Top Ranking: A Diplo Dub

Top Ranking
Compilation album by Santigold & Diplo
Released	July 15, 2008
Genre	Hip hop, dub, electronic, post-punk, reggae, psychedelic, mash-up
Label	Mad Decent
Producer	Diplo, Santi White
Santigold chronology
Santogold (2008) Top Ranking (2008) Master of My Make-Believe (2012)
Diplo chronology
I Like Turtles (2007) Top Ranking (2008)

Top Ranking: A Diplo Dub is a mixtape by American artist Santigold (then going by Santogold) and Philadelphia-based DJ Diplo, released on July 15, 2008.^[1]

General information

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's "The Guns of Brixton", with lyrics altered to reference Brooklyn.^[2] "Guns of Brooklyn" and "Get It Up", a collaboration with M.I.A. that heavily samples Gorilla Zoe's "Hood Nigga", were leaked to the blogosphere prior to the mixtape's release.^[2][3][4] An alternate version of "Get It Up" featuring Esau Mwamwaya rather than Gorilla Zoe also appeared on the internet.^[5] The album was released for a short period of time on the internet as a free download.^[6]

The Diplo remix of "I'm a Lady", which features Amanda Blank, was later included in its entirety on Blank's 2009 album I Love You.

After taking inspiration from a Siouxsie and the Banshees song for her track "My Superman" on her debut album,^[7] Santogold sampled for this mix tape another song of their Kaleidoscope, "Lunar Camel".

Critical reception

Professional ratings
Review scores
Source	Rating
Exclaim!	(positive)[8]
NME	(8/10)[9]
Rolling Stone	[10]
Pitchfork Media	(8.0/10.0)[11]
Slant Magazine	[12]

The mixtape has received comparisons to M.I.A. and Diplo's 2004 mixtape, Piracy Funds Terrorism.^[3][13] However, Pitchfork Media 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."^[14] According to NME, Top Ranking "expands on her [Santogold's] debut's cultural crossover", incorporating "hyphy, crunk, classic dub and new wave".^[15] The review continued that the mixtape "is a must-have" either "as a standalone mixtape or a perfect companion to Santogold".^[15] Exclaim! said that Top Ranking "showcases Santogold's steeze and flexibility as an MC/singer."^[16] 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."^[16] Idolator labelled the disc "an entertaining listen, with most of the disparate influences that influence Santogold's debut appearing in one form or another."^[17] Slant Magazine said that "Top Ranking's 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."^[18]

Top Ranking was named one of 2008's five best mixtapes by The Guardian.^[19] The publication also named the Diplo Remix of "I'm a Lady" featuring Amanda Blank one of the "singles" of the year.^[20]

Track listing

1. "Dub Selection Intro"
2. Three 6 Mafia – "Late Night" (Unstoppable Mix)
3. Santogold – "Shuv It" (Disco D Blend)
4. Santogold – "I'm A Lady" (Diplo Mix feat. Amanda Blank)
5. Sir Mix-a-Lot – "Posse on Broadway"
6. Santogold – "Lights Out" (Diplo's Panda Bear Mix)
7. Aretha Franklin – "Save Me"
8. Devo – "Be Stiff"
9. The B-52's – "Mesopotamia"
10. Gerri and the Holograms – "Gerri and the Holograms"
11. Santogold – "Anne" (Switch Mix)
12. Santogold – "L.E.S. Artistes" (XXXchange Mix feat. Mavado)
13. Cutty Ranks – "Dutty Six Pack"
14. Santogold – "You'll Find a Way" (Grame & Switch Mix feat. Kid Cudi) / Siouxsie And The Banshees - "Lunar Camel"
15. Richie Spice & Ratatat – "Marijuana"
16. Desmond Dekker – "Shanty Town"
17. Santogold – "Guns of Brooklyn"
18. The Dixie Cups – "Iko Iko"
19. Tony Matterhorn – "Big Belly Guns"
20. Santogold – "Get It Up" (Radioclit Mix feat. M.I.A. and Gorilla Zoe)
21. Mark Ronson In Studio
22. Trouble Andrew – "Run - Hide"
23. Sister Nancy – "Pigeon Rock"
24. Nora Dean – "Barbwire"
25. Shinehead – "Know How Fe Chat"
26. The Clash – "Ghetto Defendant"
27. Warrior Queen – "Check It"
28. Santogold & Benga – "Unstoppable" / "Night Dub"
29. Shawty Lo & Skream – "Dey Know" / "Stagger"
30. Santogold – "Creator" (Mumdance Mix feat. Jammer, Badness, Chronik Rage, Slikman and Tempz)
31. Xray - "Turbulence Dubplate" (Starstruck Diplo Mix)
32. Barrington Levy – "Send a Moses"
33. Prince Jazzbo – "Ital Corner"
34. Santogold – "Icarus"
35. Santogold & Diplo – "Right Brigade"

Covers and samples

• Near the end of "Dub Selection Intro" is a sound byte from Street Fighter II
• "Late Night" (Unstoppable Mix) by Three 6 Mafia samples Santogold's "Unstoppable"
• Amanda Blank's verse in "I'm a Lady" (Diplo Mix) samples LL Cool J's "I Need Love"^[21]
• The end of "Shuv It" (Disco D Blend) samples Shinehead's "Billie Jean"
• Diplo's Panda Bear Mix of "Lights Out" samples "Comfy in Nautica" by Panda Bear and "What's a Girl to Do?" by Bat for Lashes^[22]
• "Anne" (Switch Mix) samples "Das Model" and "Nummern" by Kraftwerk
• "Dutty Six Pack" opens with a sample from The Clash's "Lightning Strikes (Not Once but Twice)" from Sandinista! and further samples "Six Pack" by Black Flag
• "You'll Find a Way" (Grame & Switch Mix) / "Lunar Camel" samples "Lunar Camel" by Siouxsie and the Banshees
• "Guns of Brooklyn" is a cover of The Clash's "The Guns of Brixton"^[2] and samples "Dub be good to me" from Beats International
• "Iko Iko" by The Dixie Cups is blended with "Ching-a-Ling" by Missy Elliott and samples Clinic's "The Equaliser" from Walking with Thee
• "Big Belly Guns" opens with the intro to "Sonic Reducer" by The Dead Boys and the drums from the Dead Kennedys'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 Tony Matterhorn's "Big Belly Guns" and Gorilla Zoe's "Hood Nigga",^[5] and it also contains a sound byte from Street Fighter II
• "Creator" contains a part of "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" by Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, and "Freaky Gurl" by Gucci Mane.
• "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

References

1. "Top Ranking". Amazon.com. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
2. Ehren Gresehover (2008-07-18). "Santogold covers the Clash, sort of". New York. Bruce Wasserstein. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
3. Paul Thompson (2008-07-18). "Santogold and Diplo team for Top Ranking mixtape". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
4. Mark Richardson (2008-07-17). ""Guns of Brooklyn" (The Clash cover)". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
5. "Esau Mwamwaya f. MIA & Santogold, "Get It Up"". The Fader. 2008-08-08. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
6. "Santogold and Diplo mixtape available to download for free". NME. IPC Media. 2008-07-25. Retrieved 2009-04-17.
7. Hresko, Lisa (2008-04-28). "SANTOGOLD: All That Glitters Is Santogold". CMJ. "'My Superman' is an interpolation of a Siouxsie Sioux song, 'Red Light,'" she explains. "It was inspired by that [song]."
8. Exclaim! review
9. NME review
10. Rolling Stone review
11. Pitchfork Media review
12. Slant Magazine review
13. "Santogold vs Diplo". Fact Magazine. Vinyl Factory Publishing. 2008-07-21. Retrieved 2008-07-22.
14. Mark Pytlik (2008-07-29). "Santogold/Diplo: Top Ranking [Mad Decent; 2008]". Pitchfork Media. Retrieved 2008-07-30.
15. Priya Elan (2008-09-05). "Santogold Vs Diplo". NME. IPC Media. Retrieved 2008-09-05.
16. "Santogold & Diplo - Top Ranking". Exclaim!. 2008-07-24. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
17. "Diplo, Santogold trip down hip-hop memory lane". Idolator. 2008-07-22. Retrieved 2008-07-24.
18. Ed Gonzalez (2008-07-30). "Diplo and Santogold: Top Ranking". Slant Magazine. Retrieved 2008-08-14.
19. "2008 in lists: Five best mixtapes out there somewhere to download". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. 2008-12-13. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
20. "The Guide's 13 singles of the year". The Guardian. Guardian Media Group. 2008-12-13. Retrieved 2008-12-13.
21. J. Edward Keyes (2008-07-25). "Single Minded: The Killers, Wu-Tang Clan, Santogold and The Cure". Rolling Stone. Wenner Media. Retrieved 2008-07-26.
22. Marc Hogan (2008-08-11). "Pitchfork.tv: Santogold: "Lights Out" [Video]". Retrieved 2008-08-13.

External links

• Santogold on Myspace