Mr. Me Too (Z.A.K. remix)
"Mr. Me Too"'s original beat is just too much of a "Drop It Like It's Hot" retread to be truly great, but the Thornton brothers' taunts do become kind of funny when Pharrell explains "why I call you 'Me Too."" The explanation is necessary, of course, but hearing it more than once is not, so enterprising Soul Sides reader Z.A.K. is wise to forgo the Neptunes' verses entirely on this remix, which lays Clipse's vocals over the music of Lee Fields' "Honey Dove".
The juxtaposition of the gently strummed guitar, laid-back horns, and slow-motion strings of Field's track makes Pharrell's verses even more irrelevant, as Z.A.K. perfectly distills the flaunted prosperity of the song's lyrics into a mood that permeates the entire track. This is yacht rap, the sound of Clipse contented and reaping the spoils. Where the original worked hard to play up the envy of others, the remix actually makes Malice and Pusha T sound enviable, like they're gonna have a few Tom Collinses and hit the golf course after the studio. You wouldn't have thought the Neptunes needed a lesson in keeping things simple, but Z.A.K. is more effective in three minutes than Williams and Hugo are in nearly four.
The juxtaposition of the gently strummed guitar, laid-back horns, and slow-motion strings of Field's track makes Pharrell's verses even more irrelevant, as Z.A.K. perfectly distills the flaunted prosperity of the song's lyrics into a mood that permeates the entire track. This is yacht rap, the sound of Clipse contented and reaping the spoils. Where the original worked hard to play up the envy of others, the remix actually makes Malice and Pusha T sound enviable, like they're gonna have a few Tom Collinses and hit the golf course after the studio. You wouldn't have thought the Neptunes needed a lesson in keeping things simple, but Z.A.K. is more effective in three minutes than Williams and Hugo are in nearly four.