''Top Ranking: A Diplo Dub'' is the first

mixtape A mixtape (alternatively mix-tape, mix tape or mixed tape) is a compilation of music, typically from multiple sources, recorded onto a medium. With origins in the 1980s, the term normally describes a homemade compilation of music onto a cassette ...

American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, pe ...

musician and singer

Santigold Santi White (born September 25, 1976), known professionally as Santigold (formerly Santogold), is an American singer, songwriter and record producer. '' Billboard'' presented her in 2022, saying: "Spanning punk rock, hip-hop, and dance music, S ...

(then going by ''Santogold'') and

Philadelphia Philadelphia, often called Philly, is the largest city in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the sixth-largest city in the U.S., the second-largest city in both the Northeast megalopolis and Mid-Atlantic regions after New York City. Sinc ...

-based DJ

Diplo Thomas Wesley Pentz (born November 10, 1978), known professionally as Diplo, is an American DJ and music producer. He is the co-creator and lead member of the electronic dancehall music project Major Lazer, a member of the supergroup LSD with ...

, released on July 15, 2008.

Background

''Top Ranking'' features remixes of songs from Santogold's debut album, as well as remixes of other artists. Santogold also has previously unreleased songs on the mixtape, including a cover of

The Clash The Clash were an English rock band formed in London in 1976 who were key players in the original wave of British punk rock. Billed as "The Only Band That Matters", they also contributed to the and new wave movements that emerged in the wa ...

's "

The Guns of Brixton "The Guns of Brixton" is a song by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was written and sung by bassist Paul Simonon, who grew up in Brixton, South London. The song has a strong reggae influence, reflecting the culture of the area and the ...

", with lyrics altered to refer to

Brooklyn Brooklyn () is a borough of New York City, coextensive with Kings County, in the U.S. state of New York. Kings County is the most populous county in the State of New York, and the second-most densely populated county in the United States, be ...

. "Guns of Brooklyn" and "Get It Up", a collaboration with M.I.A. that heavily samples

Gorilla Zoe Alonzo Keith Mathis Jr. (born January 27, 1981), better known by his stage name Gorilla Zoe (), is an American rapper originally from East Point, Georgia. He is best known for being a member of the rap group Boyz N Da Hood. His solo debut album ...

's " Hood Nigga" and drumming by

Northern Cree Northern Cree, also known as the Northern Cree Singers, is a powwow and Round Dance drum and singing group, based in Maskwacis, Bouchard, David (2006). ''Nokum Is My Teacher'', Postface. Illustrated by Allen Sapp. Music by Northern Cree. Red D ...

, were leaked to the

blogosphere The blogosphere is made up of all blogs and their interconnections. The term implies that blogs exist together as a connected community (or as a collection of connected communities) or as a social networking service in which everyday authors can p ...

prior to the mixtape's release. An alternate version of "Get It Up" featuring Esau Mwamwaya rather than Gorilla Zoe also appeared on the internet. The album was released for a short period of time on the internet as a free download. The Diplo remix of "I'm a Lady", which features

Amanda Blank Amanda Blank (born Amanda Mallory McGrath; March 21, 1983) is an American singer, rapper and member of the performance art band Sweatheart based in Philadelphia. Early life Amanda Blank was born in Germantown, Philadelphia, Germantown, a neighb ...

, was later included in its entirety on Blank's 2009 album '' I Love You''. After taking inspiration from a

Siouxsie and the Banshees Siouxsie and the Banshees were a British rock band formed in London in 1976 by vocalist Siouxsie Sioux and bass guitarist Steven Severin. They have been widely influential, both over their contemporaries and with later acts. ''Q'' magazine in ...

song for her track "My Superman" on her debut album, Santogold sampled for this mix tape another song of their ''

Kaleidoscope A kaleidoscope () is an optical instrument with two or more reflecting surfaces (or mirrors) tilted to each other at an angle, so that one or more (parts of) objects on one end of these mirrors are shown as a regular symmetrical pattern when v ...

'', "Lunar Camel".

Critical reception

The mixtape has received comparisons to M.I.A. and Diplo's 2004 mixtape, ''

Piracy Funds Terrorism ''Piracy Funds Terrorism Volume 1'', usually referred to simply as ''Piracy Funds Terrorism'', is a mixtape produced by British recording artist M.I.A. and American DJ Diplo featuring vocal tracks intended for M.I.A.'s debut album '' Arular ...

''. However,

Pitchfork Media ''Pitchfork'' (formerly ''Pitchfork Media'') is an American online music publication (currently owned by Condé Nast) that was launched in 1995 by writer Ryan Schreiber as an independent music blog. Schreiber started Pitchfork while working ...

stated that "the similarities between this collaboration and Diplo's first-- 2004's M.I.A.-trumpeting ''Piracy Funds Terrorism'' mix-- are as superficial as those between M.I.A. and Santogold themselves." According to ''

NME ''New Musical Express'' (''NME'') is a British music, film, gaming, and culture website and brand. Founded as a newspaper in 1952, with the publication being referred to as a 'rock inkie', the NME would become a magazine that ended up as a f ...

'', ''Top Ranking'' "expands on her antogold'sdebut's cultural crossover", incorporating "hyphy, crunk, classic dub and new wave". The review continued that the mixtape "is a must-have" either "as a standalone mixtape or a perfect companion to ''Santogold''".

Exclaim! ''Exclaim!'' is a Canadian music and entertainment publisher based in Toronto, which features in-depth coverage of new music across all genres with a special focus on Canadian and emerging artists. The monthly Exclaim! print magazine publishes 7 ...

said that ''Top Ranking'' "showcases Santogold's steeze and flexibility as an MC/singer." They praised Diplo's "global and eclectic" production, calling ''Top Ranking'' "a top-notch mixtape that will hopefully find its way up from the underground."

Idolator An idolator is a practitioner of idolatry. Idolater or Idolator may also refer to: Books *''Os Idólatras'', 1968 Portuguese novel by Maria Judite de Carvalho Music * Idolator (website), an American music blog * ''Idolator'' (album), third album ...

labelled the disc "an entertaining listen, with most of the disparate influences that influence Santogold's debut appearing in one form or another." ''

Slant Magazine ''Slant Magazine'' is an American online publication that features reviews of movies, music, TV, DVDs, theater, and video games, as well as interviews with actors, directors, and musicians. The site covers various film festivals like the New York ...

'' said that "''Top Rankings hotness can't—and shouldn't—be downplayed", but also that it doesn't distinguish itself from ''Piracy Funds Terrorism'' and that "Santogold's unique essence feels lost amid the clutter." ''Top Ranking'' was named one of 2008's five best mixtapes by ''

The Guardian ''The Guardian'' is a British daily newspaper. It was founded in 1821 as ''The Manchester Guardian'', and changed its name in 1959. Along with its sister papers ''The Observer'' and ''The Guardian Weekly'', ''The Guardian'' is part of the Gu ...

''. The publication also named the Diplo Remix of "I'm a Lady" featuring

one of the "singles" of the year.

Track listing

# "Dub Selection Intro" #

Three 6 Mafia Three 6 Mafia is an American Hip hop music, hip hop group from Memphis, Tennessee, formed in 1991. Emerging as a horror-themed underground hip hop group, they would eventually go on to enjoy mainstream success. The group's 1995 debut album ''Mys ...

– "Late Night" (Unstoppable Mix) # Santogold – "Shuv It" (Disco D Blend) # Santogold – "I'm A Lady" (Diplo Mix feat.

) #

Sir Mix-a-Lot Anthony L. Ray (born August 12, 1963), better known by his stage name Sir Mix-a-Lot, is an American rapper, songwriter, and record producer. He is best known for his 1992 hit song "Baby Got Back", which peaked at number one on the ''Billboard'' ...

– "

Posse on Broadway "Posse on Broadway" is a hip hop song first recorded by Sir Mix-a-Lot on his 1988 debut album ''Swass''. He also released a music video. The single is regarded as Mix-a-Lot’s career breakthrough and the first golden age hip-hop record from ou ...

" # Santogold – " Lights Out" (Diplo's Panda Bear Mix) #

Aretha Franklin Aretha Louise Franklin ( ; March 25, 1942 – August 16, 2018) was an American singer, songwriter and pianist. Referred to as the " Queen of Soul", she has twice been placed ninth in ''Rolling Stone''s "100 Greatest Artists of All Time". With ...

– "Save Me" #

Devo Devo (, originally ) is an American rock band from Akron, Ohio, formed in 1973. Their classic line-up consisted of two sets of brothers, the Mothersbaughs (Mark and Bob) and the Casales (Gerald and Bob), along with Alan Myers. The band had a ...

– "

Be Stiff "Be Stiff" is the third single by American new wave band Devo, released in 1978 by Stiff Records. The song was taken from the sessions for '' Q: Are We Not Men? A: We Are Devo!'' (1978), produced by Brian Eno. Guitarist Bob Lewis wrote the mu ...

" #

The B-52's The B-52's, also styled as The B-52s, are an American new wave band formed in Athens, Georgia, in 1976. The original lineup consisted of Fred Schneider (vocals, percussion), Kate Pierson (vocals, keyboards, synth bass), Cindy Wilson (vocals, p ...

– "

Mesopotamia Mesopotamia ''Mesopotamíā''; ar, بِلَاد ٱلرَّافِدَيْن or ; syc, ܐܪܡ ܢܗܪ̈ܝܢ, or , ) is a historical region of Western Asia situated within the Tigris–Euphrates river system, in the northern part of the F ...

" # Gerri and the Holograms – "Gerri and the Holograms" # Santogold – "Anne" (Switch Mix) # Santogold – "

L.E.S. Artistes "L.E.S. Artistes" is the second single by American artist Santigold (known then as ''Santogold''), and along with " Creator", the first to be taken from her self-titled debut '' Santogold'' (see 2008 in music). Background "L.E.S. Artistes" was ...

" (XXXchange Mix feat. Mavado) #

Cutty Ranks Philip Thomas (born 12 February 1965), better known as Cutty Ranks, is a Jamaican dancehall singer. Biography Thomas was born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica in 1965. He began his career as a reggae artist at the age of eleven with local sound s ...

– "Dutty Six Pack" # Santogold – "You'll Find a Way" (Grame & Switch Mix feat.

Kid Cudi Scott Ramon Seguro Mescudi (born January 30, 1984), also known by his stage name Kid Cudi ( ), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, record producer, actor and fashion designer. Born and raised in Cleveland, Ohio, Cudi would move to New Yo ...

) /

- " Lunar Camel" #

Richie Spice Richell Bonner (born 8 September 1971), better known as Richie Spice, is a Jamaican reggae artist. He is a member of the Rastafari movement. Some of his most famous songs include, "Brown Skin", "Youth Dem Cold Rel Bad", "Grooving' My Girl", "Ear ...

Ratatat Ratatat ( ) is a Brooklyn-based electronic rock duo consisting of Mike Stroud (guitar, melodica, synthesizers, percussion) and producer Evan Mast ( bass, synthesizers, percussion). History Beginnings and first album, ''Ratatat'' (2001–200 ...

– "Marijuana" #

Desmond Dekker Desmond Dekker (16 July 1941 – 25 May 2006) was a Jamaican ska, rocksteady and reggae singer-songwriter and musician. Together with his backing group The Aces (consisting of Wilson James and Easton Barrington Howard), he had one of the earlie ...

– "Shanty Town" # Santogold – "Guns of Brooklyn" #

The Dixie Cups The Dixie Cups (formerly known as The Meltones) are an American pop music girl group of the 1960s. They are best known for a string of hits including their 1964 million-selling record "Chapel of Love", " People Say", and "Iko Iko". Career ...

– "Iko Iko" #

Tony Matterhorn Tony Matterhorn (born Dufton Taylor on 13 March 1972) is a dancehall reggae deejay and sound system selector from Kingston, Jamaica. Matterhorn got his start in the sound system arena in the early 1990s, on Inner City Sound System first, then ...

– "Big Belly Guns" # Santogold – "Get It Up" (Radioclit Mix feat. M.I.A.,

, and

) #

Mark Ronson Mark Daniel Ronson (born 4 September 1975) is a British-American DJ, songwriter, record producer, and record executive. He is best known for his collaborations with artists such as Duran Duran, Amy Winehouse, Adele, Lady Gaga, Lily Allen, Robbi ...

In Studio # Trouble Andrew – "Run - Hide" # Sister Nancy – "Pigeon Rock" #

Nora Dean Letetia Leonora McLeanObituary
hkhfuneralservices.com; accessed 7 October 2016. (8 Janua ...

– "Barbwire" #

Shinehead Shinehead (born Edmund Carl Aiken; 10 April 1962 in Kent, England) is a British Jamaican reggae singer/toaster/rapper. Career He began his music career by performing for different New York City reggae dancehall sound systems in the 1980s, most ...

– "Know How Fe Chat" #

– " Ghetto Defendant" # Warrior Queen – "Check It" # Santogold &

Benga Benga may refer to: Ethnonym * Benga people, an indigenous ethnic group of Equatorial Guinea * Benga language, spoke by the Benga people * Benga music, a genre of music originating in Kenya Places Romania * ''Benga'', the old name of Mo ...

– "Unstoppable" / "Night Dub" #

Shawty Lo Carlos Rico Walker (March 22, 1976 – September 21, 2016), better known as Shawty Lo, was an American rapper from Atlanta, Georgia. He initially came to prominence as a founding member of the Southern hip hop group D4L, and in 2000 founded D4L ...

Skream Oliver Dene Jones (born 1 June 1986), known as Skream, is an English electronic music producer based in Croydon. Skream was an early and influential exponent of the dubstep genre. After producing several singles, he released his first full-len ...

– "

Dey Know "Dey Know" (sometimes called "They Know") is a song by American hip hop recording artist Shawty Lo, released on December 4, 2007, as his commercial debut single. The song also serves as the lead single from Shawty Lo's debut solo album, ''Units ...

" / "Stagger" # Santogold – " Creator" (Mumdance Mix feat. Jammer, Badness, Chronik Rage, Slikman and Tempz) # Xray - "Turbulence Dubplate" (Starstruck Diplo Mix) #

Barrington Levy Barrington Ainsworth Levy (born 30 April 1964) is a Jamaican reggae and dancehall artist. Career Levy was born in Clarendon, Jamaica. He formed a band called the Mighty Multitude, with his cousin, Everton Dacres; the pair released "My Blac ...

– "Send a Moses" #

Prince Jazzbo Linval Roy Carter (3 September 1951 – 11 September 2013), better known as Prince Jazzbo, was a Jamaican reggae and dancehall deejay and producer. Career Born in Clarendon Parish, Jamaica, and raised in Kingston, Linval Roy Carter (who would ...

– "Ital Corner" # Santogold – "Icarus" # Santogold &

– "Right Brigade"

Covers and samples

*Near the end of "Dub Selection Intro" is a sound byte from ''

Street Fighter II is a fighting game developed by Capcom and originally released for arcades in 1991. It is the second installment in the ''Street Fighter'' series and the sequel to 1987's ''Street Fighter''. It is Capcom's fourteenth game to use the CP Syst ...

'' *"Late Night" (Unstoppable Mix) by

samples Santogold's "Unstoppable" *Amanda Blank's verse in "I'm a Lady" (Diplo Mix) samples

LL Cool J James Todd Smith (born January 14, 1968), known professionally as LL Cool J (short for Ladies Love Cool James), is an American rapper, songwriter, record producer, and actor. He is one of the earliest rappers to achieve commercial success, along ...

's "

I Need Love "I Need Love" is the second single from LL Cool J's second album, '' Bigger and Deffer''. The single reached number 1 on the Hot Black Singles and number 14 on the ''Billboard'' Hot 100 while becoming one of the first rap songs to enjoy main ...

" *The end of "Shuv It" (Disco D Blend) samples

's "

Billie Jean "Billie Jean" is a song by American singer Michael Jackson, released by Epic Records on January 2, 1983, as the second single from his sixth studio album, '' Thriller'' (1982). It was written and composed by Jackson and produced by Jackson and ...

" *Diplo's Panda Bear Mix of "Lights Out" samples "

Comfy in Nautica "I'm Not"/"Comfy in Nautica" is the first solo single by Animal Collective member Panda Bear, released in 2005. The single is a double A-side, and both tracks appear on Panda Bear's third album, ''Person Pitch'' (2007). The song "I'm Not" samples ...

" by

Panda Bear The giant panda (''Ailuropoda melanoleuca''), also known as the panda bear (or simply the panda), is a bear species endemic to China. It is characterised by its bold black-and-white coat and rotund body. The name "giant panda" is sometimes use ...

and "What's a Girl to Do?" by

Bat for Lashes Natasha Khan (born 25 October 1979), known professionally as Bat for Lashes, is an English singer, songwriter, producer, and multi-instrumentalist. She has released five studio albums: ''Fur and Gold'' (2006), ''Two Suns'' (2009), '' The Haun ...

*"Anne" (Switch Mix) samples "

Das Model "Das Model" ("The Model" in English) is a song recorded by the German group Kraftwerk in 1978, written by musicians Ralf Hütter and Karl Bartos, with artist Emil Schult collaborating on the lyrics. It is featured on the album, ''Die Mensch-M ...

" and " Nummern" by

Kraftwerk Kraftwerk (, "power station") is a German band formed in Düsseldorf in 1970 by Ralf Hütter and Florian Schneider. Widely considered innovators and pioneers of electronic music, Kraftwerk were among the first successful acts to popularize the ...

*"Dutty Six Pack" opens with a sample from

's "Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)" from ''

Sandinista! ''Sandinista!'' is the fourth studio album by the English punk rock band the Clash. It was released on 12 December 1980 as a triple album containing 36 tracks, with 6 songs on each side. It crosses various genres including funk, reggae, jazz, g ...

'' and further samples "Six Pack" by Black Flag *"You'll Find a Way" (Grame & Switch Mix) / "Lunar Camel" samples " Lunar Camel" by

*"Guns of Brooklyn" is a cover of

's "

" and samples "Dub be good to me" from

Beats International Beats International were a British dance music band and hip-hop collective, formed in the late 1980s by Norman Cook (later in his career known as Fatboy Slim) based in Brighton, East Sussex, England, after his departure from the Housemartins. A ...

*"Iko Iko" by

is blended with "

Ching-a-Ling "Ching-a-Ling" is a song by American rapper Missy Elliott. It was written by Elliott along with frequent collaborator Cainon Lamb as well as Shawn Campbell and Marshall Leathers from production duo The Arkitects for what was supposed to be Ellio ...

" by

Missy Elliott Melissa Arnette Elliott (born July 1, 1971), better known as Missy Elliott or Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliot, is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. She embarked on her music career with R&B girl group Sista in the earl ...

and samples

Clinic A clinic (or outpatient clinic or ambulatory care clinic) is a health facility that is primarily focused on the care of outpatients. Clinics can be privately operated or publicly managed and funded. They typically cover the primary care needs ...

's "The Equaliser" from '' Walking with Thee'' *"Big Belly Guns" opens with the intro to "Sonic Reducer" by

The Dead Boys The Dead Boys are an American punk rock band from Cleveland, Ohio, United States. The band was among the first wave of punk, and regarded by many as one of the rowdiest and most violent groups of the era. They were formed by vocalist Stiv B ...

and the drums from the

Dead Kennedys Dead Kennedys are an American punk rock band that formed in San Francisco, California, in 1978. The band was one of the defining punk rock, punk bands during its initial eight-year run. Dead Kennedys' lyrics were usually political in nature, sa ...

's "California Uber Alles", closing with its bassline and guitar riff and Street Fighter sound effects. *"Get It Up" (Radioclit Mix feat. M.I.A. and Gorilla Zoe) samples

's "Big Belly Guns" and

's " Hood Nigga", and it also contains a sound byte from ''

'' *"Creator" contains a part of "

Crank That (Soulja Boy) "Crank That" is the debut single by American rapper Soulja Boy Tell'em. It served as the lead single from his debut studio album, '' souljaboytellem.com'' (2007) and accompanies the Soulja Boy dance. The song is recognized by its looping steelp ...

" by

Soulja Boy Tell 'Em DeAndre Cortez Way (born July 28, 1990), known professionally as Soulja Boy (formerly Soulja Boy Tell 'Em), is an American rapper and record producer. He rose to prominence, after his self published debut single "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" peake ...

, and "

Freaky Gurl "Freaky Gurl" is a song by rapper Gucci Mane from his 2006 album ''Hard to Kill'' and his 2007 album ''Trap-A-Thon''. The song was produced by Cyber Sapp for Big Cat Records; its catchy beat interpolates "Superfreak" by Rick James, who is credite ...

" by

Gucci Mane Radric Delantic Davis (born February 12, 1980), known professionally as Gucci Mane, is an American rapper and record executive. He helped pioneer the hip hop subgenre of trap music alongside fellow Atlanta-based rappers T.I. and Young Jeezy, ...

. *"Turbulence Duplate" (Starstruck Diplo Mix) by Xray samples Santogold's "Starstruck" *The instrumental of "Icarus" is based around "This Is How We Walk on the Moon" by Arthur Russell *"Right Brigade" is a cover of

Bad Brains Bad Brains are an American rock band formed in Washington, D.C. in 1976. Originally a jazz fusion band under the name Mind Power, they are widely regarded as pioneers of hardcore punk, though the band's members have objected to the use of this ...

References

External links

Santogold
on Myspace {{Authority control Albums produced by Diplo 2008 mixtape albums Santigold albums