Twista - Give It Up

Tuesday, 05 June 2007 19:00

Twista Twista - Give It Up (feat. Pharrell)
Produced by The Neptunes

Give It Up is a case of mistaken identities. The Neptunes think they are Timbaland; Twista thinks he’s a cross between David Banner and the Ying-Yang Twins; and Pharrell is convinced he can rap. Either way, maybe we should indulge these characters more often, because this song’s pretty damn good. The Neptunes have always fared best with minimal beats, but Give It Up is more akin to the vintage Timbo space thump than the Vegas schmaltz Skateboard P and Hugo have been doing the past few years (when they aren’t in their dungeon extracting the spirits of demons for the Clipse brothers).

The use of negative space works for Twista’s warp nine flow: his voice ricochets off of all the metallic surfaces in the recording booth, becoming a laser in the process. At least four layers of percussion —- a pastiche of sounds including African congas, cowbells, and hand claps -- comprise the track, and Promiscuous-like synthesizers decorate the chorus. It lacks the sultry tension of a Timbo production, but knocks nonetheless. Not sensuous so much as hedonistic, don’t be surprised when the whips and suspension equipment are brought out. The foppish Pharrell for once doesn’t sound like a complete dilettante when he raps; he even sounds surprisingly capable when he attempts a Twista-lite cadence in late verse. What Twista says on the track is irrelevant —- he just lays bricks feverishly in front of him so he can continue running without falling into the abyss. But the Red Hot Chili Peppers reference? I thought I was listening to Twista, not that other guy from Slow Jamz.

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