Tags: Picture of the day
Blaq Poet starts his album with a DJ Premier track, complaining about the state of hip hop today. That’s a little predictable for a Queensbridge guy who has been around since the late 1980s, but don’t let that stop you from checking out his new release. First of all, it’s important to support the legendary DJ Premier’s indie label, Year Round Records, because it continues to prove that good music and good production don’t depend on spending millions on studio time (a.k.a. coke and liquor).
Poet, making his first attempt at a solo album after decades of singles and a few albums with PHD and Screwball, makes old-school NY thug life music, in the tradition of Premier’s own group, Gang Starr. (In many ways, the album feels as if Premier is using Blaq Poet as a replacement muse for Guru, who has abandoned street rap for jazz.) A glimpse of the tracklisting is enough to give you a sense of the lyrical content; it includes songs like “U Phucc’D Up,” “Ain’t Nuttin’ Changed,” “Hood Crazy,” and my personal favorite, “Stretch Marks And Cigarette Burns.” In addition, it’s got an appearance by N.OR.E., and additional production work by Gemcrates. If you dig Gang Starr, 2Pac, the Boom Bap, and that ‘90s sound, this is a worthwhile investment.
Stretch Marks And Cigarette Burns
Tags: Hip Hop
Tags: Hip Hop, Picture of the day
One night at a dance party, just when everyone was getting sick of Scissor Sisters disco, but too late for the edge of Justice, the two worlds of modern dancehall collided and formed The Phenomenal Handclap Band. PHB’s self-titled debut has old-school funk (“Give It A Rest”) and soul (“Testimony”), ’60s psychedelia (also in “Testimony,” among other songs), and all this and more (“All of the Above”). “Dim The Lights” made me think of a dance version of Norman Greenbaum’s classic, “Spirit in the Sky,” while other songs recalled Booker T and the MGs. And there’s a reason the band is capable of such skill and range–the album features appearances by members of the Dap Kings, TV on the Radio, L’Trimm, Jon Spencer Blues Explosion, Mooney Suzuki, Persephone’s Bees and Apollo Heights, among others. Great stuff.
My man at Awmusic just posted a cool post about mixtapes (“Mixtapes that are actually good”), and I thought I’d give his post a shout out and publish a few of my own selections. Mixtapes are (ahem) a mixed bag–sometimes good, often overstuffed, and, rarely, as good as an album. And sometimes even the ones that are as good as an album aren’t very good. My favorite mixtapes are usually the ones by a single artist or with a single theme. Label mixtapes usually feature a few good artists and too much filler, and gang bangs are usually just an excuse to reissue old stuff. So, here’s some of the best free hip hop the year has to offer, so far.
5. La Coka Nostra-The Audacity of Coke. Everlast used to be a great, bluesy rapper, until Eminem handed dude his head after Ev teamed up with Fred Durst against Em. Since then, Everlast hasn’t really brought it. Until now. This team up with Necro’s Ill Bill is some of the finest work Everlast has produced in years. Throw in contributionsn from DJ Muggs, Raekwon, B-Real, U-God, and mixing by the great Statik Selektah, and you got a kick-ass mixtape. Score the coka!
4. Prof and St. Paul Slim–Recession Music. This one I heard about from the Awright post I mentioned earlier. Executive produced by Ant (from Atmosphere), it’s a slice of hip hop from the Midwest–not too street, not too crunky, not too laid back . . . The Midwest sound isn’t one we get to hear enough of these days, so it’s worth a listen just on that score. Represent!
3. Mikkey Halstead-The Uncrowned King. 50 Cent is still calling himself a King, and I guess if money is the measure of a man, he is. In fact, Halstead’s mixtape title is ironic, albeit unintentionally. A crown is a symbol of wealth, which Halstead doesn’t have, but he does have the raw street power of at least ten Fiddys. He makes pretty straightforward gutta rap, and he’s damn good at. This is a genre that’s probably on its last legs, but Mikkey is one of the best at it today. You can read more in my original review, here.
2. Atmosphere–Leak At Will. This is just an EP, but Atmosphere’s EPs are often as good as its albums (which sometimes can seem overstuffed)–Their “Sad Clown” series was brilliant, and some of the best rap I’ve ever heard, period. At 7 songs, this EP doesn’t have a weak track on it. As usual, it’s about tragic street figures who sell their souls and bodies for cash and security, and the beats are unusual but catchy as hell. Play that funky white boy music!
1. Joell Ortiz-Covers the Classics. This isn’t just a great mixtape, it’s a great record, period. Yeah, the fact that he pirated beats from all the classics helps a lot, but Ortiz is full on his game here, and when he’s hitting the beat, there are few around as good as he is. Check out my original review here. And get classic here.
Honorable mentions:
Custom Made and Fresh Daily.
Tags: Best of 2009, Hip Hop, Mixtape
Chris Velan was trained as a classical guitarist as a child, and his instrumental skill is evident in the finger-style guitarwork on his new record, “Solidago,” a singer-songwriter’s collection of light, bouncy folk tunes. The music is so sweet and easy, as a matter of fact, that at first I wrote it off as fluff. But as the album continued, I found myself drawn in by songs that felt comfortable and familiar. Neither overly serious nor annoyingly whimsical, Velan’s songs might make you smile, might make you tap your toes, and might make you think of mint-rasberry iced tea. “Solidago” was produced by Tim Bluhm of The Mother Hips, and is named after late-blooming Goldenrod.
Coffinberry‘s self-titled debut can be best described, perhaps, as pop
Americana–music that crosses the bridge between the country rock of Kings of Leon and more accessible, softer late 1970s pop.
Not that the band is soft. It’s clearly rock, rootsy and lyrical, fun and infectious, warm and informed by postpunk. Cleveland should be proud.
Why note download these two tunes and get to know them better?
Three covers by Ha Ha the Moose.
Obama (Someone to Wake)-Christian Kiefer (feat. Will Johnson)
Tags: Jaws, Obama drama, Picture of the day
