Childish Gambino — I AM JUST A RAPPER
Ever the wise-ass, Donald Glover, rap alias Childish Gambino, is much more than a rapper. Having started his career as a start-up comedian, and now accelerating it on the cast of NBC’s Community, Gambino exhibits a bit of his comical, theatrical, and musical talent on the mixtape. His work as a writer (30 Rock, Comedy Central Presents) has rendered him a clever lyricist, capable of producing such Wayne-esque rhymes as “I f**k a girl named Kira, nightly.” While the production quality and over-the-top delivery will prevent the listener from taking the tracks too seriously, Gambino’s rap ambition is admirable. He is above all an actor/comedian who has finally made enough money to pursue rap as a hobby, but not an additional source of income. The resulting work is eclectic (sampling Animal Collective and Grizzly Bear), lyrically satisfying, and at times reminiscent of FOTC’s Hiphopopotamus vs. Rhymenocerous.
Childish Gambino–My Girls (My Girls)
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This entry was written by , posted on February 22, 2010 at 11:02 pm, filed under New Music and tagged Animal Collective, Childish Gambino, I am just a rapper, My Girls. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Rockie Fresh – Rockie’s Modern Life
Artists like Rockie have a soft spot in our hearts. They are the rappers with small, but dedicated, fan-bases of young hipsters who would like nothing better than to burn you a copy to bump in your mom’s Camry. In addition, Rockie is a bit of a hometown hero–if your hometown happens to be somewhere in the predominantly-black south suburbs of Chicago. In his premier CD, the rapper is true to himself and his surroundings; he appeals to the lower middle class kid who doesn’t own a gun or sell drugs, but knows someone that does. Lyrically sound and well-swaggered, Rockie is the type of artist that is probably well-founded in his belief that he could get signed if only his CD landed in the lap of the proper executive.
Rockie Fresh – I’m Fly
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This entry was written by , posted on February 15, 2010 at 11:54 am, filed under New Music and tagged Rockie, Rockie Fresh, Rockie's Modern Life. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Q+A: Alone in India
While Alone in India may never be a household name, the stellar arrangement and impressive lyricism demonstrated on their premier demo raises the question: Why not? Its members, currently pursuing degrees at UMSL and STLCOP, show a love of music that transcends the need for money or fame – though I’m sure they wouldn’t mind, thank you very much. ELEVEN recently got a chance to interview band leader Ben Venker.
Alone in India - Bullets
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This entry was written by , posted on January 19, 2010 at 4:34 pm, filed under Q+A and tagged Alone in India. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
“The National Anthem”– Lupe Fiasco
Today, common hip-hop policy dictates that no genre or artist is free from crossover manipulation at the hands of subpar rappers–no, not even Radiohead. While most half-hearted attempts at the gloriously high bar set by Jaydiohead fall far far short, Lupe’s verses over The National Anthem nearly deserve the baseline and vocals they are set over. Having heard very little from the Chitown local in 2009–let’s not count that single for the Twilight soundtrack–the Enemy of the State mixtape was just the reassurance his fans needed. Lupe proves on this, the first track of the mixtape, that his mastery of metaphor, hyperbole, and personification are far and beyond the poetic ability of the current rap community at large. Perhaps the simple “verb like noun” line structure (e.g. kick it like judo) won’t prevail in 2010 after all.
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This entry was written by , posted on January 15, 2010 at 9:06 am, filed under New Music and tagged enemy of the state, lupe fiasco, radiohead, the national anthem. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
Chiddy Bang-The Swelly Express
Several months ago, I heard perhaps the best MGMT Kids Remix available and began to wonder if there was more to a group named Chiddy Bang than a millisecond of humor. Since then, the group has released multiple tracks that have made me ashamed of my initial inclination. Most recently, the band’s drop of “The Swelly Express” adds credulity to The Cool Kids Postulate: Suburban youths with a good education in rap history and a beat machine can flow with the best of them. With the artful production of Xaphoon Jones, who may be best known for his breathtaking Kanye/Radiohead/Lupe, Passion Pit/Beyonce/Biggie, MGMT/Bob Marley mash-ups, and the lyrical mastery of Chidera “Proto” Anamege, the Philly group fills that niche of talented, well-swaggered, and youthful rap.
Hear “The Swelly Express”:
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This entry was written by , posted on November 11, 2009 at 10:33 am, filed under New Music and tagged Chiddy Bang, Chidera "Proto" Anamege, The Swelly Express, Xaphoon Jones. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.
“Diggin’” – Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground
Months ago, I was incredibly exhilarated when Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground released “Diggin’,” the debut single of its second self-titled album. Whether indicative of the band’s truly remarkable sophomore effort or my own poor writing merit, I find “Diggin’” to be largely indescribable. Like previous Kay Kay works, it aptly blends so many musical elements and themes that the listener is found questioning how many songs the track truly contains, and whether its play-time (3:55) is a crude under-estimation.
Kay Kay and His Weathered Underground – Diggin’
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This entry was written by , posted on October 9, 2009 at 12:14 am, filed under New Music and tagged diggin, kay kay and his weathered underground. Leave a comment or view the discussion at the permalink.