Slate Discovers Afronautics
OK. Late last week, Slate published a piece on African-American rappers and musicians obsessed with Space. Author Jonah Weiner begins in the late ’20s and carries on to Sun Ra, P-Funk’s Mothership, Lil Wayne, and Kanye West. In other words, all the usual far-out notes were hit.
I’m wondering what are the great songs about space? Who would be considered the Neil Armstrong of the genre?
George Clinton gets my vote.
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4:38 pm
Space is the Place.
4:42 pm
“Sun Ra? He’s out to lunch alright — same place I eat at.”
— George Clinton
11:56 am
The best space-rap, in my feeble mind, is Eric B. and Rakim’s “Follow The Leader.” Sample lyrics:
So follow me, and were ya thinkin’ you were first?
Let’s travel at magnificent speeds around the universe
What could ya say as the Earth gets further and further away
Planets are small as balls of clay
Astray into the Milky Way – world’s outta sight
Far as the eye can see – not even a satellite
Now stop and turn around and look
As ya stare in the darkness, ya knowledge is took!
So keep starin’ soon ya suddenly see a star
You better follow it cause it’s the R