| The Corrections: El-P’s Fantastic Damage | August 12, 2013 |
Max Bell wrote his own eulogy with cocaine hands. While the attacks of 9/11 aren’t mentioned explicitly, El-P’s Fantastic Damage might be the only N.Y. hip-hop album from 2002 that sonically captures the horror of the terror alert era. Though there’s really not much competition. Cam’ron’s Come Home With Me dropped the same day (May […]
| Busdriver at the Versachi Store | August 8, 2013 |
Max Bell Versace Versace Versace. Your favorite art rapper doesn’t exist in a vacuum. Despite what you might think, not even Mike Eagle exclusively listens to They Might Be Giants all day. They’re probably up on the most popular rap songs on the Internet and/or radio. At the moment, whether your like it or not, […]
Max Bell is not fragile. If you’re reading this, you’ve heard of Jonwayne, the “rap game Sam Beckett,” the “open toed Blowedian.” (see here, here, here, or here). Yesterday, marked the release of Cassette 3: The Marion Morrison Mixtape, the third tape in the “Cassette Trilogy.” Taking its name from actor John Wayne — his […]
| Riding with Warm Brew | July 29, 2013 |
Max Bell doesn’t always drink beer, but when he does, he prefers warm Dos Equis. There’s a science to making a good weed song, or at least one that’s loosely weed related. On the surface, it seems easy. Devin the Dude has made killer “coughee” cuts for years. But at the end every year only […]
| Max Minelli Eats Gunpowder for Breakfast | July 23, 2013 |
Max Bell is predisposed to like artists with the name Max. If you really want an in-depth view of Baton Rouge rapper Max Minelli, see Jeff’s extensive interview with Minelli published this time last year. But if brevity is your thing, here’s the short, short version: Max Minelli has been rapping, as many rappers from […]
| Molotovs and the Cynicism of YC | July 10, 2013 |
Max Bell is throwing roman candles. The Bronx’s YC the Cynic was featured in HipHopDX’s “DX Next” column back in February of 2011, just before the release of his mixtape Fall FWD, a solid batch of looped NY-infused boom-bap from an MC in his early-20s that featured appearances by C-Rayz Walz and Homeboy Sandman. The next year YC released his […]
| Beck is Back (Maybe) | July 9, 2013 |
Max Bell is a güero for life. If I never become a rapper and learn how to play an instrument, I’ll attempt to make music like Beck’s. That’s probably because some of his work has a definite hip-hop influence (see also, the boom-bap drums on “E-Pro“). But I think what attracted me most to Beck’s music, […]
| Ty Dolla $ign: Back at the Beach House | July 3, 2013 |
Max Bell wants to drink sake. Ty Dolla $ign (Ty$) buys his women the same red bottoms and the same perfume. It’s the smart move: if anyone asks, you only have to remember one set of gifts. He also only considers taking a woman to the movies if the head is right. That’s just being […]
| The Accurate Coordinates of Bells Atlas | June 28, 2013 |
Max Bell something something something. I wrote about Oakland’s Bells Atlas and their self-titled EP back in April. The EP’s been in constant rotation for me ever since. That was until I listened to their also self-titled LP, released June 18 via the group’s Bandcamp. At eleven tracks, it might be the best, and most […]
| The Forever Un-Middling Open Mike Eagle | June 25, 2013 |
Ask Max Bell about Cella Dwellas. Let’s talk about Battle Raps — the ones that stick with you long after the record is over. I’m thinking of songs that manage to move me sonically and offer something new, lines you marvel at, and lines you laugh about with your friends. The songs with one liners […]
