An Analysis of Genre: ‘Gin and Juice”
When I first heard the covers of ‘Gin and Juice’ by Snoop Dog and Dr Dre (1993) and The Gourds (2001) respectively, I assumed that the hip-hop version was a cover of the western “cowboy” ode by The Gourds, simply because of the genre and style of music being presented; the advent of hip-hop appearing later in the musical timeline than American frontier music. Given the fact that this seemed to be a vintage themed interpretation of a modern invention (rap/hip-hop), of which both share absolutely nothing in common, I figured that it was quite transformative. The Gourd had turned the chart-topping hip-hop tune into something completely new and different.
The alt. Texan country band “The Gourd” and hip-hop artists Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg are both musical groups that superficially have nothing in common. Well except for a song, of which both performances have nothing in common. The beat stylings of both songs have managed to surprisingly remain similar, rather it is the tempo which “The Gourd” has craftily varied and manipulated to better suit the genre they are recreating the song in. The much faster tempo is more a feature of Texan blues and successfully aides their rendition. The beat is a keystone part of the hip-hop genre (some might argue it defines it). The fact that this transformative interpretation of such a song has maintained the original beat styling, says a lot about the cover band transformative talent.
The main point of difference through both versions, and what really cements the audible distinction between the two genres, despite the common lyricism is the background instrumentation and the vocal styling. The 1993 original sticks close to its genre’s roots: a beat heavy electronic “rap-like” chart topper(Redbull.com, 2019). On the other hand, the guitar centric “yodel-like” Texan cover of 2009 is able to change the song by retexturing and relayering the already existent soundscape, removing those key indicators that make the song what it is and allowing to it to become something different. The Gourds version also noticeably only has 2 chords played throughout, whereas the original has more- a different chord set. Essentially the Gourds have transformed it into some a sing-along tune. Noticeably there are sight variations in the lyricism which makes since the variations suit the context of both genres linguistic jargon make more sense the way they are changed (Heavy accentuation of r in the Texan styling, for example)
Whilst the gist of both songs remains constant, they both spin completely narratives. I could see Snoop Dogg’s and Dre’s Ghetto meet-ups clearly (no doubt aided by the music video), Snoop Dogg living up to his role as the living embodiment of the protagonist from Grand Theft Auto perfectly and similarly I could envision some wild west saloon privy amongst two cowboys (since I’m using video game analogies I will go with Red Dead Redemption). The Gourd successfully turned Snoop Doggs “gangsta” anthem into a western showdown and then some. Some might deem this cover to be traditional; country music is a recognised style, and whilst this definition might fit to some degree, given the stark difference between the two versions, I think that a complete transformative experience is what is being witnessed.
Contextually both musical groups have existed at similar time periods (they both still exist today in parallel with each other); most cover songs are attempts to bring back long dead melodies, and perhaps this is what has happened here? Whilst both artists occupy the same space in musical history the time between the cover songs appearance was enough for the tune to run cold (a15 year gap). Snoop Dogg is often tied to gangster groups and I believe this provides a viable and strong impetus for subject matter in the majority of his music. In his youth he was always attracted to music though some might say from a completely different angle: church music! By his teen years he had embraced rap, and in those early days Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre where to found with each other. Dr. Dre was something of a mentor to the young and rising Snoop Dogg (Biography.com, 2019[2]), this song of which was a significant part of his rise. The Gourds on the other hand are not an entire band, that are based in (you guessed it) Texas and describe themselves as being “quirky” and pride themselves on their bizarre imagery; creating original songs and putting the bluegrass cowboy spin on old favourites. It’s what makes them “Gourdian” (Thegourds.com, 2013[3]). Both groups have grown demographically and culturally into the genres they perform and that is what influences their choice in sound. Two covers of a song, one revolving around the individual rapper and the other focusing on all elements of the band, where each member is as equally important, and no element of the music takes the forefront…well ‘cept for that southern accent.
Whilst “gangstagrass” is a concept adopted by fringe musical cults, it’s not something that is often seen (Rollingstone.com, 2020[4]). The Gourds cover at the time was giving it the Texan spin, but I argue that it is not traditional, because the bluegrass, country music is very musically conservative. Adapting a rap song about gangbanging and roaming the streets is a big no. It is an innovative and unique version of the rap song that styles it in such a manner that is passes as country music. Whilst country music prides itself on its conservative roots, hip hop music’s parent styling is the now redundant disco genre (anything but conservative at its time).
Whilst the actual lyrics contain minute changes in lyricism to suit the linguistic Southern accent portrayed in, they remain much unchanged, and so too does the beat used throughout the cover song. The Gourds successfully respin Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre’s “Gin and Juice”, to keep it immediately identifiable, but retextured completely so that it sounds brand new, giving the now aged tune a bit of a romp from beyond the grave. The subject matter, instrumentation, layering and vocalisation show that a transformative cover song can really become a song all of its own (if not for modern day copyright laws of course…).
References
1. Red Bull. (n.d.). A rough guide to different types of hip-hop. [online] Available at: https://www.redbull.com/au-en/different-types-of-hip-hop-guide [Accessed 12 Sep. 2020].
2. Biography. (2014). Snoop Dogg. [online] Available at: https://www.biography.com/musician/snoop-dogg.
3. The Band | The Gourds n.d., viewed 12 September 2020, <https://www.thegourds.com/the-band/>.
4. Bernstein, J. and Bernstein, J. (2020). Listen to This Hip-Hop/Bluegrass Rendering of “This Land Is Your Land.” [online] Rolling Stone. Available at: https://www.rollingstone.com/music/music-features/listen-to-this-hip-hop-bluegrass-rendering-of-this-land-is-your-land-1044547/ [Accessed 12 Sep. 2020].
