n.e.r.d. featuring common, mos def, de la soul and q-tip - she wants to move (mp3)

common featuring erykah badu, q-tip and pharrell williams - come close (j-dilla's closer remix) (mp3)

double header today, two tracks united together under the hip-hop tradition of remixing a record by getting load of your famous friends on board for a rap-battle extravaganza. both of these records come loosely under the guise of the soulquarians, a hip hop soul collective who share a love of music and the collective star sign of aquarius.

n.e.r.d.'s 'she wants to move' was the lead single off the deservedly unloved 'fly or die', the piss-poor follow-up to their still-golden 'in search of ...' debut. the original version of this track was the only redeemable three minutes from their second lp, created after pharrell williams had been left a shadow of his former creative self by way too much money/fame/cocaine/pussy/ass-kissing/hype/free bape (delete as appropriate).

second up is dilla's respectful remix of common's 'come close', the original of which comes from his creative pinnacle and career peak 'electric circus'. now you've gotta be seriously confident in yourself when taking mary j blige off any track, but dilla replaces her with common's on/off partner, track muse, and fellow soulquarian erykah badu, and further and compliments her silky tones by stripping the track down into an old-school block party vibe, with record crackles and a warm bass thump. both q-tip and pharrell pop up here too, with the neptune throwing in a great verse offering to "ride you on his handlebars". smooth stuff.