lyrics? Even if she "really likes the song, it's not meant to be ironic" (or some form of this token qualifier), it's just fucking uncomfortable and inappropriate. The fact is, when "Straight Outta Compton" came out it was seriously powerful, and even shocking (even though this has been said so many times its impact has been blurred). This rendition takes any and all power and meaning out of the song. It's a huge insult.

― Chuckling at the Tomkat's Marquee (Ben Boyer), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:14 (twenty years ago)

people just changed the lyrics to those old blues and folk songs to make them less offensive and more pop in the 50's and 60's. this could happen to rap too. it will just be another song in the great american songbook that has become legend. reinterpreted for a new generation of soulful strummers with flaxen hair.

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

this claim that her delivery is better than Ice Cube's is insanely wrong.

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:15 (twenty years ago)

I dunno, Ben. It's the most interesting thing i've heard all day! It's nice to know that NWA can still make me think about things in 2005. Via someone else, but still...

― scott seward (scott seward), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:19 (twenty years ago)

it's just fucking uncomfortable and inappropriate

these are bad things how?

over-reverence to source material is not to be encouraged, and is probably a bit rockist.

This rendition takes any and all power and meaning out of the song. It's a huge insult.

This bit reminds me of Pfork frothing at the mouth re: Northern State not knowing about hip-hop history, and is equally silly.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:20 (twenty years ago)

This is a great cover. Yes, it doesn't express the same sentiments as the original. If it did, what would be the point of it? Some of the sentiments on this thread veer dangerously close to "only black people should cover black people's songs". She's taken a cliche - "Hip Hop is the modern Blues" - and demonstrated its truth. I can't hear anything in this that says novelty/piss-take.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:27 (twenty years ago)

I see only two possible ways to interpret this song:
1) it's an ironic/joke kind of cover, and a bad one at that. (bad because it isn't funny; it's much too obvious)
2) earnest attempt to appropriate and re-interpret black anger. this doesn't work either, since juxtaposing anger with pretty folksiness is very tricky, and she simply doesn't have the requisite emotional heft or cleverness to pull it off.

Either way, this song SUXX0R U ALL R GAY

― Shakey Mo Collier, Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

Queen Latifah sez she plays Beatles songs on her acoustic guitar, so let's hear those and compare.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:28 (twenty years ago)

check out the Andrew Broder (aka Fog) "Modern Songs" EPs as well...great cover versions of Missy Elliott, Nas, TTC etc

― sibsi (sibsi), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:31 (twenty years ago)

since juxtaposing anger with pretty folksiness is very tricky

I was just going to post about how lots of people on this thread seem to think that pretty folksiness and anger are mutually exclusive, which they're not. I think she's more intent on conveying sadness rather than anger though, at the same time as strength, and she does that very well.

― The Lex (The Lex), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:33 (twenty years ago)

One of the great things about Grand Theft Auto: San Andreas to me is the sense of pointlessness and alienation it draws from its Gangsta source material; the same idea I'm getting from this cover.

― noodle vague (noodle vague), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:37 (twenty years ago)

this is a tough one. on one hand, the desire to accumulate cultural capital is a significant enough part of hip-hop's aspirational nature that its canonization by white, female indie rock singers could reasonably be deemed some sort of fucked up endpoint. on the other hand, ben is absolutely right, there's something horribly uncomfortable about hearing her sing this.

― mark p (Mark P), Thursday, 20 January 2005 19:40 (twenty years ago)

Skipping 237 messages at this point... Click here if you want to load them all.

Well then! I stand corrected.

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Friday, 21 January 2005 22:43 (twenty years ago)

And how come it's "cheap, lazy gag" when a rock person covers a rap song, but not so when, say, a jazz group covers a rock song?

― King Kobra (King Kobra), Friday, 21 January 2005 22:46 (twenty years ago)

And she purposely chose a genre, act and a song that continues to merit laughter and derision from her fan demographic

The singer out of Veruca Salt has a fan demographic? Fuck!

― DJ Mencap0))), Friday, 21 January 2005 23:23 (twenty years ago)

Because jazz is complex & shit, man! Turning a pop or rock song into jazz takes fucking WORK! YOU try vamping on "Come As You Are" w/out preparation! But, y'know, it's fucking cake to go "la la la" and strum a few chords and then hit RECORD once you're done clipping your toenails. Also, anyone with some snot between their ears can totally intuit the amount of effort exerted (or not exerted) by a performer, so, you know, fuck.

(This post brought to you by a scratched-up, unplayable copy of The Cooler and a fucking headache.)

― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 21 January 2005 23:30 (twenty years ago)

I wouldn't claim that her phrasing is better than Cube's, but she makes some interesting choices.

Can we get a remix with two other gals taking Ren and Eazy-E's lyrics? Someone way up there gave Nellie McKay a shout, that'd work for one of 'em.

― undeadsinatra, Friday, 21 January 2005 23:44 (twenty years ago)

I think it is just time to stop asking why Spencer is so protective when it comes to New Order - it's just blind loyalty the likes of which few of us more fickle folk can aspire to!

― .ada.m. (nordicskilla), Friday, 21 January 2005 23:50 (twenty years ago)

I watch NewOrderStory like once every few weeks! I even got a DVD version of the extened japanese Laser disc. I own a complete set of their collected works! I am a graphic designer because of Peter Saville. It's unhealthy I tell you!!!

― Spencer Chow (spencermfi), Saturday, 22 January 2005 00:09 (twenty years ago)

uhhhhhhh...it's healthy to have role models.

― .ada.m. (nordicskilla), Saturday, 22 January 2005 00:10 (twenty years ago)

THIS SONG IS SO GODDAMN BAD!!!!!!!!!!!!

― Mr. Snrub (Mr. Snrub), Saturday, 22 January 2005 00:49 (twenty years ago)

Yes, but New Order.

― Ned Raggett (Ned), Saturday, 22 January 2005 00:54 (twenty years ago)

Nobody gets up in arms when someone does a lazy cover of a rock song.
"Why doesn't anyone get upset when Conan O'Brien does his drunken Irish interpretation, but boy, show up in blackface ONE TIME..."

Why is NWA entitled to more "respect" just because they're a hiphop group?
Strawman. No one said they're deserving of "more 'respect'" - respect, period.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Saturday, 22 January 2005 04:30 (twenty years ago)

And how come it's "cheap, lazy gag" when a rock person covers a rap song, but not so when, say, a jazz group covers a rock song?
Strawman number two, actually try reading my other posts. Hint: rock people covering rap songs are spoken highly of.

― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Saturday, 22 January 2005 04:32 (twenty years ago)

What's unhealthy is all these exclamation marks!!!!!!!!!

― Allyzay Highlights The Fallacy of Radiohead (allyzay), Saturday, 22 January 2005 05:31 (twenty years ago)

jeez everybody, it's "just" a semi-amusing novelty song! i assume the disparity between the lyrics and the performer singing them is the intended "joke". i doubt nina gordon was trying to do anything more than that. y'alls are whiny bitchez.

― the first church of latebloomer, friend of plebians and santa (reformed) (latebl, Saturday, 22 January 2005 06:42 (twenty years ago)

301!

― donut christ (donut), Saturday, 22 January 2005 07:41 (twenty years ago)

For those wondering why Nina Gordon would cover "Straight of Compton", I think this thread is probably the reason why she did it.

Maybe she's got a new album coming out or was dropped by her label and is looking for another one.

"Nina Gordon, who?", many of us would've said previously. Now we've all gotten a big 300+ post reminder that she exists. Her work here is done.

― Neener, Saturday, 22 January 2005 14:39 (twenty years ago)

I think this thread is probably the reason why she did it.
Maybe she's got a new album coming out or was dropped by her label and is looking for another one.

"Nina Gordon, who?", many of us would've said previously. Now we've all gotten a big 300+ post reminder that she exists

i'm sure that argument will weigh a lot with sony.

― Jay-Kid (Jay-Kid), Saturday, 22 January 2005 18:29 (twenty years ago)

Not this thread specifically. Rather I mean internet buzz in general.

― Neener, Saturday, 22 January 2005 19:16 (twenty years ago)

Louise was better anyway, Grohl-shagging aside.

― Leon the Fatboy (Ex Leon), Saturday, 22 January 2005 19:45 (twenty years ago)

three weeks pass...

http://www.iconscious.co.uk/theroadie/

― Dom Passantino (Dom Passantino), Saturday, 12 February 2005 19:59 (twenty years ago)

personally i felt that aztec camera's cover version of "jump" by van halen took care of this whole thing once and for all.

― Jim Fertile, Thursday, 17 February 2005 19:05 (twenty years ago)

five years pass...

This video just reinforces how ridiculous and over-the-top the lyrics are:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K6D5xpCgETk

― Lazarus Niles-Burnham (res), Sunday, 12 December 2010 05:22 (fourteen years ago)

That's actually pretty funny.

― A brownish area with points (chap), Monday, 13 December 2010 17:15 (fourteen years ago)

The police in the video are more YMCA than LAPD.

― Les centimètres énigmatiques (snoball), Monday, 13 December 2010 17:22 (fourteen years ago)

Weird, this song spontaneously got stuck in my head when this thread got bumped.

― penis with a man hanging from it (Leee), Monday, 13 December 2010 17:43 (fourteen years ago)

90s West Coast rappers seem to have all gotten their video white people from the same low-grade casting agency.

― mandatorily joined parties (Hurting 2), Monday, 13 December 2010 17:47 (fourteen years ago)

haha, classic thread

― buzza, Monday, 13 December 2010 17:48 (fourteen years ago)

three weeks pass...

more like "straight into used bin" amirite?

― pomp la familia (Hurting 2), Monday, 3 January 2011 21:23 (fourteen years ago)

I was kinda shocked the original post was 5 years old...some of this read v. much like in the wake of the whole post-CocoRosie N-word discussion--I'm surprised it was not mentioned at all in there, though by all accounts I guess that just measures how forgettable it was...

― Ned Rag & the Evil Olive Gardens (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 3 January 2011 21:28 (fourteen years ago)

For future reference:

The Canonical List of Overheated ILM Race Relation Threads

― /\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\||||||( *__* )||||||/\/\/\/\/\/\/\/\ (res), Monday, 3 January 2011 21:56 (fourteen years ago)

White musicians and "artistic" use of the N-word: A Discussion and Social History

^the thread I wz referring to

― the Sonic Youths of suck (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 3 January 2011 22:07 (fourteen years ago)

but yeah I prolley should read entire thread...

― the Sonic Youths of suck (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 3 January 2011 22:08 (fourteen years ago)

four months pass...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u6Oej7K469I

― buzza, Friday, 20 May 2011 16:28 (thirteen years ago)

lol, straight outta compton was 80s!

― it's a meme i made and i like (Steve Shasta), Friday, 20 May 2011 16:54 (thirteen years ago)

six years pass...

I was in a coffee shop that was playing what seemed to be an entire compilation of this stuff, mostly acoustic covers of 80s hits -- time after time, I wanna dance with somebody, I forget what else, wide variety of styles all collapsed into that same sort of weepy, sort of sultry but not actually sexy zone, and it occurred to me that this genre is basically the modern equivalent of muzak -- taking a bunch of disparate songs, flattening them, sucking out any specific emotional content and re-constituting them as a consistent musical paste.

― IF (Terrorist) Yes, Explain (man alive), Sunday, 28 January 2018 21:09 (seven years ago)

Like, "I Wanna Dance With Somebody" is all about getting energized and chasing your blues away, doing it as a melancholy song is so point missing and dull, and doing Time After Time, a legitimately heartbreaking song, at that same emotional level is equally point-missing.

― IF (Terrorist) Yes, Explain (man alive), Sunday, 28 January 2018 21:12 (seven years ago)

well put

― the late great, Sunday, 28 January 2018 21:14 (seven years ago)

pretty strange to read this thread in 2018

― ? (seandalai), Sunday, 28 January 2018 22:31 (seven years ago)

Not exactly the same thing, but there’s this really dreary Sia-esque cover of “Everybody Wants To Rule The World” that I keep hearing snippets of on TV (maybe it’s the theme to some show?). Perhaps this doesn’t miss the point nearly as much as that Whitney cover you’re talking about, but at least the Tears For Fears song had an actual pulse.

― iCloudius (cryptosicko), Monday, 29 January 2018 05:46 (seven years ago)

pretty strange to read this thread in 2018

― ? (seandalai), Sunday, January 28, 2018 5:31 PM

Agreed. Shakey with pretty much the only right take way back when.

― Johnny Fever, Monday, 29 January 2018 05:56 (seven years ago)

Welp, up to a point: "I couldn't care less about the language/cultural baggage issues people are harping on."

― Johnny Fever, Monday, 29 January 2018 06:01 (seven years ago)

this is a thing that's happening now (4 years old but they're a lot more popular now)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ibceUSL0lPU

― fuck you, your hat is horrible (Neanderthal), Monday, 29 January 2018 06:35 (seven years ago)

Wow this thread. I would like to hear from the 2005 posters, have you changed your minds in the last 13 years or are you still willing to defend this?

― mfktz (Camaraderie at Arms Length), Monday, 29 January 2018 14:11 (seven years ago)

I enjoyed two listens to the Nina Gordon 13 years ago, but Neanderthal's link there is an absolute warcrime

― Haribo Hancock (sic), Monday, 29 January 2018 21:09 (seven years ago)

Holy shit this thread is insane

― the man from P.O.R.L.O.C.K. (Drugs A. Money), Monday, 29 January 2018 21:42 (seven years ago)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY3jOkM3JFY

― sleepingbag, Monday, 29 January 2018 21:44 (seven years ago)

i saw the Skivvies live. they're Broadway performers with pretty great pedigree, Lauren Molina played Ms Lovett in Sweeney Todd on Broadway. when the set was just them doing pop/cabaret-type numbers it was fun. the shit like Kelis's "Milkshake" and other "lol yuk yuk we're doing hip hop in hoedown style" numbers made me seek the nearest exit.

― fuck you, your hat is horrible (Neanderthal), Monday, 29 January 2018 21:59 (seven years ago)

ooooh here we go, this is what this thread needs for 2018

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xlSmsKJq3CI

― sleepingbag, Saturday, 3 February 2018 02:41 (seven years ago)

still otm about the ignition cover though

― BIG HOOS aka the steendriver, Saturday, 3 February 2018 02:46 (seven years ago)

taking a bunch of disparate songs, flattening them, sucking out any specific emotional content and re-constituting them as a consistent musical paste

the generic condensation of the experience of a streaming playlist, designed for tastefully inoffensive coffeeshop audio

― j., Saturday, 3 February 2018 03:01 (seven years ago)

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