Despite the Gorilla’s winning endorsement and similar sentiments from Stylus doyen, Derek Miller, I’d been wary of the charms of Esau Mwamwaya + Radioclit’s, The Very Best Mixtape; primarily, because I have trouble telling people that I like a group called “Radioclit.” Presumably, “Radiolabia” and “Radiovulva” were considered gauche?
However, the collaboration between the East African singer and the British, Mad Decent-affiliated producers is one of the most interesting and entertaining records you’ll hear all year. Done in Piracy Funds Terrorism style, Radioclit pairs Mwamwaya’s vocals to variety of samples ranging from M.I.A.’s “Boyz,” to Hans Zimmer’s True Romance theme, from Vampire Weekend’s “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa,” to Cannibal Ox’s “Life’s Ill.” The effect is the rare zeitgeisty type record as fun to listen to as think about. Highly recommended for anyone into afro-beat, hip-hop, radios, or clits.
Download:
MP3: The Very Best-“Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”
MP3: The Very Best-“Get It Up”
ZIP: The Very Best Mixtape (Left-Click)
