What Has Rap Been Missing? Tom Waits!

For the last three decades, there have been two forces in music circling each other like heavenly bodies: Tom Waits, and hip-hop. Like an asteroid strike, the thought of the two coming together in a blinding explosion eclipsing all other types, forms, genres and varieties of music was possible, but not entirely likely. At least, not while you and your children are alive.

Finally, Los Angeles DJ duo N.A.S.A. have corrected this wrong, using Waits and rapper Kool Keith on their song "Spacious Thoughts."

...And it is fucking amazing. Like ice cream for my ears. Like a blowjob from an angel. Like, Tom Waits on a rap song.

Paul McCartney heard this track and said "Fuck the Beatles, I didn't know shit about music until I heard this."

Prince heard this song and said "I can't even listen to my old albums anymore. I've wasted so much time!"

If Jesus Christ Himself commissioned the five greatest musicians of all-time (Beethoven, John Lennon, Jimi Hendrix, Freddie Mercury, Tupac) to write and record a song for Him, Jesus would decide he liked this one better.

The real question is, how do I go on now that I've heard it? I used to value my iPod library, my record collection, my last.FM account, but now it's all useless. I am ashamed. I need to get more Tom Waits-meets-rap into me.