by on

When Cam’ron rapped from the perspective of the everyday workingwoman and from a felon applying for a job in delivery, we were all caught off guard, napping. But when Joell Ortiz approach a recession rap song from the angle of a UPS worker (or a petty crook or a block boy,) he doesn’t sound like a displaced rapper. In fact it sounds amusing and even a bit more real, if I can say that.

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/JoellOrtiz-BoutMyMoney.mp3]

Joell Ortiz – Bout My Money

Recession Rap Jams, on a grind mission..

by on

It must be a wonderful feeling to know that what you’re doing grew out of something that is directly connected to your past, and to know that what you’re doing is honoring your own history.  Diata Sya are descendants of the great warrior and founder of the Mali Empire Sundiata Keita, and they’ve been around since the early ’90s under various aliases, making music addressing modern social problems in Bamako, while drawing inspiration from the past and thoroughly devoted to restoring/recovering African culture through music and activism.
“Saria” is included in the Akwaaba Music compilation Move it Chaleh! It’s incredible.
The above picture is of MC Dree (on the left) and friend. MC Dree performed the first verse, and the lead vocal in the chorus.

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/DiataSya-Saria.mp3]
Diata Sya – Saria

++++++

I’ve been coming across Recession Rap Jams faster than I can listen to them, or even post them.   Two bonus jams below, and the music is all over the place, from the south to the west to the motherfucking east © Filastine

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/PDukesJosephLowery-MakeMeAWay.mp3]
P. Dukes f/ Joseph Lowery – Make Me A Way

props to BLVD ST

+++

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/MickeyFactz-Sensibility.mp3]
Mickey Factz – Sensibility

props to Nah Right

by on

Honky

“….Even further, the very notion of ‘honky’ itself is a deeply slippery idea. Sometimes it indicates de-quantized drums (as in Flying Lotus, Lukid, and other post Dilla beat-artisans), sometimes pitch-bent synth and bass work, sometimes a maddening rush of 8-bit arpeggios. Honky is not a genre unto itself. Instead it operates as a kind of trans-generic mutational agent, spreading seamlessly between BPM species, liquidating textures, and mixed trainwrecked metaphors, distending rhythmical consistency like so many British adjectives: All that is solid melts into a new electronic psychedelia, as fluid and mellifluous as the [insert trite ‘global capitalism’ reference here] which spreads it.

“Honky in the sense of off-key, out-of-place, misshapen, breaking through an electronic music environment increasingly characterized by myopic microgenre developments and parodic stylistic affectations, as a set of strategies to be jacked by broke-ass Americans.

by on

After repeated listens to Starshipz and Rocketz, perhaps the most admirable thing (and a recurring theme throughout the album) is G-Side’s work ethic which is rooted in the idea that through hard work, constant grinding, focus and perseverance you can get over obstacles and discouragement.  If you’re worried about your job (assuming you still have a job), constantly struggling to make ends meet, especially as the US/global economy continue its rapid deterioration, and if like me, you’re into outer space Southern rap music, then this album is vitally yours.

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/GSide-HitDaBlock.mp3]
G-Side – Hit Da Block (feat. Shyft)

In my last G-Side/Slowmotion Soundz post, I asked the question: Why is the duo’s name missing from the album cover?  CP from the Slo crystallizes things –

…G side’s name isn’t on the album cover for one reason. We do everything we can to eliminate individuality. Nobody or person is bigger than the slo. Starshipz and rocketz is a slo album. G side happens to be the specific performers on the record and block beataz just happens to be the production, but done for a singular cause. Its 7 or 8 people that actually make this company move and operate efficiently. We have admin department, management, audio/visual production, marketing department, IT department, legal counsel, and a goon/muscle dept for things that are beyond talking about. Hope that clarifies a little bit. All groups fall when 1 person thinks they can carry the weight. Respect.

Thank you, CP.

Recession Rap Jams, eyes on the prize, ears to the f**k!n’ streets.

by on

XLR8R podcast in the form of a brand new Jahdan Blakkamoore & Matt Shadetek mixtape, just got it from Matt and it’s hot & heavy with exclusives… Matt, Zomby, Marcus Visionary, Peter Gunn & more.

Hold tight for some Jahdan acappellas here soon.

jd fullhundred6

by on


Timeblind is up with another mix, this time for subfm.  Some very nice, and weird, flavors in there including, I almost forgot, an exclusive unreleased track by me from my forthcoming Flowers album called “Lily of the Valley”.  More on that later.  This mix is quite different from the previous one, even though it uses some of the same tracks, which is cool.  Info here and download here.

by on

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h4d7UwaNrIQ[/youtube]

I had the beeps from this beat stuck in my head for a few months so I had to look it up on Youtube this morning. I heard it first in DJ Vlad’s Hyphymentary “Ghost Ride The Whip” which is worth checking. Too $hort STAYS on form, crazy.

by on

Certainly, after “I Used To Get It In Ohio” Cam’ron was official back. He had everyone scratching their heads with the recession rap banger “I Hate My Job”–seriously, rapping from the perspective of the everyday workingwoman–long way from the pink chinchillas and lamborghinis. Check the video below.

Yesterday, this completely absurd track with Soulja Boy-style hook leaked. Welcome back, Killa!

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/Camron-CookiesAppleJuice.mp3]

Cam’ron – Cookies & Apple Juice

$$$

Recession Rap Jams,  follow protocol…

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DWQWTZVWVZs[/youtube]

.

by on

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/Pill-BackOutside.mp3]

Pill – Back Outside

Pill is a rising lyricist from ATL, and is one of Killa Mike‘s proteges in Grindtime Rap Gang. This joint if off his new tape 4180: The Prescription. Buyable here – if you have money, or if you’re into spending money at all, cop it!

It’s going down like a stock (computer) (?)
Or a job with union… (?)

Recession Rap Jams, jumping like a trout attached to a rabbit!(?)

Courtesy of Traps N Trunks

by on

  I <3 synths! Like for real- I just fucking love them. (Is that like saying you love drums?)

Having spent countless hours soldering little bits of plastic and metal on bread boards and taking apart toys and keyboards.(and plugging away at a Serge like the one to the left).. I’m still amazed by how emotive a little bit of electricity can be.  Eternal love to Mr Gray for getting the whole thing started- but there are some new comers who are pushing the envelope and combining serious dance floor sensibility (or maybe sensitivity) with enough experimental flare to keep things interesting.

In Vienna last Saturday I stopped in at the nearly impossible to find Club U (as cute as it might seem- maybe dont name your venue the same thing as the five thousand signs for the subway that surround it) to hear from Glasgow’s Hudson Mohawke. Running a combo serato and ableton set up with some akai mpd controller action- dude properly destroyed the room with a much too short set. I’ve been checking Hudmo ever since his “Ooops” release of absolutely face melting hip-hop/rnb refixes. Seeing him live made me wonder if the term braindance might make a resurgance…but the music gods want something NEW to talk about….

If you squint a little music criticism starts to embody all the reasons that I hate (and find myself returning to) academic art history. Inbred pedanctic circle jerks aside- there’s something to be said for trying to come up with a critical apparatus for new works that have, in their unwieldy descent through the market, yet to find their historical/critical resting place. While creating/defending/destroying genre designations certainly is not the most important work of a critic- no one can avoid recycling and regurgitating the genre question when it comes to (cue Marsalis trumpets) the new era in BASS music that we may, are, ought to, have, havnt, possibly, can, enter did enter or passed through.

Saving my own didactic desires/nonsene- I’ll just share what to me are prime examples of……(wait for it)….. music that makes people dance in the club and makes me smile – even while enjoying my Hungarian subway stations multi-use  communal restroom, bakery and public transportation smell.  Both tracks have great synth work and even though they are bass heavy bangers- they both sound solid on laptop speakers.

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/3-Let_Me_See_What_U_Workin_With_Rustie_Remix_.mp3]

Rod Lee – Let Me See What U Workin With (Rustie Remix)

Cop from Dress 2 $weat

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/HudmoOoops.mp3]

Hud Mo- Ooops

Also- buyable

p.s. Can we talk about Tweet’s “Oops” as presaging the Recession Rap movement with her own libidinal credit crunch tale?

by on

[audio:http://nyc.duttyartz.com/mp3s/AttitudeJackieChain-Money.mp3]

Attitude f/ Jackie Chain – Money

It will be a shame if “Money” does not appear on Attitude‘s upcoming release T.I.M. (Time Is Money) —although, I have to admit “Blow Ya Back Out”, the single his label is currently pushing is pretty tough.  On this track, Attitude recruit Jackie Chain to rap about the psychological and emotional scars and ills of not having/having money in these dire times over a poignant beat/sample (of which we can only guess is provided by the Alabama’s own, incredible Block Beataz.)

Money, money makes the world go ’round
Money, money make you change your sound,
If the price is right, if the price is right…

Recession Rap Jams, we’re gonna keep on rolling.

Props to BLVD ST