Rap – Page 2 – 7th Level Music

Raw Poetic brings us “Sunny Water” ahead of his new album out March 18th.

Raw Poetic announces Laminated Skies, his official debut solo album out March18thonDef Pressé, and presents its lead single “Sunny Water.” Produced by Raw Poetic (aka Jason Moore) alongside friend and frequent collaborator Damu The Fudgemunk, LaminatedSkies was recorded during the sweltering summer heat of 2019 at Windom Road Studio in Brentwood, Maryland and features guest musicians Pat “P” Fritz (Panacea, Archie Shepp) on guitar and Irreversible Entanglements’ Luke Stewart on bass. Damu’s production adds a tapestry of instrumentation, including live and programmed drums, strings, vibraphone, kalimba, melodica, vinyl scratching, and synthesizers. With Moore pulling musically from myriad genres, the multidimensional work draws inspiration from several sources, including spirituals and Ralph Ellison’s novel The Invisible Man. Today’s single, “Sunny Water” is a serene introduction to Laminated Skies, swirling in hypnotic haziness.

Watch Video for Raw Poetic’s “Sunny Water”

Moore was born in Philadelphia to a rich family legacy. Both of his parents were members of the original Black Panther Party and his uncle is legendary jazz musician Archie Shepp. Before eventually settling in Northern Virginia, Moore was raised in the Washington Metropolitan area, and both Philly and DC have played a major role in his artistry. By college, Moore had founded Restoring Poetry in Music aka RPM, and became the lead MC in Panacea(Rawkus). Formed by producer/beatsmith Kyle Murdock, the duo released five albums before disbanding on a high note in 2010. Throughout his career, quality has remained synonymous with Raw Poetic’s reputation: just see the resume stacked with national tours; further collaborations with K-Def, Blu, and Kev Brown,; airplay on MTV,VH1 and BET, spins on Sirius/XM, GillesPeterson Worldwide FM/BBC 6 Music; syncs on the Showtime series Shameless, Weeds, and more.

Following 2020’s Ocean Bridges, Moore’s highly praised collaborative effort with his uncle Archie Shepp and Damu The Fudgemunk, Laminated Skies is his sixth solo album and his first official release for a label. It’s also his most personal album to date. “I still can’t fully describe what kind of album this is so I’ve now reserved myself to telling people it’s a ‘Jason’ album,” says Moore. “I wanted to tell people what the hell is going on through my head sometimes; how I feel as a guy from Northern Virginia. Sometimes it’s invisible, other times invincible. Sometimes loved, sometimes hurt. Once we got started mixing and matching ideas, well… it became something that I am very proud of.”

Damu elaborates: “I’m extremely proud of what we did on this album. When Raw asked me to get involved I was amped. I’ve watched Raw become a producer over the last ten plus years, teaching himself how to record and lay tracks. His production style is so unique, free and different from mine that I soak up a ton of inspiration from collaborating this way. With both of us usually exclusively perceived as hip hop artists (which we don’t mind), ‘Laminated Skies’ feels like a victory for us to show our appreciation while creating honest art, but escape the box without actually making a formal announcement. It’s easily one of the best things I’ve been a part of.”

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Jyroscope & Montana Macks – Happy Medium

Just so we’re all clear, neither of the two men on the cover of the excellent Chicago-bred hip hop EP Happy Medium are Montana Macks, but they are Jyroscope. Macks is the EP’s producer and beat maker, one of the best in the Windy City and Midwest. The men you see on the cover are the vocalists / rappers, I.B. Fokuz and Collasoul Structure.

Happy Medium is a refreshing breeze from a music world dominated by scores of rap albums that could essentially be named I’m Going to Tell You How Cool I Am for the next Forty Minutes. Happy Medium explores themes of fatherhood, practicing compassion, meditation, touring, marriage, and family.

“War Going On” is a great opener, covering stresses in relationships such as unending bills, lack of sales on the tours, and trying to hold it together the whole while (“I’m afraid what’s next will be the death of me.”). Mack’s rolling beats, accentuated with simple piano chords, are outstanding. Fokuz (“You know it’s work when you toil and you’re never content.”) and Collasoul (“Being the ‘strong one’ means you’ll never know when you’re gonna tank.”) weave intricate tales of the grind on “Work” over Mack’s melted jazz samples.

They take on the grind of not just work, but everyday life and music-making on “Auto Pilot,” with Collasoul claiming (like many of us would if we took the time to look inward), “I’m either finally mastering patience or oddly getting really good at stalling the process.” and Fokuz stating, “I feel like I’m living in a rerun.” Both men wish they could make many moments last longer on “Frozen in Time” (which has some killer scratching from DJ Seanile and some of Mack’s best sampling on the EP).

By the time we reach the closer, “Take It Easy,” the band has realized they need to just pause for a bit and reset. We all need to do this along with them. So much would fall into place if we did – better relationships, health, and society in general. We just need to follow their lead.

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jim at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Psycho Las Vegas 2021 recap: Day Three

We only had four bands on our itinerary for day three of the Psycho Music Festival in Las Vegas. One was a must-see for us (especially for my wife) and another was someone I, for some reason, had never seen before this festival.

First up were shoegazers Flavor Crystals, who played the early afternoon at the Rock & Rhythm Lounge to a small crowd, but a small crowd full of shoegaze fans. They dropped a heavy sound bomb on the place, flooding the casino with fuzz.

Flavor Crystals melting faces and minds.

They also added to my set list collection from the festival.

We took a break for a few hours and then came back for three consecutive shows at the Michelob Ultra Arena, which is connected to Mandalay Bay. Meanwhile, Summer Slam was happening at the stadium across the street, which made for a weird mix of T-shirts seen in the casino. You saw everything from shirts for wrestlers like John Cena and Rey Mysterio, Jr. to bands like Dying Fetus and Cephalic Carnage.

The first band at the Michelob Ultra Arena certainly weren’t the death metal category, but were rather Thievery Corporation, who put on a fun show combining bhangra, reggae, dub, rap, and funk. It was my second time seeing them, and the first time I saw them was also in Las Vegas (at the Cosmopolitan Hotel Casino rooftop pool), so it was an interesting return for me. They put on a fun set.

Sitar, drums, congas, bass, synths, and vocals from Thievery Corporation.

Next were The Flaming Lips, who are one of the best live bands going right now and one of my wife’s favorite bands ever. It was, as always, a delightful, uplifting experience. The usual spray of confetti into the crowd was minimal, and there were no giant, confetti-filled balloons launched into the crowd due to COVID concerns, but there was still plenty of fun to be had. It was fun to stand next to a guy who’d never seen them before then, and he gave me a happy thumbs-up during the show.

My wife went back to the hotel room after the show, and I stayed to see Danzig. I’d somehow gone my entire punk teenage years, college years, and post-college years without seeing Danzig, Samhain, or any variation of The Misfits. Danzig started a little late, but Glenn Danzig and his band came out to an appreciative crowd and played the entire Danzig II: Lucifuge album and then some of their favorite hits. It was an impressive set, and the guitarist was especially talented. Glenn Danzig wasn’t too concerned about possible COVID infection, however, as he tossed multiple used water bottles and face towels into the crowd – half of whom left before his three-song encore, which baffled me.

One funny conversation I overhead as I was leaving the Danzig show was between two guys. One was checking the set times on his phone. His friend asked who was currently playing. “Cannibal Corpse,” said the man with the phone. His friend replied, “Yeah! Let’s fucking get brutal!”

I made it back to the room after wandering the casino a bit and being a bit overwhelmed by all the visual and aural stimulation, not to mention all the smoke of various kinds I’ve been around all day. We had an easy morning planned for the last day, and then a night of wild rock, Cambodian funk, soul funk, and metal lined up for Sunday.

Keep your mind open.

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Jyroscope and Montana Macks tell us to “Take It Easy” on their new single.

Today, Jyroscope – the project of MCs I.B. Fokuz, Collasoul Structure, and DJ Seanile – and producer Montana Macks release “Take It Easy,” the newest single from their recently announced collaborative EP Happy Medium, out July 23rd. “Take It Easy” is an equally composed lesson in jazz, hip-hop, and meditation. It sees the group finding a ‘happy medium’ in their lives, appreciating what they have and who surrounds them. “It just seemed like I was going through this gauntlet of horrible shit that just kept coming,” Collasoul Structure says of the single’s genesis, explaining, “I literally closed my eyes for a moment and said to myself, ‘take it easy, bring it down.’” On “Take It Easy,” Fokuz offers his rebuttal to life’s myriad of challenges: “Peace is an everyday practice when ya conscious/ just a little levity can shake up the monotonous/ I sit and meditate when I awake and let the mind rinse.”

Listen to “Take It Easy”

Happy Medium is a potent manifestation of an endless journey for balance. Over sleepy jazz samples layered in well seasoned beats courtesy of Montana Macks, the aptly-titled Happy Medium EP sees Jyroscope exploring the difficulty in maintaining a focus on one’s craft, career, and the life responsibilities that come with putting down roots and starting a family.

Preceding Happy Medium, Jyroscope released several projects including the Hip House mixtape, On The House, and the bouncy boom bap-filled, MUTEEP. With a reputation around Chicago and beyond for their polished, high energy live performances, Jyroscope teamed up with long time friend and producer Montana Macks (Chicago Reader’s 2020 runner up for Best Hip Hop producer) for Happy Medium, their best effort to date. Happy Medium is the result of over a year’s worth of work that began with a wildly fruitful session in late 2019. They felt the title best reflected where they currently are as artists and people. With their poetic rhymes and heart-felt imagery, Happy Medium makes for a captivating listen, one that is sure to have fans new and old itching to run it back well before the final note has faded away.
Pre-order Happy Medium EP

Watch the Video for “Frozen In Time”

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jim at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Damu the Fudgemunk becomes first producer to access KPM Archives for new single – “Conversation Peace.”

London-based label Def Pressé is thrilled to announce its exclusive partnership with KPM/EMI to officially open KPM’s iconic music and sound design library for the first time ever. A production music label dating back to 1956, the KPM library contains over 30,000 original recordings of non-commercial music made for licensed use in television, film, radio, or any other media outlet. Ranging from cinematic symphonic themes to bizarre sound effects, elaborate environmental landscapes of computer-synth orchestras to film scores, these licensed recordings, commissioned without the pressure of generating commercial hits, have long been a treasure trove for producers digging for samples. This adventurous undertaking, initiated by Def Pressé in affiliation with EMI Production Music’s hip-hop outfit The Real Fifth, will see a handful of carefully selected composers and sound-excavationists creating all-new records alongside an array of featured singers, rappers, and instrumentalists, to be released by Def Pressé in two forthcoming series: KPM Crate Diggers and KPM Originals.

The KPM Crate Diggers series will consist of new albums by select producers made entirely of samples from the KPM archives, as well as other renowned library music labels including Coloursound, SelectedSound, ThemesInternational, ConroyRecordedMusicLibrary, and Francis, Day& Hunter, all of which Def Pressé artists also have exclusive access to. These releases will be entered into the KPM archives for future use as “library music,” making these producers “KPM Artists” in their own right. The KPM Crate Diggers series will kick off with Damu The Fudgemunk, and see forthcoming releases from JazzyJeff, StroElliot (of TheRoots), J-Live, ChrisDave and many others to be announced in the coming months.

The KPM Originals series will see new albums composed of entirely new, sample-free compositions, released by Def Pressé and added into the KPM catalogue, also for future use as “library music.” Artists confirmed to participate in the KPM Originals series include BastienKeb, CoreyKing, and ChrisDave, with more to be announced in the coming months.

Kicking off the KPM Crate Diggers series is Conversation Peace (out September 3rd), a new album from Damu The Fudgemunk, the Washington, DC-based musician and producer known for his many collaborations with RawPoetic, ArchieShepp, Blu, and others, in addition to his own acclaimed solo work. “The music that would become Conversation Peace began with a trip to KPM’s London HQ in late January of 2020,” says EarlDavis (aka Damu the Fudgemunk). “I had just finished wrapping up post production on my album Ocean Bridges with Archie Shepp and Raw Poetic. As a record collector, I’m very familiar with the legacy of the KPM brand. Listening to the entire catalogue was a history lesson and the amount of great composers and compositions in the recordings was endless. As a producer looking for textures, inspiration and grooves, the abundance of those things made it extremely difficult to narrow down what I wanted to use. From drums to sound FX to orchestras to small rhythm sections to ambient noises, I heard a wide variety of things and they were all so well produced and recorded. The history of KPM and the opportunity to collaborate with the prestigious lineage made the stakes very high for me and I knew I needed to deliver a quality product. It’s an honor to be the first artist to release a KPM Crate Diggers title.”

“Damu the Fudgemunk came to our studio in London to carefully dig his way through the whole KPM 1000 series,” says Peter Clarke of EMI Production Music. “If anyone is in doubt about sampling being an artform, they just need to watch him work! It’s great to breathe new life into all these old recordings, too. And then place it straight back into library music for use in media. Exactly how it was originally intended.”
Listen to “Four Better Or Worse (Pt. 1)” Feat. Nitty Scott by Damu The Fudgemunk

Pre-order Conversation Peace by Damu The Fudgemunk

Developed in the mid-’60s, the now-iconic KPM 1000 series launched the golden years for KPM, with the birth of the “Greensleeves” albums (named after their consistently plain-green record covers). Currently, the classic KPM archives boast over 30,000 original recordings by acclaimed library composers such as Keith Mansfield, John Cameron, The Mohawks founder Alan Hawkshaw, The Shadows drummer Brian Bennett, David Bowie and The Beatles’ collaborator, Alan Parker, and Exotica pioneer Les Baxter. KPM has extensively recorded at studios such as London’s Angel and Abbey Road (The Beatles recorded most of their albums here during the KPM 1000 recording era).

A massive amount of work has gone into taking care of these aged reel-to-reels, vinyl records, and DATs. They have been painstakingly digitized and made available to Def Pressé and the selected artists working on these projects.

“For years, all of these old archive tracks have sat dormant on the LPs—undigitized and only discoverable by those that had copies or had enough money to get them via Discogs or Ebay,” says Paul Sandell, Senior Content and Distribution Manager at EMI Production Music. “There’s a huge amount of pride here at EMI PM about KPM, and the other archive libraries. Not only is this music an important document of television music from the time, but it has a far wider cultural impact – whether from the theme music to a cult TV show, the sleazy funk of an erotic exploitation flick or as music sampled by the likes of Jay-Z, Drake, Florence and The Machine, and many more.”

“KPM has always been there with us for as long as I collected records,” says Def Pressé founder Matt Moat. “While digging for records, it would always be a straight pick-up, no need to listen. Their records were collectibles and coveted as such. It was always a dream to somehow be connected with this library in a fuller way. The moment I met Pete and we discussed what EMI Production Music had been doing with the catalogue, I had to dream up a way Def Pressé and our friends could take this stuff, flip it, and end up as ‘Library Musicians’ ourselves. To be able to contribute to the KPM Library means the world to all of us.”

“The relationship between hip-hop and library music has always been strong,” adds Sandell. “But this project really unifies the process between the library and the creative input of the producers. It’s a high five between the two to say ‘look what’s possible’.”

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Jyroscope and Montana Macks are “Frozen in Time” with their new single.

Chicago’s Jyroscope – consisting of MCs I.B. Fokuz, Collasoul Structure and DJ Seanile – and producer Montana Macks announce a collaborative EP, Happy Medium, out July 23rd. Today, they present the EP’s first single, “Frozen In Time,” alongside an accompanying video. Over the last decade, Jyroscope has recognized how difficult it can be to strike a balance between focusing on one’s craft, career, and the life responsibilities that come with putting down roots and starting a family. Happy Medium is a potent manifestation of that endless journey for balance. Over sleepy jazz samples, layered in well seasoned breakbeats, these tracks are born anew by Montana Macks. Collasoul and I.B. trade pointed verses about fatherhood, bills, the hypnotic self-erasing loop that is heading to-and-from the gig and blowing off steam with a beer or three before tomorrow means doing it all over again.

Preceding Happy Medium, Jyroscope released several projects including the Hip House mixtape, On The House, in 2016 and the bouncy boom bap-filled, MUTE EP. Happy Medium is the result of over a year’s worth of work that began with a wildly fruitful session in late 2019. They felt the title best reflected where they currently are as artists and people. With other obligations taking up more and more of their time, how much does making space for music matter in the big picture? At what point do the records start to count and people begin to truly take notice? How do you find the sweet spot, especially when little about life is sweet or easy? As I.B. Fokuz says, “As husbands and fathers, artists… asiatic men. The balance is defined by spinning plates. Managing the day-to-day with our families on our backs. A leap of faith is the dice we roll on our kitchen tables. Still hungry, still crafting our magnum opus. Still men of principle… keeping our worlds intact.”

In the percussive lead single, “Frozen In Time,” Collasoul raps “On the long road to peace baby we gettin’ all the best of it/ it’s scenic wit delicate petals/pedals and we don’t wanna step on it.” He elaborates: “The first 4 songs we created were seeds we planted prior to the pandemic. Those initial songs were actually going to be the full project according to I.B. and I, but Macks called me and said hey, I think something’s missing….He sent over ‘Frozen In Time’ and the moment I heard the horns on that beat I knew we had something special with that one. To me it sounds like we actually start working towards finding peace with the help of those calming horns.” Montana Macks adds: “I had a beat I was stashing for my next instrumental project, but thought it could round out this EP. I hit up Collasoul and pitched doing another song and he wasn’t terribly receptive to the idea. He agreed to listen to it and passed it along to I.B. Fokuz, I got a call probably 30 minutes later like, ‘say no more’ and it became the single.” The accompanying video, directed by Kory Stewart, was shot across the city of Chicago and is donned in a hazy, black and white filter.

Watch the Video for “Frozen In Time”

“Frozen In Time” is a first offering of the poetic rhymes and heart-felt imagery across Happy Medium. It makes for a captivating listen, one that is sure to have fans new and old itching to run it back well before the final note has faded away.

Pre-order Happy Medium EP

Happy Medium EP Tracklist
1. War Going On
2. Work
3. Auto-Pilot
4. Frozen In Time
5. Take It Easy

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jim at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: El Jazzy Chavo – Aspects of Dystopia

Combining jazz, hip hop, funk, and “atmospheric melodies,” El Jazzy Chavo‘s Aspects of Dystopia is a cool, mood-altering record that can be experienced in different moods, on different days, and through different listening systems all to various effects.

The overriding theme of the album is the day-to-day struggle of the lower class living in places with people (and buildings) who overlook them. “Futurama” is like the opening track to a film about a renegade graffiti artist in a totalitarian regime and a place where “the deep snow buries any sound.”

The groove of “Slap of Realism” is rooted in electro-bass and and processed beats that sound almost like they’re coming from the back of a bodega down the street. “Below the City” is surprisingly bright, as if you went into the sewers to hide from killer robots and discovered a vibrant colony of other survivors there. “Delusion” would fit well into a horror film with its simple synth stabs and ethereal chords.

“Where the Stars Don’t Shine” is the track that introduced me to El Jazzy Chavo. The wicked beats, sampled horns, and lounge vibraphone sounds hooked me right away. “The voice you hear is not my speaking voice,” a woman says at the beginning of “La Sirena de la Salva,” and then siren-like calls emerge from your speakers alongside smooth guitars and snappy beats. “Threshold of Sensation” has a neat warped sound to it that almost makes you feel drunk.

“Swallowed by Normality” has a neat switch near the end that shakes you out of your relaxation, but not in a harsh way. The sampled brass on “Hemispheres” is a great accompaniment to the vaporwave synths. “Return to Forever” is waiting for a rapper of mad skills to come along and use it in his next track. “Andromeda” has some of the best use of sampled raps on the record.

“Barefoot in the Storm” has a groove as relaxing at the title implies, and “Stealing in the Moonlight” is just as slick. The album ends with, appropriately, “Oblivion.” The track isn’t gloomy, however. It’s more of a blissful peace one finds as you fall into a well-deserved rest. The album ends with the sampled lyrics of, “I look out the attic window and watch the world go by. I feel like an outsider. I’m on a different wavelength than everybody else.”

He is, and Aspects of Dystopia will put you onto El Jazzy Chavo’s wavelength.

Keep your mind open.

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Growing Concerns Poetry Collective releases haunting new single – “First You Need a Body.”

Last fall, Chicago-based group Growing Concerns Poetry Collective released BIG DARK BRIGHT FUTURES, an album that finds the common place between the personal and political as it explores the depth of social chaos while conjuring visions of collective transcendence. Today, they are pleased to present a video for the standout track, “First You Need A Body.” Throughout the song, MzKenzie Chinn describes “learning to love her body and sexuality despite a Catholic upbringing” (Bandcamp). Featuring the collective’s three members – McKenzie Chinn, Mykele Deville, and Jeffrey Michael Austin – the video shifts between a south side Chicago beach at dawn, a tennis court, and the home shared by Chinn and Deville. The dreamy visuals (captured by Remsy Atassi) kaleidoscope across environments meant to evoke both the power and delicateness of Black femininity, while lyrics like “You can’t call the cops on a body that can turn into light” celebrate the transformational magic of Black femme sensuality despite the limitations imposed on Black womanhood by anti-Black American culture.

Watch Growing Concerns Poetry Collective’s Video for “First You Need A Body”

Stream/Purchase BIG DARK BRIGHT FUTURES

Watch Video for “Shout Across Mountains”

Watch Video for “Come To Me Open”

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Jim at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Situation Chicago 2

Situation Chicago 2 is a fine compilation of Chicago bands and artists, and proceeds go to helping artists and venues affected by the pandemic (which, by the way, is pretty much all of them). The project is part of the CIVL SAVE fund, which needs all the help it can get to support independent music venues throughout the Windy City (full disclosure, some of these venues are my favorite venues in the country).

“Sinistry” by MIIRRORS is a fiery live rock cut with some light goth touches. Robust‘s “Dont Know Why” is a smooth example of Chicago’s vibrant rap scene. The bass line alone on it make impregnate you. Speaking of great example of Chicago’s music culture, Fess Grandiose‘s “Keep the Rhythm Goin'” is a prime one of Chicago house music (a genre that, while popular, still deserves to be better known around the globe). Umphrey’s McGee and Bela Fleck team up on the bouncy and bright “Great American.” Reduxion‘s “The Imperial Boxmen” is sweet funk jazz that will make you want to spin your lover around the room. Speaking of fun, Jeff Park delivers a great instrumental cover of WAR‘s “Slippin’ into Darkness.”

“Drowning” by Neptune’s Core starts side B of the vinyl with strong power-pop hooks. Goth country makes an appearance with The Goddamn Gallows‘ “The Maker.” V.V. Lightbody‘s “Really Do Care” is a slice of dream-pop complete with birdsong and cat’s purr-like guitar. Erin McDougald‘s lovely, sexy “The Parting Glass” is a wonderful exemplar of Chicago’s jazz club scene and makes you want to seek out her live performances.

It’s a good compilation, and proceeds go to a great cause. You can’t miss.

Keep your mind open.

[Thanks to Jim at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Rewind Review: MF DOOM – MM…FOOD (2004)

More than just a collection of rap tunes about food, MF DOOM‘s MM…FOOD is a masterclass in hip hop, songwriting, beat mixing, and villainy.

The opening track alone, “Beef Rap,” uses samples to tell us the album will be comfort for our bodies and minds. It’s true. DOOM tells us it’s about the beats, not him, but his lyrics are so smooth and stunning that you can’t ignore him. You want to analyze everything he says because it’s coming out with references to cartoons, strippers, lesser MCs, kung fu, and, of course, food. The beat boxing on “Hoe Cakes” is outstanding, and DOOM tells tales of picking up chicks and then cutting out like D.B. Cooper.

Count Bass D. joins DOOM on “Potholderz,” which is pretty much about what you think it is as the duo name check O.J. Simpson and talk about being so high they forget they didn’t light the joint they’ve been trying to smoke. “One Beer” stumbles around with drunken beats but DOOM’s vocals are as deft as a circus acrobat’s. “Deep Fried Frenz” tackles sycophants, backstabbers, and gold-diggers while DOOM looks for true friends. “Jealousy the number one killer among black folk,” he warns.

“Poo-Putt Platter” is chock-full of weird cartoon samples rearranged into a weird mix that melts into the equally strange (and delightful) “Fillet-O-Rapper” and “Gumbo” – both of which have so many samples you can’t keep track of them all. One of the most clever uses is DOOM rearranging samples from cooking show hosts talking about wraps.

“Fig Leaf Bi-Carbonate” emerges from these three tracks like a massive ray gun rising out of a supervillain’s volcano hideout. The sample from a Fantastic Four cartoon telling the origin story of Dr. Doom is uncannily close to DOOM’s story, which, of course, is the reason he chose it. “Kon Karne” combines jazz beats with video game sounds and DOOM mentioning Sally Struthers and the Tower of Pisa in the same breath.

The groove on “Guinnesses” is downright slick, almost making you slide across your kitchen floor if you hear it while doing the dishes or, better yet, making dinner. Angelika and 4Ize add some killer lyrics (Angelika on the verses, 4Ize on the choruses) about how some relationships are like battles that often are best not chosen. “Kon Queso” has a cool bass lick running through it as synth stabs bounce behind DOOM’s nimble wordplay, which is available “to freaks and to pencil-necked geeks.”

Mr. Fantastic joins DOOM on “Rapp Snitch Knishes” – another song about fake friends (who in this case spread gossip or worse). “Vomitspit” cuts and loops a cool lounge track while DOOM reminisces about how he used to lose his game when a woman called him “Daddy” and how being a masked villain isn’t all it’s cracked up to be. “Kookies” might have the best bass line on the album, because it’s like a deadly sidekick to DOOM’s verbal gymnastics. You’ll lose track of how many references DOOM makes to cookies and uses them to refer to other things. It’s this kind of wordplay that made DOOM your favorite rapper’s favorite rapper.

MF DOOM left us far too soon, but at least he left masterpieces like this for us to obsess over for years to come. His master plan was fulfilled. He became a world ruler and then for mystic pursuits.

Keep your mind open.

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