Sidewalks On The Corner

Special guest writer Big Daddy B discusses the new single, A Song For You," off Bizzy Bone's forthcoming CD.

Follow up:

Bizzy Bone, from the multi-platinum album group Bone Thugz In Harmony (BTIH), is dropping his first solo album effort called “A Song for You,” which is also the title of the first single. Featuring DMX and Chris Notez, the song aims to hit a subtle and emotional cord within its listeners. If you don’t know anything about Bizzy Bone, you can Google his name and learn all about his ups, downs, ins and outs with his former group members, but here at Sidewalks we will just take a look at the artist and his music.

Bizzy Bone is best known for his high octave, rapid and seamless-singing rap style. Very distinctive and distinguishable, it’s what makes him stand out. Now, in his new single, he delivers this “feel good” track. Spiritual overtones, DMX, and Chris Notez aside, the beat has a great soulful guitar lick.

The guitar has always been a favorite instrument or some variation thereof, of the Bone Thugz group. The guitar sound in this track helps get the head moving back and forth when the beat comes on. Track number 3 is the instrumental, and, if you take a listen to it, I believe that you will discover what I am talking about. Also on deck in the beat, is the piano.

The piano is a very powerful tool when used right in hip-hop music, and right from the beginning of the instrumental track, you can hear how the piano sets the tone of this mellow-dramatic song. It also makes appearances in the verses and in the choruses.

Now, to the lyrics of “A Song for You”...

The first thing you hear is Chris Notez singing the chorus which goes “I love you in a place where there’s no space or time. I love you for my life, you’re a friend of mine…” which suggest that this track is spiritually motivated. To understand Bizzy, you need to understand where he comes from and what he has gone through in his life to want to pen a track like this.

After Chris’s intro, Bizzy laces ,“Fully automatic whatever you want. You know we gots to grab that. I stand in the back and ready attack and ready for combat…” With this being the first few bars of the song, it seems like the regular, stock and standard type of gangster rap, but then he writes “…My homie lonely, homie walking, and we talking for sure. And I’m gonna be with him in the end when forgiveness’ no more…” Then all of a sudden, you feel like you’re in church. In this song, it is also eluded that Bizzy has also given up his drug habit. “Henny caffeine and nicotine notice I left out the green…” It seems that Bizzy Bone has turned over a new leaf. Drug use is something that is mentioned heavily in hip-hop music, and if Bizzy says that he has given it up, then great for him. I, for one, hope that it’s not just a lyric, and he can stay true to his words.

DMX comes in the second verse and describes “…Then I’m out like just like a light when the powers gone, and there’s another tombstone a child’s putting flowers on…” DMX has always been on another level when it comes to writing about mortality in his lyrics. Teaming up with Bizzy on this song, I am sure makes DMX feel right at home.

Most rappers normally add a “feel-good” track somewhere on the album, but it is uncommon to have it as your single. This is a bold and unusual move, and most time unsuccessful. I believe with Bizzy, trying to make his comeback, he might feel that releasing “A Song for You” (the single) first might give his fans a chance to get to know Bizzy again and remember that he was once, and still is, an artist with a tight flow, and a lyrical genius.

In conclusion, I welcome Bizzy’s return and await the release of the album, April 22, 2008. I would also like to think that Bizzy’s return is also more than a quickie and that he will continue to produce hit after hit. I like this single. Chris Notez needs his own album and that he has mad vocals; DMX can never do any wrong lyrically; and it’s great to hear Bizzy again.