The Number One and Four Reasons Why It's Awesome

A Few Things That Make The Number One Awesome-

1. The Beat- Ant is so good with providing the perfect beats for Slug to rhyme over. Each beat that he gives seems to be the perfect back drop for the stories that Slug aims to tell. The two of them are on the same wave length and the it helps enhance the music. In hip hop it is so important to be in sync with the beat of the song. As a rapper you have to be in charge and can't let the beat bully you, you have to make it your own and adapt your flow accordingly. Slug does this almost effortlessly. He understands the beat and provides a rhythm that never steps out of sync. His rhymes and Ant's beats become the perfect marriage.

2. The Chorus Feeds Right Into The Rhymes- I love how short the chorus is in this song. I'm not a big fan of the constantly repeating chorus. I feel that it takes away from the essence of the song. Yes the chorus is the part that pulls you in but I'm here for the verse. I want to know what's driving this song, what's leading us to the chorus payoff. But I beg that you don't drag out the chorus though because if I'm really digging the verses I don't want to be kept away from the story too long. Lets have it and be done with it. The Number One makes good on this, the chorus is brief and before it ends Slug is right back in the thick of things.

3. The Story- While I was listening to The Number One this morning I couldn't help but laugh a little. Who doesn't remember the first girlfriend/boyfriend they had? At the time it seems like the biggest thing ever, and being the first to kiss was this huge deal. The biggest stress one had to deal with was when was it time to kiss and if you're were going to be able to meet up in town or talk on the phone for a bit. This song brings things back into a more innocent time of dating. Where it wasn't stressful, where you basically had a new significant other every couple of months, where doing absolutely nothing with the person you were with didn't even matter. You were just cool to be in a relationship. It had me thinking back to sixth grade and my first "girlfriend" at the time. It made me laugh. You're not in a real relationship until you understand what it's like to make it to second base. After that all the innocence is gone my friends. I also love how easy it is for Slug to slip back into that mindset where he's just a kid who loves being with girls, not for sex but because they being with them provides the ultimate cool.

4. The Sequel- It didn't dawn on me until this morning that there is actually a sequel to this song, The Number None. It also happens to be one of my favorite Atmosphere songs. I love how it picks up where this one ends. If The Number One is about innocence and being in a relationship because it's cool and easy then The Number None is when things get real. Taking those childhood relationships and mixing in the element of want and sex, and then watching them ruin your world. Listening to the songs back to back is fun. The beats are different (but not by much) and the rhymes seems to flow into each other. I would actually love to hear these songs mashed together providing one full story. The childhood side and then the "things got real" side. Good times for all.