You know ‘Loyal’ by Chris Brown? No? Son, ‘Loyal’ is the other song everyone is talking about and farmers are complaining about. Off his fourth album, ‘Loyal’ has settled in people’s hearts across the face of the earth. Famous for its line “…these hoes ain’t loyal…” It is a piece of art; heavy instrumentation, catchy lyrics reeking of mirth and a danceable beat too. Like I said, it has spread like a wild fire. It has docked in our area code 256 and it is hovering over the city like a huge Nimbus cloud about to break and spill rain.
It has also crept into the forests where Baboons have feasted on it, danced to it and poured their bars onto it like ketchup in a Burger Bar. These Baboons are GNL Zamba and Big Tril. Baboon Forest Entertainment. They come off with a remix; corny as hell, innit? They staggered out of the forests and defied copyright laws etched onto the song and decided to remix it; besides, they live in the jungle that has no rules and laws.
It opens up with GNL putting his foot forward and announcing himself and Chris Brown. As though Chris Brown was in the corner eating a rolex. He, GNL, ploughs on and spews out his signature Luga-flow bars on the ‘Loyal’ beat that they never changed a tad. He spills on for a while and suddenly gives up for Chris Brown, who seemed to have finished his rolex, to grab the stick and yak on the canoe.
I have issues with this remix. I expected something Ugandan. I expected, well, something that veers off from the originality of the song, but the Baboons didn’t wake up on this. Chris Brown goes on the song on his own, like they never showed up. For the most part, there is no flicker of a remix in the song.
It is the original song and Chris Brown owns it (after all, he owns it) and sings for endless three-quarters of the song which, to me, didn’t cut it. Why? GNL mutes in the beginning and sinks in oblivion. After Chris Brown has pocketed the whole song, Big Tril falls in at the tail end and shrieks onto the dying beat, like a dying campfire that has been stroked.
Good concept, yes, but it lacks more of the remix emblazoned on the title. To me, I expected something that tethers Uganda and merges it with the plot of the song. We have a lot of unloyal “hoes” wandering about the city. I expected a witty delivery of these stray unloyal wenches. But the song robs me of that. It is like ordering a rolex and the guy hands you chapattis without eggs. I expected more in the song. And I never expected Chris Brown to come through and own the song; yes, it is his, but then again, you have the concept, own it. Good concept. Average song!
Review: BigEye Staff