by Dan-O

I never heard any 1980’s Egyptian Lover but I definitely know the name. Back in the height of the blog era all the hip hop heads started picking pop rap targets and pointing at them angrily. “Is __ the worst thing to happen to hip hop?” In defense (?) someone would respond with some variation on “Ya’ll act like the 80’s was all KRS and Kane, but you had Egyptian Lover making terrible music!” So when the name gets said my first thought is always ‘oh that’s the guy 80’s people are still mad at’ this frame of mind actually worked to my advantage when listening to his newest album 1986 released in February of this year. It’s such a gleeful dispatching of all the expectations a hip hop artist has in 2021. The terrible need to fit in that makes old rappers into the Buscemi in kid clothes meme. Instead he launches our ears directly into the sweating burbling dance music of the 80’s and provides this insane Chipmunk funk classic. If this was sung by a human voice you would think Prince wrote it for Morris Day & The Time. My wife says the problem with this album is the songs run together and I can see that. Except for this song and the album closer Alien Freak. Alien Freak explodes and reproduces its own tempo a few times, you have to hear it. This song is just perfect and a perfect version of a song we’ve been missing. I love that the example of 80’s pop rap gone bad made one of the most fun albums of 2021. I love that in order to book him you have to email an AOL account. Music is great and this song makes my whole family dance.