Dedicated, Part 1: '87 Meant to Me?

Lately it seems the 80s are all the rage. I guess this is the natural progression. For each generation, the decade just before its birth becomes a touchstone. Which is why I thought it was cool to wear big peace sign earrings in the fifth grade (still cool). Lately, we've been "treated" to this ode to the old school sounds of the 80s and early 90s by Lupe Fiasco (which is uncomfortably sonically close to its sample source material, Kanye's Family Business), and Iggy is telling us about the "rooftop like we bringin' '88 back." NB: Iggy was born in 1990. Also the video for "Fancy" pays homage to "Clueless," a celebration of all thing 90s if ever one existed.

But splitting bleached hairs over birthdays is not the point. What about those artists for whom the 80s were first formative and then highly musically influential years? Well, if you're talking about MARIAH, she is killing it, dropping tracks like "Dedicated" like it ain't no thang.

Just gonna come out and say that "Dedicated" is the best song on MIAMTEC, and that's only partly because I'm 22 oz. deep into this Bud Light Chelada. This parfait of all things old school gives lyrical nods to Eric B., Slick Rick/Doug E. Fresh, Heavy D, Wu Tang Clan, Run D.M.C.,  and HERSELF (patting herself on the back for the still insanely brilliant sample of Tom Tom Club in the "Fantasy (Remix)"). Musically, we've got samples from the same Wu-Tang song, some synth that's deliciously Grandmaster Flashish, and probably oodles of other little references.

And we've got Nas. We've got Nas! From whose rap this post title comes.

So while Iggy is just a slave to a page in Nas's rhyme book, M is the real deal as per yoozh. Enjoy...and more to come on this awesome track.