Tricky - Ghetto Stars
Musician, actor and producer Tricky has been around for a while and his blending of hip hop. pop and rock have made enabled him to gain widespread respect in the industry. Even from the earliest stages of his career, he was producing experimental songs of deep layers and dark sounds. The respect for him was shown when his debut album 'Maxinquaye' was voted NME Album Of The Year. The second single taken from his ninth album 'Mixed Race, 'Ghetto Stars' is co-written by Frank Riley who was Tricky's live vocalist on tour.
Freddie Foreman opens the song with some spoken words of the realities of gangster life. The relentless beat kicks in and the light vocals belie the deep messages being delivered. The underlying music adds to the overall haunting; the beating drum hammering home the grim truths. Too many times, the subject has been glamorised, especially across the pond. It's not over-produced like so often happens; the layers are adequate and the leanings towards rock near the end are very welcome. Not as experimental as some of his other creations, nonetheless, here Tricky has produced a deep and evocative tune that will stick in your mind for quite some time.