This track almost seems post modern to me. After posting Return of The Mack on Friday, which reminds me vividly of my early teens, I stumbled across this on YouTube which samples it. This made me feel singularly old!
Trae Tha Truth is a rapper from Houston,TX and the track also features an impressive array of Hip Hop talent.
/RjK
*Artist #660
I feel conflicted about liking this song. The sheer nihilism of the lyrics is depressing but I really like the (rather appropriately I suppose) languid beat. Does that make me a bad person?
/RjK
*Artist #649
The journeys that music can take you on just blow my mind sometimes. In this instance from disquiet to thrall.
While writing up my post from Saturday, I spotted this remix album by London producer and chillwave trailblazer Bullion. It mashes up some beats from the late hip hop legend J.Dilla with The Beach Boys seminal Pet Sounds album in a mix that he rather nicely called Pet Sounds in The Key of Dee.
At first I was outraged, but a little intrigued. The more I have subsequently listened to it the more it has grown on me. The whole album is here, I can’t seem to stop listening to it.
Songs in the Key of Dee:
/RjK
Joey Bada$$ is a boyish rapper from Flatbush Avenue, NYC (just like The Underachievers who I posted a few weeks ago).
I really like the contrasting languid beat (previously used by Mos Def) and the rapid-fire rhymes.
Joey Bada$$:
/RjK
*Artist #641
Great new track from Detroit MC Black Milk. I love the gospel sounding sample. After posting Clear Soul Forces last week it seems a bit like Detroit Hip Hop is taking over the blog of late. No idea what caused this.
Black Milk:
/RjK
*Artist #636
A silky smooth beat matched with some impressive lyrical dexterity from Detroit hip hop quartet Clear Soul Forces.
Clear Soul Forces:
/RjK
*Artist #632
This track, by Hip Hop duo The Underachievers who are from Flatbush Avenue, New York, is one of several rap tunes that has excited me recently. Look out for more in the coming days. It is taken from Indigoism which they recently released on Brainfeeder records.
An added bonus here is the video, which I really like. It’s a very simple, classic motif featuring some classic urban landscapes.
The Underachievers:
/RjK
*Artist #631
This track, from Chicago rapper and actor Common, is taken from his excellent 2000 album Like Water for Chocolate.
It is an oldie but it has been on my mind for a while now. It came on my MP3 player while on shuffle and a couple of the lyrics really stuck with me. I liked them because they were profound, which is a rarity when it comes to rap. I like plenty of rhymes that are boisterous or funny but very few that are deep:
I start thinking, how many souls hip-hop has affected? How many dead folks this art resurrected? How many nations this culture connected?…
It also helps that the beat is amazing, with production from the legendary DJ Premier.
Common – Like Water for Chocolate:
/RjK
This track, taken from Jay-Z’s classic 1996 album Reasonable Doubt, contains one of my all time favourite hooks sung by R’n’B royalty Mary J. Blige. It has a languid ease and perfectly compliments the dexterous, playful rhymes. For some reason it has been running about my mind for the past few weeks.
Jay-Z:
/RjK
This track from Chicago rapper Jeremih was released toward the end of last year. It is a little insubstantial but it makes me want to move! Sometimes that’s I you need from a song.
/RjK
*Artist #601