| How To Swag Dracula Yourself, Starring The REJ3TZ and “Peta Griffin” | November 1, 2012 |
It’s Halloween. You had a costume party to attend. You’re strapped for cash and you need a costume. So you dig through your pile of snapbacks, brightly colored skinnys, and cartoon character belt buckles for the costume you wore last year. You dust it off and throw on an accessory or two. You are now […]
| The Midwestern Funk of Ill Poetic & Poitier | October 29, 2012 |
The Ohio Players, Lakeside, Slave, Heatwave, Dazz Band, Faze-O, Zapp. The Midwest, and Ohio especially, has always been about the funk. Though, as of late, it’s been left coast artists like Mothership descendant Dam-Funk who have been Searchin’ 4 Funk’s Future (he also works with Steve Arrington of Slave). So it only make sense that artists […]
| Roc Marciano: The Streak Continues | October 24, 2012 |
You can tell Max Bell is a pimp by the way his shirt fit. Roc Marciano is never going to scream over a beat. He hardly ever gets above a whisper. There will be no “Backseat Freestyle.” Maybe you don’t like. Maybe you want harder drums and catchier hook. But Roc Marc doesn’t give a fuck. […]
| Only Real is Only Real | October 19, 2012 |
Max Bell repudiates this post’s title from any connotations of J. Lo or Ja Rule Only Real’s (Niall Galvin) Facebook bio reads, simply: “REP REAL.” His Soundcloud bio reads: “TWIST IT UP AND REP REAL.” That’s all caps. Twice. In other words, Only Real doesn’t fuck with small things, font included. And despite the fact […]
| Toro Y Moi, So Many Details, So Much Chill | October 17, 2012 |
Max Bell grew up two miles from the beach. Don’t question him, brah. You may like chillwave. You may hate chillwave. And you may be asking yourself whether chillwave is a band, a genre, or a nice and slow shoulder-height wave that breaks left at just the right moment. You know, a chill wave. Don’t […]
| The Iron Age Starring Ka & Roc Marciano | October 15, 2012 |
Ka and Roc Marc rap in black and white. You are fam or foe. Weight is moving or it’s not. Struggle. Street politics. The pen keeps scribbling. Together, they are De Niro and Liotta in Goodfellas—before the fall, of course. They are camo shorts and crisp black and white tees. It’s the anti ‘bubble-gum backpack […]
| 360 Degrees to Make the Cypher Complete: Rating The 2012 BET Cyphers | October 11, 2012 |
Max Bell finds the revulsion invigorating. Another year. Another BET awards. Another round of ciphers. I give you my thoughts off the top of the dome. But really though, off the top of the dome. Seriously, I didn’t write this, look at it, think about it, and then try to make it sound better or […]
| Riff Raff – Rabies in Seattle | October 10, 2012 |
Riff Raff is not going anywhere, hopefully. Every week there’s another video, a hilarious interview, or a new song that will have a video shortly. The man is a machine. Some might even call him the golden alien. Though it looks like Riff has problems closing Versace eyelids these days. It might be due to a […]
| Wanted: L.L. Cool for Killing “Ratchet” (2004-2012) | October 8, 2012 |
Max Bell is LL Cool J’s grandson. You may or may not say no to ratchet pussy. It’s no secret that Juicy J can’t. He doesn’t apologize for it. He has no qualms with all that comes with the cheek clapping. He pops bands and revels in the ratchet On the flip side, LL Cool […]
| An Open Letter to Aaron Cohen | October 1, 2012 |
Max Bell could not stop himself from writing this. You’re probably wondering who the fuck is Aaron Cohen? That’s a good question, friends. Is he a Beverly Hill-raised Israeli counter-terrorism operative? Is he an globetrotting rake devoted to fighting international slave trafficking? Or is he the clandestine rapping love child of Ron Perlman and Ron […]
