Can I Kick It Analysis

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What the experts say “Can I Kick It?” reached number eight at its peak of success on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles in 1991. The album that it is originally found on, People’s Instinctive Travels and Paths of Rhythm, surprisingly was not a huge hit during its release in 1990. According to Bob Power, “The record was the one kid in your class, who nobody ever really picked on, and he was okay, but no one really hung with him. And then, all of a sudden, you realize he’s the cool one and everybody starts to dress like him” (Shawn Taylor 109). Eventually the album made it up to number 91 on the Billboard 200 album charts and since then has become a classic. What it is about The basis for the entire song is Lou Reed’s 1971 rock classic “Walk on the Wild Side”. The song by the white rocker is an invitation to come and see the really “wild” stuff that happens in New York City, a place full of prostitutes, transvestites, colored girls and soul food. A Tribe called Quest uses the song “Can I Kick It?” as a platform to respond to Reed. ATCQ mocks Lou Reed for uses black beats and rhymes in his song in order to make it stand out from the other white rock and roll artist of his time. They also mock Reed for singing about New York City like he knows what happens there, even though he did not grow up there like ATCQ. They turn their song…show more content…
Sampling is when an artist takes a portion of a sound recording and uses it as an instrument or sound recording in a different song. While looking for rock and roll and jazz inspiration, they toke pieces from Lou Reed’s song “Walk on the Wild Side” and sampled them into their own song “Can I Kick It?” Along with sampling, ATCQ uses deconstruction to pull apart the relationship between rock and hip-hop. Reed’s song forms the basis for “Can I Kick It?” while they put in their own funky feel. Smooth jazz is laid over on top of the bass and guitar riffs from

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