Even if you’re not a fan of the brothers Lindsey, it’s difficult not to respect them. Rather than damage inboxes with the umpteenth “freestyle” over “D.O.A..” they’ve laid low since dropping Remind Me in Three Days last year, opting to eschew the blog hustle for the tangible grind, building a fan base the old-fashioned way: relentless touring and an undeniable live show. They don’t do mixtapes, don’t collaborate with whoever’s hot this hour, and though they’re signed to Interscope, they’ve received a tepid corporate push in contrast to the careful calculations of the Asher Roth’s of the world. And while naysayers derided their skinny jeans and sartorial flair when they first came out 18 months ago, their style seems trend-setting after the the deluge of boa constrictor-tight jeaned rappers.
Which leaves only the music–the idea of creating value in the valueless Internet integers game. “Fuck You,” the first leak leading up to their sophomore album, is as great as the two other iconic rap songs whose title it shares. Not only does it further refine their garage-hop aesthetic, but expands its boundaries. New Orleans-raised Rah Al Milio and Krispy seem forever obsessed with finding the ideal synthesis of the Wu-Tang and Juvenile fandom of their adolescence, with the Strokes and Beatles worship of their adulthood.
Accordingly, their latest banger embodies that culture clash–with raw as fuck drums, mangled keyboards, and a warped tape loop that sounds inspired by “Tomorrow Never Knows.” Lyrically, Rah Al Milio and Krispy balance their West Coast endless summer raps with a hustler’s cynicism. The former puts it best when he declares “fuckin’ these hipster ho’s in fake paper, don’t make up for the makeup and design of the maker.” Al’s also started a Tumblr blog under his new alias, Joey Lestrat, but that’s tangential to the point. If their still-untitled second jaunt has stuff as good as this, prepare to hear a lot more about it this fall. And if you don’t agree, the Knux have two words for you…
Download:
MP3: The Knux-”Fuck You”
11 comments
Tray says:
July 31, 2009 at 4:11 pm (UTC -7)
“Fuck You,” the first leak leading up to their sophomore album, is as great as the two other iconic rap songs whose title it shares.”
Boosie iconic, huh? 50 did a pretty great “Fuck You” back in his mixtape days. (Mostly notable because it’s the closest we ever got to hearing Good 50 over Premo; the very good imitation C. Martin beat was actually done by Clark Kent.)
Passion of the Weiss says:
July 31, 2009 at 4:43 pm (UTC -7)
Boosie is for the children.
dan says:
August 1, 2009 at 12:56 pm (UTC -7)
what about Pharoahe Monch on the fuck you bit?
Passion of the Weiss says:
August 1, 2009 at 3:04 pm (UTC -7)
That song is really dope, but I’m not sure if you can call it iconic since so few people have heard it. I suppose calling the Boosie song iconic is a stretch too, but it made several year-end Best Of’s last year, so I figure it created a dent. I guess the problem is that nothing really seems iconic anymore.
dan says:
August 2, 2009 at 1:32 pm (UTC -7)
True enough.
Jasper says:
August 3, 2009 at 2:33 am (UTC -7)
What about the fuck you song from the first black sheep LP?
Passion of the Weiss says:
August 3, 2009 at 10:34 am (UTC -7)
Do you mean “Gimme the Finga?”
SHERM says:
August 3, 2009 at 1:24 pm (UTC -7)
Def agree with this post. The Knux hold it town. Best new artists in the game!
Zilla Rocca says:
August 3, 2009 at 5:38 pm (UTC -7)
Oh shit! Me and the Knux have the sound Reason sound refill from 2003! Holla!
P says:
August 3, 2009 at 6:23 pm (UTC -7)
That Black Sheep cut is called “For Doz That Slept”, basically a long interlude.
Passion of the Weiss » Blog Archive » Joey Lestrat (Rah Al Milio)-”Touch” says:
August 30, 2009 at 5:53 pm (UTC -7)
[...] As seen earlier, Rah Al Milio of the Knux has begun a blogging and recording side-project under the Joey Lestrat (Le Pop Killer) alias. He bills it as “The Knux, Vampires, Guitars and stars.” I can’t help but view this as a wise move. In these True Blood and Twilight times, the real money is in vampires. Consequently, Passion of the Weiss is switching to an all vampire-all-the-time-aesthetic. Nothing but Lestrat, Manson, and Bauhaus. Bela Lugosi is not dead. [...]