Category: Rap

Ric Wilson and Terrace Martin’s “Move Like This” will get you dancing.

Chicago-based hip-hop artist Ric Wilson and LA-based producer / musician Terrace Martin have released their new collaborative EP, They Call Me Disco (via Free Disco/EMPIRE/Sounds of Crenshaw), and present the video for standout track, “Move Like This”. “Move Like This” follows “funky feel-good” (HYPEBEAST) lead single, “Chicago Bae” (Feat. BJ The Chicago Kid).

Energetic and bouncing with a crisp beat, “Move Like This” is driven by a woozy synth and Wilson’s lively voice. The accompanying video, directed by A Solo Vision, was filmed in Chicago. Featuring Wilson and close friends, the video presents his vibrant, colorful aesthetic. 

“For ‘Move Like This,’ me and Terrace literally were watching videos from the Chicago House Festival when he was making the beat,” says Wilson. “I was dancing and this song was made for moving.” 
 

Watch Video For “Move Like This” – 
https://youtu.be/57NT3t8Nlo8


They Call Me Disco is built on a retro backbone, seamlessly fusing funk-forward rhythms, Wilson’s playful and poignant lyrics, velvety vocal layers, and percussive beats. Following a string of singles and EPs, including Negrow Disco (2017), BANBA (2018), and last year’s summer single, “Yellowbrick”, Wilson’s funk/disco-infused take on rap lead to both Complex and NPR Music naming him a “Rising Chicago Rapper You Need To Know.” 

With a mutual respect for each other’s work, Wilson and Martin, a Grammy-nominated artist who’s worked extensively with the likes of Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, Lalah Hathaway, Herbie Hancock, Kamasi Washington, and more, first linked up in 2019, starting work on the EP that would continue into 2020. “The disco-inspired funk never stops,” says Wilson. “Me and Terrace wanted to make something people can move to and free themselves.” Adds Martin, “This record is a beautiful reminder the disco never stops. Keep smiling, keep dancing, and keep loving.” 
 

Listen to “Chicago Bae” (Feat. BJ The Chicago Kid) (Prod. by Ted Chung, Terrace Martin, J-Trx) –
https://youtu.be/ql-yoviDQas

Purchase They Call Me Disco –
https://empire.ffm.to/theycallmedisco

Keep your mind open.

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[Thanks to Sam at Pitch Perfect PR.]

Review: Spoony Bard – Old Friends

I’ll admit that it took me a couple listens to “get” spoony bard‘s newest album, Old Friends. After those first two listens, I realized there’s nothing to “get.” It’s something to experience.

spoony bard, otherwise known as David Nord, blends hip hop with jazz, ambient sounds, electro, synthwave, and even a bit of vaporwave into a mix that settles on you like incense smoke. Starting with a tip of the hat to De La Soul with “Ego Trippin’ Part 99,” bard’s rapping slides in and then back out almost before you notice it’s gone thanks to his cool beats. “Levitate Me Later” is a low-tuned funky cut that reminds me of some of Flying Lotus‘ peppier tracks.

I love the title of “Dizziness of Freedom,” and the wobbly synths in it emphasize the weird, sometimes overwhelming sense that comes with having to choose from so many damn things on the menu. The bright synths on “Extralewd 1” sound like the opening credits music of a 1970’s blaxploitation movie made in the year 2170. The phat bass on “Megalixir” is like something from a sex scene in that same movie.

You can’t help but sway to the beats of “Areia.” “Extralewd 2” brings in some nice guitar riffs to the synth-beats and time-warping bass. “Note to self, fake it ’til you make it, shake it, don’t break it,” bard raps at the beginning of “Note to Self.” Judging from the poppy, catchy beats (that almost become industrial rhythms) of the track, I think he’s done faking it. The same holds true for “Limbo,” which is full of sharp beats. The record ends with “Far Flung” – a twisting, bending synth-heavy track that is both catchy and weird at the same time.

bard has written that he titled the album “Old Friends” because he thought of a lot of old friends while making it. His friends must be some cool cats because Old Friends is a cool record.

Keep your mind open.

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Mykele Deville delivers “Free Soul” from full album due February 22nd.

“…’Maintain’ speaks to a meeting of multitudes between the rapper and rap itself. It floats on air and swims through depths, elevated by Deville’s masterful prose and reverence for his city of Chicago.” – Afropunk

“Deville sings about self-worth and self-love in a time of crushing cruelty and hateful rhetoric.” – Consequence of Sound, on “Type Love”

“Deville’s lyrics challenge the hard-skinned ideal of the black male to allow for vulnerability…” – Paste, on “Type Love”

Chicago rapper and poet, Mykele Deville, has shared a video for new single “Free Soul” taken from his upcoming album, Maintain, out February 22nd via No Trend Records. “Free Soul,” was produced by the UK-based, Elements. The track is a jazz and bebop-inspired rap manifesto brimming with pride for Chicago and a disdain for the gate keeping clique mentality that sometimes pervades the music and art scene. The track is an upbeat portrait of a connected Chicago, from the basements to the spotlight.

WATCH MYKELE DEVILLE’S “FREE SOUL” VIDEO – https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o8-zXnwGRy0

The video for “Free Soul” was directed by Chicago-based film collective, New Trash, and produced by Ramone Hulet. It shows Mykele enjoying his city with friends from Chicago’s many diverse neighborhoods with the flare and carefree nature of a video from the 1990’s. The video is a fun portrait of when its creatives unite.

Part self-help, part self-preservation, Maintain is a motivational collection dedicated to the complexity of black life.

For those in the Chicagoland area, Deville will celebrate Maintain with a release show at Lincoln Hall on March 3rd. Ticket are available here.

WATCH “TYPE LOVE” VIDEO – https://youtu.be/bKAtK4bDy7s

PRE-ORDER MAINTAIN – https://notrendrecords.com/mykele-deville/

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 Albums of 2018: #’s 10 – 6

Here we are at my top 10 albums of the year.  Read on to see who made the cut.

#10: Khruangbin – Con Todo El Mundo – I was a bit late to the Khruangbin party, but I’m glad I showed up.  This three-piece makes beautiful psychedelic jazz with few vocals.  The tones they produce are so clear they’re almost like Tibetan mediation singing bells.

#9: Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer – Ms. Monae is a genius.  She can blend hip-hop, R&B, electro, jazz, and rock with such ease that it sounds like she’s cloned herself at least five times and each of those clones studied a different genre to mastery.  Knowing her love of androids and science fiction, this wouldn’t surprise me at all if it were true.

#8 – Cookin’ Soul and MF DOOM – DOOM XMAS – I don’t remember how I stumbled upon this album after Christmas Day, but I’m glad I did.  It’s a wicked mix of lyrics by MF DOOM and Christmas-inspired beats by Cookin’ Soul.  Any DOOM is good DOOM, and this collaboration is among his best.

#7: Throw Down Bones – Two – I stumbled upon this excellent electro / industrial / rave album on Bandcamp and it turned out to be the best electronic music record I heard all year.  This will be booming in your favorite club soon if it isn’t already.

#6: Ron Gallo – Stardust Birthday Party – I’ve enjoyed Mr. Gallo’s garage punk music since I saw him open for Screaming Females in a dive bar a couple years ago.  Now he’s put out a Zen-punk record that blew my mind and included my top single of the year – “Always Elsewhere.”

The top five will be revealed tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 30 Albums of 2018: #’s 15 – 11

We’re halfway there!

#15: MIEN – (self-tited) – This psychedelic supergroup (featuring members of the Black Angels, Elephant Stone, the Earlies, and the Horrors) had a fine debut indeed with this record that dabbles in some of the darker sides of psychedelia.

#14: Slaves – Acts of Fear and Love – How can two lads make so much punk noise?  Easy, they’re powered by anger, satire, ferocious beats, and shredding guitar.  These cats are probably the Next Big Thing, but I doubt they give a damn about that.

#13: Hprizm – Magnetic Memory – This rap record has more layers than an onion, wicked beats, philosophy, and calls for the disenfranchised of all colors, sexes, and creeds to band together.

#12: D-Tension – The Violence of Zen – Fierce hip-hop.  That’s the best way I can describe this solid record from Boston MC D-Tension.  He’s one of the wittiest rhymers out there and deserves to be heard more across the world.

#11: Caroline Rose – Loner – This pop-punk record is full of witty lyrics, sex, and snark.  Rose is like a ninja – jumping out of the shadows to wallop you and then retreating back into the rock and roll shadows to plan her next attack.

We’re into the top 10 next!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 20 Singles of 2018: #’s 10 – 6

We’re in the top 10 now. Let’s get right to it.

#10: “Never Coming Back” by A Place to Bury Strangers – I was excited to learn that Lea Braswell was the new drummer for APTBS. I thought she’d match the powerhouse duo of Oliver Ackermann and Dion Lunadon well, and this single not only proved me right, but it also heralded a new sound for the band that was outstanding.

#9: “Asia (Adrenaline)” by Hprizm – This single, and really the whole album, reveals more and more with each listen. Plus, the beats on it are great (That referee’s whistle used for timing!). It’s a song that makes you want to explore more of Hprizm‘s catalogue (as you should).

#8: “Fighting” by Here Lies Man – I was sent this by HLM‘s label, Riding Easy Records, in a clever scheme to make me fascinated with HLM’s heavy Afrobeat jams. The scheme worked, because this single was not only all over my earbuds, I even heard it on BBC 6 Music.

#7: “Great Job” by CHAI – These post-punks from Japan are fully committed to the DIY life and have serious musical chops. You can’t help but love them, especially when they make music as good as this single from their new record due later this year.

#6: “Curse of the I-5 Corridor” by Neko Case – Stunningly beautiful, this song is a prime example of Case‘s vocal wonders and songwriting skill. Few artists nowadays can write and sing a song like her, and even fewer could write and sing something like this.

Who made the top 5? That will be revealed tomorrow!

Keep your mind open.

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Top 20 Singles of 2018: #’s 15 – 11

#15: “Christmas Time Is Here” by Khruangbin – Seriously, their cover of the Vince Guaraldi Trio classic is a pure delight and a lovely oasis during the crazy Christmas season.

#14: “I Came Back to Bitch” by L7 – The exact opposite of the above track, this tune is a kick in the junk from these punk legends who have been simmering with aggression and fire for a few years now. It was a welcome comeback for them and a great example of what to expect on their upcoming album this year.

#13: “Black Habit” by MIEN – Possibly the creepiest track on my top 20 list. This song was the first single release by this psychedelic supergroup, and it instantly got under your skin and crawled around in there.

#12: “Fresh” by D-Tension – Full disclosure, D-Tension and I knew each other in middle school. He grew up to be a major player in the Boston hip-hop scene and on Boston radio and this year he put out one of the best hip-hop singles of 2018. My jaw dropped when I heard this.

#11: “The Hype” by Shopping – I knew this song by these British post-punks was going to be in my top singles list as soon as I heard it. The bass groove is wicked and the track feels and sounds like a good time.

Who makes the top 10? Come back tomorrow to find out, amigos.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Cookin Soul / MF DOOM – DOOM XMAS

The main reason I don’t like to put out year-end “Best of…” lists before the end of the calendar year is that good music is being released all the time, even up until December 31st. Take, for example, DOOM Xmas, one of the best Christmas and hip-hop albums of the year featuring rhymes by perhaps the best MC of the modern age, MF DOOM, and slick beats by producer / beat maker Cookin’ Soul.

After an intro that samples , “Naughty or Nutz” samples Nat King Cole‘s “Christmas Song” as DOOM puts down rhymes that seem simple but are actually quite complex. “Why spend Christmas Eve with some extra fat white dude to come busting through the ceiling when you can spend it with your favorite super villain?” DOOM asks before “Let It Snowwwww” and challenges the MC’s to even try to match him (“I traded two beans for this cow, keep talkin’!”). Rhymes like “It’s fake like wrestling’, get ’em like Jake the Snake on mescaline.” will bust you up. Don’t dismiss Cookin’ Soul, however. His beats on “Smoke a lil Xmas Tree” sound basic at first, but they have more layers than the dip you’re going to serve at your upcoming Super Bowl party. Don’t believe me? Then, “MF Grinch” will make you a believer as Soul mixes up “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch.” It’s impossible not to shake your head and / or hips during it.

After challenging Santa Claus to a pot belly contest to the death, DOOM name checks Blacula and laments not being able to get mustard at a Chinese restaurant as Soul samples Paul McCartney‘s “Simply Having a Wonderful Christmas Time” on “Wonderfull.” DOOM handles Soul’s Latin beats on “Llego Navidad” with ease, and “XXXmas Ladies” has DOOM praising his current and former lady loves. He delivers a full story for each one in just a few verses. His efficiency is stunning. Most rappers couldn’t tell this many tales in one album side.

If you’re making a Christmas mix tape and need to fill the last minute or so on one side, “HO (Christmas skit)” would be a great choice for that with it’s instrumental yuletide jam. “The Holiday Agenda” is a great way to describe family drama or tasks that have to be completed during the holidays. DOOM sends a shout-out to De La Soul in the track and Soul’s beats are killer throughout it. The album ends with “Unhappy,” a remix of the Vince Guaraldi Trio’s “Christmas Time Is Here” that emphasizes the Christmas blues. It’s fitting, as DOOM is a super villain after all.

This is the best original Christmas album I’ve heard since Gary Wilson‘s It’s Christmas Time with Gary Wilson, and the best hip hop record I’ve heard in months. The Days of Christmas last until January 06, 2019, so don’t think you need to waiting until Christmas 2019 to get this.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Hprizm – Magnetic Memory

I stumbled upon Hprizm when his label, Don Giovanni Records, sent me an e-mail that more or less said, “We thought you might like this.”  It turns out that I did, as Hprizm’s Magnetic Memory is one of the most intriguing rap records I’ve heard in a long while.

Combining slick beats with electro bleeps, def(t) sampling, and assured vocals, the album covers topics ranging from waking up from illusions to economic inequality.  The opening track, “Keep Pushing,” reveals Hprizm’s MC skills in ways that will leave you dumbfounded.  Lion roars and slightly industrial synths loop throughout “Infusion” as Hprizm mentions “America’s nightmare, us waking up.”  “Resuscitate” mixes jazz saxophone and frantic, choppy beats with Hprizm unloading fierce rhymes you can barely follow because they rush by you like a speeding car.  They barely slow down on “Waking Them Up,” in which he speaks of using prayer, fasting, and meditation to move beyond his earthly trappings and how he had to cut out negative people in his life to spiritually grow.

“G11 Forever” has a ghostly tone that I like, and the message of “Break the Body Down” (how fear, depression, and hate ultimately will destroy you) is even better.  “Up from the Flames” boosts this message, bringing to mind a phoenix rising from the ashes, and the flute solo on it is outstanding.  “F08 Soul” is a psychedelic shout-out to black Americans to remember their history and to all of us non-black folks to face our history and own up to it.

The horror movie-lie organs of “Asia (Adrenaline)” give way to snap-crackle-pop beats and rave whistles and Hprizm warns against those who “put fame over skill.”  “What’s Worth What” is a quick sample track that flows into “And Bet” – a track that will get your head nodding and toes tapping.  “And still I’m standing’ after the storm,” Hprizm declares at the beginning of “After the Storm.”  “Strap it, ’cause it’s a wild ride,” he says.  It’s a fitting bit of advice for the entire album, not just this song.  The closer, “Electric Ladyland,” has the distorted guitar riffs you’d expect, but lots of choppy beats and mentions of “talking heads talkin’ to the walking dead.”  It, and the album, ends with backward-looped guitar chords fading into a sharp drop.

This is a great record full of stuff that will take you months, if not years, to discover all of it.

Keep your mind open.

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Review: Janelle Monae – Dirty Computer

Dehumanization, over-reliance on technology, (un)intentional loneliness, love, freedom, sex, and the inward journey toward finding the true self are just some of the concepts covered on Janelle Monae‘s newest, and best yet, record – Dirty Computer.

The title refers to a futuristic world in which people who don’t fit into social norms are classified as “dirty” and relegated to either second or third-class citizenship or brainwashed into civility.  What’s worse is that many of us do this to ourselves daily.  The title track (featuring Brian Wilson, no less) sets the tone.  “I’m not that special.  I’m broke inside, crashing slowly.  The bugs are in me,” she sings as she shuffles through a bleak, futuristic landscape looking for love.

“Crazy, Classic, Life” begins with a sermon preaching that freedom, life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness is for everyone no matter their social status, sexual preference, or skin color.  “I just want to party hard, sex in a swimming pool.  I don’t need a lot of cash.  I just want to break the rules,” Monae sings behind big, bold beats.  “I am not the American nightmare.  I am the American dream,” she proclaims.  It’s a rallying cry for everyone.

The beats on “Take a Byte” remind me of Tears for Fears at first, and then they switch to sultry house beats as Monae claims she’s not the kind of girl you take home to meet your mother.  She’d rather you nibble on her mocha skin.  Meow.  “Screwed” keeps up the sexy theme (“Wanna get screwed at a festival, wanna get screwed like an animal.”) and takes potshots at those in power who are screwing over those below them (“You fucked the world up now, we’ll fuck it all back down.”).

If you don’t think she’s serious, then consider “Django Jane,” in which Monae puts down a fierce rap about misogyny with lyrics like, “And we gonna start a mother-fuckin’ pussy riot, or we gonna have to put ’em on a pussy diet.” and “Let the vagina have a monologue.”

It’s fitting (and tongue-in-cheek…and more) that “Pynk” follows, as it’s a tribute not only to lady parts, but also to female sexuality and empowerment.  As if that weren’t sexy enough, “Make Me Feel” is perhaps the sexiest song of the year as Monae boldly comes out of the closest as pansexual.  Monae worked with Prince on some of the sounds of this record before his death, and his influence is immediately apparent on this track with its funky guitar, swelling synths, and dance beats.

“I Got the Juice” is Monae again claiming her freedom from expectations, illusions, and haters – including one in the White House when she states, “If you try to grab this pussy, then this pussy’ll grab you back.”  “I Like That” has Monae telling us that she’s happy with who she is at this point in her life, which is really what all of us want.  Her vocals on “Don’t Judge Me” are lovely, showing her versatility.  She can float between serious rap chops and torch songs with ease.

She admits that she’s not perfect on “So Afraid.”  She’s tentative about settling down and commitment, and her bold, to-the-back-of-the-church vocals emphasize how she’s on the verge of taking the plunge but still can’t quite make the leap of faith.

“Just love me, baby.  Love me for who I am…Don’t try to take my country.  I will defend my land.  I am not crazy, I’m American,” she sings on “Americans” before dropping in sound bytes of a sermon on what America represents and what it has become in 2018 and it could be in the future.  The last lyric on the record, as the music fades, is, “Please sign your name on the dotted line.”  Is it a call to action, or a warning?

I’m not sure.  That’s for Monae to know and for the rest of us to learn by self-introspection and, among other things, listening to this record.

Keep your mind open.

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