God’s Tool

Courtesy Skipp Coon and Mr. Nick

Skipp Coon touches on history and spirituality on his new album “Women Revolution Tennis Shoes.”
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by David Dennis Jr.
October 29, 2008

“I’m a tool,” rapper Skipp Coon says, laughing, while gushing over his debut album, “Women Revolution Tennis Shoes” which he completed alongside producer Mr. Nick. No, this is not your stereotypical rapper posturing. He clarifies by stating: “This is the reason that God put me here. I want to change the world and show the people that there is an alternative to what they are listening to. I believe that whatever I’m doing, I’m a tool of God in an effort to change the world.

Jackson. Skipp, though, exhibits the talent necessary to create such important bodies of work. Skipp Coon and Mr. Nick built the concept for the album at the local hip-hop Mecca, Seven*Studioz. The result is an album that emits the spirit of Jackson from every pore. Deep horns and basslines, and soulful samples permeate the album.

Mr. Nick constructs a backdrop that places his home state in the forefront. “Concrete” features a looped soul sample evoking images of past blues crooners, while “What If I” features a chilling saxophone over funky drums that would make Gil-Scott Heron proud. Mr. Nick manages to orchestrate a collision of blues, jazz and soul to bring an all-encompassing Mississippi sound to “Women Revolution Tennis Shoes.”

The production is matched by Skipp’s ability to weave concepts, history, lyrics and a good old-fashioned southern drawl to make this album a definitive opus. His first words on the album are “Heavenly Father,” which sets the tone for the rest of the record as Skipp’s voice conveys a bevy of emotions with each word he belts out. His accent makes the MC sound more like a reverend waxing poetic over the melodies. His words are deliberately delivered sermons that pose hard-to-digest questions: “Sometimes I wonder if I’m really inside God’s graces/ Have y’all ever seen the faces of a 15-year-old that can’t read on a third grade level?/ That’s how our cycle of poverty gets pedaled.”

Skipp takes his work beyond the parameters of a basic album and into the history books. He draws parallels between slavery chains and the modern-day pursuit of fine jewelry, and correlates colonialism and crooked politicians. He does all this in an accessible way that keeps the album from being didactic.

Much like Mr. Nick blends past musical influences into this album, Skipp blends his historical knowledge with his ability to speak directly to pressing issues, creating a mood of hope, sadness and triumph. One minute he’s channeling Stokely Carmichael and Medgar Evers, the next he’s speaking on a struggling education system. The rapper/producer team holds up a mirror stretching from McDowell Road to County Line Road to show a vivid image of the city that history and politics has created.

“In 10 years ... people will see this as one of the things that created change,” Skipp says. “People heard the record and started to do something. They heard the record and wanted to make changes.”

“Women Revolution Tennis Shoes” is the sort of career-defining album that can set Skipp and Mr. Nick apart in a sea of cookie-cutter music. The album is a great demonstration of the type of music Jackson can provide while also pulling no punches in local criticism that we sometimes desperately need. The revolution will not be televised, but thanks to Skipp Coon and Mr. Nick, it can be heard.

Top 10 Playlist
MR. NICK AND SKIP COON

10. “You Can’t Hold a Torch,” by Busta Rhymes
9. “We Almost Lost Detroit,” by Gil Scott-Heron
8. “Subliminal Broad,” by Us From Dirt
7. “Someday We Will All Be Free,” by Donnie Hathaway
6. “Return Of the G,” by Outkast
5. “Me, Myself, and I,” by De La Soul
4. “Last Donut Of the Night,” by J Dilla
3. “Dirty South,” by Goodie Mob
2. “Cre-a-tine,” by Cool Breeze
1. “93 Til Infinity,” by Souls of Mischief

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