For a trio with only one actual song (ok…two if you count on a remix?), Child Rebel Soldiers are more of a “what if” sensation, than an actual rap group. Yet the prospects of a collaboration featuring Kanye West, Lupe Fiasco, and Pharrell Williams are so intriguing that any appearance of the three hip-hop MCs together in public, (see the Glow in the Dark tour), cause a monumental stir in not just the rap community, but blogosphere as a whole.
In reality, collaborations and super groups are nothing new in the world of hip-hop. From Tupac and Biggie to Eminem and Lil Wayne, music’s bigger rappers have also seemed to be involved in some sort of side-project and/or guest collaboration. But for a multitude of reasons, despite the lack of any formal release or concert, CRS have become one of the most intriguing and anticipated musical projects in recent history.
After all, there are a multitude of reasons for this. The inclusion of Kanye – hip-hop’s most controversial, yet intriguing MC, the samples of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke on the trio’s lone song “Us Placers”, and the mere fact that West, Fiasco, and Williams are not only at the height of their success, but also the pinnacle of their talent, are just a few I can come up with off the top of my head. But CRS also offer something more – the potential of captivating and capturing audiences of all genres, from indie to gangster rap and everything else in between.
Of course, all this hinges on whether CRS ever do record that much-anticipated album, announce those long-awaited tour dates. Until then, we’ll have to wait, and hope, that maybe one day, just one day, the “what ifs” do indeed become reality.
Thankfully, four children have provided us with a video that will quench our thirst – at least for a time being. Billed as the “official music video” for “Us Placers”, the spec video features child versions of West, Fiasco, Williams, and even Yorke, performing a rendition of the song. While the novelty of miniature versions of these four music stars is easily the video’s most entertaining characteristic, the quality background lyrics and sounds that come to form “Us Placers” doesn’t at all go unnoticed and provides yet another reminder of the true talents of CRS.
If you’ve seen this video before, well, there is no harm in checking it out again. If you’re a first timer, you’re in for a real treat…
