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Don’t stop get it, get it
File this one under “rap music for white people” but you won’t hear me complaining. Off his just released Phases mixtape, “Sideways” by Skizzy Mars marries indie nightclub-worthy electro pop fuzz with proper dork rap and a catchy, affirming hook. It feels more anthemic with each passing listen.
Trill-oncé
This isn’t the best time for new music popping up as most the industry is in a SXSW hangover, but Queen Bey clearly gave no fucks when she dropped this massive track yesterday. It isn’t clear if this is a 2-single mix or the whole track but what cannot be denied is this is the trillest we’ve heard her yet. Maybe all the recent Baauer madness led her to get trap nasty – but she’s from Texas and the South had a stranglehold on trap before white producers ever got their hands on it so I’m not going to place my bets on that just yet. Either way, hot damn. Bow down, bitches!
Wait, he’s not even remotely fat
We’re going coast to coast with this one – Oakland’s Kool A.D. (of Das Racist fame) and NYC’s Despot meet in the middle to support Houston’s Fat Tony on this buzzy party jam that the white folks are going to love. Part of that due to an early shoutout to the white folks on the track and several show performances at SXSW this week. Yes, we’re totally into that kind of shit.
Fat Tony plans to release a new album on June 11th for Young One Records, the Brooklyn-based label that’s home to Bay Area duo Main Attrakionz. That’s a lot of hometown representing right there so I guess it’s like what Rakim said, it’s not where you from it’s where you at.
Lapalux is unimpressed
Remember Busdriver, the incredibly rapid-speed backpack rapper? I say “remember” because it seems like the dude has been around forever (I remember listening to him in junior high). A quick Wikipedia search and turns out the guy is only 35 years old and released his first album at 13. That doesn’t have much to do with this recent collaboration with Essex-based producer Lapalux, but it’s an interesting factoid.
“Forlorn” is a strange juxtaposition of Busdriver’s frenetic style and Lapalux’s laid-back, slow churning lo-fi production. While it didn’t make the cut for Lapalux’s forthcoming LP, it stands well on its own.
Harlem’s finest
The hip hop war is heating up and this time it isn’t about East vs. West, or any kind of animosity at all (save for whatever the hell is going on with Chief Keef). Following Kendrick Lamar’s first salvo last year with the release of good kid, m.A.A.d. city, his NYC counterpart A$AP Rocky just dropped Long.Live.A$AP, an LP that more than holds its own. With an upcoming full length from Lamar’s Black Hippy colleague Schoolboy Q, we’re starting to see a new era of rap take shape.
While I won’t try to get into some detailed analysis of Long.Live.A$AP., there is one track in particular that caught my attention. Trap music is finally making good with its inspiration and made its way into “Wild For The Night” powered by Skrillex and Birdy Nam Nam. It’s by far the most frenetic banger on the album and a personal favorite. And I still don’t have to admit to liking Skrillex because the absence of any real dub just proves Skrillex is an opportunistic, trend-chasing piece of shit – even if he does pull off trap pretty well on this one.
