The Joker’s not the next big thing. He already was two years ago, as an 18-year old prodigy straight out of trip-hop mecca, Bristol. Even then, he was initially pegged as a savior of grime, then dubstep. Making beats on Fruity Loops at 14, spinning regularly at 15, always heavily hyped, as far as heavily hyped Anglo-centric dance music goes. But Joker doesn’t really make dance music. Whenever he’s asked, he usually rebuts the labels, explaining, “it’s just Joker, isn’t that enough.”It is.
What’s so thrilling about the Joker’s music isn’t merely the ease with which he flouts genre restraints. Successfully dissecting his beats would require an entire evening–think a skewed geometry of post-Timbaland space-hop, a narcotized successor to Detroit House, the rightful heir to Roll Deep’s throne, or Lee Perry given drum machines, grim weather, and a crop full of bitter British herb.
To indulge a fantasy baseball scenario, Joker and Flying Lotus need to tour together, preferably in an grassy field with liberal drug policies and ready supply. When said tour ends, they need to start producing for rappers, because god knows people should be spitting over this rather than the “I Love College,” instrumental. Thankfully, the Rap Pack, the South Philly super-group of 2ew Gunn Ciz, Magr, and Clean Guns, had the same thought, bodying the beat, and generally doin’ it in a manner to make Joker and LL proud.
In other related Rap Pack news, 33 Jones has a zip of Zilla Rocca’s Bring Me the The Remix of Zilla Rocca for free download, and Metal Lungies has the new, 5 0′ Clock Shadowboxers cut, “Dirt Naps.“And it’s 1:43 a.m. and I’m going to sleep.
Download:
MP3: Joker-“Do It”
MP3: Joker-“Digi-Design”
ZIP: Joker-Joker Mix Sou Wow (Left-Click)
MP3: Joker ft. The Rap Pack-“Do It”
