Pitchfork

Diplo has collaborated with Santogold on a new mixtape called Top Ranking, and it includes this update of the Clash's classic "The Guns of Brixton". Santogold has often been compared to M.I.A., of course, and this collaboration will surely reinforce the notion, reminding of both the Piracy Funds Terrorism mixtape and M.I.A.'s sample of the Clash's "Straight to Hell" on last year's "Paper Planes". The production here is ace, super spacey and dubbed-out, Santogold's vocal is a natural fit for this setting, and it's obviously a great tune. Still, there's something a touch disconcerting about transposing the song, written by Paul Simonon to reflect the tensions, frustrations, and undercurrent of violence of a specific time and place, to modern-day Brooklyn. Not that the borough doesn't have more than its share of crime, police brutality, and despair, but, given Santogold's place in music right now, when you think of her name and "Brooklyn" you don't think about cops kicking in doors (unless they're wearing Converse All-Stars, maybe). (via Gorilla vs. Bear)

MP3:> Santogold [prod. by Diplo]: "Guns of Brooklyn"
[from Top Ranking; out now on Mad Decent]