Where does hip-hop’s past come into light in a positive way, even in emerging music? Let’s ask Jamie XX.
Some of the best songwriters take from the past and bring it to the present. Each and every genre from country to hip-hop to metal to bluegrass incorporates the ingredient of nostalgia into their presentation.
Enter Jamie XX, one of hip-hop’s latest trend setters, bringing Young Thug and Popcaan along for a ride down memory lane. Using the past as canvas for what the future may hold, and bringing in world sound styles like Afro-Caribbean instrumentation, I Know There’s Gonna Be (Good Times) offers a catchy pop appeal that might otherwise be missing.
Despite the commercial success of Young Thug, and the seeming good nature-ed appeal of Jamie XX, there is more to this song than a standard hit rap single. The blending of world styles with a catchy beat and a hope for tomorrow shows there’s more to new rapper’s ensembles than tradition might dictate.