Recent Listens Vol. 14

Dr. Dre – The Chronic (1992)

So after watching Straight Outta Compton, the exceptionally entertaining biopic on notorious gangsta rap group N.W.A. I decided to revisit them and the output of their respective members. The key three figures in the group were producer/MC Dr. Dre and rappers Ice Cube and the late Eazy-E who each brought an incendiary, individual style to the group. Dre was the latest out of the three to record a solo effort, but his became the utmost celebrated, influential and commercially successful. It influenced pretty much all of hip-hop for over half a decade, its patented sound defined the west coast hip hop scene in addition to a heap of east coast stuff (just listen to The Notorious B.I.G.’s ‘Big Poppa’, for example). It spawned the genre known as G-funk, a subgenre characterised by a style of production using limited samples, deep bass which drew on Parliament/Funkadelic grooves and live instrumentation such as high pitched synthesizers. Every song on The Chronic is exceptionally well produced; every track features memorable beats with brilliantly selected samples. The ominous bass, news report snippets and gang chants give ‘The Day the Niggaz Took Over’ an eerie, urbane feel (recalling the L.A. riots of 1992 after the not-guilty verdict of the Rodney King case) whilst ‘Lil’ Ghetto Boy’ is incredibly smooth with synths that border on symphonic. It goes without saying that the singles of ‘Let Me Ride’ and ‘Nuthin’ But A ‘G’ Thang’ are certified bangers. The Chronic positioned Dr. Dre at the forefront of gangsta rap and hip hop scenes in general with its controversial urban realism and futuristic beats. It fueled the fires of hullabaloo commenced by his former groups tales of violence and hood mentality, it saw the birth of G-funk and launched the career of Snoop Dogg. The Chronic is a stone cold classic; give it a spin if you’re even vaguely into hip hop.

The Olivia Tremor Control – Black Foliage: Animation Music Volume 1 (1999)

Wow, this one was just dripping in colourful weirdness. At nearly 70 minutes long, it’s a psychedelic pop mammoth, influenced by late 60s guitar pop such as The Beatles, The Zombies and The Beach Boys. It’s incredibly whimsical and its synthesis of sickly sweet melodically delivered ditties and obscure sound collage/field recording samples make for a dizzying trip of a listen. The Olivia Tremor Control are members of the indie rock and psychedelic pop collective known as the Elephant 6 which notably features the seminal indie/folk act Neutral Milk Hotel. The sound featured in Black Foliage… however is more closely affiliated with other artists in the commune, especially the quirky psychedelia of Circulatory System and Of Montreal. Part of the albums downfall is also its charm; the manipulations and medley of sound in the interludes give this album a ‘trippy’ retro feel whilst also seeming futuristic and fresh. It’s an album of juxtaposition and that leads to juxtaposed feelings. Usually I can’t stand meandering and strange trails of experimentation that go nowhere but here on Black Foliage, it adds to the charm of the record, making it sound like a gem lost somewhere in the hedonism days of The Summer of Love. Funnily enough, they never did make a Volume 2.

Foxing – The Albatross (2013)

This one was a definitely a surprise. Having disliked records by The World Is a Beautiful Place and I Am No Longer Afraid to Die (irksome band name, right?) and other post-rock inflicted emo, I was expecting to hate this band/album. What I found was ten gorgeous tracks with a chamber pop vibe; the overall melodramatic and spontaneous emotive feel is reminiscent of Arcade Fire’s debut Funeral. I really enjoyed ‘Inuit’ with its dynamic delving, the subtle anthemic quality and fiddly guitars in ‘Bit By A Dead Bee Part I’. Not even the glitch influenced percussion could ruin the brilliant ‘The Medic’. Emo is a genre I’ve put a huge amount of effort listening and looking into but the majority of it has fallen short. The Albatross, however was a more immediate record, I began to enjoy it within a few tracks.

Common – Like Water For Chocolate (2000)

Common’s Like Water For Chocolate is an exploration into soul and jazz by means of hip hop. The beats organic sound is due to production from the Soulquarians collective, an all-star cast of modern soul and hip hop musicians from the more alternative side of the respective genres including (but not limited to) beat making legend J Dilla, The Roots’ Questlove and D’Angelo. The sound is definitely comparable to Slum Village and The Roots; smooth, jazzy, and with a percussive flair. Jay Dee has some unreal beats of course, especially the psych alluding ‘Nag Champa’ which sounds like Hendrix playing solos backwards. The highlight however is the DJ Premier cut ‘The 6^th Sense’ which sees his signature turntable scratch imposed beats become the centre-piece of the album. Clocking it at nearly 80 minutes long, this isn’t something palatable in a single listen, it could definitely do with some of the fat trimmed. Its length means it isn’t an ideal introduction to those wanting to get into jazz rap and conscious hip hop, however it is regarded as a classic in many circles.

Atlas Sound – Logos (2009)

Atlas Sound is the moniker of Bradford Cox, member of the neo-psych/dream pop group Deerhunter. There’s something with a lot of his groups music I find very pleasant and enjoyable, but rarely memorable. It’s usually a sound comprising of a haze of ambient textured guitars, breezily washing over me, making me unable to recall what exactly I liked most about it. This statement may seem a bit harsh, but their dreamy soundscapes are the main reason why so many of their cult fanbase are captivated by them. Logos is the best thing I’ve heard from them anything Deerhunter related since 2009s Microcastle. I love the pulsating bass in ‘Washington School’, the Panda Bear featuring ‘Walkabout’ and the warm, cyclical acoustic guitar strums on ‘Attic Lights’. With a few more listens, I feel I’ll be able to really dig this.

Other notable listens:

Thee Oh Sees – Carrion Crawler / The Dream EP (2011)

Kurt Vile – Childish Prodigy (2009)

Fennesz – Endless Summer (2001)

Holy Fuck – LP (2007)

Algernon Cadwallader – Parrot Flies (2011)

Boris With Michio Kurihara – Rainbow (2006)

Beats, Rhymes and Life (Part Two)

Snappin’ and Trappin’

I’m not entirely sure when I started to listen to Southern hip-hop , I just know that Outkast are played time and time again. For some reason, this Atlanta duo gets passed off as being a one hit novelty wonder for ‘Hey Ya’. Everyone who’s really into hip hop knows this isn’t the case, they’ve been going since 1992 (but have slowed down with numerous hiatuses since 2007). Every Outkast album is entirely different: the pimp tales and smooth southern beats of their debut, the space aged ATLiens, the soulful Aquemini, the faster paced hard hitting beats of Stankonia, the genre experimentations of Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (this is the London Calling or White Album of rap) and the off the wall blues of Idlewild. Outkast are perhaps the group that have expanded hip hop the most, creating high quality music with each release yet all with new found experimentation and influences. ATLiens is definitely my favourite, I love the extra-terrestrial themes paired with the liquid production and technical rapping. Andre 3000 is perhaps the most technically skilled MC of all time and his intangible lyrics are always thought-provoking. That’s not to discredit Big Boi either, both are immense and their pairing is unmatched.  Granted, I haven’t checked out huge amounts of Southern rap yet I can say I love both Outkast and Scarface. Scarface has one of the best voices in rap and his album The Diary is amazing full of classics like ‘Hand of the Dead Body’, ‘My Mind Playin’ Tricks On Me’ and ‘No Tears’ which define the genre.

 

Can We Get Much Higher?

Modern hip hop is at an odd and interesting place, it’s full of cult underground artists, swag rap, r’n’b crossover acts, throwback characters, trap rappers and stars who’ve achieved worldwide fame, appeal with true rap fans and overwhelming critical acclaim, Kendrick Lamar and Kanye West are two in particular who have all their material lauded upon every release whilst selling millions and headlining festivals across the globe, for example. Although I loved Kendrick’s sophomore LP, I just couldn’t get into his latest, despite being considered one of the best of the decade. Kanye’s My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy on the other hand is an album I can fully support. It’s completely over the top, but that’s why I like it; art rap or progressive hip hop are two tags that summarise the album with its grandiose magnitude. From the single piano notes of the ambitious ‘Runaway’ to the stunning Aphex Twin sampling ‘Blame Game’, the album has its beautiful moments. It also has anthemic, hard-hitting tracks such as ‘Power’ and ‘All of the Lights’. This album turned me from a Kanye cynic to being highly appreciative of his output. Ignore his status in pop culture and all of his stunts and it’s easy to understand his talents. He’s expanded the boundaries of hip hop whether you like it or not, bringing alternative rap to the highest points of mainstream culture. He’s worked with cult rappers such as Talib Kweli, Mos Def and Common, brought soul sampling back to the genre, took industrial sounds to the mainstream, brought A Tribe Called Quest with him on tour and has key underground figure Madlib producing tracks on his highly anticipated forthcoming album Waves. Also, if you aren’t a fan of him because of his arrogance yet enjoy the music of Oasis, Prince, The Smashing Pumpkins, The Smiths, Megadeth (etc. etc.) then please re-evaluate him and why you like/dislike certain musicians. My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy is classed as being the best album of the 2010 decade and one of the greatest of all time so there isn’t much about it that hasn’t already been said. Go and listen to it if you’re a late-comer to it.

The next few MCs I’m going to talk about are completely different to Yeezy in sound and in success. They pay their respects to the old-school players on the scene yet all add something new, demonstrating that although the “Golden Age” has passed, there’s still humongous amounts of talent out there.

Joey Bada$$ took me by surprise with his debut mixtape 1999. His rapping and samples from the best cuts of Dilla, DOOM and Lord Finesse are all on point here and the 90s renaissance sound is more than welcome. Joey still hasn’t topped this one yet but I haven’t given up on him, there’s plenty more to come from this young MC.

Everything about Danny Brown is hardcore. The tales about his life in the wrecks of Detroit, his unrefined yet hilarious wordplay, and his drugged-out lifestyle are displayed throughout by means of vocalisms ranging from high screeches and resonant low end murmurs, spat over eclectic beats which range from industrial noise (‘Die Like A Rockstar’) to simple metronome-like beats (‘Radio Song’). It doesn’t pander to any particular regional scene or subgenre of rap, it adds all of them into the mix and in some cases, improves on them.

Freddie Gibbs and Madlib could have been a match made in hell; mixing a gangsta rapper with an indie rap pioneer seems like it wouldn’t work under any circumstances yet on Piñata, they proved it definitely could. It collates all the best parts of their previous EP releases into a cohesive full-length album. Madlib provides the beats so obviously it’s brilliant in that department (just listen to those cinematic strings on ‘Deeper’) whilst Gibbs recites bars regarding his mobster routines effortlessly.

The next pair have taken the hip-hop world by storm. Run the Jewels is a collaboration between former Company Flow MC El-P and Southern rapper Killer Mike. Their debut album caught me by surprise, it goes hard as fuck from the onset. No skits, no filler and has the hardest hitting beats and fastest verses of recent memory. I adored the immediacy of it, which is often lacking in a lot of hip-hop (with undesired album lengths and skits that add nothing to the music). They have given all their music away for free as digital downloads, allowing them to reach a huge audience in a clever manner. Their live shows are absolutely insane, and their energy is unparalleled. I really hope I can see them live in the near future but in the meanwhile, I’ll be eagerly anticipating Run the Jewels 3.

Action Bronson may not be the most original emcee on the list (it seems he is compared to Ghostface Killah every time his name is mentioned) but what he makes up for in innovation vocally, he makes up for it in his lyricisms. As a talented former chef, he weaves his love for food into his rhymes about his racketeer regime which is mouth-wateringly entertaining (“Got the lamb rack, pan-roasted, laced it with fennel/Little yogurt that been drizzled over might be a winner” is an example of one of his many food related verses). Bronson has been prolifically releasing music since 2011 and everything he’s released has been great, I’d recommend Dr. Lecter and the first Blue Chips mixtape to start with though.

Special mentions have to go to BADBADNOTGOOD and Earl Sweatshirt. BBNG make jazz for hip hop fans, integrating its sounds into their music since their inception in addition to covering many rap songs. I’m really excited to see what comes from this young blokes seen as their LP BBNGIII really impressed me with its jazz fusion sound and modern methodology. Although I’m not huge on Earl, I’m so glad he’s stepped away from the swag-rap of Odd Future. His more recent work has delved into depressive darkness with a claustrophobic and minimalist approach. Doris impressed me in parts with his improved rapping style and beats that recalled DOOM and Wu-Tang and his and latest work Solace, a ten minute track/EP completely weirded me out. Let’s hope there are more good things from this guy.

 

Cashmere Thoughts 

It wouldn’t be a completed list if I didn’t mention these. I can’t approximate the exact time I was listening to them, but here are some more of my favourite albums from the genre.

If you think Jay-Z is some sort of pop rapper, then think again. Reasonable Doubt is as hardcore as they come and it’s just as good as any of the East Coast stuff at the time; it’s like a mix between Illmatic and Ready to Die. It’s his least successful but nevertheless is recognised as being a fully-fledged classic. It shows the gritty realism of Jay’s upbringing and hustling activities. The beats are dazzling and hardcore and offer no crossover appeal of his later works, it’s New York through and through. Choice cuts are the conspiracy theory tales in ‘D’Evils’, the contemplative ‘Regrets’ and the classic boom-bap of ‘Dead Presidents II’ (which samples ‘The World is Yours’ without Nas’ permission, setting of a decade long feud between the two). The Blueprint is also definitely worth checking about, featuring a back to basics approach and stepping away from mainstream flirtations.

Dr. Dre’s The Chronic introduced me to West Coast hip hop and the space-aged production of G-Funk. It brought funk to the forefront of rap again, Parliament and Funkadelic are sampled numerous times. The beats are hard and funky yet offer pop appeal, the synths are high pitched and whistle, Dre’s rhymes seem effortless and his partnership with Snoop Dogg (who was unknown at the time) is sublime. One thing I’m not sure of is if Dre enjoys smoking marijuana, he doesn’t mention it at all! Also, his respect for women is admirable, ‘Bitches Ain’t Shit’ is a true feminist anthem. Either way, his lyrics might not be the best but his production more than makes up for it, he’s the Phil Spector/Brian Wilson of hip hop.

I revisited The Roots Things Fall Apart recently and was so surprised by how good it was and why I didn’t like it the first time round. The Roots are a group who utilise live instrumentations to create beats, Questlove is a fantastic percussionist and main MC Blackthought is a highly talented and often steals the show. There’s warped jazz on ‘Dynamite!’, downtrodden folk stylings on ‘You Got Me’ and pulsating bass on ‘Step Into the Realm’. There’s actually too many great tracks to name, I can’t wait to delve into this group more. This revitalised my love for the genre and sparked my interest in it again.

 

Wu-Gambinos

The Wu-Tang Clan are such a force in hip hop, with albums from respective solo members being just as good as their classic debut. You get Raekwon’s Only Built 4 Cuban Linx, an excursion into tenacious drug locales which practically became the basis for Mafioso rap, GZA/Genius’ wisdom filled rhymes and continuous kung-fu flow in Liquid Swords, Ol’ Dirty Bastard’s one of a kind style in Return to the 36 Chambers (“because there ain’t no father to his technique” as Method Man states at the end of ‘Can It Be All So Simple’) and Ghostface Killah; a hugely consistent rapper (whilst most members of the Clan have brought out one classic, Ghostface has made three: Iron Man, Supreme Clientele and Fishscale) who’s technical ability, rare soul samples and abstract lyricism define his sound. They do however share things in common, they tend to have similar production of the urbane yet soulful sprawl of RZA’s beats and feature guest appearances from members of the Clan. They took the hip hop world by storm and so many genre classics have spawned from the group, an unrivalled feat in hip hop.

So, there it is. That’s why I love hip hop, the genre which came from nothing to defining urban art and culture. Those are my favourites and there’s the story of how it became one of my all-time favourite genres. Also, I can’t forget these guys too: Ice Cube, Big L, Common, Company Flow, Dälek, all of DOOM’s projects, Lil Ugly Mane, Aesop Rock, Digable Planets, Count Bass D, DJ Screw, Eric B. & Rakim, Gravediggaz, Smif-n-Wessun, Jeru the Damaja, Jungle Brothers, KRS One and Boogie Down Productions, Main Source, Ultramagnetic MCs, Clams Casino, Run-D.M.C., Kool G Rap, Roots Manuva, Rejjie Snow, Tricky, Souls of Mischief, Death Grips, The Streets, (early) Dizzee Rascal, Kendrick, Big K.R.I.T., Lil Ugly Mane, Akala, Lauryn Hill, Milo, The Avalanches, Method Man, RJD2, UGK, A$AP Rocky and Mobb Deep.