Entertainment

New accent is Southern drawl from Houston and Atlanta

06:16 PM CST on Friday, December 23, 2005

By CRAYTON HARRISON / The Dallas Morning News

The whole world loves hip-hop. Well, maybe that's a stretch. But the genre has replicated around the globe like a virus, implanting its beats and rhymes in the minds of young people from Nigeria to Japan to France. Hip-hop is a democratic art form. With some simple recording equipment, or even just a computer, any kid in the world can make a hip-hop song. And kids all over the world are doing just that.

This year, a Brazilian style known as "favela funk" began to reach our shores on compilation CDs, and it sounds suspiciously like the Miami hip-hop known as "booty bass." Reggaeton, the hybrid of hip-hop, Caribbean and Latin music, became the format of two Dallas radio stations this year. The U.K. grime scene, bubbling under the surface for years, is about to unleash an army of rappers onto our shores. The U.S. has brought hip-hop to the world, and in 2005, the world began bringing it back.

New accent is Southern drawl from Houston and Atlanta

New York, the birthplace of hip-hop, has never been so irrelevant.

The genre now belongs to the South, with rappers from the large, diverse scenes in Atlanta and Houston dominating the charts. This was Houston's big year, with blockbuster albums by Mike Jones, Paul Wall, Slim Thug and Chamillionaire.

Sure, New York's 50 Cent still reliably produces megahits. And the Big Apple has plenty of talent, such as Cam'ron's Diplomats crew. But the city just seems to be devoid of fresh ideas.

The East Coast's concert of the year, an October show in New Jersey in which former rivals Jay-Z and Nas made peace, "felt like a celebration of an earlier era," music critic Kelefa Sanneh wrote in The New York Times. "Now that Southern rappers have so much momentum, hip-hop's ultimate big city is looking more like a small town."

The South is experiencing an artistic renaissance. In the last two years, Atlanta rappers and producers have popularized a dance music called crunk with bleeping synthesizers, buoyant bass and loud call-and-response chants.

This year, Southern rappers started whispering, apparently just to try something new. Atlanta's Ying Yang Twins and Mississippi's David Banner both had huge hits with bawdy raps performed in hisses and coos.

The trademark sound of Houston exploded in popularity in 2005. Its hip-hop beats are slow and lazy, loping along like a strut. It sounds downright eccentric next to 50 Cent's sharply produced dance hits. Houston rappers don't hide their Southern drawls, letting their vowels stretch out into several syllables.

Rap fans were obviously looking for something different this year. Mike Jones' Who Is Mike Jones? debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard charts in April. Paul Wall's People's Champ shot straight to No. 1 five months later, displacing Kanye West from the top spot.

New York has been challenged before. West Coast gangsta rap was the hottest thing going in the early '90s, but only one California rapper, the Game, dented the charts this year. Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg still make hits, but they no longer pretend to represent a particular region.

But even if the scenes in Houston and Atlanta lose favor with the CD-buying public, there's no guarantee that New York would go back on top by default. Hip-hop's influence has spread, spawning artistic communities around the globe. The next big sound could come from anywhere – maybe even Dallas.

E-mail charrison@dallasnews.com

M.I.A.
Arular (XL)

The London-bred daughter of a Sri Lankan terrorist creates a bizarre, exciting album that meshes everything the world knows about hip-hop. Her singsong delivery is heavily influenced by Jamaican dancehall rap, and Arular's beats come from hip-hop hybrids all over the world, from Brazil to India. The most urgent party album you'll ever hear.

Lil' Wayne
Tha Carter 2 (Cash Money/Universal)

The New Orleans rapper has been at this game since he was a teenager. Now 23, he's in his prime, spraying out boasts with a serpentine hiss of a voice. A team of unheralded producers put together a bluesy, moody backing soundtrack for Wayne's rhymes, giving it a dark, sinister vibe.

Mike Jones
Who Is Mike Jones? (Swishahouse/Asylum)

He's not Houston's best rapper – that's Paul Wall. But Mike Jones' album is far more consistent and infectious, a goofy, gleeful romp around the streets of H-Town. Mr. Jones is a pudgy little ball of charisma, already promoting his next album on this album's opening track.

Various Artists
Run The Road (679)

A collection of the finest artists in "grime," London's bizarro version of hip-hop, with elements of West Indies dub mixed in. The biggest names in the scene – Dizzee Rascal, the Streets, Kano, Lady Sovereign – get right up in your face and spit.

Danger Doom
The Mouse and the Mask (Epitaph)

Oddly, it took the intervention of the Cartoon Network to blend the creative juices of DJ Danger Mouse and rapper MF Doom. But this inventive album is worth sitting through a few vignettes with animated characters. Danger Mouse goes subtle, creating warm, comfy backing tracks to give Doom's mealy-mouthed rhymes plenty of room to stretch.

David Banner
Certified (SRC/Universal)

The production doesn't live up to the high standards of his two preceding albums, and a sleazy string of sex jams slows things up, but Mississippi's biggest rap star still does plenty right. He channels the nervous energy of crunk music into something more serious, full of self-righteous anger and self-deprecating humor.

Kanye West
Late Registration (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam)

His superstar status cemented, Mr. West spends this album alternately congratulating and guilting himself, continuing to expose the inner conflict that made his debut album so successful. His lyrical wit sparkles enough to render his so-so flow irrelevant, and the production is busy and vibrant.

Fatlip
The Loneliest Punk (Delicious Vinyl)

The former Pharcyde member's long-awaited solo album is more reserved and quiet than many fans would have liked, considering his clownish personality. But these are poignant songs of regret and sadness, delivered in groans and mutters, accented by jazzy sax and keyboard riffs.

Beanie Sigel
The B-Coming (Roc-A-Fella)

The Philly rapper got out of prison in August, and this album's cover shows him sitting in a gray cell, back against the wall. Soul singers, mournful horns and tinkling pianos drift and echo in the background of each song like distant memories.

Self Scientific
Change (Angeles)

The Los Angeles duo's lyrics occasionally get too preachy, but rapper Chace Infinite has good timing and a healthy sense of outrage. The real star is DJ Khalil, who assembles psychedelic beats with heavy drums and screaming guitars. Call it Zep-hop.

Stevie Wonder
A Time to Love (Motown)

Delaying his CD for 10 years infuriated label executives and exasperated fans, but all angst was forgotten once Stevie Wonder's music finally arrived. From the passionate ("Sweetest Somebody I Know") to the politically charged ("A Time to Love"), the CD captured the icon's past and present genius, earned multiple Grammy nods and was well worth the wait.

Mint Condition
Livin' the Luxury Brown, (Cagedbird/Image Entertainment)

In the age of ghostwriters, super-producers and pro-tools, R&B is deprived of real bands. Except this St. Paul, Minn.-based quintet, which returned after a six-year absence to offer sophisticated, self-crafted soul. Tracks such as "I'm Ready" and "Fallin' Apart" display the musicians' dizzying range.

Leela James
A Change Is Gonna Come (Warner Bros)

This petite powerhouse with the billowy afro and the roughened, lived-in voice combines blues, rock and the influence of old-school soul sirens into a confident and compelling debut. When she bemoans the state of things on "Music" and bewitchingly covers the seminal Sam Cooke title track, you feel every verse.

Kem
Album II (Motown)

A warm, wisp of a tenor weaves delicately into tender tracks about the ups and downs of life and love. Kem's follow-up to his smash debut Kemistry produced the chart-topping "I Can't Stop Loving You," paired him with the legendary Stevie Wonder ("You Might Win") and defeated the infamous sophomore jinx in the process.

Keyshia Cole
The Way It Is (A&M)

Mary J. Blige's transformation from despairing drama magnet to happy newlywed left R&B yearning for just a little mo' heartbreak, and Ms. Cole's turbulent life and loves definitely bring the pain. The perpetual "he did me wrong" theme can wear thin, but her unvarnished vocals conveying remorse ("I Should Have Cheated") and resolve "(I Just Want It) To Be Over" resonate with anyone hurt by love.

Babyface
Grown & Sexy (Arista)

While younger R&B crooners struggle for acceptance as they get their grown man on, Babyface glides back into the spotlight like an old-school mack and lays down the rules of game with his trademark of well-crafted songs ("Good To Be in Love," "Sorry for the Stupid Things"). He embraces the years that earned such prowess, which keeps him from compromising his musicality and his back-in-the-day fans.

Mary Mary
Mary Mary (Sony Urban/Columbia)

Talk about making a joyful noise. Sisterly gospel duo Erica and Trecina of Mary Mary cannot help but keep the praise coming with their fiery testimonials ("I'm a Believer") and tender tributes to the Almighty ("Love You That Much"). The funky production work of Warryn "Baby Dubb" Campbell keeps it from getting too somber or, well, preachy.

Various artists
So Amazing: An All-Star Tribute to Luther Vandross (J records)

Luther Vandross' death in July left his fans and the musicians he inspired reeling. Many of his peers shine on this star-studded tribute to his legacy. Usher's overwrought remake of "Superstar" is more of a tribute to his own ego than to the late soulman. But John Legend's burnished take on the tremulous "Love Won't Let Me Wait" and Beyoncé's duet with Stevie Wonder, "So Amazing," capture Vandross' essence with subtlety and strength.

Faith Evans
The First Lady (Capitol)

While the Bad Boy Entertainment dynasty dims as Diddy's multitasks (marathons, clothing lines, reality shows), its reigning first lady, Faith Evans, struck gold with her new label on the strength of the confessional "Again" and other sassy cuts ("Goin' Out," "I Don't Need It"). The songs keep her gospel-inflected soprano, not a flashy CEO, in the spotlight.

112
Pleasure & Pain (Def Soul Classics)

If 2003's Hot and Wet played it a bit timid and predictable, then 112's fifth album diversified the group's trademark style with club bangers, heavenly harmonization and songs that went from traditional ("That's How Close We Are") to tortured ("What the H**l Do You Want"), and definitely keeps them representing proudly for the ATL.

E-mail lorrieirby@dallasnews.com

1. "Let Me Love You," Mario

2. "We Belong Together," Mariah Carey

3. "Lovers & Friends," Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz

(feat. Usher & Ludacris)

4. "Truth Is," Fantasia

5. "Drop It Like It's Hot," Snoop Dogg (feat. Pharrell)

6. "Slow Down," Bobby Valentino

7. "Free Yourself," Fantasia

8. "How We Do," The Game (feat. 50 Cent)

9. "Wait (The Whisper Song)," Ying Yang Twins

10. "Soldier," Destiny's Child (feat. T.I. & Lil' Wayne)

1. The Massacre, 50 Cent

2. The Emancipation of Mimi, Mariah Carey

3. Destiny Fulfilled, Destiny's Child

4. Encore, Eminem

5. The Documentary, The Game

6. Crunk Juice, Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz

7. Free Yourself, Fantasia

8. The Red Light District, Ludacris. DTP.

9. Get Lifted, John Legend

10. Urban Legend, T.I.

1. "Lovers & Friends," Lil' Jon & the East Side Boyz (feat. Usher & Ludacris)

2. "Drop It Like It's Hot," Snoop Dogg (feat. Pharrell)

3. "How We Do," The Game (feat. 50 Cent)

4. "Candy Shop," 50 Cent (feat. Olivia)

5. "Disco Inferno," 50 Cent

6. "Gold Digger," Kanye West (feat. Jamie Foxx)

7. "Just a Lil Bit," 50 Cent

8. "Like You," Bow Wow (feat. Ciara)

9. "Let Me Hold You," Bow Wow (feat. Omarion)

10. "Hate It or Love It," The Game (feat. 50 Cent)

SOURCE: Billboard magazine