Really, really, really feeling this here. Jennifer Lee’s really putting in some work right now. I read that she makes music from 2-7 in the morning – and it definitely has that insomniac (internal monologue – Guy: “I’m trying to do something to this broad”…..Girl: “I’m might let him do something to me”) feel. It’s got a certain warmth and coziness, and it’s still forward thinking, techy and bass heavy. Brainfeeder FTW.
An interesting set on unmastered material, which you can take however you’d like. They sound mostly like very rough ideas, or sketches/leftovers of what he’s been fucking around with working on with various producers, including Alchemist, 9th Wonder, Madlib, Hezekiah, Knxwledge, Nathan and Mr. Barnes himself. I don’t think there is a whole lot you can take away from this set, simply on the fact that he’s not even trying to present it as finished. (It just sort of popped on on his Bandcamp site, and other spots on the web.) It’s a varied long player, with a soulful vibe. I like the “feels like we were just kicking it” feel.
Grade: Incomplete. Appropriate, I think.
For purchase here on his Bandcamp. (But I’m sure it will be all over the net shortly.)
Since K has been so diligently reviewing tunes for http://corrosivematerial.com/
I figured I would start occasionally contributing a mix. This is my first one and it is Hip Hop. It is a mix of some of my favorite collab joints. It could be an odd collabs that came out great or just a beastly mic session. Its and an hour and thirty minutes of pure Hip Hop at its finest…Enjoy!
Dude ain’t doing anything except getting people upset and antsy with this EP shit – and then say you’re putting something out in September. Damn it man. This EP is super dope. He goes back to the Private Press era, and gets even heavier with the sounds. ”Def Surrounds Us” (which I’ve previously covered) is a dubstep track, plain and simple. But for me, “I Gott Rokk” KILLS. Glad to see him coming back to the stuff he didn’t always feel was appreciated by the masses. Fuck them.
In my very humble opinion, Elzhi is one of the very best MCs out, and have been for probably the last 5 or 6 years. I really think there are only a handful of rapper, less than five, that can stay with him on everyone’s best day. What I also like is that he almost never takes a 16 off – he’s been amazingly consistent in being great, whether it’s his own work, or other artists’tracks.
This is a XXL-sponsored tribute to Nas’legendary debut Illmatic. (IMO, in the top 3-5 greatest rap albums ever. Honestly, the album could get a study on its own. Nas has been helped and hurt by his own greatness. A lot has been made of the amazing production, and it was. But it was Nas bursting forward as THE preeminent lyricist of his time, much to the chagrin of a one Jay-Z – who pretty much acknowledged Nas’supremacy by inciting and then trying to destroy him, albeit unsuccessfully. But that’s another post.) Getting back to Elzhi, he basically kills every track. He has literally everything in the MC utility belt. In baseball, he would be the Willie Mays, five tool player. He doesn’t try to copy Nas, although he’s made it clear that he’s cut his skills from the same cloth at the Queensbridge MC. The production is exceptional as well – Will Sessions does the original music justice, and even adds to it in a way, with the jazzy breakdowns.
Grade: A. I wouldn’t have been mad if he put this out for sale, because the quality of the entire project is rather astonishing. It feels complete, and different. As my boy Dave said – It’s “remarkable”. I’d like to believe Nas would be incredibly proud.
…well, okay then. Everyone can calm down – yes, it’s out, and yes, I’ve listened to it. And I have yet another bush league review for you today on this super hyped album.
First of all, if you hadn’t heard Bastard before this, it should be noted that dude is a little off. I’m not sure if it’s on purpose or not, but he’s definitely not thinking on the same terrain as the rest of us. This works for and against him. It would seem that a lot of the stuff that goes with being the “next big thing” is seeping into his psyche, and not always in a positive way. A lot has been noted of his strong lyrics – and he doesn’t disappoint. He goes on about rape, gays, murder (the plot line is about him killing his Odd Future associates), and other random calamities. In other words, it’s what people were expecting.
I like his ballsy approach – he swings for the fences. And a lot of the tracks are dope as hell – lead singles “Yonkers” and “Sandwitches” kill them all. This leads me to the redeeming quality on the album - Tyler can rap. He can definitely put words together in intricate rhyme schemes, and his flow is pretty tight. It’s not Eminem or Elzhi tight, but for someone barely 20, he shows tremendous command with the mic. He’s amazingly self-aware, and has an clear understanding of nuance and shock value – see video below.
So, that leaves the beats, which takes the album down faster than a Kardashian on a mid-tier professional athlete. (Thank you…I’ll be here all night.) The vast majority of the music on the album sounds bad. Bad,as in it’s not dope, as in wack. There really isn’t a lot of additional analysis needed in this department. Just sounds like he hooked up the Wal-Mart Casio to his Mac, and went in. Not good, because it makes a lot of the record unlistenable for me. I hope he releases an a cappella album so that people can put proper beats behind his bars. I really want to believe that I’m just not getting the beats…but I dunno.
Grade: C-. And that’s because of his rap skills and the storyline. I have to say: it’s not a great record, and at the same time, I don’t feel cheated or wronged. I almost wonder if I knew it wasn’t going to be awesome, but I just wanted to have a little piece of history – a sign ‘o the times.
A very different record from the Ampexian effort, which was sort of a cut/paste album with short bursts of various energies. This is a lot more about swirling expanse and slow builds into some dense tracks. It sort of reminds me of the stuff Amon Tobin used to do, except there’s a vocalist on the tracks – I suppose this is my best comparison.
Grade: C+. It’s cool on the first listen, but it does get a tad boring on a lot of the tracks, a little too much sameness. But it’s something different. I might just be too into Metronomy right now.
(I’m a little late with this review, because for whatever reason this album isn’t out in the states (or the US version of iTunes) – I had a buddy from England actually send me a copy because he wondered why I hadn’t put it on the site.) As a huge fan of dubstep, I too had a secret wish that it wouldn’t get too poppy. Then the Magnetic Man album came out, and I felt a little better out the somewhat watered down blend the trio produced, because they never went away from their core in a way that felt like a backhanded slap. They just wanted to stretch the fan base out a little. This album is more of less a continuation of the newish vocal dub.
Helmed mostly by RinseFM founder Geeneus, DJ Zinc, and Magnetic Man alum Benga, Katy has become the (first) voice of the dubstep movement. She does an excellent job writing and emoting realistic feelings in each track, which is probably going to be a hit with the female listeners. From the jump, she makes it clear that she will not be taking a backseat to any of the producers, and excels at making sure she stays on balance vocally, with the strong production. And the production is very strong. Depending on the crowd, you could probably blend this with the Magnetic Man album (plus a few other selections) and have a decent party/club mix. That being said, it can be a little heavy on the pop side, and you kinda have to be in the mood for the club feel.
Grade: B+. Mostly something for the club, or if you need something upbeat. Very strong record vocally and with production. Another successful integration of pop and dubstep, into the mainstream. Test #2 complete.
I’ve been a low key fan of this guy for a minute. He’s done a good bit of interesting with with tons of people – most recent a pretty dope album with Skyzoo. Sample chops, drums, and basslines – that’s what I usually appreciate most, and it’s not different here. He’s got some spacey aspects going on in a lot of the tracks, but the basslines and drums are still heavy handed. The sample selections (as well as the accompanying effects and sounds) are interestingly and widely varying, so he takes you in different directions with each beat – so you realize that the drums are the connector. Most of the beats are dope (like “Rapid Fire” and “Champion”), but some of them aren’t that exciting for me (“New Start” and “Wannabee”). I’m feeling the beats he’s done for people a little more – maybe because they had a focus to them…I dunno. What I really like, is that he put out the album with all of the stems – so that DJs and producers can create with them. That alone makes the album worth a cop.
Low can be an interesting proposition at times. They shift in different directions pretty well and often, but they maintain that “slowcore”-ish feel. For me, the Drums and Guns version was the best, but this version is cool – more direct, more emotional in a way. I’ve always liked Low for it’s ability to show that sort of dour telling of relationships/life. It’s also a bit more mainstream as well, which might ruffle a few feathers. However, I don’t think they made that move with the intention on being more like Arcade Fire, or anything like that. That being said, it’s not particularly new ground, which for me is a very slight minus. But double lead combination still works like a charm – one of the best vocal arrangements in any band ever. And they still make well written, well played songs – like “Try To Sleep”, “$20″, and “You See Everything” – my favorite.
