At the Heart of Hip Hop: My Top 5

When you take off the bling, empty the bank account, and send home the bodyguards, there’s not much left to hip hop.

Or so the story goes.

But I firmly believe it can be (although not always) more than smoking mirrors. That’s why I love acoustic covers – because when you strip the songs down to their bare essentials, you’re still left with something compelling. Here are my top five:

5. I Try (Ben Taylor covering Macy Gray)

Unhindered by Gray’s gimmicky voice, you suddenly hear the very simple, but very relatable, appeal of the heartbroken everyman struggling to find closure.

4. Whatever You Like (Anya Marina covering T.I.)

(I know it’s a little trill but bear with me – it’s more the theory than the execution) 

In this rendition the cocky promises of a high-rolling sugar daddy are emptied of the glitz and glamour, leaving only the weary, emotionally bankrupt transaction between a prostitute and a proprietor.

3. Cry Me a River (Glen Hansard covering Justin Timberlake)

Hansard’s low, powerful snarl riddles this rendition with rage: to falsetto comes force, to soul comes spite. Parts of it actually sound like he’s singing through clenched teeth. This is one bitter boyfriend-past.

2. Hey Ya (Matt Weddle covering Outkast)

Without the upbeat, rapid-fire of Andre 3000, the previously overlooked lyrics emerge as a shocking surrender to a defeated love. The most surprising verse (edited for redundancy):

“If what they say is, “nothing is forever,” then what makes love the exception? So why are we so in denial when we know we’re not happy here?”

1. Crazy (Ray Lamontagne covering Gnarls Barkley)

Although I admittedly adore the original, Lamontagne’s take hits the tortured psychological battle home. There’s something about the texture of his voice that makes you feel the agony and reckless abandon of being on the brink of mental breakdown.