For the last few years, the internet has helped blur the
lines between “Underground” and “Mainstream” Rap. Thanks to Youtube, the most underground artist is one viral hit
away from being everywhere (eg. Kreayshawn. Thanks to social media like twitter and facebook, aspiring
rappers now have a free, easy way to get their material out to the masses and
cultivate a fanbase. The result of all
this is that artists can now be profitable without any promotion from
traditional outlets. Nipsey Hussle
makes $10k a show without a record deal or radio play. Mac Miller’s debut album topped the charts last November, despite no major label backing, no big single, and no TV or radio
promotion. The “Major Label Record
Deal”, if not quite obsolete, is no longer a necessity for fame or financial
success.
This movement towards more guerilla marketing and independent
releases has lead to many collaborations between artists that would have been
almost logistically impossible on major labels. Black Milk alone has dropped collaborative efforts with fellow
Detroit Mc’s like Danny Brown, Guilty Simpson & Fat Ray, but also released
an LP with LA based rapper Bishop Lamont, and formed a supergroup with New York
legend Sean Price. The Slaughterhouse,
consisting of Royce Da 5’9”, Joe Budden, Crooked I, and Joell Ortiz, unites four
established artists that spread from Los Angeles to New Jersey. At this point, if two artists are fans of
each other’s work, no matter how apart in style or geography, there’s a decent
chance they will work together, whether it’s a track, or a full album.
Atlanta rapper Killer Mike is hard at work breaking down the
last wall of Hip-Hop’s “class system”.
While most collaborations have been between artists of the same relative
level of popularity, Mike is actively bridging the gap. “Big Beast” is the first single off Killer
Mike’s upcoming album, R.A.P. (Rebellious African People’s) Music. The oddity
of this project? It’s produced in it’s entirety by El-P, founder of the
now-defunct Def Jux label, and the pied piper of the “Backpacker” movement of
the early 2000’s. Their core fan bases couldn’t be farther apart. Killer Mike
is a Grammy winner that broke through with Outkast and has been a southern
staple for the last decade, working with everybody of note to come out of
Georgia, from TI, to Young Jeezy, to Gucci Mane. El-P’s associated acts are a who’s who of the alternative rap
scene, giving beats or verses to artists such as Aesop Rock, Canibal Ox, Mr.
Lif, Del tha Funkee Homosapien, & Jedi Mind Tricks. To call this pairing “unexpected” is an understatement.
And yet, when listening to “Big Beast”, it sounds so
natural. Neither Mike nor El-P
compromise their style or venture outside their area of expertise, and end up
dropping an off-kilter aggressive banger.
The truly “important” parts of this collabo are the guest
appearances. Both Bun B and T.I.’s
stars are currently much brighter than Killer Mike’s and both don’t really work
with producers as underground as El-P.
Yet not only do both artists show up with phenomenal 16’s, they do so
while sounding completely at home over the beat. If you didn’t know about El-P’s history, there is nothing in the
track that suggests that Bun B and T.I. showing up on this track is so odd.
In the end, this may be the first step to completely
breaking down the underground/mainstream dichotomy. Killer Mike and El-P have showed that one of the biggest Rap
stars of today can sound completely at home over a beat made by one of the most
revered “backpack” producers of all-time.
By exposing each other’s fan base to how good the other side can sound,
maybe these collaborations become more common and the fragmentation of Rap can
be slowed down.
And in case this doesn’t work, Killer Mike’s next project is
another collaboration album where he will be teaming up with upcoming Atlanta
rapper Pill, and Big Boi of Outkast.
One way or the other, Killer Mike is hell bent on breaking down the
wall.
Co-Star – "Cartoon & Cereal" Kendrick Lamar
It’s not an exaggeration to say that Kendrick Lamar is my
favorite active solo rapper. He is an
amazingly talented lyricist, wise beyond his years, and possesses a unique and
unwavering view of how he wants his music to sound, down to the most minute
details. With the release of
Section.80, I thought he was on his way to potentially being a rap legend and
one of the defining rappers of his generation.
After listening to “Cartoon & Cereal” at least 25 times in the last
day, if Kendrick continues along the path he seems to be following, he may go
down as one of the most influential and revolutionary artists in Rap’s
history. I’m not saying he’s there yet,
but his insistence on pushing boundaries and toying with Rap’s traditional song
structure is truly mind blowing, especially considering he’s only 24 years
old. Add in the fact that he can go
toe-to-toe lyrically with anyone on the planet, and you have a recipe for some
potentially exciting and groundbreaking releases coming up in the future. “Cartoon & Cereal” is a nearly 7 minute
monster of a track, with Kendrick rapping to and about a male family member and
former role model felled by violence and discussing the influence on him. The
verses are raw and real, and while a little tough to decipher all of Kendrick’s
metaphors and wordplay, the overall feeling behind the track is
unmistakable. This is music that
doesn’t really sound like anything else out there, and it makes me more excited
for Kendrick’s future than I already was, and I didn’t think that was possible.
The Rotation – Reviews for Jan through Feb 14
Pill’s talent has been evident for years, but his mixtapes
have been uneven. Every tape has
illuminating bright spots, but have been brought down by filler in the form of
uninspired verses and shoddy beat selection, with 1140: The Overdose as the
exception, a very impressive tape from front to back. The Epidemic, thankfully is a step back in the right
direction. Pill’s verses are vivid and
heartfelt, and the production is very impressive. If you are unfamiliar with Pill’s work, this is definitely a good
place to get introduced.
Grade – B-
A relative newcomer and a potential XXL Freshman for 2012,
Rockie Fresh’s Driving 88 is quite the eye opener. With a very laid-back groove, solid production and an easy-going
flow, this is a smooth listen from front to back. Reminiscent of a cross
between Lupe Fiasco and Big Sean, Rockie Fresh is definitely one to keep an eye
out for.
Grade – B
Saigon – Warning Shots 3
While The Greatest Story Never Told was one of the best
releases of 2011, Warning Shots 3 is a disappointment. That’s not to say it is
completely without merit. Saigon’s
lyricism and social insight still pop up on a few tracks throughout this
mixtape, and there is some pretty solid production throughout, but the
execution is lazy. Saigon uses Warning
Shots 3 as an excuse to indulge in his more “hardcore” side and trades in run
of the mill bad-assery. Now there is
nothing wrong with Gangsta Rap if done well, but Saigon just doesn’t sound
comfortable or terribly unique with his attempt. For Saigon fans there are a few gems worth checking out, but for
anyone who isn’t already interested, there isn’t much here to make the time
invested feel worth it.
Grade – C-
This is just a case of a rapper being exposed when forced to
support an entire LP. Ab-Soul is fun as a guest artist, but over the course of
this hour long LP, his voice grates and there is little to no cohesion between
the tracks. What has made all of Top
Dawg Ent’s releases up to this point successes is the feeling of a consistent
theme running through each album. On
Long Term Mentality, that consistency isn’t there, and the album feels like a
compilation. And not a terribly good one
Grade – D+
Hard to get much more average than this release. Red Café is
a talented enough lyricist, and I’ve enjoyed a few of his tracks over the
years. The problem is there just isn’t
anything unique or interesting about his persona or his style. He is your run
of the mill, New York punchline rapper, almost indistinguishable from all that
came before him. Red Café isn’t a BAD rapper, and this isn’t a BAD release, but
there is just nothing to make you shake the feeling that there is probably
something else on your ipod in a similar style that’s done better.
Grade – C
Considering I was a big fan of “Below the Heavens” Give Me
Flowers is a colossal disappointment.
Outside of the very entertaining opening track, the rest of the album
feels mailed in from both sides. Blu
rhymes like he’s half asleep and isn’t saying much, and Exile’s production just
doesn’t do anything for me this time around. One of my bigger disappointments
in a while.
Grade – D
Rick Ross – Rich Forever
Rick Ross is the greatest marketer and self-promoter Rap has
seen in quite a while. He incessantly
beat people over the head with his maybach music gimmick, trying to make
himself seem important and completely surrounded by the finer things in life at
all times. And you know what, it
worked. On Rich Forever, every track
just oozes importance and luxuriousness.
The production on this is phenomenal, topping even his last album in
quality songs. The fact that Ross can
throw away Neptunes beats and verses from Nas on a free mixtape shows just how
well his marketing plan has worked. I
don’t know how God Forgives, I Don’t can top this, but I’m anxious to find out.
Grade – B+
With the most addictive single of 2012 so far, Schoolboy Q’s
Habits & Contradictions does an excellent job following that up with superb
depth throughout the album. The albums
greatest victory is in creating a dark, somewhat disturbed atmosphere and
staying firmly in that place for the duration of the LP. Schoolboy Q isn’t the
lyricist that Kendrick Lamar is but on his sophomore effort he shows Kendrick’s
penchant for creating and maintaining a feeling for an album and not deviating
from it. My Favorite release thus far
in 2012.
Grade – B+
Kickin’ It Old School – Big L (R.I.P.) – ’98 Freestyle
Today is 13th anniversary of the murder of Big L. For those unfamiliar Big L was a rapper from Harlem. He was associated with the D.I.T.C. crew which produced Cam’ron Ma$e. L was the original New York punchline rapper, but did it with a confidence and skill that was unrivaled at the time. He got his first record deal by showing up at a radio station cipher in front of a record store, and taking over the microphone. The only album he released while alive “Lifestylez Ov Da Poor and Dangerous” is widely considered a classic. In 1999, just weeks before he was set to sign a deal with Jay-Z’s Roc-a-fella records, L was murdered on the streets of Harlem in retribution for a crime perpetrated by Big L’s brother who was in prison at the time. His murder is still unsolved.
You can follow Andy on twitter @AMOhoop34
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