I’m sitting here writing, trying to figure out why I haven’t had these Mark Ronson albums for years. A series of fortunate events in the last several weeks have led me to pick up both of his previous albums, “Here Comes the Fuzz” and “Version,” with a third (“Record Collection”) due out on the 27th of this month.
His connections to the music world are striking. One of his best friends is Sean Lennon (John’s kid), his sister is Samantha Ronson (Lindsay Lohan’s former lesbian lover), and he’s done production for tons of songs that I’ve heard a million times (most notably Amy Winehouse’s “Rehab”).
Seriously, why I haven’t had this guy’s albums for years?
I’ve heard “Ooh Wee” just about a thousand times, and “Oh My God” with Lily Allen was one of my favorite songs a few years ago. I thought of it more as a Lily Allen song, though, not paying much attention to the producer. I totally should have, though.
Over the course of his three albums, Ronson has been able to lure in a ridiculous number of credible musicians to help out with tracks. Here’s the list:
Nappy Roots, Anthony Hamilton, Ghostface Killah, Nate Dogg, Rivers Cuomo of Weezer, Sean Paul, Saigon, Mos Def, M.O.P., Jack White, Nikka Costa, Rhymefest, Daniel Merriweather, Q-Tip, Lily Allen, Amy Winehouse, Santigold, Phantom Planet, Kenna, Robbie Williams, D’Angelo, and of course, the London Gay Men’s Chorus.
It’s hard to even wrap my mind around a group so prolific. And the best thing about the songs is that they’re so dynamic—just when you get used to the looping beat on one track, something flips and completely transforms into something else. The rappers just roll with it and enjoy playing on a beat that’s so unpredictable.
The newest single is “Bang Bang Bang,” which features Q-Tip and MNDR, and it might be my favorite song of the entire arsenal. Tip is always on point, and the beat is perfect for his high-pitched, rhythmic voice. I love it, but I guess I love all of the Ronson stuff I’ve listened to.
I only wish I’d gotten to it sooner.
T.I. – “Here We Go Again”
I know we’re supposed to have this policy of introducing readers to new artists, and T.I. clearly already has hit it big, but this new song produced Timbaland is without question the hottest track on my playlist. To be fair, I’m an unapologetic Timbo junkie that immediately falls in love with 80% of everything he’s ever done, but this particular track works on just about every level possible. T.I. knows how to rock a track, and he knows how to write a hook. Those two things linked up to a dirty, dirty beat makes for a real gem. Enjoy:
Finger Eleven – “Living In A Dream”
The new Finger Eleven record drops next month, but we’ve been given “Living In A Dream” to help tide us over. You must decide whether it’ll just arouse your appetite without bedding it back down or whether you really need a taste to keep yourselves from starving. Either way, you need to know this stomping, upbeat rock diddy is everything we’ve come to love from F11.
Mark Ronson featuring Ghostface Killah – “Lose It”
We were first introduced to Mark Ronson in 2007 when he teamed up with Lily Allen to put out “Oh My God,” which quietly became an FS favorite that year. Then came that sweet video for “Bang Bang Bang,” which rocked our asses equally hard, and now there’s “Lose It,” featuring one my favorite Wu-Tang Clansters in Ghostface Killah. The track takes about a minute or so to really warm up, but once Ghost hits the beat everything is right in the world. I’m starting to wonder if there’s a Ronson track out there that I wouldn’t like. Hmm.
