This past Sunday, the film Friday celebrated its 20th anniversary. It's a comedy in the way that life is sometimes a comedy. There are funny moments, characters who have achieved cult stardom, quotes that have parlayed themselves into everyday life and an intense desire for the franchise to return to its roots one last time.
In February the Houston Elite M.C.s -- a collective of friends and artists who have thrown mini-festivals, participated in beer crawls together, and released nearly eight to ten years worth of solo material among them -- finally released a full-length project. It was called Nonpareil. The title may not have the ringing charm, immediacy and/or intimacy of Friday, but it means something just as important.
According to Merriam-Webster, "nonpareil" is an adjective that officially means "better than any other; having no equal." In short, we're talking about a group of individuals who have contributed untold amounts to the local scene in Houston but have only gotten their just due in fleeting moments.
hasHBrown, the rapper, has taken the moniker of Rap Mayor on two projects, yet his most beloved work came about by venting his frustrations about relationships on Relationshit. John Dew, arguably the most unassailable member of the crew, has released multiple projects armed with Southern grandeur, wit and an ability to catch everyone's ear. Dustin-Prestige, the act within the camp with the most national attention for tapes such as Plaid & DHARMA, is either a rapper, malcontent or singer, depending on his mood.
Hollywood FLOSS is the group's most prolific, releasing tapes and singles at will, while Thurogood the traditional bar-juggling rhymer who is going to be talked about because of his pigment more than anything. Kidd The Great, not to be confused with K.I.D., is arguably the group's oldest member, yet his unmistakable voice is ripe for smashing hooks. The group's strongest pure rhymer, Rob Jay, has threatened retirement on a few occasions but always gets brought back into the game, like Al Pacino with that crappy Michael Corleone haircut in The Godfather Part III.
After listening to Nonpareil, the parallels between T.H.E.M. and the cast of Friday are so uncanny that you'll probably re-watch the movie and see every single member of this crew in it.
Hollywood FLOSS has the best lines on "Magic." If you've ever caught a Hollywood FLOSS performance, he's a moving sprite who rocks a snapback and a graphic T-shirt. He paces himself, sometimes letting his mouth move faster than his mind, something that happens in large doses on "Magic." Thank 610 Loop for the stop-and-start production that wheels around like a carousel. Since FLOSS is the smallest, he can talk the most incredulous shit such as saying Prince stole his swag, among other things. You know who else could get away with such things? Smokey.
"A Song For You" is the tape's emotional center. The main problem Craig faced in Friday was getting his respect back after not only getting fired from his job (on his day off!) but getting shot at by Big Worm's goons and ultimately having to stand up to Deebo. "A Song For You," ripped straight from the Donny Hathaway classic in title and title alone discusses the matters of parenthood, both with victories and losses.
John Dew is angling in regards to his mother, an educated woman who not only helped shaped his growth in Houston but also his eventual marriage and more. K.I.D. and hasHBrown dance back and forth under similar circumstances, K.I.D. reflecting on his mother and hashBrown being thankful for his father remaining in his life and helping shape him. For this, all three of them represent Craig remembering the "I'm a man without it" speech his dad gave him before fighting Deebo.
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