Even when I was wrong, I got my point across.

May
16

Deen doesn’t give a fuck what you like.

Before I hit play on this shit, I was pretty sure that I’d just be able to delete a paragraph or two, copy and paste a few nouns from the post about Rawse’s single, and call it a day. Alternately, I figured this song would be so damn good that I’d be able to rejoice in T.I.’s long awaited return.

Instead of either of those extremes, I’m stuck in the middle. T.I. has given us a good song, but it’s certainly NOT a single. WTF? How many fucking industry niggas does it take to change a lightbulb? Who heard this shit in the Atlantic offices and thought to themselves “this is the street single that T.I. needs to get some real attention again”?

May
15

Madeaux, Opium, & Influence Spotting

Jonah Bromwich also appreciates De Quincey.

As someone who doesn’t instantly spot all eight samples that today’s wunderkind producers are cramming into their songs, I’m thankful that Miami newcomer Madeaux’s new track “Opium” sounds as good as it does. There’s no personal gratification with easter eggs heaped throughout the track’s four minutes—I mean, I recognize the freakin Weeknd’s “High for This,” but the other samples (and there are definitely at least two or three) are a mystery to me. And though I could spend a lot of time googling songs that include the distinctive lyrics “Whoaaaaa” or “ooohhh ecstacy,” or poring through every song in my Itunes library, I really don’t think it’s necessary.

“Opium’s” altered, sampled vocals are so well incorporated into the track that they act as sophisticated instruments. They’re not Girl Talk samples to be recognized, acknowledged and forgotten. Instead, after the song ramps up slowly, with the kind of drugged-out vibe you’d expect, the sped-up Weeknd and screwed-down whomever form a high-low duet. It lends a heft that you might not expect a brand new producer to come with. A bridge three quarters of the way through the song breaks things up temporarily, but skittering keys splayed throughout the samples bring the track to a head just before it fades out entirely.

May
15

King Foe, BLKHRT, Baleful Junkie

The longer your feet wrinkle in the swamp that is pro scribing, the more you realize that who blows up is often about co-signs, management, location, and malleability to become a meme. I appreciate what Death Grips do, but remove Zach “Hella” Hill from the algorithm and they’re screamo rappers from Sacramento. Maybe great ones, but excellence doesn’t usually equate to attention from Epic. As Kool Keith complained a decade and a half ago: how the fuck you get a record deal (from LA Reid). That said, good for them. Kid Ink gets paid more than 99.9 percent of all writers, so it’s important to take victories where you find them.

Let’s not pretend that BLK HRTS are the next Kitty Pryde. King Foe is more likely to sleep with jailbait than to pose as it. I brought up Death Grips initially because BLKHRTS inject amphetamines into the same veins. They’re raw, grimy rappers with an emotional streak from Denver, Colorado. Within the Rocky Mountains vicinity, they are the biggest rap group bubbling. Of course, that’s like running the most popular crawfish spot in Bakersfield. But Foe’s new six-song EP is something like vintage Sticky Fingaz with a sensitive streak. This is rap for kids who drink 40s of Old E, hurl them against the wall, and slice themselves with the shards. Not because they want to feel pain, but because they’re fucked up and out for blood.

May
15

MobbDeen: Rick Rawse – Touch N’ You featuring Usher. Pause.

If you ever use the phrase ‘grown n’ sexy,’ around Deen, he will splash lava in your eyes.

So yeah. Due to the mass induced delusions that Rick Rawse inflicted on otherwise reasonable folks during Spring/Summer 2010 with the twin salvos of ‘MC Hammer’ and ‘B.M.F.’, we’ve (who are we?) all come to the realization that Rawse is smart, Rawse is kind and Rawse is important. In other non-antebellum South tinged words, Rawse is someone we have to pay attention to these days – like it or not. I think you’re beginning to see what part of the divide I fall on.

Which reminds me – let’s take a quick moment to discuss my current day leanings on his holy fraudulence, the Dalai Buddha. That cop shit? That’s that shit I don’t like. Do I expect hyper-realism from all the rappers I listen to? Nope. But his shit is a little much for me. That said, I begrudgingly acknowledge and respect his artistry and evolution over time. I appreciate that he’s a student and fan of rap music and he tries to be the best Bawse he can be. I had a slight problem with him trying to eject Jeezy from the paint, having come into the game as a inferior version of Jeezy, but we all seem to be over that little non-beef, so I’ll just leave that there. Despite his vast improvement over time, I still find Rawse to be a fairly limited songwriter and overly reliant on guests. However, I appreciate the fact that he’s one of the few MCs with any kind of menace getting burn in the mainstream. That about sums up all my thoughts on Rawse. Oh and Slim Thug remains “The Boss” outchea. Forever and always.

May
15

Question in the Form of an Answer: Atmosphere by Matt Shea

Sean ‘Slug’ Daley’s self-deprecation knows no bounds. At a recent show in Australia he told the audience a teenage story about sifting through his shit for two weeks after being dared by a friend to swallow a watch battery. On the phone, he operates on a similar (if not so vulgar) level, quick to talk himself down and then his colleagues up. But Slug is also scrupulously honest, which makes him – as much as he’d beg to differ – an excellent interview subject.

A couple of weeks ago, before he got on the plane down under, I chatted to Slug about both Atmosphere and Rhymesayers. We also discussed the history of rap music in Minnesota and how the scene stacks up these days (his answer may surprise you). The interview was originally conducted for a Scene Magazine cover story, but is reproduced for Passion of the Weiss in its entirety. – Matt Shea

Judging by this area code you’d be talking to me from Minnesota, right?
Yeah.

So you’re still living there?
Yeah, that’s where I’ve always lived. I’m afraid I’ve never been good at moving around. I’ve been here forever.

Did you ever think about getting out of Minnesota? I mean, you’re a well-travelled man, even by musicians’ standards. You’ve seen a lot of the world. Did you ever think about moving somewhere else?
No, I’ve never really considered living somewhere else. But in the same breath, I’m not against it. I’m sure there may be a day where I feel like I’m too old to shovel snow and I don’t want to do it anymore and live somewhere warm, or something. But I’m not in any rush, either. It’s a good place to live. Every place has some sort of force of nature that wants to kill you: spiders, or fucking tigers, or hurricanes, or earthquakes, or who knows what. Here, it’s the snow, and that’s it. And I’ve learned how to not die in the snow, so I’ve got that covered. So, so far so good – I’m not going to go anywhere.

May
14

Danny Brown – “Jay-Dee’s Revenge”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qMAqry9TfLs

This was Alex Koenig’s rough draft.

“Jay-Dee’s Revenge” is the first track to surface from Rebirth of Detroit, an upcoming album that features Detroit artists rapping over unreleased J Dilla beats. But “Revenge” isn’t one of the late producer’s sweeter donuts—the song’s harsh, deep bass line and oscillating synthesizer pattern signify menace.

Danny Brown is as equipped as ever to handle a beat like this, and he brings his flamethrower flow to Dilla’s ominous production. It’s safe to say that the emcee’s Adderall-infused diatribes are as exhilarating as ever. “And teeth like this, a face like this / is like a sign around my neck that say I like to lick clits,” he snorts, evoking the intensity and penchant for shameless debauchery that made XXX a paragon of cold steel indie-rap — proving once again that it’s OK to have a sick mind as long as your rhymes are this ill.

Related: Danny Brown mini-documentary for Pitchfork, below the jump.

May
14

MobbDeen: Out of the Darkness — The Best of Organized Noize by Trackstar the DJ

Deen doesn’t dance no more, all he does is diss.

At some point during my adventure with Trackstar the DJ’s Out Of The Darkness – The Best Of Organized Noize, I came to the slightly annoying realization that I’m a bit of an asshole. Well, I’ve known this since I was about seven, but I’m referring to a different kind of asshole. The kind of asshole that gets upset when he realizes that there are things about Organized Noize that he either never knew (insert song) or simply forgot over time. In truth, there’s really no reason for me to trip over these things since I can confidently assert that I know more about ON than most – I say that both as a taunt and as a matter of pride. After all, ON is responsible for my first forays into Southern rap/R&B (I suspect that’s true for many of us) and for that I am eternally thankful. But the nerd in me is still upset that there are other people on this planet that may be bigger Organized Noize stans than I am.

In any case, once I got over myself, I enjoyed this expertly-curated trip down memory lane – forgive the cliche. Simply put, Trackstar really knows his shit. Because of the immense reserves of hate in my heart, I hit “play” on this set hoping to come up with pedantic criticisms about songs or artists he missed out on, but I really only played myself. Let’s face it – there’s no way a man can get THE Big Rube to provide insightful interludes (no, really – I learned a bunch) throughout the project without knowing what the fuck he’s doing. Add in the precise blending and mixing between the tracks and you just know that you’re listening to a labor of love. For a nerd like me, listening to this mix meant immediately delving back into Organized Noize’s vast and scattered discography, which in turn led to questions like “why didn’t we let Bubba Sparxxx cook for a bit longer” and “how the hell do you classify Organized Noize’s sound?”

May
14

The Ballad of MC Adam

As the one-time mayor of New York City, Abe Beame would like everyone to take a moment of silence.

As a kid, Paul’s Boutique was my favorite record to zone out to. Even more so than the Wu-Tang Multiverse, B.I.G. or Nas and Jay’s debuts, it’s an ALBUM in the classic sense. It remains one of the most unique and distinct experiences in the canon. And of all its fun and innovative moments, my favorite was always “Year and a Day,” the MCA showcase mid-way through “B-Boy Bouillabaisse” — the incredible 9 song suite that closes the album and constitutes an EP in and of itself.

It’s a two and a half-minute distortion-heavy flow exhibition for Yauch. While several lines always stuck out to me: the Black and Tan, the Old Schoolist nut grabbing, the quasi-religious reflection, I’ve always allowed the song to pleasantly wash over me. It took his tragic passing for me to actually go and look up the lyrics.

May
11

Not a Blogger: Adam Yauch Tribute — The Beastie Boys as Activists

Does Doc Zeus not bleed?

I admire Adam Yauch. As a diehard hip hop fan and a child of the 1990s, that might seem exceedingly obvious to say. But beyond the superficial of simply “liking” his music, Adam Yauch was an extraordinary human being. Beyond his accomplishments in music and film, his character was of the highest caliber and it’s a tragedy beyond writing a few eulogistic words that he was ripped away from the rest of us at the sickeningly young age of 47. He deserved better. Far better.

For a group that started as socially conscious as spilled bong water in a fraternity basement, the Beastie Boys grew up. Over the years, they evolved into something beyond the frat rap idiots whose biggest concern was the eternal, existential fight against parental oppression. They became tireless human rights activists and respected humanitarians willing to be vulnerable in public and speak truth to power when the time called for it. They spoke out famously against the sexual violence that occurred at Woodstock ’99 at MTV’s Video Music Awards in 1999. The group spoke prophetically against the United States government’s military aggression in the Middle East and the growing climate of racism against Muslims and Arabic people at time when American citizens were getting blacklisted for publicly expressing their views on the matter.

May
10

Sonnymoon -”HoustAtlantaVegas (Wajeed Re-Fix)”

You know how Jonah Bromwich does on All-Star Weekend.

Before he aggravated many of us with his unique marriage of arrogance and fine whine, Drake released a mixtape called So Far Gone. It opened with “Houstatlantavegas” — you remember. Here, Drake’s confessional style saw its genesis with a grueling, upsetting verse, about the women you run into on All-Star weekend and Drake’s penchant for falling in love with said women.

In my opinion, it’s his best song. This cover, originally done by Sonnymoon a few years ago and recently remixed by Wajeed, perfectly captures the original vibe while removing the coarseness. I ’ve recently become obsessed with female covers of originally male songs and vice versa and this is one of the best I’ve heard. There’s a joy in hearing about the male dominated party lifestyle raved about by a soft-voiced woman. Functioning much in the same way as jj’s excellent “Beautiful Life,” these songs provide an excellent way to remove some of the misogyny from music we love, and to remind us that, no matter the gender, everyone enjoys making it rain from time to time.

Download:
MP3: Sonnymoon – “Houstatlantavegas” (Wajeed Re-Fix)