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IV The Polymath: New Vs. Old

Alex Edelstein — Mon, 13 Feb 2012 17:00:57 +0000

As a hip hop producer with a specialization in live instrumentation, IV the Polymath brings a fresh perspective to beatmaking. With this influx of instrumental sounds, he has the ability to instantaneously shift the direction of a track, moving from a traditional hip hop bass kick to a classic jazz riff, without it coming across as forced. Between his solo work and collaborative efforts with emcees like Jondis (as i.deals) and Junclassic (as UnderCurrent), IV the Polymath has displayed a knack for creating a variety of sonic styles. It’s this variability that allows him to craft projects that cover the scope of sounds, with influences coming from all over. This dual expertise shows up straight away on his latest release, New Vs. Old, with a combination of sampled jazz drum patterns and live keyboard coexisting to form an often headnod-inducing instrumental album.

New Vs. Old serves as a fitting title for this project as IV bridges the space between classic live jazz and the more modern art of sampling. Tracks like “Next 2 You” epitomize this, infusing spacey keyboard effects over a 70s-era funk bassline that you can’t help but want to dance to. The album is littered with these types of juxtapositions, pairing electronic manipulations with jazz and funk-based samples.

Like many of the more experimental instrumental albums out there, New Vs. Old suits those looking for a cerebral hip hop experience, requiring an attentive listener to soak up the entirety of the sonic offerings. Even on the more stripped down tracks like “Eat Plants” and “What’s Your Motive?,” where the focus is on the bass, there is still a lot going on in the way of new and interesting sounds.

While each track provides a unique mix of samples and effects, there is a strong cohesion that pulls the album along nicely. Inevitably, there are a couple of times where things run a bit stale (“Daydreaming”), but these instances are few and far between. At just over 48 minutes, no track drags on for too long, as IV wisely keeps things moving, throwing in a couple of interludes to mix it up along the way. As we approach the album’s end, things pick up both in pace and complexity. “Planet Z” challenges listener with a flurry of different tempos and sounds, constantly shifting the track’s feel. For some, these types of chaotic compositions might prove overwhelming with their aggressive and nontraditional feel. Similarly, “Lions” uses some pretty atypical effects to manipulate the basic backing track, creating a really unique overall sound.

For an album that traditionalists will have a hard time placing alongside recent beat projects, New Vs. Old manages to effectively tie together two generally contrasting production styles. We’ve seen a few examples of artists using live instrumentals to create beats (compare to Will Sessions’ recreation of the Illmatic beats on Elmatic), but not many have taken such an experimental approach to combining live music with drum, bass, and vocal sampling like IV does here. The result is a collection of unique sounding beats that you can easily imagine an emcee going in over, but has the ability to stand alone as completed compositions.

7.5/10

New vs. Old

Drive

Next 2 You

The Internet: Purple Naked Ladies

Michael Kaminsky — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 18:00:28 +0000

One of the standout, while sadly most-overlooked tracks off the temperately reviewed Tyler, the Creator’s spring release Goblin, was bonus track/instrumental-piece, “Untitled 63.” The interlude is a free-form jazzy viber that’ll make most anyone feel like blowing some lines aboard a space station. This is the vibe Syd tha Kid and Matt Martians of The Jet Age of Tomorrow adopt for The Internet, their own, and the Odd Future camp’s latest group. Their debut, Purple Naked Ladies, kicks off with an intro sonically reminiscent to the Wolf Haley piece, segueing nicely into the remainder of the album; an up-and-down neo-psych-soul rollercoaster sprawling from Odd Future’s Fairfax foundation to The Internet’s new Marina del Rey beachside headquarters.

Following a Phonte-esque Tay Walker feature on second single, “They Say,” comes Purple Naked Ladies’ sleeper hit, “She dgaf;” an infectiously poppy chorus also serving as a funky anti-conformity anthem (“She cut off all of her hair, because she don’t give a fuck (dgaf)).” When the Internet’s live show comes to a city near you, this is the song you should be most excited to see as Syd commands the track with strength, individuality, and a cool and calm demeanor. This is what makes Sydney Bennett, the sole female member of one of the most popular and equally controversial groups in Hip Hop, so got damn irresistible.

“Cocaine” is both a funky and soulful single with an uncanny awareness of it’s own pop-sensibility and breakout potential. The Left Brain verse is exactly that—a low-toned, probably written in ten minutes, coke-high diatribe. Regardless, the song sticks, and even more so, the video is symbolically groundbreaking. In it Syd essentially outs herself as a lesbian to the entire Hip Hop community. While she may only be twenty-years-old, the lone girl within a posse of half-hearted misogynists and homophobes has officially set the bar for all of those still hiding within a music community that so commonly berates and denigrates the concept of love shared between two members of the same sex.

Syd, in addition to being a great producer, engineer, live DJ, and demonstrated in this release, a soulful singer, has officially planted a gay rights flag within the center of Planet Hip Hop. And for that alone, The Internet and the members of Odd Future should be applauded. These kids continue to produce the music they originally linked together to create; but now, they’re doing so much more—as Syd potentially paves the path for more closeted (and nonetheless talented) members within the Hip Hop community.

The most impactful song on Purple Naked Ladies is the first song ever released as The Internet: “Love Song -1.” Months after its initial leak, the song’s display of Syd’s angelic harmonies continues to catch me off guard. Everything about this song is perfection. Be it the simple drums, the sparse piano line, Syd’s gut-wrenching falsetto, or the song’s succinct minute and a half running time. Right at the moment you find yourself falling in love with the song; genuinely sharing in Syd’s pain— the song ends. Fade out. This is why I tend to loop the song at least three or four times when listening. It’s just too good to only be 89 seconds.

Syd’s soft falsetto isn’t the only voice on Purple Naked Ladies. At times this is a strength and at others a drawback. Collaborations with relative unknowns Kilo Kish and Coco O. on tracks “Ode to a Dream” and “Visions” paint the soundscapes of old En Vogue ballads with a futuristic, mechanical pulse. Those songs’ tones clash with Syd’s systemic slow jams, while fellow OFer’s Mike G and Left Brain’s flows interweave seamlessly. Both “Cocaine” and “Lincoln” break the neo-soul mold of Purple Naked Ladies. But the soul returns when Syd channels her inner-Eykah on “Web of Me.”

Even the weaker tracks on Purple Naked Ladies show their own glimmers of light, the entire album flaunts a heavy-bass wobble and synthetic keyboards. The vibes are present, but they begin to trail with the album’s repetitious end. Certain songs present themselves as unfinished thoughts (“Gurl”), or half-ideas (“Cunt”) tacked on to an album carrying the weight as ‘the first official release on Odd Future Records.

The album’s final three tracks simply come off repetitive and underwhelming. They feel like the ninth, tenth, an eleventh renditions of the same song. As the listener, you don’t hear much growth by the close of Purple Naked Ladies. The album exhibits Syd and Matt’s go-to formula for stoner-slow-jams: sharp drums, mellow tones, and lovelorn lyrical content. It grows a bit stale, but what Golf Wang Hooligan has ever really cared what a critic thought? I’m left wanting more out Purple Naked Ladies, as the talent is clearly there. On the flip side of the coin, Syd and Matt can and should be proud of this release.

Purple Naked Ladies certainly has its highs (“She dgaf” and “Love Song -1”), but with such a lackluster conclusion, this debut drags to the finish line instead of enjoying a victory lap.

7.0/10

Violent Nude Women

She dgaf

Love Song -1

Common: The Dreamer/The Believer

Arasia Magnetic — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 19:46:14 +0000

In recent years, I’ve been worried about Common because I didn’t recognize him. And as a self-proclaimed Common “Stan” and proud Chicagoan, this disturbed me because my favorite emcee was off balance. With the misfortune of Universal Mind Control and Finding Forever AKA “Be 2.0 The Leftovers,” I was losing my ability to justify his creative actions. However, when I got wind that he was reuniting with No I.D. [his greatest conductor], I knew some parts of old Rashid would be resurrected. And I was right.

No melodic, soulful intro that you come to expect at the beginning of a Common album, as he gets right to it with “The Dreamer.” Delivery wise, Common sounds crisp and the grandiose drums, scintilating sample, and superb production by the legendary No I.D. makes it the strongest on the project. Luckily, the album doesn’t go completely downhill but never fully picks up on the same level as this track.

The uplifting tone that Com sets with the aforementioned song evaporates with “Ghetto Dreams” featuring Nas. Directly after Maya Angelou’s riveting poem, Common belligerently emerges as he explains what type of bitch he desires. Strange? Maybe but he suffers from Tupac syndrome like most emcees. One minute, he is calling women queens and the next they are four legged animals. Contradictory but it’s real shit that Common is known to deliver. He gives you the good and bad, which make him relatable and this time, it isn’t his job to tell you if it’s right or wrong; it’s his duty to speak of ghetto dreams. And although his verse is respectable, the standout here is Nas as he delivers a fiery verse over a thorough beat.

As “A story of change that came with wings,” the stunningly crafted “Blue Sky has bittersweet elements as Common, who is just now receiving his just due (which is ridiculous), shares his dreams. This atmospheric track that is without the traditional hard-hitting drums you expect focuses on the message, which Common poetically delivers quite wonderfully. “A mortal view of a star doing what I’m born to do, I see the blue sky say the Lord’s coming through.” And No I.D. creates the perfect exultant canvas for Common to inspire while Makeba Riddick caps it off with her spacious voice that blends extremely well.

Common isn’t a slouch when it comes to beefing on wax [“The Bitch In Yoo”] however the same guy that annihilated Ice Cube has made a misdirected diss track. Don’t get it twisted…No I.D. did his part. The uncompromising energy that the Southside of Chicago possesses is all over this track and the sample from Doris and Kelly’s, “You Don’t Have to Worry” tantalizes Com’s unspoken nemesis perfectly. However, Common’s cantankerous rant and adlibs are torturous to listen to and he should’ve revisited his past to craft a proper diss track.

“Lovin I Lost” is classic “Chi-Town” with a Curtis Mayfield sample in the backdrop. It has an old windy city vintage flair as Common speaks of heartache from a love lost. The beat is consumed with rigid drums and big horns and is exactly what you expect from these two in a good way. On “Raw (How You Like It),” we see Common going to a bar, meeting a woman, followed by an altercation where he ends the night by cracking someone over the head. The influx of chaotic energy from the sirens, the [annoying] “mixtape sound,” and scattered lyrics makes this a filler track. The beat on “Cloth” has a melancholy like elegance as Common goes beyond outer attire and explains how he and his ladylove are cut from the same cloth. James Fauntleroy fluently decorates this track making it more heartfelt as the bashful piano plays out in the background.

“Windows” is one of the stronger tracks [lyrically] as Common speaks about a jaded woman and how he serves as a life guide to his daughter. Like an extension of the second verse of “Geto Heaven Part Two,” Com thrives in this kind of environment where he can tap into your soul over a simple beat allowing his lyrics to be the focal point.

And what would the closure of a Common album be without Pops? Hip Hop’s favorite father is the ancestral strand that gives a vivid perspective beyond beats and rhymes while closing the album brilliantly.

Common approached his ninth album with the element of dreaming and his goal was to create a feel good album that inspired and took us back to when Hip Hop simply felt good. And this album definitely does that. However, we all really want to know is Common back? [Yes and no.] He didn’t create a classic with The Dreamer/The Believer as it has some minuses (so so lyrics, questionable choruses, misplaced tracks) and sometimes, his approach seems a bit too forced but this album has a certain warmth, sophistication, and elegance making it a greater offering than his recent output and overall a solid album. But that is not a good enough reason to stamp the classic mark on it or say he is fully back. Furthermore, the true star on TD/TB is No I.D. as he maintains his knack for classic soulful boom bap production with a contemporary vibe.

Ultimately, Com is headed in the right direction and it’s great to see him this focused and going back to the foundation he has in No I.D. The two of them create the kind of magic that he has never truly replicated with any other producer. And if he keeps this up, he just might claim the crown that should’ve been his when he proclaimed that one day it would all make sense.

8.5/10

The Dreamer

Gold

Blue Sky

Hasan Salaam: Music Is My Weapon

Jeff Leon — Thu, 29 Dec 2011 17:05:03 +0000

“So when I say music is my weapon, I’m using my weapon to fight for freedom, justice and equality…”

Rapper Hasan Salaam wants to change the world with his music. Now, a lofty goal like this is something many rappers aspire to achieve, and when they drop their latest tape or record they claim that they’ve done it, even though this “change” ends up being a rather typical hot beats and rhymes affair. However, when Salaam says he wants to change the world, he means it. The NJ rapper is known well for his activism and community work in Jersey City, mentoring youth and working with local artists, but it was a recent trip and performance in the West African nation of Guinea-Bissau where he decided to expand his help to a global scale, hence the genesis of his latest project, Music is My Weapon.

Music… is an ambitious record, with Salaam’s goal being creating music so powerful that it can be a weapon in itself; a transformative affair full of knowledge, political might, and revolution, such as Public Enemy’s It Takes A Nation Of Millions To Hold Us Back or Boogie Down Production’s By Any Means Necessary, with the album’s proceeds going towards an international aid project known as It Takes A Village. The initiative aims to raise fourteen thousand dollars to build a school, medical clinic, and water well in the small village of Djati in Guinea-Bissau. Already, the record has taken on an urgent cause, but Salam doesn’t rest on his laurels, and works to make it the strongest project he can.

Music is My Weapon opens well with “1911,” arriving with defiant horns and dramatic drums. From the get go, Salaam wastes no time speaking out about the direction of Hip Hop, cultural self-destruction, and more, with sly references to Akon, Kreayshawn, Black Panther Bobby Seale, and others. Salaam’s voice in particular has a raw edge to it, and his growls are a weapon in itself as he declares to manufactured rappers, “So memorize this slogan: Whore-chosen laws are made to be broken.” Moving into “Musical Chairs,” you really begin to notice Salaam’s intelligence and strong grasp of history and culture as he name-checks Charlie Parker, Bob Marley, James Brown, Biggie, and Pac within a single breath on a track, which celebrates the power of music. Salaam definitely knows the time, and hearing him on the record, you appreciate the knowledge he’s putting out there. “AK-47” is a strong example of this; a dedication and condemnation of one of the world’s most well-known and well-worn weapons. Producer Niroshima Beats puts in work, with a fearful and dramatic beat laced with smart vocal samples about the history and use of the weapon, while Salaam and guests Badsportt and CF take turns describing the gun, channeling Nas’ “I Gave You Power” in their personification of the AK, and touching on ideas of child soldiers, Cold War conflicts, third-world revolutionary struggles, and more making for one of the record’s top listens. “Miss America” is another highlight as Salaam personifies America as a young woman with harsh lines like, “Fuck the world literal, she a political nympho…” and “Born fourth of July, by the 5^th she had the whole world caught up in a lie…” The production from The Snowgoons also stands out with a slick rock edge. Salaam isn’t afraid to bare his soul either, as “All Roads Leave Home” is a doleful and downtrodden listen as he ruminates on the crushing lows of life, over a rather depressing beat declaring, “In the struggle without the dolla I hustle for change.”

While Music… has its strong moments, it stumbles on a track or two like in the final listen, “Music Is My Weapon,” Salaam’s manifesto, which ends the record on a rather dull note due to the easygoing beat, even though Salaam’s messages are striking. Or the sung hook on “Musical Chairs” by Baron, which feels out of place on a raw-sounding track. Also, with the proceeds of the album going towards an African village, it would’ve been intriguing to have Salaam attack more global issues in his lyricism, as his rhymes on the record are mostly centered on America and issues facing African-Americans. I would’ve liked to have heard about some of his experiences in Guinea-Bissau, or him raising awareness of the village he’s trying to help.

So does Hasan Salaam’s Music Is My Weapon deliver the ambitious goal of providing music, which brings justice, freedom, and equality to listeners? Well, not quite, but he still has a strong record here, bringing smart rhymes over strong productions, all for a great reason.

Definitely pick this one up…you’ll enjoy the music and you’ll be helping a very good cause.

8.0/10

All Roads Leave Home

Miss America

AK-47

Kooley High: David Thompson

Uptown Bobby — Wed, 28 Dec 2011 00:00:00 +0000

Hip Hop and basketball share an open marriage that most fans are privy to. And since Hip Hop’s inception, there have been many lyrical odes to the hardwood. From Kurtis Blow’s ‘’Basketball’’ to Pill’s ‘’Scottie Pippen/ Tim Duncan,’’ Hip Hop has always found a way to cleverly salute the game of basketball and its players. Now, North Carolina’s Kooley High takes the rock and pays homage to their home state and the game by naming their latest album after North Carolina State basketball legend, David Thompson. Kooley High has received critical acclaim from their previous projects (The Summer Sessions EP, Eastern Standard Time, and Kooley is High), but is their new project David Thompson a slam-dunk or an air ball?

With the group being disassembled by location, emcees Tab-One and Charlie Smarts are the stars and centerpiece of this project. The intro, “David Thompson,” opens the album with smooth production by DJ Prince, who handles the lion’s share of the album (as well as dropping a verse on ‘’Big Headed’’), while group members and in house producers Sinopsis, Foolery and DJ III Digitz are nowhere to be found. He also passes the production baton to Napoleon Wright II towards the latter part of the album to maintain the smoothness that it possesses. Lastly, Rapsody doesn’t appear much and is only featured on two songs (“Regular Shit,” “Dear Raleigh”) and her presence is so limited that her appearances could have been listed as guest features.

Charlie Smarts and Tab-One were never slouches on the mic and they continue to show growth and consistency throughout this project. The most heartfelt track on the album is the emotional, ‘’Dear Raleigh’’ produced by Tecknowledgy. Charlie pours his heart out on this track with lines like, ‘’Dear Raleigh/ I’m still Charlie/ I’m so gone I aint really here hardly /But we still talking, just from a long distance.’’ Rhapsody then appears and gives her perspective on how the group went from ‘’rapping till they saw sunlight, to Brooklyn taking care of her friends Charlie and Tab-one. ‘’Dear Raleigh’’ is definitely the track that shows how Kooley High’s close friendship will keep them together despite success and location. It’s also great to hear all three emcees together on the same track, as “Regular Shit’’ catches the vibe of their other projects. ‘’Laid Off’’ lets Charlie and Tab-One have some fun and talk about girls and getting action; a nice change of pace while ’Days Passed Me By’’ also lets the two talk about women again, but this time, it’s from a deeper more emotional place; not a sexual one.

The guest features throughout the album are heavy as The Kid Daytona, King Mez, Homeboy Sandman, Skyzoo and Median all appear and each add a different element to each track they bless. Skyzoo brings his A-game on ‘’For The Record’’ with DJ Prince dropping a knocking beat that allows Charlie and Tab-One to go tit for tat with Skyzoo b-boy style. And DJ Prince uses heavy loops and scratching to make this track rougher than most of the other cuts on the album. “Freak it’’ featuring Kid Daytona holds a beautiful sample of Lucy Pearl’s ‘’Dance Tonight’’ by DJ Prince also. The harp in the background adds another layer of smooth to an already stellar track, and the continued laidback feel of the album lets Tab One and Charlie go in a direction that we haven’t seen very much on older products but is welcomed. The sound bites of David Thompson talking about his dynamic hang time and other noteworthy points of his career are also a great bonus. On the flipside, Homeboy Sandman’s lethargic flow doesn’t fit with the energy of Charlie and Tab One on “Unfound and ‘’Yeah, Yeah’’ feat Median is a skippable track that closes out the album on an underwhelming note.

Older fans of Kooley High probably dismissed this project when they read the track list and didn’t see any production credits from The Sinopsis and Foolery. However they will have a change of heart when they give the album a chance. The soulful production from DJ Prince and Napoleon Wright II let Tab-One and Charlie open up more as artists. And at the end of ‘’Same Ol’ Thing,’’ Tab One tells Charlie, ‘’We can’t keep doing the same ole’ shit, man.’’ Meaning… these artists didn’t leave North Carolina and move to New York to make the same music from prior efforts.

Overall, David Thompson is a good album. My only gripe was the small sample of third rhymer Rapsody. Due to schedule conflicts and distance, plus a budding solo career, Rapsody couldn’t be heavily featured on the album. And although Charlie and Tab do a solid job without her, Rapsody brought an intangible quality to the group that made them even more special. On the intro Charlie states, ‘’ We ‘bout to win a championship/ so hand me the shit.” While this album is good enough to get them to the playoffs, they’re still a player away from being championship contenders.

8.0/10

Dear Raleigh

For The Record feat Skyzoo

Days Passed Me By

Doomtree: No Kings

Michael Kaminsky — Thu, 15 Dec 2011 19:56:02 +0000

No Kings marks the Doomtree collective’s third studio album. Following up 2008’s self-titled debut, No Kings is the final release in a very busy year for the group’s individual members that included a remix EP of indie soft-rockers and fellow Minneapolitans, Gayngs (of which P.O.S. and Dessa are members), Sims’ Bad Time Zoo musical menagerie and Lazerbeak produced Wildlife EP, Cecil Otter’s acclaimed Wu-Tang/Fugazi (Wugazi) mash-up album, and Dessa’s recent Top 200 rearrangements record, Castor, the Twin. These Rhymesayers associates have only one gear… Go! No Kings goes above and beyond what’s typical of Hip Hop today and is not only a solid musical addition to the Doomtree collective’s catalogue, but the music is original, unpretentious, and should be applauded… preferably to the beat.

In a recent interview, Dessa disclosed the details behind No Kings’ recording process. “We kinda locked ourselves in a cabin without Internet or our cell-phones and played beats. None of us came with song ideas…none of us came with lyrics. We had our beats already…and we just played them on repeat, wrote all day, demoed until the morning hours, and did it again the next day.” This recording model, without a doubt, led to No Kings’ unified, free-form yet concise sound. In the ¾ of an hour that No Kings takes to play out, the five voices of Doomtree (P.O.S., Dessa, Sims, Cecil Otter and Mike Mictlan) present themselves with individual distinctiveness while also meshing as one organic an interconnected sound.

From the opening guitar riff on “No Way” to the final symbol crash of “Fresh New Trash,” No Kings presents the Minneapolis crew showcasing their craft. Because after ten years of perfecting (and never compromising) their sound while simultaneously paving their own lane in Hip Hop, artists don’t just stop, satisfied; they continue to create. Or as P.O.S. puts it so rhythmically on the tenure anthem, “Bangarang”—“Doomtree bangarang/All these rappers sound the same/Beats, sound the same/Raps, sound the same…Ten years in our lane/Doomtree bangarang.”

While P.O.S. still probably gets more love at Warped Tour than Paid Dues, rather than fight it, Doomtree have always chosen to own their position in Hip Hop, never opting to rework their sound with hopes of success and acclaim. Doomtree was created for the art…for the sheer ability to be able to create, together. No surprise then that the consistent themes scattered across No Kings are originality, anti-conformity and self-confidence (“Team The Best Team” and “Own Yours”).

Singles “The Grand Experiment” and “Bolt Cutter” are clear standouts, but pinpointing highs and lows throughout No Kings seems ineffective. The album’s twelve tracks, five voices and four producers (Lazerbeak, Paper Tiger, Cecil Otter, and P.O.S.) weave so seamlessly, the collection is truly deserving of the umbrella Doomtree moniker. Now ten years deep, the cabin recording aesthetic definitely helps capture these seven musically creative souls at their tightest—“It’s all friends here, all love/Why don’t you roll with us?”

No Kings is a unified effort, but one member is worthy of the spotlight. Dessa, particularly towards the middle third of the record, contributes to, if not carry’s “Little Mercy,” “The Grand Experiment,” “String Theory” and posse-cut “Team The Best Team.” The steady growth of both her verses and natural singing voice is a deadly combination just waiting to hit the charts, currently cluttered with Hip Hop/pop hybrids.

“Beacon,” a layered electro-rock Cecil Otter beat begins with a beautiful piano, but quickly crescendos into a “Kashmir” guitar riff, raw drums and an auto-tuned hook infinitely more polished than anything involving Lil’ Wayne and a guitar. One song the crew fails to pull off though is “Gimme the Go”– a beat far too hard for the artsy Minneapolis lyricists.

No Kings ends on a high with crew-cut closer “Fresh New Trash”—a gorgeously melancholy horn sample matched with spiking hi-hats as the Doomtree emcees unleash their finest bars for their 2011 curtain call. A lyrically on-point P.O.S. drops a gem of a hook, (“Let it go let it roll on past/Don’t hold back/Understand its over before you know”) before often-overlooked member, Mike Mictlan blesses the album’s final bars: “This is ten years/Rust and tears/Sweat and fears/Acceptance from my friends and peers/And everything that’s brought us here…Win, lose or tie/Still Doomtree till I die/Even after death and dirt/Let em know who said it first/Then put it on your favorite shirt/Rap won’t save you/Sell em absolution with a verse.”

The group cites the album’s title as “a call for both rebellion and respect.” Doomtree have worked for every fan, dollar and ounce of respect they’ve earned over the past ten years. Not one member has lost a sense of purpose or let any brush with fame fog their artistic gaze. Each member shares one common goal: to create. And as you can tell lyrically, they’re aware of how quick their incredible opportunity can disappear because, “Even the greatest dancers in the world are bound to leave the dance floor.”

8.0/10

The Grand Experiment

Beacon

Fresh New Trash

Locksmith & Ski Beatz: Embedded

Jeff Leon — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 18:00:34 +0000

The Bay Area emcee Locksmith teams up with legendary beat maker Ski Beatz to create the collab album Embedded. Locksmith, or just Lock, is best known for his battle rapping, gaining notoriety for his fierce rhyming in MTV’s 2003 Freestyle Battle Championship and Grind Time Now. He also collaborates with emcee Left as the duo of Frontline. Ski is known for his work with emcees like Jay-Z, Curren$y, Talib Kweli and his 24 Hour Karate School projects, making him one of the most sought-after producers operating today. Together, both artists put in work on Embedded, with Lock showing and proving why you need to stop sleeping on him and Ski dropping block-booming beats.

From the get-go Embedded knocks, as the record opens up with “The Mirror,” a serious banger. Lock sounds like the boss, dropping lines like, “It was a lesson to me, now I understand / Never look for handouts, see I’m my own man / And I built this ship with my own hands, graduated from tadpole to grown man…” Ski’s beat carries much fan-fare, large, booming, and heavy on the horns, making for a terrific introduction to the duo and a strong start to the record.

Locksmith is in his element when he tackles the big issues. Lock is quite the polemicist when he raps about society, politics, and Hip Hop. “Silly Negro” is one big example of this. Over Ski’s foreboding and edgy beat, Lock tells us that while dudes are still blind, beefing on the street and not paying attention, there are sinister elements and people at work in the world today saying, “Surfs up, too busy throwing your turf up, while these rich white boys been chopping the world up.” He calls out the government, corporations, and the forces running the country and ruining communities of color. “Mr. Program Director” takes things further, looking at the radio stations, and how they enforce playlists, value money over everything, and don’t even scratch the surface when it comes to giving Hip Hop its fair shake, with Lock mentioning to DJ’s, “You never took the time to even understand my culture.” Ski’s sounds on this one, like several other jams on Embedded, are rock-inspired with a solid electric guitar lick and a stuttering beat. “Attention Whore” levels the aim on wack, sellout emcees that go for success by any means necessary. Ski provides another rock tune which Lock demolishes, taking on a persona of a money-bought artist at first for a striking mockery and then later declaring, “I’m an emcee, not a pussy, not a sucker, nor a sambo / Your life is like a sitcom, what happens when it’s canceled?” Lock is also strong as the underdog out to get his props with tracks like “The Bottom,” with its imposing beat and angelic guest vocals, or “Look How I Shine,” which has a tempestuous piano-driven beat. On this one, Lock speaks about working his way past adversity to shine as he rhymes, “Peeling off the shackles on my back hostility’s my black cloud, trying to find my uncle in a crack vial…”

Embedded has its moments, but the record stumbles from time to time. Locksmith is a competent and able emcee, but he lacks the spark to keep you fully engaged throughout the entire project, and there aren’t many moments where his performance truly captivates. As I mentioned before, he’s at his best when he’s being opinionated and going after large targets like the government and radio stations, and fighting against that underdog status, but he has trouble making the issues fully urgent and palpable, and at worst he can come off as dull. The album starts off very strong with “The Mirror,” as both Ski and Lock sound fantastic, but by the record’s end, there are listens like “Games,” which will pass by without much notice, despite the efforts of both artists.

On Embedded, Ski and Lock kick things off very strongly, showing that they can certainly bring heat with Ski’s fantastic rock-heavy sound and Lock’s thoughtful rhymes, but over the course of the record they stall, falling into tracks which fail to keep you invested, creating for a rather shaky effort. Embedded is certainly worth a spin, but you may find that only a handful of tracks stay with you after it’s done.

7.0/10

The Mirror

Silly Negro

The Bottom

yU: The Earn

Jeff Leon — Mon, 05 Dec 2011 21:32:44 +0000

It amazes me how much quality Hip Hop is coming out of the nation’s capital right now; a scene, which is criminally slept on, that is developing some really talented artists. One such group is Diamond District, the collaboration of Oddisee, Uptown XO and yU, with all three releasing solid projects this year. Oddisee with Rock Creek Park, XO with Monumental II, and now yU, with The Earn, the follow up to his acclaimed 2010 solo debut, Before Taxes. With The Earn, the Maryland native continues putting in serious work, ruminating about life and living over sounds provided by beat-makers Slimkat78, Kev Brown, Kokayi, yU himself and others.

On The Earn, yU presents himself as a working class man who is striving to keep his head above water, concerned with paying his dues, trying to be the best person he can be, and continuing to make that difficult climb to the top. A deep thinker, yU prefers introspection and candor, and when he speaks, there is soul to his observations, giving the record some weight and gravitas. You hear this right from the intro track, “Flipping Channels / theEarntro,” which flips samples about time and money (which is a particularly divisive theme on the record), before jumping into an authoritative boom-bap beat, which yU flexes a verse over mentioning that he was, “Always a quiet dude, reign over my rivals as concealed as a weapon.” When he states, “yU is out to EARN,” you know he’s not talking about dollars, but something much more. On the next track, “First,” over a 00GENESIS beat with smooth drums and a probing guitar loop, yU brings a certain depth to the joint, treating the track as a new beginning and a first step in building his legacy as he reminisces about writing his first rhymes, doing his first joint, and reaffirming the idea of building and working his way up. He ramps things up on the next track, “Bonafide,” a terrific joint which bangs with its raw guitar-heavy beat hooked up by Kokayi and a solid and soulful hook from Nicholas Ryan Gant, as yU speaks about trying to stay true in a society full of sin, vices, and all kinds of stress rhyming, “We so materialistic that it’s hurting us now / We go to work with a frown, bound, doing what we allow / Fake smile to the boss’s feet, you bow down or your belly gon’ growl / The economy is wild now, how does laid off sound? You got a child, found out…” yU hits the high points attacking issues with focus and dedication and listening to him, you can tell that he’s a cut above many rappers when it comes to delivering ideas and musings which hold weight. This is true for many joints on the record such as “Time Machine,” where he reflects on past memories of himself over a relaxed beat, moving through images and episodes in his life like flipping pages in a photo album [or] explaining the conflicts he feels towards the green on “Money (The Ahh Yeah),” knowing that it leads to evil. But he struggles in trying to resist it (with a fantastic funhouse-like interlude on “Fast Money” where he mocks it and expertly selects the “greed is good” line by Gordon Gekko from the classic flick Wall Street to drive the point home), or “Delay,” with guests XO and Oddisee, he implores listeners to slow down and make the most out of life over an imposing drum pattern and a rising and falling melody. On “theEARN,” he tells a crap rapper, “I was recording last night, where was you at, clubbing? Having fun, but in the end ask what you got from it…” Again, it’s that idea of dedication and yU knows that good things come to those who put in the work. The record’s closing track, “Highlights of Life, Part 2”, is a FANTASTIC jam, produced by yU himself with strong elements of Afrobeat music, coming across as a very live listen with its drums, keys, and chants. yU explores his past and feelings with heart and a very determined cool and tells us to, “Reach for the highest heights.” It’s one of the best listens I’ve heard this year.

With “Highlights of Life, Part 2” closing out the record, you’ll wish that some of the tracks on The Earn were a bit more engaging. There are some tracks like “I Believe,” where the production and delivery are played a bit too cool, resulting in tracks which will pass by without much notice. I wish there were more moments like “Bonafide,” “Delay” or “Fast Money,” with more upfront and challenging listens, which grab you. There are also some times where the production will be amped up with samples or chopped beats to make things more lively, but tend to harm the track more than improve it, such as the somewhat obnoxious vocal sample on “Make A Living,” or the samples employed on the funky “Even If (The Willingham).” Also, some of the track-ending interludes, which serve to establish the next joint, run a bit too long.

With The Earn, yU succeeds at crafting an inspired record with deep introspection, poignant rhymes, and smooth production delivering some of the most striking Hip Hop I’ve heard all year. yU has put a lot of work into this one and this record definitely earns a spot on your playlist. Check it out!

9.0/10

Bonafide

Write On

Highlights Of Life Pt. 2

YelaWolf: Radioactive

Alex Edelstein — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 00:04:44 +0000

People have been anxious to hear what YelaWolf’s official, full-length debut would sound like ever since word broke about his signing with Shady Records. Questions abound about how the trunk-popping Catfish Billy would crossover to the mainstream and whether or not his decidedly southern persona could mesh well with Eminem’s similar-yet-different trailer trash charm. Over the past few months, we’ve heard a variety of singles and remixes from Yela’s Radioactive, each with its own unique sound, featuring guest artists from across the genre spectrum. All that these singles have provided is more fodder for the discussion: what type of Hip Hop artist is YelaWolf really going to become?

Those looking for a Trunk Muzik follow up will find the album’s first half pleasantly familiar. Starting with the intro, producer WillPower provides a stripped down, haunting backing synth line that really sets the album’s tone. Yelawolf brings his familiarly threatening conversational flow, dipping in and out of double time as he details just how radioactive he has become, cleverly explaining why he’ll never change, “Can’t mop a dirt road, it only makes mud.” The grimy “Get Away” follows with some extra gruff coming courtesy of Slumerican cohort Shawty Fatt and the mercurial Mystikal. The track displays the type of southern storytelling we’ve become accustomed to with Yelawolf illuminating why, “Not a single solitary thing is missing from my southern roots.”

True to his word, Yela shows that he really intends to be more than just a southern Hip Hop artist, incorporating his country roots on the radio-friendly, “Let’s Roll” with Kid Rock on the hook. This is the first departure from his menacing Trunk Muzik sound where we hear Yela discuss his transcendence from, “Keeping a .22 in a shoe box” to “Now I bang Berretta, she’s 22 in a tube top.” Say what you will about the similarly club friendly, “Hard White (Up In The Club)” and the guest “feature” from Lil’ Jon, but this shows how Catfish can make mainstream hits that still feel authentic.

It’s fitting that Yela uses “Growin’ Up in the Gutter” to bring back the grittiness, teaming up with the similarly down-but-not out Georgia rapper, Rittz. The well publicized “Throw It Up” follows, with spotlight stealing appearances from none other than Slim Shady himself and the Devil’s Daughter, Gangsta Boo. The dubstep-infused, Fefe Dobson assisted “Animal” represents one of the album’s last true bangers, with a string of softer tracks (both lyrically and sonically) following. Thankfully, Yelawolf absolutely kills this Diplo & Borgore offering, with his vicious tales of partying and general mischief.

The subsequent run of tamer tracks showcases the type of repertoire-expanding music Yelawolf has talked about introducing to his work and it brings about mixed results. The all-American tribute to blue-collar, bible-toting folks, “Made in the U.S.A,” works because it’s consistent with Yela’s unwavering praise of his working class roots. “Write Your Name” on the other hand represents one of the album’s few misses, with its inspiring message feeling a bit cheap with a lackluster hook and the J.U.S.T.I.C.E League-produced beat feeling like a throwaway from Eminem’s Recovery. It’s understandable (albeit unfortunate) that a megastar like Eminem uses this Top-40 formulaic model for hit songs [but] Yelawolf doesn’t have the pedigree or style to convincingly make these types of tracks.

The country guitar-filled, “Everything I Love The Most” will undoubtedly rub traditional Hip Hop heads the wrong way, but it again points to Yelawolf’s atypical background and fits with his storytelling style. Along these same lines, the Jim Jonsin-produced “Radio” draws from his southern roots, using a pop/country instrumental to lament the silencing of provocative music. Even when Yela gets back to his aggressive side, “Slumerican Shitizen” still employs an obvious classic rock influence with heavily distorted guitar riffs throughout. The Killer Mike feature fits well here as the two talk about their misfit roles in society.

The aptly titled, “Last Song” serves as an emotional reflection on YelaWolf’s past, dealing with success, and how his trying upbringing has shaped him. This is the kind of introspection that makes club bangers like “Hard White” seem like a distant memory. For some, this drastic range of styles and content might be off-putting, especially when paired with these types of non-traditional beats and YelaWolf’s frequent singing. However, those that embrace Catfish Billy for his varied sound will find Radioactive refreshingly distinct from Trunk Muzik, with enough of the latter to keep things banging, but with the added foresight to include some of the musical and cultural influences that make YelaWolf the unique rapper that he is.

8.0/10

Animal feat Fefe Dobson

Throw It Up feat Gangsta Boo & Eminem

Made In The U.S.A.

Pac Div: The Div

Andy Bustard — Wed, 23 Nov 2011 02:14:45 +0000

I remember the first time I listened to Pac Div. Their video for “Mayor” had just been catapulted into rotation on 106 & Park (in other words, catapulted into my living room a week late, thanks to the UK air times) and what was originally background noise to my lazy afternoon became the focus of my transient teenage attention. I didn’t know who these three Cali dudes were, how they rapped with such confidence or why the hell they were riding through a neighborhood in a caddy. All which was certain was that they were cool as hell. That was almost two years ago. And a succession of five minor releases (four mixtapes and one EP), steady touring and major label troubles later, Like, Mibbs and BeYoung have set up shop at RBC Records and have finally debuted their first official LP, The Div — an album that, in short, strengthens their clutch on my fandom.

The record boasts a wealth of musical diversity. Combining their youthful, party nature with a balanced maturity, Pacific Division are keen to turn the pages for us in their success-over-struggle story. The first chapter, “The Greatness,” sees the trio toast to obstacles they’ve overcome and achievements met as each emcee delivers an uplifting verse. No I.D.’s stellar production echoes from his catalogue of Common and Kanye West beats to complete the opening speech.

In the same positive light, “Thank You” is the time for — you guessed it — giving thanks. As the spotlight shines on Like alone, he shouts out all his peoples who’ve contributed to his group’s success: “My cousin, Elway, who introduced me to this/We call rap, told me never to fall back/Blue collar, thanks for putting us on/You showed more love than we can fit on a song.” Like’s humble lyrics will touch your heart and the jerky production might just knock your soul while he’s at it.

Appreciation aside, Pac Div ante ups the swag through cuts like “Posted,” “Life Is Good” and the Asher Roth assisted “Useless.” And with the group’s rise and stall, who can blame them really? Consistent throughout The Div is the trio’s chemistry with the beats. Displayed to perfection on the aforementioned “Useless,” Like, Mibbs and BeYoung lace Blended Babies’ atmospheric beat in precise pace, proving you don’t have to be a Pharoahe Monch to have tight flow. Asher Roth provides the assertive punchlines, even name-dropping Bone Thugz and Pun, providing proof that you don’t have to be a backpacker brother to recognize true Hip Hop.

Wedged between the mellow “High Five” and “Number 1” is the bass-beating “Top Down.” I can’t front on my disappointment of not seeing a complete New West cut on the album (Kendrick, Dom, where you at?), but Casey Veggies and Skeme is not a terrible second prize. This track rides in the same lane as the popular Mania! banger, “Anti-Freeze,” with the pounding bass line serving as fuel for every sub-woofer in So-Cal. The crop of Cali talent comes up short lyrically (“I got a hundred dollars on me, finna head straight to the store/Smoking on that headband, it goes straight to your skull,” BeYoung announces insightfully), but their well-rehearsed flow relieves my snobbish side.

The Pac Div guys certainly don’t hide their tales with the females on The Div (you’re young, handsome and paid – who would?) However, their expression gets a little, um, Neanderthal (“Come get this dick girl, dick girl/Better come quick girl, quick girl/I like girls who come with girls and I like girls who fuck with girls,” Mibbs declares on “Top Down”), but the rappers aren’t scared to reveal genuine emotions either. On the Noah “40” Shebib-imitating “Move One,” Like confesses: “She was mad at first, she ain’t mad no more/I guess I changed her mind when I opened that door/You know it’s hard to ignore teardrops on the floor/At least I know, right now, that she loves me to the core,” restoring the natural order of Aubrey Graham. No shots; it’s refreshing stuff.

At time of writing, The Div rests at the 54 spot on the iTunes Hip Hop Albums Chart, and probably won’t peak further. And it’s a shame because, despite the few lyrically lacking yet club-catered tracks like “Posted” and “Life Is Good,” they didn’t give me the impression that they sacrificed integrity. The album follows the blueprint laid before it by Don’t Mention It and Mania! and, for once in this green-eyed industry, an original fan base is given exactly what they want.

7.0/10

The Greatness

Useless feat Asher Roth

Thank You

Idle Warship: Habits of the Heart

Erin Smith — Sun, 20 Nov 2011 19:00:43 +0000

You have now entered the renaissance world of love. And your one instruction is to, “Dance, dance, dance.” Fact is, we all go through heartbreaks and ups and downs in relationships so why not add some electro-funk, a pinch of the 60’s, and a cosmic touch to the soundtrack of your loves demise? With Idle Warship, Talib Kweli and Res accompany you down your yellow brick road of falling in and out of love, hate, and angst on their album, Habitats of the Heart.

The album begins with “Enemy,” displaying Talib as quite the tyrant with his masochist choice of lyricism with Res as his submissive concubine. “You are not who you pretend to be/ That’s why you got suicidal tendencies/You need some therapy/You need to learn to do whatever your man say/ Bitch you better obey or I’ll beat that ass like Anne Mae.” The production has a new age Dracula sound and needless to say, this track reeks of Dysfunction 101 with a mixture of S&M.

As we continue to songs like “God Bless My Soul,” you encounter horns and drums that give off a sexy sophisticated vacation vibe making you want to grab that fly person you’ve been eyeing and dance a little bit too close. And Res expresses her knowledge of knowing she’s picking the wrong lover…may God help her. Next comes, “Are You In” where Res entices us with velvet voiced lover threats with her words “Everything is wandering in space/It could all, all go up in flames/ And I’d burn right down here with it/ here with you/ Everything is better than it seems.” The production is a twist of sophisticated funk with a blend of Rock n’ Roll. So dare you love and be the fool or not? How could you resist Res and Kay Cola?

Five tracks in and you become a “System Addict” as Jean Grae kick starts the track with some witty and extremely catchy wordplay. DJ Khalil once again produces a multi-layered melodic sensation of electro decadence that transitions between a dance and slow love song, leaving you in a subdued and slightly perplexed trance. “Laser Beams,” another electrifying yet pleasing melody, allows you to sonically explore a world somewhere between the 1960’s with a twist of 2022; a world filled with vivid imagery of, “ Black veils and pageant dreams/ mirrors and T.V. Screens/ your eyes are laser beams/ your moves like a trampoline/ and you don’t know where you disappeared.” As you do “the twist” on the skyline of sanity you can’t help but recall the reflection of a love gone sweetly-insane.

“Covered in Fantasy” features Chester French and John Forte that has multi-layered production giving you a badass phantom of the night feel that is smooth enough to drive and vent to. The lyrics are rather hard hitting with statements like, “And I know I’m not perfect/ but I know that I’m worth it/ Just scratch beneath the surface/I am me”. As we speed along to “Beautifully Bad,” you realize you have landed somewhere beyond this galaxy in the realm of a sunshine and amber energy. Then you cascade down back to earth and realize you enjoyed the experience of a love that will never be yours. You can thank the soft melody of keys and drums that engulf your pain. The lyrics are revelation based as Talib soulfully and reflectively rhymes “The music is moving me/ It’s like my heart need a eulogy/ Things are not what they used to be/ Cuz you don’t love me girl/ You used to me/ When I met you it was magic/We polar opposites/But attracted like we was magnets/ This was way before I had shit/ Way before attraction deteriorated to madness/

“Rat Race” encourages all of us living in wonderland to escape our everyday reality of “Running in the rat race” by dancing through colorful notes of guitar strings and cheers of encouragement. The last song to really break ground is “Driving Me Insane” where the electrifying vibes from the guitar give you chills, and enough to drive you insane in a good way.

Overall, the album is pretty stellar as Res and Kweli compliment one another nicely. The production is a layered starship, requiring numerous listens in order to grasp everything that is taking place. Lyrically, each song has double entendres, which were entertaining and at times disturbing. Certain songs take some time to grow on you, but the album embodies an electrifying persona leaving you in trance, whether you agree to be in one or not.

7.5/10

God Bless My Soul

Laser Beams

Driving Me Insane

Eligh & Amp Live: Therapy At 3

Alex Edelstein — Fri, 18 Nov 2011 21:00:26 +0000

Fans of West coast Hip Hop are undoubtedly familiar with the innovative work of producer Amp Live (half of the duo Zion I) and rapper/producer Eligh (Living Legends). Having overlapped on tracks on numerous occasions, it shouldn’t surprise anyone to see the two veterans team up for a collaborative project. One that, even by their standards, can be described best as atypical. With Amp Live handling the production duties, Eligh takes over the mic as the duo presents their creative effort, Therapy at 3.

It’s interesting to see Amp take complete reigns on the production tip, considering Eligh has often handled that task in his own work. Free to focus solely on the rhyming aspect, Eligh provides a decidedly personal detail of what goes on inside his head. It makes sense, since according to the duo, the album gets its namesake from the free form, therapeutic nature of their recording sessions.

Straight off the bat, Amp Live’s signature creative sound is apparent, with an infusion of electronic effects used to create a brooding, spacey track in “First Contact.” Eligh’s stream of consciousness rhyming consists of a number of complicated lessons for ways of thinking about the world—“Believe me when I say we are all in our own way always/any which way the wind blows my pen goes, and that’s my mantra, to haunt the haunted.“ This chaotic style of spitting pops up throughout the album, leaving the listener to do the work of picking out the important anecdotes, recognizing the rest as creative fodder.

The almost robotic production style, paired with talk about outer space (“Ms. Meteor”) and human difference, depicts Eligh as struggling with his understanding of his place in the world. Lines like, “We are all molecules in a fish bowl floating on a coast, relax and get your float on” (“Guides”), demonstrate the kind of personal disconnect that Eligh is trying to resolve. This is an obvious departure from traditional Hip Hop lyrical content, but amid the chaos and sometimes nonsensical rhyming, there are lots of important philosophical questions addressed with respect to human consciousness.

One of the album’s odes to women, “Beautiful Addiction” represents a thematic and sonic shift among all the dark and heavy content. The peppy beat sounds a little too soft, especially with the hook coming from indie pop singer, Blake Hazard. Similarly, Amp Live occasionally veers too far towards the electronic end of the spectrum, misusing some special effects and vocal manipulations. On “Destination Unknown,” the decision to synthetically scramble the vocals makes the track seem a little bit too bizarre, even compared to the already atypical nature of the album’s sound. These effects take away from the rhyming, which shouldn’t be the case when getting a great guest verse from Zumbi.

“Metronome” gets the album back on track, with a sparse beat using a simple synth line to give Eligh the room to spit a smart verse about the virtues of being true to oneself, as a man, and an artist: “Art became the path that I was meant to walk/ the map is in the message of the heart, you got to play the part/ unjoin the rat race, tie up your fat laces/heart beat will lead you home, listen to the metronome.” “Tattoo Song” is one of the few thematically straightforward tracks with Eligh eloquently explaining why he deems getting inked a therapeutic experience, “Transferring his inner pain to his outer brain.” The second half of the six-minute track finds Amp Live doing his best electro DJ impression, seemingly freestyling on the beat with a series of electronic effects.

We can relate to Eligh’s struggles with cigarette addiction on “Devil’s Medicine,” but some of the tracks get too chaotic to pull anything substantial from them, other than realizing their obviously personal ties to Eligh. Tracks like “Strop Running” and “Stethoscope” share some revealing details of personal struggle, but make it pretty hard to get a coherent story or message out of them.

These tracks might best serve as representatives for the album in its entirety — lots of independent moments of quality, but taken on the whole, we are left scratching our heads a little too often. Amp Live and Eligh each have plenty of instances in which they shine, with some truly inventive production and introspective lyricism. As a complete work though, Therapy at 3, might be best described as totaling less than the sum of its parts.

6.5/10

Metronome

Tattoo Song

Ego Killer feat Inspired Flight

Rapper Big Pooh: Dirty Pretty Things

Uptown Bobby — Thu, 17 Nov 2011 00:18:20 +0000

Everyone loves the underdog, and in Hip Hop, there has arguably been no greater underdog than Rapper Big Pooh. Pooh has been carrying this title since his days of being a member of Little Brother. Comedian Rodney Dangerfield complained about not getting any respect during his career, but he doesn’t get close to the lack of respect that Big Pooh gets from some of the underground community. Big Pooh has been the doormat of Little Brother having been called everything from ‘’Phife Dawg 2.0’’ to ‘’The wack one.” But instead of sitting still and being bitter, Big Pooh has released multiple projects that have showed off his ability to hold down solo projects (Sleepers, Fat Boy Fresh, The Purple Tape). And now, with his past in his rearview mirror and a new and improved flow, Big Pooh is coming for heads with his newest album, Dirty Pretty Things.

Pooh kicks things off with ‘’Interdependent’’ produced by Mass Prod, and comes aggressively out the gate with lines like, ‘’The world is on my shoulders/ weight getting light as a nigga getting older/ my words on a skewer/ people trying to live real life behind computers; a bunch of manure.’’ Fans that have followed Pooh’s career have noticed his growth as an M.C., and it’s even more apparent on, “They Say.’’ Thanks to Kuddie Fresh’s production, Pooh gets that upbeat tempo that he [often times] sounds better over. Brooklyn’s Torae gives Pooh some high-energy assistance on, ‘’Are You Ready?’’ The track sounds like classic B-Boy material with the scratches and eerie sample in the background. Nottz hands this track a great beat that allows Torae and Pooh to feed off each other and produce one of the best tracks of the album.

‘’Right With You’’ sees the album take a softer, more soulful turn as Big Pooh spits some of the albums most heartfelt rhymes. This track seems to be Pooh paying homage to Common’s ‘’I Used To Love H.E.R,’’ with Focus singing the hook while the smoothest track on the album is ‘’Around The World’’ (Ladies Love) produced by Mo Heat. R&B crooner Novel, gives this track some extra soul with a catchy hook. ‘’5.13.11’’ allows Pooh to show off some of his underrated storytelling ability. The song starts out sounding like your typical conscious rapper ‘’girl song,” but it morphs into something much more. It definitely shows Pooh’s growth process as we see him depict a story that gives the album another reason to press rewind.

‘’Soul Music,’’ ‘’Free,” and ‘’Make It Thru’’ are all soulful tracks that continue the slower pace of the album. ‘’Legendary Lullaby’’ is a gem that lets us see Big Pooh acknowledge his faults and importance with words like, ‘’I never carried chrome/ I never sold drugs/I dropped out of college/ I got plans of going back/ I had plans of quitting rap, but I’m necessary/ I’m trying to teach these kids to be legendary.’’ The features are heavy towards the bottom of the album, but that doesn’t slow down nor outshine Pooh’s presence on the mic. The R&B features from Focus, Novell, Choklate, and BlackSoul actually helps those tracks carry over Pooh’s rhymes by balancing his heavy rhymes around the soul samples.

‘’Lonely Road’’ sees Pooh shed light on some of his past struggles as he rhymes, ‘’ Since birth I’ve been showing how to overcome/I do work till it’s over done/ High strung ‘cause of bills and work ; no balance/ Maintaining sanity is the challenge/How I’ve managed to survive off of little to nothing/ Manage to overachieve/Look at me, I’m something that mama can be proud of.’’ It comes off as Pooh’s most intimate verse on the album and another example of Pooh coming full circle as an artist.

With Big Pooh, 9^th Wonder and Phonte all releasing albums within a few months of each other, it’s hard not to wonder about a Little Brother reunion album. But honestly, Big Pooh doesn’t need it. He’s reached his apex as an artist by himself and doesn’t need to be handcuffed by the ‘’Little Brother’’ formula. Pooh has shown massive range on this one album that Phonte and 9^th Wonder haven’t touched yet in their solo careers. This is by no means a diss to 9^th and Phonte, but Big Pooh has shown that he was a necessary part of the former group’s success.

Dirty Pretty Things is the album that fans of Big Pooh knew he was capable of making. We see all of the things that people once questioned about Pooh’s rap career answered on this album. Can he tell a story? Yes. Has he improved his rhymes? Yes. Is he capable of putting out a project that gets him out of the shadows of his past? Hell yes. And Dirty Pretty Things is one example of the underdog beating the odds and becoming the hero.

8.5/10

Are You Ready feat Torae

5.13.11

Legendary Lullaby

The Roots: undun

John Book (Guest Columnist) — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 21:45:51 +0000

A lot of naysayers say today’s Hip Hop is a mess and its original “essence” has disappeared. But does it need to be fixed or are audiences diverse enough to understand there’s more than enough diversity to go around? And if this “essence” has been tampered with, and the damage has been done, can it be undone? Or is the act of “being undone,” the emotions one has to go through in order to become done? If so, what is “done” and who determines the conclusion?

When I became aware of The Roots’ forthcoming album, there was a need to figure out what kind of stories they were going to share. The title was a partial clue…perhaps the track listing was another. Then, as if by magic, I was given an opportunity to listen to Undun a month before its release. I was also aware that this was the band’s first concept album so I went in.

Undun is a 14-track album that clocks in just under 40 minutes. No sound bites from the group or guests; just what sounds like a string quartet playing something that is meant to set the mood. With an album that begins with a title like “dun” but closing with “Finality,” I was eager to find out what would happen in between.

“dun” begins with a baby crying, signifying birth while we hear the sound of a flat line EKG tone signifying death. Immediately, it sets the tone mixed with vocal harmonies that could mean a spiritual arrival, revelation, celebration, or departure. The vocals could also be a flashback of some of the harmonies that were once dominant in a lot of soul music or reflective of a household where gospel music was present. “Sleep” is a mid-tempo track where the line, “I have lost a lot of sleep to dreams,” stands out among many quotables. Black Thought then rhymes about the worries he goes through and concludes by saying, “Oh, there I go from a man to a memory/damn, I wonder if my fam will remember me.” It is here that “Make My” comes into play. When I first heard the song isolated, I listened to it as two distinctive halves. The first half echoes like someone looking back at their childhood as they move into adulthood. The second sounds like something you’ hear on an Earth, Wind & Fire record, perhaps a Charles Stepney arrangement, even something unrevealed from Rotary Connection. Almost like a first time musical discovery, where sounds are described in color and beats are discussed as mathematical paintings.

Phonte makes an appearance on “One Time,” with a verse that touches on the conflict between being independent vs. doing what you’re told in order to pay bills, “Weak heartedness cannot be involved/stick to the script, nigga, fuck your improv.” Dice Raw’s first appearance happens here with a line that can easily be viewed as a statement for the youth and the Hip Hop generation: “A nigga stayed low left the ladder unclimbed/time after time, verse blank, the line unrhymed.” Musically, portions of the melody sound like it’s an answer to Ahmad Jamal’s “Swahililand,” which could either be a nice reference to De La Soul’s “Stakes Is High” or the song’s producer, J Dilla.

The concept of the essence has been something referred to in Hip Hop by artists and critics as a way to say that someone understands its origins or its roots. And Black Thought has always been taken as the exception to whatever rule critics want to throw on artists by stating he is someone who has managed to “keep it real,” which, in a way, has helped to elevate him as a perceived “great emcee.” The accolades are great, but he questions this and answers back by saying, “It ain’t about the most blessed love/when you return to the essence, what is it back to the essence of?” The line also doubles as a reference to the theme of the album that says when one goes “back to the essence, “They are dying and becoming one again with the Earth and universe.”

“Lighthouse” begins with Dice Raw dropping a rhyme chant, “If you can’t schwizim (swim), then you bound to drizown (drown)/passin’ out life jackets, ’bout to go didown (down)/get down with the captain or go down with the ship/before the dark abyss, I’ma hit you with this.” Then he does what becomes one of the biggest moments of the album; he sings the chorus, which touches on what might happen when one doesn’t have guidance, using a lighthouse and the ocean as possible metaphors. “Tip The Scale” could be a mixture of the melody in “Figure 8” (Schoolhouse Rock) and Quincy Jones’ cover of “Summer In The City.” It’s interesting how the group is also referring to their own musical past.

At this point in the album, things become a bit more haunting as you listen. You might wonder if the songs are about a character dying, or if it’s the death of a specific characteristic? The album also has an instrumental movement that sounds like sadness. It seems to be one final goodbye…the last rites and through four distinct movements, it sounds like we are at a funeral. There is a brief passage of sound that is a bit avant-garde…something you’d expect to hear from Sun Ra or Raashan Roland Kirk but not The Roots. The album concludes with the aptly titled “Finality” and you then realize that what you feel was sorrow from everything experienced. It’s as if everything from you has been drained yet you feel happy and satisfied. You almost want to throw flowers onto the speakers as acknowledgment for the music and the concept of one’s passing.

While Undun is being promoted as a concept album, I feel it’s more of an album with a running theme. This album is the concept of a singular character spoken through various emcees. And “His” story is being told in the process of the album with a beginning, middle, and end. Before I knew this, I simply heard it as an album with a constant running theme, and not so much one solid concept, but it does eventually reach the same conclusion as the “concept album” theory does. If you are to take on my “running theme” theory, then that theme is death. The lyrics refer to something coming to an end in each song as each unfolds into the other; like an audio suicide note. When I did a live review on Twitter, I posted that it sounded like the realization of the inevitable destination and the various emotions and contemplations that one goes through. In other words, it’s understanding that with everything in life comes to an end, but what exactly is coming to an end remains unknown. Ideally, it is about someone contemplating life. Metaphorically, it could represent a band seeing themselves as honorable elders of Hip Hop, making it this far but wondering what the future holds. It could also easily be a musical adaptation of the suicide of the entity Common referred to as H.E.R., who has taken one last journey on her path of rhythm. If so, it seems The Roots are playing resurrectors, and attempting to give the dead some life. The album is a musical Matryoshka doll: simple in its approach, but more beautiful once its contents are revealed.

So what needs to be Undun? Are these songs the sound of something coming undone or the emotions one goes through in order to get from point A to point B? Perhaps, it’s another way of saying, before all of us are truly “done,” we simply have to “do.” We’re all heading towards the inevitable experience, but we just have to figure out how to get there in one piece. It doesn’t mean that we have to act like we’re dead in the journey towards the end. And if we can get away from that mentality, we can all live with some zest for life.

“Dun” or Undun: that is the question. These songs are a way to come up with your own answers and have now become a part of The Roots fabric that represents the continuation of a collective essence.

9.2/10

The OtherSide

Lighthouse

Tip The Scale

Black Milk & Danny Brown: Black & Brown EP

Michael Kaminsky — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 20:00:22 +0000

The first time I heard the street shrill squawk of Danny Brown was over a Black Milk beat — years before the 2010 breakout, “Black and Brown.” In 2008, an unknown Detroit emcee named Danny Brown appeared on Elzhi’s The Preface posse cut “Fire RMX” produced by, you got it, Black Milk. A few years later, Black Milk would produce Danny on Nametag’s “At It”, as well as three tracks for Brown’s Detroit State of Mind 4, one of which (“LOL”) now has a fancy new beat on the duo’s EP. But last September was the true Danny Brown coming out party. And leave it to Black Milk to once again be behind the boards (and on the mic) on the Song of the Year deserving and EP-inspiring, “Black and Brown” off last year’s questionably titled, Album of the Year.

It seemed at the time that every head you spoke to was saying the same thing — “You hear that Danny Brown verse on the new Black Milk? Dude kills it.” Different person, same story — Danny Brown this, Danny Brown that. But since Album of the Year’s release, Brown hasn’t looked back; he’s been one busy dude. And with every move he makes, he seems to grow on you even more — like a high-pitched, foul-mouthed, toothless fungus. But damn can that fungus rap.

Fourteen months following Black and Brown’s blogosphere takeover, two of Detroit’s finest deliver the Black and Brown EP; ten songs (two old, three instrumental) in under 23-minutes. In reality, those 23 minutes could never live up to the endless Internet buzz it received and they don’t. Now I didn’t say the record is bad, because it’s not. It just doesn’t live up to the Dickensian great expectations set by bloggers solely based off B&B’s title track and first leak, “Zap.” But who cares? It’s a damn Hip Hop EP — only five new songs. Sure, I hope they put in a little more effort on a full-length if that happens, but for now, such expectancy over a Hip Hop EP slapped together off a beloved blog banger just seems silly.

Kicking off with “Sound Check”, a schizophrenic Black Milk ‘instromental’ that segues smoothly into the first of six consecutive new tracks featuring the one and only Danny the Hybrid. First, we get “Wake Up”, a chill-wave beat (Dilla-esque) and Hip Hop cuts interspersed with a mellowed Danny flow wising up listeners that there are only, “Two things for certain — that’s death and taxes.” Then there’s “Loosie”, one funky ass, bass-hum heavy joint, “Hotter than a barbecue at Satan’s place.” But the true standout of Black and Brown and my personal favorite beat is “Zap.” The song rides an eerie sound wave of synth loops, sped-up vocal samples and Brown at his swaggest. There’s also something inherently Hip Hop about this futuristic synth-soul phantasmagoria.

“Jordan VIII”, in all its brevity, displays the Hybrid over a spacey Tronic-sounding beat boasting classic Danny Brown head-turners like, “This bitch told me I need my teeth fixed/I said, ‘Nah hoe, that’s perfect for lickin’ clits.” In just a minute and a half, Brown shows off some of his best wordplay, effortlessly meshing sports references with drug slang: “The only time Reggie on the Knicks/When you go to the corner, say lemme get a nick.” Black steals the spotlight on “Dada”, with its simple guitar and vocal looped samples reminiscent of his production style on Popular Demand.

Black finally picks up the mic (for exactly six seconds) on “WTF”, Black and Brown’s second of three instrumentals. While I love the new beat to one of Black and Brown’s earliest collaborations, “LOL”, I’m curious… if they wanted to reuse a song, why not the Danny Brown-featured, “Jahphy Joe,” off Black Milk’s Random Axe project? Regardless, the new beat buries any memory of the original while retaining Brown’s crazy catchy, Internet-shorthand chorus, “I text back, L-O-L/If it ain’t about money, T-T-Y-L.” The last of the new tracks (and Black Milk instrumentals) is “Dark Sunshine”, a minute long Eastern-influenced instrumental (if looped) to vibe to. I wouldn’t be shocked to hear this unconventional beat on a Stones Throw or Warp release… but Fat Beats? The track could also fit perfectly on the next Das Racist album. And if anyone can connect those two (Black Milk and Das Racist) polar opposite Hip Hop entities, it’s Danny Brown.

And then there was “Black and Brown”, still one of the best tracks of Black’s career and the song that jumpstarted Brown’s. After schooling Black on his own track, Brown officially crossed over. His career no longer loomed in the irrelevant shadow of Tony Yayo and skinny jeans judging, money-hungry studio execs. Brown made his name in the game off a guest spot so memorable, this Hip Hop head holds it alongside Nas’ eminent “Live at the BBQ” debut. While Nas dropped jaws in ’91 for snuffing Jesus, I still to this day shake my head in disbelief at Brown’s line, “Thick white bitch slurp a nigga like Kirby.”

Black and Brown’s production isn’t Black Milk’s most cohesive collection and I’m going to assume Brown’s lyrics were predominantly written prior to XXX’s next level material. But for a twenty minute half-assed collection of stoned studio sessions, there’s little negative to point out here and infinite positives to look forward to. Black and Brown was severely overhyped but Black and Brown the duo remains something that Hip Hop can be excited about for years to come — hopefully with more of a Detroit presence next time around.

7.0/10

Zap

Loosie

Black & Brown

Icebird (RJD2 & Aaron Livingston): The Abandoned Lullaby

Jeff Leon — Sun, 13 Nov 2011 14:00:49 +0000

Producer RJD2 and singer Aaron Livingston are Icebird. Hailing from Oregon, RJD2 is well-regarded for his eclectic productions, from the dusty, heavily sampled soul and funk compositions of his earlier works to more instrumental, rock-influenced pieces later in his career. From Philly, Aaron Livingston is a member of the group The Mean, and has collaborated with artists like The Roots and Hot Sugar. Having worked together previously on RJD2’s 2010 effort, The Colossus, the duo had chemistry, and it shows on their recently released debut, The Abandoned Lullaby.

The Abandoned Lullaby’s album cover is an image of a large ark at sea, with animals and other creatures standing on deck. The picture is like something out of a children’s book — colorful, imaginative, and comforting, but just a bit peculiar… and it describes the music very well. RJD2 and Livingston deliver an ear-catching record heavy on funk, soul, rock, and psychedelia, making for an intriguing aural experience.

Lullaby grabs your attention from the very first track, as “Charmed Life” begins with a distant, echoing clap and a curt, high piano note, making for a rather pensive and somewhat tense introduction before the piano comes in and the tempo speeds up. Livingston arrives into the mix, mentioning that he “Likes to be comfortable,” before the song kicks into a moody and vibrant affair with plenty of synths and energy, with Livingston playing around RJD2’s tune only for a moment before it returns to the pensiveness and the song continues to alternate between very smooth and uneasy. It’s as if they are testing the waters before they jump in.

On the next track, they do. “Just Love Me” is one of the album’s highlights, with its fast tempo and hard and loose feel. It’s tempestuous and soulful, with Livingston calling out to a woman to take him back. The guitars, drums, and Livingston’s breathless pleas of “Just love me, darling,” makes this a wonderful listen, and the track feels very much alive and breathing.

This organic, lively feel drives Lullaby. The record is very much about conveying moods, emotion, and creating very transcendent waves of music. Throughout the record, RJD2 and Livingston feel like two forces playing off each other to reach new heights. No one side dominates the music, and neither is afraid to experiment and be different. “Spirit Ache” is one such listen, an aural trip down the rabbit hole. Livingston, who captures the essence and sound of a young Stevie Wonder, could best describe the sound as a glorious mix of The Beatles psychedelic years with a stellar performance. The track’s guitar and bell break, with the distorted, chipmunk-like voices in the background, invokes ideas of entering a new land, a place of wonder and discovery.

Every track on Lullaby is something different, unexpected–a journey that always intrigues. Such as “The Return of Tronson”, a very electronic joint with heavy synths and 8-bit robotic kind of sound which augments Livingston’s angelic and very human-sound ruminations, with the song rising in intensity and emotion before breaking into a calming coda. “Going and Going. And Going.” is a slick and danceable number with a ‘60s-ish rock and R&B influence. Everything is conducted with a calculated cool, as Livingston muses, “You’ll get no answers here / Only sweat and tears…” The track then nicely breaks into a spacey, laid back jam session. “Wander” is a bluesy, bouncing beat which sounds perfectly fitting as the soundtrack for a loveable loser, driven home by lines like “I gotta admit, I’m scared to dance, to even stand so close to you / But there’s a bright side to all of this…I left it around somewhere!”

At 12 tracks, The Abandoned Lullaby moves at a good pace, and there’s no track that fail to capture your attention, though there are some tracks where I wished that Aaron Livingston would have a stronger presence on the microphone to fully match RJD2’s sounds. Livingston’s lyrics and performance seem to coalesce with RJD2’s compositions and sometimes unfortunately get lost in the mix, making for vocal performances you enjoy in the moment but fail to remember after it’s done. “Going and Going. And Going.” is one such example, where Livingston puts in a solid performance but not a powerhouse one that RJD2’s tune calls for.

The Abandoned Lullaby is a listen which takes you by surprise, a daring record that fascinates with its twists and turns. RJD2 continues to impress with his excellent production and Aaron Livingston gives us a taste of his terrific talents as a singer, and it will be interesting to see where they go next. Take a listen to The Abandoned Lullaby… it’s a fun and unexpected trip into a different world.

8.5/10

Just Love Me

Wander

Find Yourself

Pusha T: Fear Of God II (Let Us Pray)

Alex Edelstein — Thu, 10 Nov 2011 22:29:00 +0000

We’ve gotten to know Pusha T fairly well over the years thanks to his extensive catalog with older brother Malice, as the duo Clipse. Clipse is coke rap; their music delves into both the good and evil aspects of street life, highlighting the glamour that comes with the money, but also vividly depicting the struggles that kingpins endure. And Terrence Thornton has forged a career out of retelling tales of trials and tribulations from the street, twisting stories of violence, anguish, and absurd wealth in ways that other artists never considered. Alongside Malice, Pusha had the perfect partner to balance his pity-less narrative, adding an emotional element to their abrasive content. As Pusha T enters the solo phase of his career, working with Kanye West as the featured artist of the GOOD Music crew, he has lost a bit of that balance, with his work missing the element that obscures the coke rap dichotomy of what constitutes good and evil. While the complex nature of street life has always been present in Pusha’s music, lately, it seems like he has gotten trapped into the Kanye West mold of name-dropping clothing labels, and encounters with women rather than remembering the road that got him there. This isn’t to say that Clipse didn’t flaunt – tracks like “Mr. Me Too” tell of more than their share of luxury items. It’s just that those tracks also had Malice’s complementary presence to even out the scale. It’s fitting then, that Pusha’s latest release, Fear of God II: Let Us Pray, attempts to get back to his Clipse roots, but with an updated flair, championing his wealth, but also paying greater homage to the hood actions that paved the way.

One of the most interesting components of Fear of God II is seeing how Pusha pairs with the variety of guest features. Rather than litter the mixtape with uninspiring freestyles like his prior release, he enlists some friends to help keep the substance and style interesting. Verses from differing artists like 50 Cent and French Montana help show off Pusha T’s versatility, and for the most part, he is able to vary his flow enough to compliment the featured artists without relinquishing the spotlight. “Trouble On My Mind” sees Pusha absolutely hammer the beat, which The Neptunes appear to have tailored to better fit the horrorcore stylings of Tyler, The Creator.

If there were any doubts about Pusha T’s allegiance to the coke game, he puts them to rest on the opening track, “Changing of the Guards.” The Rico Beats-produced track provides a great backdrop for Pusha’s deliberate flow, as he spits menacing lines like “Pusha ton, pledge allegiance to the raw/ No dope dealer that escape without a scar.”

The Kevin Cossom assisted, “Feeling Myself,” is the type of Pusha T track that shows how he has departed from that original Clipse sound. Discussions of red carpet premiers, shopping sprees, and only needing “my gun and my girl” shows that Pusha might be getting a little too comfortable atop the rap food chain. These types of tracks make it seem like Terrence doesn’t really feel the need to hustle anymore, which is so clearly when he’s at his best.

Thankfully, this hustler mentality shows up again on the very next tracks with excellent production from The Neptunes (“Raid”) and Hit-Boy (“My God”). The bluesy keys on the former make everyone (guest appearances come from 50 Cent and Pharrell) sound like a force to be reckoned with. Pusha sounds so venomous when he spits “Everytime a nigga wanna try and turn a profit/ Folks rush in, three letters try n’ stop it/ F-B-I-R-S-D-E-A/ One letter short, but still muthafuck the DA,” that we’re willing to overlook the needless mentions of his “circle of top whores” at various penthouses.

A couple of other joints feature the aggressive Pusha T flow we’re familiar with, the best of which brings Rick Ross and Re-Up Gang cohort Ab-Liva in for support. The trio each delivers their signature styles over a really haunting beat, courtesy of Lee Majors. Ab Liva probably says it best, when he not so subtly asserts, “Bell Biv Devoe push poison like a copper head/ powder smoke clears through the walking dead.”

Unfortunately, like the original iteration, Fear of God II still features too many skippable tracks that either bore the listener (“Everything that Glitters”) or feature less-than-adequate guest lines (“Body Work” with Juicy J, Meek Mill and French Montana). It’s a shame because the combination of Juicy J and Pusha T on a track actually sounds pretty interesting, but Meek and French just aren’t up to task. It’s these weaker parts that hold Pusha back from producing a truly memorable release. If he can maintain the aggression we’ve seen in the past for a whole album, with Kanye by his side, maybe he can break through to that next tier of artists and get the recognition he obviously feels he deserves.

6.5/10

I Still Wanna feat Ab-Live & Rick Ross

Changing Of The Guards feat Diddy

Raid feat 50 Cent & Pharrell

Nappy Roots: Nappy Dot Org

D. Craig — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 22:30:15 +0000

The country boys are back. Kentucky’s finest Nappy Roots teamed up with production trio Organized Noize to create what many southern Hip Hop heads anticipated being a classic.

Nappy Roots has been a staple of the southern sound for nearly a decade, after dropping their multi-platinum smash Watermelon, Chicken & Gritz in 2002. The Dungeon Family production unit constructed the Nappy Roots’ most recent effort in its entirety, leaving high expectations for Nappy Dot Org and rightfully so. The Kentucky collective have been fairly consistent throughout the years and while their new album is not a masterpiece, it’s a necessary listen given the parties involved.

“Legend Lives On” sets the tone for the project, as we hear poet and wordsmith Big Rube prepare the listener for the “Concrete playalistic brain food” that one can expect to hear soon enough. The rest of the track is a proclamation of the “Barnyard’s baddest” place in the rap game and, in some sense, a reintroduction for those who aren’t familiar. “Country Boy Return” serves as an extension to that reintroduction, letting you know exactly what Nappy Roots is all about as Big V raps, “Feelin’ like B.O.B. in this bitch, ‘haters everywhere we go!’ / Independent with it, goin’ in like a major though / Recognize a playa and I’m far from a hater, hoe! / Country for a decade, now what you sayin’ though?”

Although much of the album has an up-beat feel, the best songs are arguably those that don’t. From every angle, “Pete Rose” is probably the best track on the album. Organized Noize supplied the emcees with a potent beat that’s not quite gritty, but still hard. This is the one song on Nappy Dot Org where every emcee is on point. The song isn’t composed of the standard 16-bar verses and is structured in such a way that the chemistry between the five emcees seems effortless. Skinny Deville comes in rapping, “Us country folk losin’ hope, ain’t seen much of change / Vote and vote and vote, but I keep on seein’ just the same.” His bars merge into Ron Clutch’s as he spits, “They say the home of the free, the land of the brave / I say home of the greed, the land of the slave / Got me chasin’ this cheese, I’m stuck in a maze / Got you like ‘fuck a degree, fuck it get paid.’” Big V, however, wins the track with his few and simple, but powerful lines. He drops some knowledge when he raps, “Batter, batter swing – Barry Bonds / Steroid or not, he still had to hit the ball / …dreadlocks don’t mean what they used to mean / Now they jammin’ Lil’ Wayne – tryna’ kill a mayne.” It’s clear that “Pete Rose” stands out from the rest of the album and the fact that Khujo Goodie, legendary member of Goodie Mob, spits the hook is just icing on the cake.

As mentioned previously, the majority of the album strays from the sounds we hear on “Pete Rose”, which isn’t necessarily a bad thing. Songs like “Easy Money” and “Yall Party” display the mainstream appeal that Nappy Roots still has, as well as the range of Organized Noize’s capabilities on the production tip. Another standout track, “Congratulations”, allows the listener to connect with the group on a more personal level. Primarily a song of reflection, “Congratulations” conveys both the struggles and triumphs the quintet of emcees has experienced. You can hear the honesty in Big V’s voice when he spits, “I was out of town – when I heard yo’ voice / It hurt like hell, but made a choice / Monetarily, I came from nothin’ / And bear the whole truth, ashamed of nothin’ / It lets me know I’ve been through somethin’ / Only the strong will survive the struggle.” Fish Scales also weighs in about the fruition of Nappy Roots and about his relationships with the other members as well as he raps, “My efforts would put into a group instead of hoops / A couple broke students that became Nappy Roots …. To everyone I know who ever came to a show / I kinda like being po’, cuz that’s how I met you.” B-Stille, the youngest member of the collective, supplies his perspective as he comes in rapping, “I came last, none of us was in the same class / But y’all looked out for me like stained glass / The perfect example of making good things last / Through sunshine and the rain, and when the rain past…/ We stood strong, steered fast, never changed paths / Came a long way from sittin’ on them train tracks.”

While Nappy Dot Org is a good album, it is not a great album. Even when trying to evaluate the project as objectively as possible, disregarding the expectations and past achievements of those involved, it still lacks in several areas. Lyrically, the album didn’t have much to show apart from a select few tracks. Additionally, the production was rather disappointing and, unfortunately, it’s impossible to separate Organized Noize’s track record from the evaluation. To put it bluntly, some of the production was not up to bar and it is highly doubtful that some of the beats would have seen the light of day had they been offered to other heavyweight artists, for example OutKast. Nevertheless, Nappy Dot Org is an important album in the discography of Nappy Roots and one they should be proud of. Still, the potential for a Nappy Roots album produced entirely by Organized Noize was of unfathomable proportions. Instead, this album did not so much as touch any expectations; it’s just a good album and nothing more.

7.0/10

The Legend Lives On feat Big Rube

Pete Rose feat Khujo Goodie

Congratulations

MED: Classic

Alex Edelstein — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 23:13:30 +0000

Stones Throw rapper MED (aka Medaphoar) began his career with a buzz, generating some praise for his contributions to heralded underground projects like Madlib’s Shades of Blue. The Oxnard, California native has since gone on to establish himself as part of a regional underground movement, frequently collaborating with the likes of Madlib, Oh No and Declaime, among others. After taking his time in coming out with his debut work, Push Comes to Shove, the results were mixed. Medaphoar came across as a bit overshadowed in the wake of the album’s pedigree of production (largely produced by Madlib, the album also finds Oh No, Jay Dee and Just Blaze all contributing bangers). The album displayed MED’s gut-checking vocals over some above-average beats, but his rhyming ultimately came across as rather uninteresting, occasionally throwing in some street-conscious wisdom between bars about smoking weed and reminiscing about past days.

Fast forward six years and we find him in a similar position with the release of Medaphoar’s sophomore effort, Classic. MED has put in some strong work over the past couple years as a guest artist, teaming up with many of the same Stones Throw conglomerates, and again has Madlib backing his release, handling the majority of the production duties.

Classic kicks off with MED discussing his grinding efforts as Georgia Anne Muldrow provides a spacey beat to match “Int’l”’s jetsetter imagery. Producer Oh No delivers an absolute gem for MED to shout out his hometown on the aptly titled, “Where I’m From”, which features an inspired contribution from Aloe Blacc. While the track doesn’t necessarily exhibit the lyrical ingenuity we might hope for, it’s good to see MED switch up his flow a bit and really attack the beat.

As might be expected, the album’s biggest draw is the versatile sound in production. While it might not suggest continuity, the album’s sonic variance actually helps create a kind of fluidity, guiding the listener through each track. Each song maintains certain unique qualities about it, but simultaneously taps into the album’s generally gritty sense. “War and Love” is a dark, brooding Alchemist production, the type of street anthem for which MED’s heavy vocals are best suited. Similarly, Madlib contributes a bass-thumping beat for the menacing “Roll Out”, with MED getting help from co-conspirators Planet Asia and Kurupt. “Get That” featuring Pok is a street anthem in its most basic form, with yet another heavy banging beat.

The Talib Kweli-featured title track incorporates some of these same sonic elements, but beatsmith Karriem Riggins keeps things from getting stale by chopping in an enchanting soul sample to go with the bass kick. The slowed-down beat fits well with the duo’s reminiscing, paying homage to fallen Hip Hop luminaries like J Dilla and Tupac. “Classic” also provides some of the strongest technical delivery, with Talib in top form as he spits, “It’s an honor and a pleasure, I treasure being the voice of the children of a lesser/ God gon’ test ya, you gotta survive when he apply the pressure and give you a shock like a lie detector.”

“Blaxican” is another thought-provoking work, with MED paying ancestral homage, smartly tackling a variety of issues of oppression for these races: “Black Power, Brown Pride.” Madlib comes through with a wholly unique beat that serves as a great backdrop for MED’s lecture.

Considering the track title, one might hope for a bit more energy from the Hodgy Beats-featured “Outta Control.” “Flying High” and “Medical Card” are two dismissible weed anthems, which is too bad since the beat for “Medical Card” is pretty smooth. These tracks just feel a bit mailed-in, like he couldn’t be bothered to really conceptualize a strong lyrical theme. Thankfully, the autobiographical “Mystical Magic” closes things out with an impassioned MED narrating over an uplifting, soul-infused Madlib production.

Ultimately though, Classic falls victim to the same problems we encountered on Push Comes to Shove, with MED showing that he really isn’t suited to carry a whole album. He’s an artist that can spit with the upper echelon when he’s on point, but too often we find him utterly average. It’s a shame, because with the repertoire of beats he keeps getting, MED should really be making classic albums.

6.0/10

Where I’m From feat Aloe Blacc

Classic feat Talib Kweli

Mystical Magic

Proh Mic: Rhythm For Days

Erin Smith — Sun, 06 Nov 2011 21:00:56 +0000

In the world of fantasy and sound are musical notes, illuminating with color and vibrant frequencies yet to be heard. That is until Rhythm For Days, where synthesizers, heavy bass-lines, and keynotes reign supreme; introducing you to funk, West Coast nostalgia, and a genre crossing Picasso. Proh Mic stars as King of the “Mothaship” featuring his all star fleet of guest appearances: Georgia Anne Muldrow, Jimetta Rose, and Coultrain to name a few.

Proh Mic is a Seattle native and was born into a musical blood-line. Mic’s desire to follow in his father’s footsteps (who was a guitarist) fueled his motivation to master the keys and percussion, which are key elements to his music, outside of his futuristic imagination. Rhythm For Days serves as his debut album, where he emcees and also produces 11 out of the 12 tracks. This musical joyride provides you with funk, jazz blends, Hip Hop, and soul, nourishing every nook and cranny of expectation for your ravenous ears.
Proh launches the album with the track “Mothaship,” permitting you to envision days when Parliament/Funkadelic ruled the universe, as genre crossing extraordinaire and pioneers of space based funk. The track supplies your senses with head nodding claps and synthesizers that harmoniously fade in and out, providing a space and electric funk feel. This is merely a prelude of the magnificence to come. After you return back to Earth, you find Georgia Anne Muldrow speaking of days long gone in the track, “I Remember,” with words like,” I remember the time when we wasn’t sick in the head/ I remember the time when we wasn’t lost/ and didn’t know how to plant our own food/ And grow our own homes. This track proves to be strong spirited, as Muldrow speaks of black unity and love with insightful soul addressing the changes of her people throughout the times. Her background melody is smooth and refreshing with electric space sounding synthesizers and a relaxed drum beat to top it off. “Hit the Floor” is a funky party groove, specializing in West Coast euphoric melodies of harmonious multi-layered synthesizers, percussion claps, and youthful sounding keys taking you back to skating rink days. The track features Uncle Imani of Pharcyde and Coutrain, serving as a perfect celebratory tune, which is sure to leave a mental impression of sunshine and palm trees with lyrics like, “We keep going on/ till the break of dawn/ We aint gonna stop/ Not till everybody’s dancing/ All my people movin/ cuz this beat is grooving/ shake it down so we can Funk you up. In the next track, “Don’t Stop,” Proh uses “Don’t Stop The Music” by the SOS Band as inspiration and “re-funks” it. Who even knew that was possible? “Sleep In Girl” serves as one of the more nostalgic and breath-taking tracks on the album. Proh uses light percussion and an entrancing soft electric bass line enhancing Tone Trezures sultry voice as it envelops you in honey and sensuality. This track allows you to daydream no matter the time, leaving you mesmerized every time. “Easy Lovin” is a smooth groove with island sounding percussion and a slight house feel while “I Can’t Weight” is another “refunked” version of another eighties classic by Nu Shooz. With an incoming of euphoric keys, a light bass line, and the sweet voice of songstress Jimetta Rose, the track “Joy Ode to the Trees” sends you to days of sunshine. As Jimetta Rose sing, “You bring me/ You keep on bringing me joy/ footsteps on the cloud above our heads/’Lets me know that there’s a god/ watching over you/ and over me”. The album closes out with an instrumental track called “Sweetest Pain” finessing you with dreamy horns and light percussion, reiterating what a phenomenal experience the album was leaving you on a musical high.

The album as a whole is brilliant however the order in which the tracks are placed forces you to stick to different ends of the album to maintain a certain feel. This does not take away from the album, but certain tracks could come as a surprise if you were in a melodic daze from one of the slower tracks. Proh’s choice of features proves to be sound decisions as each artist compliments the production and one another very nicely. The Mothership has landed and you won’t be sorry to have hopped on board to experience this classic album.

8.0/10

Sleep In Girl

I Remember

Hit The Floor