Imagine if Eminem and Austin Powers had a baby. Although physically impossible, musically, it’s quite the reality. A love child blessed with a cockney accent and bollocks the size of coconuts.
“His name is what? His name is who?” said Eminem.
“Hello, baby, we’ll name the lil’ bugga Mike,” said Powers. “Mike Skinner.”
So it is, Mike Skinner is the Euro hip-hopper gracing American airwaves with his debut, “Original Pirate Material,” released last month. The 23-year-old goes by The Streets, hoping to embody the gray and industrialized British inner-city.
Yet his work is far from the mundane symbolism of his psuedonym. Despite the repetitious back beats that could be variations of the Mario Kart soundtrack, Skinner is a true wordsmith. It is his ability to deliver lines like “guaranteed accuracy enhanced CD / Latest technology, Darts at Treble 20 / Huge non-recoupable advance / Majors be vigilant / I excel in both content and deliverance / So let’s put on our classics / And we’ll have a little dance, shall we?” that will seduce Yankees into his fan base.
Every once in a while he adds a horn or piano to the electronic rhythms to relieve the MIDI sound that surfaces in every track. In his songs, he makes several references to Playstation and includes the Web site as link on his own home page. It is safe to say one too many hours in front of the “telly” with a controller in one hand and a joint in the other has inspired Skinner’s music, and occasionally, his lyrics.
But, you can’t just tag Skinner as a pothead; he is a little more aggressive than the term implies. As most of his up-and- coming peers, he has his knickers in a twist over the lack of unoriginal music, “Let’s Push Things Forward / It’s a tall order, but we’re taller … Love us or hate us, but don’t slate us / Don’t conform to formulas.”
He sings of experiences on ecstasy and mushrooms but also of the girl and the struggle of living in an unsympathetic world. Skinner also deploys his intellect in “The Irony of It All,” where he presents a duel between Terry, the drunk, and Tim, the druggie college grad, who declares “just a few eighths and a Playstation is my vocation.” Though the argument isn’t original, the way The Streets serves up the spat is entertaining.
Other highlights on the album include tracks “Sharp Darts” and “Don’t Mug Yourself.” The whole record is interesting just to hear to a limey try to hang with the ghetto ballers. Throwing around slang such as “geezer” and “bird” and calling out to cities like Beckenham and Brixton is, at first, humerous. But Skinner’s talent will help listeners get over the culture gap.
Overall, it’s encouraging to witness international interpretations of rap’s gradual acceptance. “Original Pirate Material” could benefit from a deeper, more complicated sound. If the next time around catches on to better beats, The Streets would be poised to seriously compete with American artists.