I have an unabashed, unironic, unfettered love for Kid & Play‘s magnum ops House Party. It occupies a position in my collection that’s most easily described as cinematic comfort food. It makes me feel good every time I watch it both from familiarity and from quality of construction. The Reggie Hudlin1 directed flick is great because it has this oddly heightened reality that kinda reminds me of a well executed musical2, where it resembles our world but the rules are tweaked slightly so its ok for you to start singing if you feel sad for example.
The parts of the movie that illustrate the actual house party are so dead on it feels as though it samples every house party ever thrown, yet it’s not quite any specific house party you’ve ever attended. The details of the movie like lying to your parents to go out on a school night, hiding your parents good shit so your asshole friends don’t break it and exceptionally whack attempts to pickup chicks are universals that know no expiration. Some dude right now is trying to holler at chicks with breath that smells like old bologna, and chicks are still calling that dude something resembling Dragonbreath. Homeboy still refuses to just introduce an Altoid into his situation. This has happened before, it will happen again.
At the same time as that The Wire level attention to detail is occurring, wildly improbable reality bending events occur like choreographed dance battles, Scooby Doo esque chases and Kid rapping his way out of anal rape in prison. There’s also sound effects. This is the magic of art ladies and gentlemen.
Those elements add up to making House Party a really fun and classic experience despite it’s dated elements ie. all of the rapping and wardrobe. For some reason when I watch this Young Money video I get the same kind of heightened reality and instant relateability, albeit filtered through the aggrandizing prism of modern rap and secondhand recollection. While House Party fees like a particularly eventful party you prolly actually went to, this video feels like the party your cousin’s brother’s friend had and you heard about a week later.
“It was legendary, bro.”
The video is pretty amazing in a by the book kind of way, kinda like any Michael Bay movie. Nothing crazy original happening here, but what they’re doing is done well. The really fun rap party in a mansion bit definitely owes a lot in spirit to Tupac’s I Get Around (kinda borrows the opening and replaces the snooping mom types with Lil Chuckee) and in execution to Pharrell’s Frontin’ and the not talked about enough Snoop’s Let’s Get Blown.
This song is straight fire as perfect bit of inconsequential pop rap, it’s been stuck in my head since I heard it in an earlier format on the No Ceilings Prequel mixtape when it was called Michael Jackson Bad. (Why would you change that title?) The plucky string line is so bouncy and kidlike you can’t help but just bob your head from side to side like some kind of excited teenage girl in a particularly generic episode of Sailor Moon. Which is the kind of quality that gets teenage girls excited enough to buy records. On top of that you’ve got about 8 people rapping over this beat in that mildly clever but “I’m not too serious about it” way that like a well executed pickup line, makes chicks smile and say “you’re so silly…”. As example see: “I’m attracted to her/with her attractive ass…” or “I like the way you’re walking if you’re walking my way…” or “I love your sushi roll/hotter than wasabi/I race for your love/Ricky Bobby”.
And then there’s Nicky Minaj. The Eve to Lil Wayne‘s DMX. Or the Eve to Young Money‘s Ruff Rydas if you prefer. I don’t know what to think of her increasingly bizarre flow and intonation (anyone else kinda reminded of DOOM as Viktor Vaughn a lil in the delivery tics?). And then of course there’s her umm memorable appearance (Read as: When did they start letting Smooth girl’s rap? Trina excluded cause she’s actually pretty nice on the mic). I can’t tell if I dig this chick or if I’m just digging on this chick, but the fact I’m even paying attention means she’s doing her job.
Honestly, I haven’t been this excited for an album by a bunch of weed carriers and marginally talented dudes since Ruff Rydas vol.1 came out in 1999. Drag-on, I see you son!!!
1 You know this dude went on to write The Black Panther for Marvel Comics and Become the head of BET?
2 I’ve only ever seen two musicals all the way through.
