May 16, 2012
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Reviews

[album cover]

T. Shirt


The F*ck
N/A
82

T. Shirt is not just an indie-rapper with an interesting name, thank goodness.  T. Shirt is a somewhat unlikely New York MC who has built a modest following dropping LP’s independently and blogging via his crafty website illrapper.com. In late 2011, recording sessions for The Fuck album were stolen after T. Shirt’s car was broken into.  This left him with two choices: either re-record an album that was over 90% completed or release what he had without any editing capability.  T. Shirt went with the latter option and the inadvertent result is a rewarding concoction of catchy beats and raw lyricism.

In this case, it’s ok to judge this album by the cover.  The Fuck is not for the overly conservative listener.  Most of the songs are brief and pungent and T. Shirt is amusingly blunt and to the point, delivering the kind of earnest and crass lyrics that makes this concisely-orchestrated album completely diverting.  T. Shirt’s delivery is consistently gruff and forthright, but the majority of the album isn’t overly abrasive or off-putting.  The only exception would be  “Old Man Angst” which is probably the album’s most vulgar track, Shirt spitting belligerent rhymes like “F*ck you, you don’t like the curses/I curse cause I’m cursed and this life is the motherf*cking worst”–seemingly just for the hell of it.

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ArtOfficial


Vitamins and Minerals
ArtOfficial Music: 2012
80

It’s bold, funky and fun. Lets start there as I try to describe ArtOfficial’s Vitamins And Minerals album. From the attention-deserving lyrics and delivery against the thumping sound of this well-staffed band on a mission to funk the sh*t out of you. It’s the horns, it’s the rhythm section, it’s the flow; simply put,  it’s most things about what they do as a collective that makes this a band to watch for. The energy captured by the production here speaks to their ability to deliver a stellar live show. As funky as things might get, they still get mellow (as I found out with the title track).

Capturing the sunny essence of their home state of Florida, the band brings a bright outlook (see “Low Level”). While they do not really pave new ground, they do their thing really well, well enough to keep the album in rotation and make a fan out of me.  Bringing in the likes of Amanda Diva, Michelle Forman, Asuka Barden and Anita Faye Wilson to guest, giving things a well-rounded feel. Check for cuts like “Rumor Says” (Feat.  Anita Faye Wilson and Donald Lowe), the funky (but short) “8785” and “Can’t Keep Running In Place” (Feat. Wrekonize and DJ Fuse).

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[album cover]

Rhett Frazier


Everyday Is Saturday
Digi-Soul 2012
80

What sounds do you expect to hear from contemporary self-proclaimed funk/Soul bands? Going a step further – What sounds do you look for in contemporary blue-eyed soulcats? The slick throwback mix of disco and soul heard in the early years of Jamiroquai (before they went SoCal/Soft Rock on their last album), or the lighter fare from Adam Levine and the lads (I hope not). In today’s climate you want a band that’s funky, has enough swagger and distance from top 40 playlists to make you feel cool and proud to share with your hip co-workers.

Rhett Frazier, Inc. has the blues with a touch of funk. Not funky like (the lords) P.Funk or early Commodores, more funky in that new wave Brooklyn hipster way. They make you move, think and feel cool all at the same time. Cosmic brilliance delivered via a well-stirred pot of soul, jazz, rock, funk and gospel. With it’s occasional, unintentional and tribute-like resemblance to Steely Dan (minus much of the gloss and heavy production) the album Everyday Is Saturday feels extremely organic and down to earth which gives it an endearing quality not found in–well let’s say for the sake of comparison, Maroon 5.

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[album cover]

Crooked I


In None We Trust: The Prelude EP
C.O.B. Records
79

With Slaughterhouse momentum in full force, a release from veteran West Coast MC Crooked I is undoubtedly met with high expectation.  On In None We Trust: The Prelude EP, Crooked I embarks on a lyrical quest to impart knowledge on hood culture, love of money, and most importantly, his bravado.

While maintaining his usual sharp wordplay and flow, the verbose Crooked I relies heavily on club-friendly sounds and predictable themes but falls short of innovative concepts or musicality.  If you’re a fan or’ve been privy to his catalogue history, you have a sense of Crooked I’s quality as an MC.  This project, however, forces the listener to dig optimistically for quality moments.

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[album cover]

Archetype


Red Wedding
Dekagon
78

After ten-plus years together, Lawrence, Kansas duo, Archetype will go their separate ways after the release of their oft-delayed 3rd album, Red Wedding. The duo’s swan song is played by Nezbeat’s phenomenal production, which seamlessly combines samples and live instrumentation. This results in dark, moody backdrops for iD’s poetic verses.
The album opens with the high energy “All In,” which consists of keys, a flurry of horns, and an excellent Mos Def (sorry, Yasiin Bey) inspired hook by iD. Melodic hooks on tracks like “Everybody’s Sayin,” “Sharp Tongue” and “Dance of the Dead” are one of iD’s strong points throughout Red Wedding. He’s also a pretty skilled wordsmith, but is not a terribly engaging MC and has pretty standard flow on most tracks.

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[album cover]

Union


Analogtronics
Fat Beats
92

Even in the mp3 era, an album as a unit of musical greatness will always be treasured in the crates of hip-hop fanatics. In that spirit, the Paris-based duo Union–comprising OJ and Gold–formulate one big jam for boomboxes: Analogtronics.

In the process, a subgenre of hip-hop is born, composed of unruly soul and electronic resonance.  The soulful reverberation created by Union almost seems to demand the likes of Q-Tip, Black Milk, Black Thought or D’Angelo to rhyme, flow, or sing on their production, cementing their legacy. However, for the duo to achieve success and longevity comparable to those artists, they have to solidify a much deeper discography. Consider Analogtronics the prelude to a come-up.  Most tracks are worth listening, with hardly any discrepancies or lightweight fillers.  “Mystery Part 1” seems Grade ‘A’, but the “Mystery Part 2” sequel is lacking.  “Space B-Boy” and “Sky Dust” leave little to the imagination. Nevertheless, the rest of the tracks served as bangers that far outweigh these three.

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[album cover]

Nneka


Soul Is Heavy
Decon Records
91

Nneka has had quite the journey. Her unique brand of international soul has taken her from UK indie favorite to the historic stage of the Ed Sullivan Theater on David Letterman’s Late Show. Now, seemingly on the cusp of US stardom, the Nigerian-born singer delivers a statement album, seemingly designed to remind listeners about the power of music. Soul Is Heavy plays like a mash-up of Nneka’s disparate musical influences, spanning three continents and at least as many decades.

Ominous guitar chords and distorted horns give way to a propulsive reggae bounce on the urgent opener, “Lucifer (No Doubt),” giving the track the feel of an internal free-for-all between righteousness and corruption. On “My Home,” big band horns and an explosive hook juxtapose powerfully with the meditative lyrics and pensive dub groove of the verses. The sonic dissonance of the industrial hip-hop screed, “God Knows Why” is enough to have even the most even-tempered skeptics preparing for the Armageddon of 2012, or at least the accompanying riots. Black Thought continues his recent string of show stealing guest appearances, anchoring the track with a verse every bit as calibrated as Nneka’s are visceral.

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[album cover]

Robert Glasper Experiment


Black Radio
Blue Note Records
89

Pianist Robert Glasper is rather young by the standards of jazz music and his cross-generational appeal has made him a natural fan favorite. And over the last four albums he has undoubtedly attracted many new fans to the genre with his ability to blend multiple styles within his jazz framework.

For Glasper’s fifth album, Black Radio, he plays with the concept of the black box.  In a plane crash, the black box is said to be the only thing that survives.  Using that very idea as a metaphor and concept for your album could say a lot of things: the album will stand the test of time, or at the end of the day (and our musical lives) this album will still be around and relevant.  In the case of Glasper’s album, the black box fittingly becomes a radio.

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[album cover]

Gensu Dean


Lo-Fi Finghaz
Mello Music Group
88

Residing comfortably in the framework of the classic hip-hop era, production powerhouse Gensu Dean successfully conjures some of our favorite moments from hip-hop’s golden-age on his latest release Lo-Fi Fingahz. Utilizing an EMU SP 1200, the crate-digging Texas native couples well-chopped samples with a perfectly cast roster of featured emcees to create a seamless sonic milieu favorably endorsed by DJ Premier, among other other hip-hop production royals. Gensu’s title as The Grand Imperial is well deserved.

Gensu shines on “Yen”–a drum-heavy banger laced with the sharp comedic punchlines of Roc Marciano. Other standout tracks include “Extra Extra”–an awesome piece featuring The Planets with an MC Lyte sample on the chorus, and “Alice in Wonderland”–a somber tale about a sexually and emotionally abused young woman, narrated by David Banner. Also noteworthy is “Forever”–a sampled-soul tracked featuring Large Professor–and “It’s Just Him,” a soulful joint featuring Head Crack delivering rhymes in an 80s LL Cool J esque intonation. Littered with cross-genre sampling, notable guest appearances and pungent indie-hop sensibilities, Lo-Fi Fingahz  proves to be a refreshing alternative to auto-tune inundated ears.

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Homeboy Sandman


Subject: Matter
Stones Throw
85

Homeboy Sandman may be something of an oddity in the realm of Hip-Hop. After graduation from the University of Pennsylvania and a brief stint at law school, Sandman turned his attention to his rap career, which has proven to be a good move. With the latest addition to his discography, the Subject: Matter EP, Sandman continues to define himself as the MC that more people should be paying attention to. Active since 2007, Subject: Matter is his first work as a member of the Stones Throw music movement.

There’s no one that immediately comes to mind in terms of comparisons when you listen to Sandman’s latest offering, and that isn’t necessarily a bad thing. The EP begins with “The Miracle”–an in-depth and creative account of Sandman’s writing process. The diction and imagery he uses on this track is immaculate. To the average listener, it may seem like he’s just throwing fancy words together for the sake of rhymes. But upon closer inspection, it’s clear that he is intertwining his unique flow with clever lyrics. It might go over some peoples’ heads, but Sandman’s unapologetic demeanor throughout the EP lets the listeners know that he doesn’t really care.

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Planet Asia


Black Belt Theatre
Daddy Real/Wandering Worx/Greenstreets
84

In the late 90’s, Planet Asia patrolled the indie rap scene like a seasoned vet, despite his relative youth.  “Place of Birth” was a hellified commencement, on which the gladiator-slash-scientist spit with an elder’s perspective: “Half these rappers just started rapping a couple of gold chains ago.”  13 years later, Asia’s still on the grind and still working the grown man angle –  Black Belt Theatre kicks off with the heartfelt proclamation, “I do this shit to feed my kids, man.”  And damned if I know a better reason to do anything.

While the lyrical dexterity that defined Asia’s earlier releases–and made his flow the perfect counterpoint to Rasco’s straight-ahead staccato on the pair’s Cali Agents records–is still traceable (“Whirlwind Patterns”), it’s on more laid back cuts (“All Mine” feat. Paul Wall, “No Apologies” feat. Raekwon) that Asia flexes his evolution.  The man’s more likely to be “eatin’ off land” than off the proceeds of a Scribble Jam battle.  Artists need to connect with their audience, and when that audience is largely comprised of dudes in their mid-30’s also trying to feed their kids, reflective isn’t always a bad thing.

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14KT


A Friendly Game of KT
A-Side Worldwide
86

Should you choose to participate in A Friendly Game of 14KT, you’re immediately immersed in playfulness, literal and figurative, starting with the delivery: the project’s first seven tracks are teasingly offered for free, and the latter half, for a price. That’s just an intro to the childlike elements – vivid imagery, randomness, spontaneity, colors, and game playing–this project is imbued with.

Strong key progression draws the listener into “Pick Up Sticks,” which fittingly features a child’s “story of Jesus” that involves God requesting Jesus pick up his toys. The percussion mirrors the sound of pick-up sticks, and accompanied by hi-hats, bass, and keys, making this a very pleasurable introduction.  A sudden track change brings the listener to the body-shaker, “It Ain’t Really That Funny (Janet Flip)”: 14KT’s flip of Jackson’s “Funny How Time Flies,” which transforms the classically sultry tune into a lively up-tempo danceable R&B and hip-hop head-nodder with some electronic accents.  “CNColors” and “Lessons from IX Lives,” though detached chronologically, work cooperatively in exploring the sensation of sound-color synesthesia, in which people associate colors with music. 14KT builds upon this notion, employing in the former track an extended high melody over the pulsating drums and cascading chords.  The keys on the latter are reminiscent of an organ and mix well with the classic hip-hop rhythm and intricate base line.

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