Author Archives: Geoffrey

[Hip/Hop] Kristoff Krane – Work (Ft. Slug)

Posted by Geoffrey - August 23, 2010

Kristoff Krane is a smaller name in hip-hop, having been a member of a handful of groups in and around Minneapolis. But he’s certainly a man who has paid his dues, touring his mid-western behind off since released his first solo album in 2008. In 2010 he’s released two albums: “Picking Flowers Next To Roadkill” and “Hunting For Father”.

Lacking any kind of major star power, “Work” succeeds on its own merit. Strange Matter produced an incredibly clear, bumping beat that acts perfectly as a canvas to Krane’s lyrical musings on labour. Guest emcee Slug (from Minneapolis group Atmosphere) contributes positively to the track as well. I haven’t checked out the rest of his albums yet, but this track makes me want to.

Kristoff Krane – Work (Ft. Slug)

’13
Work

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[Fresh] Roots Manuva Butterfly Crab Walk ft Riddla

Posted by Geoffrey - August 16, 2010

Roots Manuva is somewhat of a legend in certain circles, having first released an album in 1999. He also appeared on Gorrilaz sophomore LP: Demon Days. The South London-born rapper released his last album in 2008, and Butterfly Crab Walk seems to be a lead-up to a newer LP.

I’m going to be honest here: I have no idea what this song is about.

Drenched in reverb and delay, Butterfly Crab Walk is a great track heavily influenced by dub. I’m also 90% sure he says “bubble bath” at some point in the track, which makes the track that much better.
Intelligiability aside, the track has incredible bass groove to it, and a catchy chorus that makes me remiss that summer is almost over. I’d love more tracks like this to play whilst sitting poolside.

Roots Manuva Butterfly Crab Walk ft Riddla

’Butterfly Crab Walk ft. Riddla.mp3′

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[Hip/Hop] J. Cole – Premeditated Murder + Blow Up

Posted by Geoffrey - August 13, 2010

J.Cole was signed to Jay-Z’s Roc Nation around the same time Drake inked a deal with Young Money. Cole has been much quieter in the months since, diligently working towards his first album and releasing occasional leaks.

Premeditated Murder is based around an instrumental that would have felt right at home on Reasonable Doubt; lush, but understated like Cole himself. The lyrics describe the Fayetteville-born rapper’s current mindset– one of great expectations but equal uncertainty. He is pensively penning an album that already has a lot of hype around it.

Premeditated Murder is a decent track with a great feel and lyric, but it’s far from being “single material”. We understand J.Cole’s brilliance and level of depth, but he’ll have to come out with something stunning for his October release. If Lights Please is any indication of his upcoming tracks, we have a lot to look forward to. Keep meditating Cole, great things are expected.

J. Cole – Premeditated Murder

’J. Cole – Premeditated Murder’

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J. Cole – Blow Up

’J. Cole
Blow Up’

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[Hip/Hop] K-os ft. Drake – “Faith”

Posted by Geoffrey - August 11, 2010

K-os is responsible, in no small way, for the latest cycle of successful Canadian emcees. His break-through single (Crabbuckit) was a huge hit domestically and internationally for the singer/rapper. Drake is newer on the scene, but has already seen fame far beyond K-os 2004 success.

Make no mistake, Faith is very much a K-os song. It’s heavy in blues guitar and ethereal keyboard, and drums that sound like an actual drum-set. Drake holds his own but doesn’t touch K-os’ lyric in the song. On this track at least, he’s incapable of reaching the same depth as the lead emcee.

That said, this track could easily serve as an introduction to K-os for some of the millions of followers Drake recently acquired. I’m all in favor that, just know that this track barely scrapes the surface of K-os’ greatest hits.

K-os ft. Drake – Faith

’k
os

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[Album Review] Big Boi – Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty

Posted by Geoffrey - August 4, 2010

Though it doesn’t feel like it, Sir Luscious Left Foot (Purple Ribbon/Def Jam) is Big Boi’s debut solo album. During his time in the spotlight, Big Boi has been assumed to be the straight urban side of Outkast (the Grammy winning hip-pop juggernaut) complementing the pop-inclined Andre 3000.

Recorded over three years from 2007 to 2010 with a collection of some of the greatest producers in the business (Scott Storch, Organized Noize, Salaam Remi), the record has a cohesive feeling to it despite the large cast. This suggests that Big Boi was heavily involved in every step of the process. The resulting album sounds very much like the Big Boi from Outkast, with great hooks and quirkiness that had previously been assumed to be the work of Andre 3000. Sir Luscious Left Foot side-steps the tendency for solo albums to be extravagant and self-indulgent and instead produces a solid setlist of 14 potential singles. It’s worth noting that the recording quality of the album is excellent and that it avoids cliches of modern hip hop. Sir Luscious Left Foot is an album as original and varied as Big Boi himself. It differentiates itself from Outkast’s back-catalogue but without losing anything we loved about Big Boi to begin with.

Personal favourites are Tangerine and Daddy Fat Sax, but every listener will have a different favourite. There are no bad tracks.

Big Boi – Daddy Fat Sax

’02
Daddy

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Big Boi – The Train Pt. 2

’14
big_boi

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[Fresh] Dan Black – Symphonies Feat Kid Cudi

Posted by Geoffrey - July 29, 2010

Dan Black, a spunky Londoner, first acquired fame with his single “HYPNTZ” in which he took the lyrics to Biggie’s “Hypnotize” and sang it over the drum sample from Umbrella. His singing of The Notorious BIG’s lyrics resulted in a quirky but memorable melody and it became a modest success on YouTube.

“Symphonies” is basically a re-imagining of “HYPNTZ”, with Biggie’s lyrics removed completely and replaced with surrealist lyrics that those Englishmen do so well. Miraculously, Dan Black manages to pull this track off, neither sounding like a wannabe rapper or an ignorant hipster. It’s easy to imagine American record labels fretting over the North American release of Dan Black’s material and throwing in Kid Cudi for good measure; however, Cudi fits in well in the track and only lifts it further into the ether. It’s an enjoyable track.

Dan Black – Symphonies Feat Kid Cudi

’Dan Black – Symphonies Feat Kid Cudi’

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Bonus Electro Remix:
Symphonies (Dada Life Remix).mp3

’Symphonies (Dada Life Remix).mp3′

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[Hip/Hop] Ice Cube – Drink The Kool-Aid

Posted by Geoffrey - July 27, 2010

Since leaving the massively influential N.W.A in 1989, Ice Cube has done a lot of things that would take away from his early reputation as one of the founders of gangster-rap. The most blatant, being Columbia Pictures’ family-friendly movie Are We There Yet?, is a far cry from Ice Cube’s ferocious lyricism on Fuck Tha Police.

On Drink The Kool-Aid, the listener hears the aggression that originally made Ice Cube famous but, instead of lashing out against prejudice and injustice, he knocks established stars in modern hip-hop. By knocking Kanye West, Lil Wayne, and the “New” West Coast movement, Ice Cube attempts to assert his position as “the chaperone” of modern rappers. Meanwhile, Ice Cube probably reached the apex of his rapping career in a prior decade and Drink The Kool-Aid sits in a collection of tracks that threaten, but offer little to replace, the music it critiques. For those of us who want a little more from our music than an attack on a hip-hop titan’s rightful successors, Drink The Kool-Aid leaves much to be desired.
Drink The Kool-Aid is the lead single off of Ice Cube’s The New West, which is slated for release on September 28th of this year.

Ice Cube – Drink The Kool-Aid

’Ice Cube – Drink The Kool
Aid.mp3′

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