The Most Villainous: Freddie Gibbs & Madlib Break the Piñata | March 18, 2014 |
Max Bell is not against rap or those thugs. Freddie Gibbs rose from scary Gary to Interscope refugee to widespread critical adoration. Some argue that the dexterous Gibbs can rap well over anything. Yet his last album, E.S.G.N. received mixed reviews. The album was solid, but it was also what you’d expect too. It didn’t help […]
Isaiah Rashad – “Heavenly Father” | March 14, 2014 |
Max Bell went to Catholic school. Cilvia Demo is the best TDE release of 2014 thus far (review here). Oxymoron has its merits, but Rashad deals in introspection more poignantly. His wit and wordplay are sharper. His precocious wisdom is tempered by bursts of willful waywardness. In other words, he loves smoking trees and hates advice. So […]
The Outfit, TX Sipping on “Purple Diamond Tea” | March 7, 2014 |
Max Bell will be watching UGK videos during SXSW. The Outfit, TX are among the best rap groups the Lone Star state has to offer. You know the difference between shit and shine and yet, because the Gods must be crazy, the rest of the blogosphere doesn’t praise them highly enough. Then again, said blogosphere is […]
The Souljazz Orchestra – “Kingdom Come” | March 3, 2014 |
Max Bell is naming his first born, Mulatu. Thanks large in part to members of the Passion of the Weiss staff, the hashtag dictum #ListenToMoreJazz has been all over my Twitter timeline. Apart from the hashtag, the link between these tweets is that they’re generally accompanied by audio of jazz decades old. This is necessary. […]
Open Mike Eagle Drops the “Qualifiers” Video, Signs with Mello Music Group for “Dark Comedy” | February 26, 2014 |
Max Bell believes the rules came from Slick Rick. Hellfyre Club stalwart and rap game P.T. Anderson Open Mike Eagle has inked a three album deal with indie rap label Mello Music Group for 2014 and 2015. The first of the triad will be Mike’s next album, Dark Comedy, which is slated for release this summer. […]
Alpoko Don & Scarface Move in Silence | February 21, 2014 |
Max Bell only trick or treats when Halloween falls on a weekend. On The ‘Ol Soul EP Alpoko Don elevated pen and table raps to heights, and depths, seldom heard. It was a marked improvement from the comparatively lackluster mixtape Plugged In he’d released prior, which suffered from fairly generic and tepid production. Now that Alpoko Don […]
Spitta Andretti’s Drive In Theatre | February 19, 2014 |
Max Bell also enjoys the New Beverly theatre. After 30 plus projects, summarizing and/or describing the tropes of Curren$y’s music seems futile. The kush is from L.A. and the wax is from the Bay. The kicks are dead stock, the finest vintage. The money, classic cars and women keep moving. I know, you know, and Curren$y […]
The Lost Wu-Tang Clan Video – “Y’all Been Warned” | February 14, 2014 |
Max Bell needs help dyeing his Wallabees. We’re not going to see a new Wu-Tang album any time soon. I’d listen if it dropped, but it’s probably best left in the vault. Their legacy has long been cemented, and their catalogue is worth its weight in dyed Wallabees. Besides, if it turned out like Wu-Massacre I […]