The Pack - “Black Velvet” (Mixtape, 2008)
Minimal synth magnificence.
Very rare and possibly secrete physical copies of Wolfpack Musik Vol. 3: Screamin’ Demons are still available at CDBaby.
[Flash 9 is required to listen to audio.]
DJ Big Mac - “Face To Face With Death” (Underground, 1995)
“The record is a perverse phenomenon. People who don’t like rap like it; people who like rap love it.”
John Leland’s 1986 Spin profile of Doug E. Fresh and The Get Fresh Crew, in which Doug breaks down the religious symbolism of “The Show” and their management declares “Treat Her Like a Prostitute” too profane to ever see a release. (h/t to Chairman Mao)
Spin: Tyga "Careless World" Review
I reviewed Tyga’s Careless World at Spin. It is definitely a rap album.
Lil B - “Breath Slow” (Youtube, 2012)
Ahhhhhhhhhhh. Let me out this motherfucking caaaaggggggggggge.
“I just like creating stuff and trying to make good work, whatever it is. I don’t care if it’s designing toothbrushes. It’s just making cool stuff to leave behind, that’s all it is, it’s nothing more.”
—
Andre 3000 (via jessethorn)
I have intensely mixed feelings about this quote. It’s a nice sentiment in theory but the actual output of its source isn’t working in its favor. Because uh… nobody wants a damn Andre 3000 toothbrush! And I sincerely doubt that Andre 3000 possesses the skills necessary to design a good toothbrush. It’d probably have polka dots all up on the bristles.
Oftentimes “just making cool stuff” without acquiring the ability to do it well only equates to filling space. (Being a famous rapper engenders and amplifies this sort of behavior. Dudes suddenly have a platform for their laughably bad cool stuff.) It’d be pretty hard to qualify any of the non-rapping creative work that Dre has done in recent years - actor, kilt designer, shaving cream spokesperson - as particularly good.
I’m not of the belief that Andre owes us anything in particular with regards to rapping, if he wants to be a hermit then let him be a hermit. But if he’s going to slang toothbrushes instead he owes it to his audience to do it right. He needs to bury himself in the craft of toothbrush cobbling and only emerge when he’s actually reached a base level of competency, if not excellence. Maybe, after years of practice, he could eventually make a toothbrush that was even half as good as ATLiens. Gums everywhere would love that shit and his idealism above would finally be validated.
Or he could just focus on doing that one thing that he’s already very good at.
Down AKA Kilo - “Lean Like A Cholo” (Silent, 2007)
Thank you Ab Soul, for reminding us of this song’s existence.
