Remember, oh, 4 or 5 years ago, when you couldn’t get away from R&B songs with vaguely Asian sounding hooks? I don’t know if she started it, but I attribute (read: blame) this phenomenon on Missy Elliot’s (or, perhaps, Timbaland’s) Get Ur Freak On. This was followed by tracks from Tweet (also produced by Timbaland) and Ludacris. Hell, even Erick Sermon’s React carried that same vibe. Luckily — or not luckily, depending on how you look at it -– that sound was swallowed by a dancehall and Latin inspired vibe (blame Sean Paul and the rise of Reggaeton for that).

As an aside, I hope the next “big” thing will be rapping over downtempo instrumentals. Tracks like Amon Tobin’s Four Ton Mantis and Kid Loco’s Flyin’ on 747 seem ripe for looping and rapping (the former even reminds me a little of Dr. Dre’s Guilty Conscience.) That would be a lovely turn for Hip Hop, but I won’t hold my breath. (Addendum: Thanks to Jeffy for pointing out Lupe Fiasco’s Daydream. It’s not exactly what I meant, but it’s sure close, and it certainly rocks more than most Hip Hop you hear on the radio now).

Anyway, the reason I bring this up is that one style that certainly did not take off, is rapping over old ragtime records.

Which is really too bad, when you think about, considering how bad (and uncreative) most hip-hop production is these days. It’s telling that the best beat I’ve heard in awhile –- Show Me What You Got by Jay-Z, if you’re keeping score at home — is a rehash of Rump Shaker by Wreckx-N-Effect and the theme from Shaft In Africa. Things are so bad, apparently, it seems that Timbaland has even recycled that baby noise he used on Aaliyah’s Are You That Somebody. How sick is that?

So it would seem that that old ragtime records would be a veritable treasure trove of “new” material (using the term “new” very loosely). Moby hit a little left of the mark with Play, managing to cut an entire album doing little more than biting old African-American spirituals. Perhaps a similar era, but not the same.

So let’s all pay homage to the one visionary who actually did rap over old ragtime records. Yes, that’s right, we’re talking about Lucas, and his one minor hit, Lucas With the Lid Off. The video was directed by Michel Gondry (who you know as the director of Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) and was, apparently, shot all in one take.

Without further ado, I give you JeremyAbramson.com™ Presents: Flashback Tuesday, Volume I: Lucas – Lucas With the Lid Off

(Editor’s Note: Yes, I know it’s not a Tuesday. I’m a little late. Sue me.)