Monday, July 25, 2005
Posted at
07:15
by
Importer
It's not every day that you happen across the perfect confluence of pop and product. "Nextel Chirp," by
Maceo featuring Fats, has been kicking around since at least April (Maceo's now signed to the
same label as
Mr. So Icey). Its first stroke of genius is that the beat samples
the sound of turning on the walkie-talkie function of the phone in question. Said "chirp" has already entered that little piece of self-reflexivity is relatively obvious: the title of the song is also the
sound of the song. Right off the bat you'd guess someone's getting a hefty product-placement check. (And maybe they are, but if so, why
is someone from Nextel begging teenagers for the lyrics?) Then again, this may or may not be the kind of publicity you'd want
government names to get wind of: the song amounts to a users'-manual-cum-public-service-announcement for drugs dealers, explaining
how these phones work and
who might be listening in. The chorus warns potential customers
not to use the Nextel direct-connect feature when ordering, uh, illicit merchandise. All of this conducted in coded language right out in the daylight, albeit dressed up in the brilliant disguise of a musical sequence --
Dr. Who synth bleeps, steam hiss, cell phones clasping shut -- that's sicker than chemo and impossible to resist.
LISTEN: Maceo feat. Fats, "
Nextel Chirp" (mp3)
LISTEN: Maceo feat. Fats,
"Nextel Chirp (Instrumental)" (mp3)
