Forgotten Favorites: Shaggy’s “Boombastic”
Shaggy, 2010 (Photo by Clive Rose/Getty Images)
I’ve been reading an excellent book by Jeff Chang called Can’t Stop Won’t Stop: A History of the Hip-Hop Generation and it has me thinking about how Shaggy‘s “Boombastic” strides the line between hip-hop, pop and reggae.
First of all, Chang’s book is excellent. While most of the hip-hop histories I’ve found are written at about the third grade level — seriously, it kind of sucks — Chang’s book is an intelligent reading of the development of hip-hop from its reggae roots to its current state. Most important to the story line is the social and political history that gave rise to the genre.
Though he’s too “pop” for most hardcore rap fans — and too hip-hop for reggae purists and so on and so — “Boombastic” is an easy example to pull from the iPod that shows how all three spaces are inhabited together. And I remember liking the song a lot when it came out.
There are others in big numbers so share your faves in comments, if you like.
Don’t forget to check out other ‘Forgotten Favorites’ here…
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