This is going to hurt me quite a bit to say but … J. Cole made a song and I actually kind of like it. Not only that, Fayetteville’s own purveyor of premium cheese put his hands all over an undisputed classic and still came away with something great. His remix of A Tribe Called Quest‘s “Can I Kick It?” as part of the 25th anniversary reissue of People’s Instinctive Travels and the Paths of Rhythm is something to hear.
Perhaps wisely, J. Cole stays away from rapping over the song and placing himself alongside Q-Tip and Phife Dawg. Instead he completely reworks the beat, removing the iconic “Walk On The Wild Side” sample and turning the track into a chilled-out space-funk that’s more Saint Pepsi than Lou Reed.
Here’s the original for comparison’s sake:
For more people taking on ATCQ and not failing, check out Pharrell’s “Bonita Applebum” remix and Leonardo DiCaprio rapping along to “Scenario.”
