"Sometimes I Rhyme Slow" is a song by American hip hop duo Nice & Smooth and the lead single from their second studio album Ain't a Damn Thing Changed (1991). It contains a sample of "Fast Car" by Tracy Chapman.
| "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow" | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
 | ||||
| Single by Nice & Smooth | ||||
| from the album Ain't a Damn Thing Changed | ||||
| Released | 1991 | |||
| Genre | Hip hop | |||
| Length | 2:52 | |||
| Label | ||||
| Songwriter(s) |
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| Producer(s) | Nice & Smooth | |||
| Nice & Smooth singles chronology | ||||
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| Music video | ||||
| "Sometimes I Rhyme Slow" on YouTube | ||||
Composition
editThe production uses a sample of the acoustic guitar intro to "Fast Car" accompanied with drums.[1] The lyrics make references to drug abuse, guns and violence.[2] Greg Nice performs the first verse, while Smooth B performs the second verse, which revolves around him being in love with a cocaine addict who relapses after 18 months in rehab.[1]
Critical reception
editStanton Swihart of AllMusic commented the song has an "insanely catchy vocal hook".[2] Angus Batey of The Quietus wrote of the song, "A deceptively - even outrageously - simple idea, it would have bridged the gap between the PE and De La crowds admirably."[1] In addition, he described Smooth B's verse as "so out of character you're never too sure how real it is", suggesting it could be an "elaborate set-up for the self-deprecating punchline", but "there is detail in the writing that, allied with the innate melancholia of the Chapman sample, makes it feel like it comes from somewhere that's recalled rather than studied."[1]
Charts
edit| Chart (1992) | Peak position |
|---|---|
| US Billboard Hot 100[3] | 44 |
| US Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Billboard)[4] | 17 |
| US Hot Rap Songs (Billboard)[5] | 1 |
References
edit- ^ a b c d Batey, Angus (December 27, 2011). "Thirty Years On: Nice & Smooth's Ain't A Damn Thing Changed Revisited". The Quietus. Retrieved 13 May 2024.
- ^ a b Swihart, Stanton. "Ain't a Damn Thing Changed - Nice & Smooth | Songs, Reviews, Credits | AllMusic". AllMusic. Retrieved October 5, 2018.
- ^ "Nice & Smooth Chart History (Hot 100)". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nice & Smooth Chart History (Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2024.
- ^ "Nice & Smooth Chart History (Hot Rap Songs)". Billboard. Retrieved May 13, 2024.