Typically Brilliant

The Latest Greatest, 8/29/12

Trying not to get too excited about the release of this new Typical Cats album "3" on September 25th, but I'm failing miserably.  Typical Cats is just one of those groups that has the potential to deliver some of the highest quality hip hop on the planet, bar none.  Qwel, Qwazaar and Denizen Kane are all masters of their respective crafts of MCing, and have styles that compliment one another in unique and exciting ways.  DJ Natural's jazzy funk production tends to bring out sides of their music that you wouldn't here on other recordings, and he cements the group as its own entity.  Many herald their 2001 self-titled album as an underground hip hop classic and others give massive praise to their 2004 follow-up "Civil Service," but I personally believe that these two albums, while good, do not meet the massive potential that this group has as a collective.  My expectations remain sky high, and there's no doubt in my mind that these fellows will one day release an album that will kick my ass from beginning to end.  If the album sampler for "3" is anything to go by, then this may very well be the record that I've been waiting for from Typical Cats...  It's sounding like DJ Natural has stepped up his production chops quite a bit in the last 8 years, and it's good to see the unseen member of the crew Kid Knish back on deck.  Stream the album sampler beneath the tracklist below, and expect more thoughts on this album from me when it drops: 

1. Intro (Cry No More)
2. The Crown
3. My Watch
4. Changing Room
5. Puzzling Thing
6. Better Luck
7. Drop It Like It's Hotline
8. Denizen Walks Away
9. The Bitter Cold
10. It's The Bomb!
11. On My Square
12. Blank Stone
13. Scientists Of Sound
14. Mathematics
15. Gil Say They Don't Knock
16. Bowl Of Tea
17. Reflections From The Porch
18. The Gordeon Knock
19. TC Back For More
20. Full Clip (For The Last Day)

April / May / June 2K12 in Hip Hop Terms

The Lowdown, 6/22/12

Been majorly falling behind on keeping things up to date with the monthly reviews here, but some notable hip hop releases dropped in April, May and June for sure.  Getting this done since July and August yielded way more amazing releases, and will probably be needing their own posts soon.  Without further ado, some personal stand-outs from 4/12-6/12:

1) Sector 7G "Dead in the Heart" (Fill in the Breaks)

This new joint from Ecid, Mike Schank and DJ Pseudonym is so damn grimy that it took a couple of listens before it clicked with me.  When it finally did, it resonated with me as high caliber experimental hip hop should.  Ecid impressed me earlier this year with his tremendous "Werewolf Hologram" album, and this body of work shows a different side of his production while leaving his vocals out of the mix.  The beats from Ecid and scratches from DJ Pseudonym are both challenging and deliver some interesting arrangements of sounds, but the most impressive part of this release to me is the rapping from Mike Schank.  Hadn't heard of this dude previously, and he has some serious confidence in his delivery plus a lot of interesting things to say in his lyrics.  It's particularly impressive when you hear him handling his rapping so effortlessly over such jarring and experimental production, since one gets the sense that it takes a special breed of MC to carry themselves over these kinds of heaters.  Give a listen to their song "Cheap Death" below:

 

2) David Ramos "Sento La Tua Mancanza" (Fake Four Inc)

David Ramos' new album is such an unabashedly intimate and personal piece of work that it's bound to alienate a lot of traditional hip hop listeners with its approach.  But for every person who's left shaking their heads over David's honest confessions, there's bound to be a person who connects to his struggles in a very real way. "Sento La Tua Mancanza" is an admirable ode to lost love that takes you on a journey through David's grief and mourning, right down to the most painful details of his depression.  His words are delivered through a smattering of speedy rap verses and short left-field pop tunes that bear the mark of the brothers Ramos, with Oskar Ohlson's stuttering home-made production working perfectly with the delicate tone of the record.  Glad that David decided to share this one with the world, you can count me as a fan.  Watch the video for "Still There" below:

 


3) Bigg Jus "Machines That Make Civilization Fun" (Mush)

Bigg Justoleum Lune TNS' latest opus drops on the ear drums of the innocent masses like a wrecking ball of noise, making El-P's recent efforts sound positively sane by comparison.  The album's 37 minute running time packs an experimental wallop that finds Jus screaming distortion over some of the noisiest Ableton production I've heard in a minute.  The closest comparison I can think of is Death Grips' recent metal take on hip hop, but Bigg Jus succeeds far better at this sound by occasionally busting out an ill rap verse to remind us why he was a force to be reckoned with in Company Flow.  This thing's short and brutal, and like most great experimental hip hop, it rewards listeners who are willing to brave its treacherous terrain.  Damn good stuff.  Listen to the title track, which sounds like a demo of an amateur garage rock band channeled through a future time continuum, below:




Lots of more recent reviews dropping soon (I hope).

See & Be "Talksicology"

Expanding the Backpack, 7/28/12

New music from long-time Bay Area rap talent Joe Dub and veteran producer AC75, who're using the moniker See & Be for their collaboratiion here.  Been a minute since I heard some new music from Joe, and one listen through this reveals that San Francisco is still beating in his heart even when Hawaii is his home.  Some real funky feel good music that you ride around the Bay to or get live with at a Gurp City show.  At only 4 songs long this thing's like a maxi-single, but hopefully it's a hint that that long-waited Contra Band album "Praise Dirt" that Joe and AC have been working on will be dropping in the near future.  You can download See & Be's "Talksicology" EP over at the Isolated Wax Bandcamp Page, or stream it in it's entirety below.  Errrray:

Guv'Nor Jarel & the Metal Kuffed Villain

The Latest Greatest, 7/6/12

Lex Records has announced what appears to be a concrete street date for the upcoming MF Doom and Jneiro Jarel collab album "Key to the Kuffs," which will be unleashed on August 21rst worldwide.  It's always questionable whether these DOOM collab projects will ever materialize given how villainous his approach has been these last couple of years, but I'm glad to see that this particular meeting of the minds may be imminent since Jneiro Jarel is crazy talented and underrated as a producer.  I'd listen to this over a Ghostface or Thom York collab album any day of the week, though Jarel's last project with Khujo as Willie Isz was a little underwhelming.  Hopefully the weirdness of these two will mix well together.  Tracklisting and sample below:

1. Waterlogged
2. Guv'nor
3. Banished
4. Bite the Thong (feat. Damon Albarn)
5. Rhymin Slang
6. Dawg Friendly
7. Borin Convo
8. Snatch That Dough
9. GMO (feat. Beth Gibbons)
10. Bout the Shoes (feat. Boston Fielder)
11. Winter Blues
12. Still Kaps (feat. Khujo Goodie)
13. Retarded Fren
14. Viberian Sun Pt. II
15. Wash Your Hands

Kleening Up

The Latest Greatest, 6/13/12

Very promising new project from Self Jupiter of Freestyle Fellowship and Kenny Segal under the group name "The Kleenrz," dropping July 31rst via Nocando's quality imprint Hellfyre Club.  It seems like Self Jupiter has wasted no time getting back into the groove of recording songs since being released from jail, and his past solo album "Hard Hat Area" was a strong collection of tracks even though it covered a variety of compilation appearances and guest spots.  Kenny Segal is an excellent producer, and crafts very complete conceptual albums for rappers if his "Memoirs of Planet Lovetron" album with Blacklove R88ers is anything to go by.  My hunch is that this one will be excellent... praying that they're planning on releasing it as a CD and not just digitally!  Tracklisting and sample song below:

1. The Interview

2. Filthy (feat. Fanny Franklin)

3. Mr Sandman

4. Best Served Cold

5. Nasty

6. City Lights (feat. Nocando)

7. Altered States (feat. Subtitle, Alpha MC, Gajah, Murs & Volume 10)

8. Outer Rings (feat. Abstract Rude & Shing02)

9. A Big Mess (feat. DJ Prolifix)

The Sun Always Shines Brightest in...

The Latest Greatest, 6/2/12

Mark the date of July 24th on your calenders fellow hip hop fiends, for that shall be the day that Dark Time Sunshine's "ANX" drops like a beam of radiant light to renew our hopes for futuristic hip hop in 2012.  Cape Cowen and Zavala's previous collaborations have honestly been some of the strongest underground hip hop albums of our era, so my expectations are naturally super high for this one.  Something deep within my spirit tells me that they're going to deliver yet again... I guess we'll see soon enough.  The always reliable Fake Four Inc. is handling the release of the CD, while the excellent Fieldwerk Records will giving this one the much-needed LP treatment.  Tracklisting and promo video below:

1. Hosanna in the Highest
2. Can't Wait
3. Cultclass
4. Valiant
5. Rock Off
6. Overlordian
7. Prarie Dog Day
8. I'll Be Damned
9. Look At What the Cat Did
10. Never Cry Wolf
11. Take My Hand
12. Forget Me Not
13. Look Forward
14. Anx

Tastes Like Chicken?

The Latest Greatest, 5/29/12

The latest in swine dining from Josh Martinez and Sleep aka The Chicharones, available June 19th on iTunes and July on CD via Camobear Records.  It's been a while since I indulged in the glorious oinking that this duo produces, and this new full length from'em could prove to be the bane of kosher rap fans everywhere and a healthy feast of indie rap numbers for everyone else.  Their last EP "Swine Country" didn't impress me much, but their last full length "When Pigs Fly" was damn near my favorite album of 2007, so I remain healthily optimistic.  Well, maybe not "healthily" optimistic given the greasy nature of this product, but optimistic never the less!  You can pre-order the album from them via their Kickstarter page and help them make it through Warp Tour at the same time.  Have a taste:

"Hi Hey Hello":




"Burn It Down":