“PFUnk”
by Prince
Earlier this month, Prince threatened once again to sue fan websites
using his image
in any way, shape, or form. So the three largest
sites got together to form Prince-FansUnited.com, or PFU, in
retaliation, stating that together, they were “fully prepared to defend
their position in the proper court of law.” Both sides have since
quelled the beef, but not before Prince recorded this
seven-and-a-half-minute response. You might expect something petulant,
but “PFUnk” is exactly the opposite, an endlessly playful song with
several discrete sections that flow out of each other effortlessly,
deliberately evoking Sign o’ the Times (the sped-up “Camille”
voice of “U Got the Look” and “If I Was Your Girlfriend” reappears
here) filtered through his underrated mid-’90s work (particularly the
grinding guitar and lively horns). It’s available as a free MP3 on the
website Prince started in mocking response to PFU itself—you
know, just in case you thought he had something against freedom of
expression.
“Smell Yo Dick”
by Riskay ft. Aviance & Real
(www.myspace.com/riskaydramaqueen)
An even bigger internet hit is this jaw-dropper from a female MC
from Bartow, Florida. Riskay released her debut, The Drama
Queen, back in August, highlighted by “Krispy Kreme” (“If you’re
looking for the best, I’ve got 21 flavors/Lick it like a dog,” etc.),
but while the age-old jellyroll metaphor probably needed a mall-ready
update, it doesn’t come within dick-sniffing distance of this song,
which iTunes reviewer “mekko” described thus: “Check out her MySpace
page for a stellar single about an unconventional method of verifying
your man’s monogamy.” You can’t really do better than that, other than
to note that the hook’s got a hell of a tune—the kind you can
whistle in the shower. Right, fellas?
Dirty Dubz Vol. 1
by DJ Q
(More 2 Da Floor, UK;
www.myspace.com/djqonline)
MySpace is also the place to buy this excellent four-song EP by the
Huddersfeld, UK, DJ, whose BBC 1Xtra radio show is the hub for the
northern England–based sound of bassline house (or 4×4, or
niche), which updates late-’90s/early-’00s UK garage, from before it
turned to grime. Especially on “Girl VIP,” the friskily syncopated
snares clatter away, but it’s the bass that’s the star: as flat as it
is deep, like being bumped by a shield as often as evoking a 3-D
pressure bubble, and with plenty of wah-wah stirring the low end into a
waist-winding froth. Or as my friend and fellow critic Kristal Hawkins
remarked via e-mail, “This is like deep-fried house dipped in
caramel!”