"I'm Bad. I'm Nationwide". In the best bars, this is still the song every. single. person. mouths the words...and the private swagger quotient rises. It should be in a time capsule of American culture.
The song is actually a cover of an old hip hop song '25 Lighters,' that's why Kendrick uses the line, he's referencing the original song. ZZ Top were fans of the original which was recorded at their studio in Houston
Best review of this song. "first shot of liquor....pure diesel... wanna chop wood even though I don't have a fireplace...feel like my beard just grew"...perfect!
Actually, Kendrick Lamar listened to the originators of this song. A Texas hip-hop classic! (25 Lighters by DJ DMD, Lil' Keke and Fat Pat) One of my favorite "behind the music" stories. They got the okay to rework the original song because DJ DMD's 14-year daughter said they sounded good. They killed this rework/cover version.🔥
Biz got twenty-five fly diamonds in his ring, yessir - Ya know Biz gotsta get paid, representing reaction and got 25 more, yesser - hit that subscribed share and bell, Oh hell yeah. This tune is Gangster. Keep them coming Biz!
n an interview, Billy Gibbons said, ""Yes, it's based on a rap song from the 1990's entitled '25 Lighters' by Lil' Keke and Fat Pat. It was recorded at a Digital Services Recording in Houston and we worked there as well, so we got to know those guys and that song just stayed with us for all that time. It really stayed in our head for all that time while we figured out how to deconstruct it and transform it into a guitar-based, blues-infused rocker as you hear it on La Futura. That guitar breakdown is something of a tribute to the great Lightnin' Hopkins, another of our 'heroes of the Houston ghetto.'"
Another fun fact about that song. Rick rubin's told them they needed one more song for the La Futura album. If It wasn't for that that track wouldn't have ended up on that album :-) 4:19
What I LOVE about this song is, here you've got an iconic, world-famous band that somehow comes up w/ a new kind of sound (not just new to ZZ, but new, period) and still the "new" sound is unmistakeably the same band. It's ZZTop through & through, but sounds new & DOESN'T sound "forced." Not like some dumb producer/manager type person said "c'mon guys, we need something fresh, something that'll break us outta this rut we've been in for the last few albums." It's organically new & fresh sounding but doesn't feel like it's new just for the sake of being new, like they're cheating or something. Not sure that makes sense, but...maybe it's like your spouse went out & read the Kama Sutra cover to cover, without telling you, then one night sprung a whole new bag of tricks on you, stuff you never even dreamed of, & though you might be suspicious at first you know you've loved each other so long & so well that they came by their new tricks legitimately, everyone has remained faithful to each other, & they learned the new stuff because they love you as much as you love them & all they want to do is make you happy. To the absolute delight of everyone involved. They didn't HAVE to put forth all that effort to learn these new tricks...its all just because, like in any truly great relationship, your partner wants YOU to get off even more than THEY want to get off. It's a mutual pleasure thing, & if you'll allow me to exaggerate a bit I'd say, in some ways, this song was darn near as good as the best sex ever. Like multiple, simultaneous orgasms for everyone involved, some strange to satisfy your physical cravings while at the same time familiar enough to keep you smack dab in the emotional pocket of faithfulness to someone you care for. I could go on but I know I've overdone it already, so...besides I think I need a cold shower.
Jimi Hendrix was asked once what it felt like to be the worlds best guitarist....he replied, "I don't know, you better go ask Billy Gibbons." - That's a true story.
You certainly nailed it Biz, this band is for every Alpha-male around and it sure gets the testosterone pumping😉🤣 But I'd like to suggest another band that I don't think you've reacted to yet. "Dead & Company: Let The Good Times Roll LIVE from New York, NY 8/20/21" the band members from this band came from several different legendary bands to form in 2015 when the "Grateful Dead" band members Mickey Hart (drums), Bill Kretzmann(drums), and Bob Weir (guitarist, vocals) joined forces with artist and musician John Mayer along with Allman Brothers bassist Oteil Burbridge and Fare Thee Well and "RatDog" keyboardist Jeff Chimenti and Jay Lane; to become the band "Dead & Company" they also span across a wide range of genres such as rock, psychedelic rock, roots rock, jazz rock, and jam rock. And there still rocking in present day 👍🎸
OK U writers hearing this ? I Feel Like Choppin Wood & I ain't Got a Fireplace ! Listening to that. I Think My Beard Just Grew !! Spitting out ur own good stuff !!!
It´s not too hard to sound like that, you simply drink a lot of whisky and chew a ton of barbed wire. Okeeeee. I guess it needs an effort. When it comes to bluesrock, ZZ-Top nails it anyways. Please go back to "Jesus just left Chicago", "Tush" or "La Grange". It is Man Cave Rock´n roll Blues. You could also check out Stevie Ray Vaugham. Or John Campbell. I do love ZZ-Top, but the two I mentioned above, they LIVED the blues. There is a difference.
if like me you wondered wtf he's talking about "This song is a revamp of fellow Texan DJ DMD's 1989 rap hit "25 Lighters," which is Houston ghetto slang for taking Bic Lighters apart, removing the innards and filling them with crack. "
