Apparently my including this track in yesterday’s Chop Steak Radio podcast generated some interest, so I thought I’d link it up:
Lil Keke | Grey Cassette f. Bun B & Lil’ Keke
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I was perusing the blogs this morning, and happened to notice that Kevin Nottingham interviewed these cats. Both their releases, the LP The Disctrict and mixtape Summer Sessions, have been favorites of mine. I hope they drop more music soon. In the meantime, peep the article, check out one of their tracks, and download the whole mixtape if you like what you hear:
H.I.S.D. | Never Die
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Yes, I had to look that up. I was bored this weekend, so I took a little time out from working on tracks for my own album to remix a joint from last summer’s Milk & Donuts mixtape by Mike & Ike. Cuts courtesy of DJ Diamond Tip. Enjoy, and let me know what you think via the comments section. Any emcees or singers looking for production, have your people email my people.
Mike & Ike | Contra (Chop Steak Remix)
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Congrats to Killeen’s Crew54, whose “54 Reality Show” video blog got them a write up in the Austin Chronicle. Peep the article, and be sure to catch them in the streets. They have a show in town almost every week, and even if they’re not performing, chances are they’re roaming the streets with camera in hand, so be sure to holler at them.
Crew54 | Can’t Lose f. Random
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Southbound is something of an anomaly in rap music. The Caucasoid brother duo of Lowkey and Sandman (not to be confused with the former Re-Up Gang affiliate) straddle fine lines with their whole style. Hood but articulate. Over-the-top but nuanced. Straight-faced but funny. They do not fit easily into the boxes hip hop critics and fans like to paint within the genre. They don’t spit the hedonistic, materialistic raps that many of their peers do, but neither do they make an obvious effort to distance themselves from that in favor of “real hip hop” or whatever the rapping-about-rapping set likes to claim these days. They offer an authentic, objective look at street life that never strains for credibility or plays to obvious clichés. This album is a 10-track EP in advance of their second album, Vice Verses. This is no throw-away advance record, though, and both obviously have a lot to say.
On the mic, both members have a fairly flat delivery. They tend to pack bars full of syllables, often weaving double-time and triplet flows in with more straight-ahead delivery. They never over-do it though, avoiding awkward lines and rhymes that do not end on time. Like other brother groups (Clipse comes to mind), they can be hard to tell apart, but that just means a constant high level of quality, in this case. Subject matter ranges from personal turmoil to societal ills to clowning, but they never break their stoic character. This makes it necessary to listen closely, because there are a lot of intricate lines stuck in there, often vivid and moving, sometimes hilarious.
On “All Alone,” there is an intense discussion of the miscarriage of an unborn child. “Money Don’t Come” uses Barack Obama speeches and examines their own personal struggles and those of society. For all the heavy material, though, there are moments of straight comedy. Italia Blue goes off on a siddity fine girl turned pornstar (did they really know Italia Blue?). On “No Swagger”: Say look I’m sorry for yellin’/I’m just mad that Vice Verses ain’t out yet/But Lil’ Wayne just dropped Tha Carter 47/What the hell is the difference besides…you know/Talent faith and persistence, but those don’t matter, right? In today’s hip hop landscape, everyone from people who were industry heavyweights in the 1980’s to 19 year olds recording tracks in their bedrooms angrily declares that the game is rigged. It is refreshing to hear even a joking assertion that maybe the big bad industry isn’t the only barrier to success. “Sex In Da Morning” is exactly what it sounds like, a light homage to the best way to start a day, vivid and slick. Raps this varied require an equally diverse suite of beats.
The entire album was produced by Matt Schadd. It has a relatively restrained set of beats, sometimes jazzy, sometimes soulful, sometimes heavy and ominous. There is nothing very big and theatrical…and none of these beats are likely to find their way into the club. They match the raps perfectly, though. “Italia Blue” recycles the Galt McDermott sample from Busta Rhymes’ “Woo Ha,” but this flip uses a much lighter hand, more fitting the comedic story raps than Busta’s hollering. “Gowin’ Hard (Southside Chant)” is a mid-tempo track with energy coming from a slinky bassline and choppy bell sounds. On the more ponderous side is “All Alone,” with plodding organs and atonal bells. There is nothing to blow the listener away in the set, but it is all solid, and very appropriate for the raps.
In short, with an EP like this, I can’t wait for the full-length album to come out. Still not a marquee name in Austin, Southbound is nevertheless one of the best acts this town has. This EP provides an excellent opportunity for the uninitiated to get on board, because I foresee big things ahead for these guys, if they continue to put in work. I definitely recommend picking up this album.
Seasons Change f. Reggie Coby
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Sex In Da Morning
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Peep this video of LA producer, Exile, as he discusses making beats using samples he lifts from the radio, and freaks a really nice track. Spotted at Kevin Nottingham’s blog.
Apparently taking a page from KFC’s playbook, minus the dancing, izotope has decided to make it rain VST plugins and is giving away their new vinyl processor. Haven’t had a chance to see it in action yet, myself, but if it’s izotope, you know it’s going to be good. Spotted on Alpha-bet’s blog.
This is the debut solo album from Detroit producer/emcee, Big Tone. Over 12 self-produced tracks, he lays down an enjoyable collection of rhymes on a bed of rich, soulful backdrops. Tone introduces the album as a tribute to the uses of ink, both in tattooing, and rhyme writing. While the tattoo metaphor doesn’t get much play after the first track, he certainly shines a lens on the rap game, and those creating rhymes.
As an emcee, Big Tone has a pretty accessible flow, and a strong voice. His phrasing clearly shows an influence from fellow Detroiter, Elzhi of Slum Village, with similar intonation and at times, rhyme structure. He brings an original element to the table though, and thankfully avoids the trap of trying to fit too many syllables into a bar, into which Elzhi sometimes falls. The overall feel of the tracks varies, sometimes celebratory, and sometimes very laid back and self-satisfied. There are certainly moments of doubt and tension, though, that help make the album more three-dimensional. On Scapegoat: “Slight society don’t respect us/Nothing more than the subject of a Cosby lecture/But when I’m on the block and stressed/Cause check-to-check ain’t stoppin’ them collectors from acknowledgin’ my debt.” Big Tone is a tight rapper, but the talent doesn’t end there.
Production on this album is nice start-to-finish. In Detroit hip hop tradition, the primary engine of the music is soul samples. This production has a fuller, rounder, sweeter sound than some of the work of Detroit underground mainstays like Black Milk, however. Some of the beats are hard-hitting and high-energy. Skin Deep features chopped up strings and and filtered vocals swirling insistently around a drum loop with a thunderous snare. The uptempo Business has snare rolls and a wah-wah guitar loop. You’ll be lucky if you can limit yourself to just head nodding while listening to it. On the opposite end of the spectrum are songs like the silky, relaxed groove of The Look. With a chopped up and filtered sample of standard, The Look of Love forming the foundation for a track with lazily strummng guitar, it compares favorably to tracks by another one of my favorite producers, Cincinnati’s Fat Jon. Even with very capable rhyming and appearances by other rappers and singers, I have to say that the beats are the true strength of an album with only one major weakness.
The only thing that frustrates me about The Art of Ink is how short it is. Clocking in at only 38 minutes, with a couple minutes of instrumental filler, this album is a throwback to the days of 12″ LP’s. It is a hair too long to call it an EP, but I have a hard time thinking of anything under 45 minutes or so in length as an album, and in many cases, an hour or more is perfectly fine. This album certainly could’ve sustained several more tracks of the same quality, and it is a bit of a disappointment that it ends as quickly as it does. Still, the album is solid start-to-finish, and there is something to be said for that. Overall, it is definitely a recommended listen, and I look forward to longer projects from Big Tone in the future.
After a few month wait from his last installment of the Hip Hop, Soccer, & Comix mixtape series, Austin rapper Global74 returns with his second full-length album, The New Eugenix. Those familiar with Global’s past work will be used to the mystical symbols on the cover and the sometimes ironic, sometimes almost paranoid rapping style he brings on the mic. From government conspiracies to the destruction of the planet, his raps give a unique view of the world. He has a wide range and a skill for rhyming that keep it from being just tinfoil hat rap, however. Production is handled by a few local producers, the most notable contributions by Alpha 2020 (a.k.a. Ike of Mike &…). I also contributed a track years ago that ended up on this project. More on that next week. For now, enjoy the 2020 production, Raining, and holla at Global on myspace or in the streets to cop the album.
Global74 – Raining (prod. by Alpha 2020)
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say what?