Comments on: download: top choice clique

By: jon

jon — Mon, 29 Sep 2008 13:50:30 +0000

Another great hip-hop record on eMusic that may appeal to listeners who aren’t enthralled with the current state of the genre is “Mingle” by the Saturday Knights. They are from Seattle, and they got Jack Endino, Kim Thayil, and Chris Ballew to play on it. The Dap-Kings also guest on it. My favorite tracks are the first two, “45″ and “Count It Off”. Bonus: no skits!

You party like a rock star — so delirious
I party like a dog star — so Sirius

By: joe

joe — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 14:15:41 +0000

I need to spend some more time with it for sure — I like what I’ve heard though. Definitely agree that it’s a bit more like Four Tet than, say, Oh No, so I’m curious to spend more time.

By: Daniel, Esq.

Daniel, Esq. — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:56:24 +0000

Joe, what do you think of the new Koushik disc, BTW? I love most of what I’ve heard on Stones Throw Records, but this is a very different kind of disc for them, I think. Based on the samples (and the first single I heard (“Lying In The Sun”)), I’m not even sure it’s hip-hop (maybe more like laptop music in the same vein as Four Tet).

http://www.emusic.com/album/Koushik-Out-My-Window-MP3-Download/11268835.html

By: Daniel, Esq.

Daniel, Esq. — Sun, 28 Sep 2008 00:49:08 +0000

I’m digging the samples from some of the titles featured on your rap hub, e.g., the EMC disc. Some of those discs are seriously under the radar — e.g., virtually no biographical information on the act or reviews of the disc. In a way, the mystery increases the allure of the acts, making them kind of like a rap version of Burial (FWIW, EMC has received some (favorable) press, but that kind of media coverage looks like an exception).

By: joe

joe — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 16:42:38 +0000

Daniel: “Shakey Dog” was my favorite song of that year — the lyrics are flat-out stunning. It’s like a crime narrative set to music! Totally agree with your appraisal. And, good catch — that is totally the same sample. I’m not sure I even noticed it until you pointed it out. I love Ghostface like crazy.

And I should have been a bit fairer in my original post: I certainly don’t begrudge anyone liking or disliking any kind of music — lord knows there’s plenty of stuff on eMusic that’s not for me. For some reason I take it strangely personal with hip-hop.

Related: one of the guys from Top Choice Clique saw this post and dropped a line, so we’ll be doing an interview for eMusic and for the EVR show sometime within the next week!

By: xtrev

xtrev — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 08:42:00 +0000

To respond to Joe’s original frustration, I’d say that the accepted emusic customer demographic (slightly older etc) is simply a group that’s mostly not that interested in rap/hip-hop.
Maybe it’s a generational thing, although in my case more cultural I think, as I often like the music, but not the vocal style or content.
After about 30 seconds of pretty much ANYBODY rapping I just want to make it stop.

Although there have been very occasional exceptions that I liked and I do keep trying the new stuff I stumble across in case I magically ‘get it’ one day, it still induces the ‘off switch’ reaction nearly every time.

I’ll check out some of the recs above though, you never know

By: Daniel, Esq.

Daniel, Esq. — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 03:44:02 +0000

Speaking of GhostFace . . . maybe I’m wrong, but I’m pretty sure the song “My World Is,” from Below the Heavens by Blu & Exile — a disc highlighted by Joe above — uses the same sample used in “Shakey Dog,” from GhostFace’s Fishscale. Joe, is that right? (n.1)

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(n.1) BTW, “Shakey Dog” is, IMO, one of at least two GhostFace songs that are among the best singles of the decade (the other is “Walk Around,” from Big Doe Rehab).

By: Daniel, Esq.

Daniel, Esq. — Sat, 27 Sep 2008 03:38:18 +0000

Public Enemy doesn’t appeal to me anymore. it’s too much; an all-out assault on the senses. I’m more with Joe, I think, in that the (little) rap I like seems like it’s updating the sizzling soul of the 70s. You know who’s good at that? GhostFace Killa (and tip-o’-the-hat to a friend who pointed this out to me). See, e.g., Walk Around.

By: SaraDevil

SaraDevil — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 23:57:45 +0000

I guess TV on the Radio does not count as hip hop….What about Tricky? I liked the new Tricky album that came out.

For me it’s just that I rarely find hip hop music that speaks to me. I’d rather have some rap back from when ti was good…Public Enemy…yeah boy.

By: Daniel, Esq.

Daniel, Esq. — Fri, 26 Sep 2008 00:31:22 +0000

Mr. B: Some examples of non-rap hip-hop are (a) Jay Dilla and Dr. No (instrumental hip-hop on the Stones Throw label) and (b) Jill Scott (I guess some people consider this “nu-Soul,” but I think that also overlaps with the hip-hop genre),

I’ll come up with more later. Now, my brain hurts from trying to unpack the various constituencies’ positions on the proposed Wall Street bailout. And from work.