Hip Hop Heard 'Round the World

I have several friends who love music as much as I do, and when I approached many of them about my idea for this blog, many were eager to share artists they knew that I could use to review.  Four different people gave me four seperate lists which totaled to twenty unique artists.  Out of the twenty artists only ten I could find whole albums online to conduct my experiment with.  I’m only calling so much attention to these details because these are random artists from across the world all building off the concept of hip hop, and it is extraordinary to see how much is still influenced from golden age hip hop acts like Run DMC and Beastie Boys.  While people who truly appreciate the music are well aware who these people are, but most of America only knows It’s Tricky and Fight for Your Right from the respected artists.  Somewhere down the line mainstream American hip hop took a wrong turn and it has been spiraling into madness ever since, yet all over the world people are still able to enjoy the beauty that was the golden age.

I bring this up because my final artist, Quarashi, is the fourth artist I’ve chosen from foreign acts that clearly get their influence from this time period.  Quarashi is an Iclandic hip hop group that has been broken up since 2005, and their 2002 album Jinx sounds like a little heavier version of License to Ill.

In Iceland, Quarashi was considered a unique and talented group that was very well received.  However, in America they were mislabled as rap-rock and with the similarities of groups like Beastie Boys and Limp Bizkit they were dismissed as a generic band trying to leech money.  It doesn’t take very long to understand where people became confused; one emcee sounds identical to AdRock, the members switch off rapping, and the heavier rock sound resembles Rage Against the Machine.  However, just like Rage Against the Machine, a closer listen reveals they are above the generic garbage that made it onto airwaves with clever lyrics and complex music.  All of what makes hip hop; sampling, turntables, social commentary, mixed with what is great about rock; guitars and, well…rock.  As in, rock your face in.

This is really what would have happened if the Beastie Boys would have decided to turn it up a few more notches on the bad-assness.  The music is more similar to Rage Against the Machine, but they lack the social commentary and anti-government that made RATM what they are most well known for.

SOUNDS LIKE

I already used AdRock & Co., but I think I already made it clear who else they sound like.  If you are a fan of the Beasties or Rage, you definitely need to check these guys out.

- BK

Like K’naan, the Teriyaki Boyz are bending the rules a little bit for this blog; while they did get their start in another country, they’ve since come to the United States to persue their musical careers.  Either way, at one point the Teriyaki Boyz were Japanese artists, so I will let it slide.  They are a group of five rappers who are mostly known for their song being used as the theme song for The Fast and The Furious:  Tokyo Drift (keep this in mind, it will become important later).  They are signed on to Pharell’s Star Trak label and have worked with artists such as, Beastie Boys, Kanye West, Daft Punk, Busta Rhymes and Pharell on their latest album — Serious Japanese.

With all of that potential, it was quite a let down.  With a group whose main selling point is “theme song to Tokyo Drift” I shouldn’t have been too surprised, I don’t think I was the demographic they were aiming for.  I’m not sure how much of this is Teriyaki’s fault or the people they were working with, this is one large cluster fuck of an album.  With so many different producers with such a variety of sounds, there is no flow track-to-track and they will go from a great party song like Teriyakings to a generic 90′s R&B/Rap mashup like Sweet Girl.  If I wouldn’t have known any better, I would have thought this was a really poor compilation of their best tracks.  Kanye West truly saves the album with the handful of tracks he worked on (Teriyaking and I Still Love H.E.R.) bringing in a fresh sound and really letting the Japanese MCs flex their talents.  On the other side of the spectrum, any track AdRock touches comes across as a poor man’s Beastie Boys.  Coming from a pretty knowledgeable Beastie fan, it seems like AdRock is really starting to show his age.  I don’t really recommend this album to anyone, unless they happen to be a fan of things like The Fast and The Furious, this might be for you.  Otherwise, hit up iTunes and just download their song Teriyaking, which is fantastic.

SOUNDS LIKE

Infuriating English teachers since 1998

I’m not sure if I’m allowed to include another rapper with The Fast and The Furious association, but fuck it.  Ludacris, I choose you! They both make party music and come out with great hits, but still have some major stinkers.  Unfortunately, despite their talent, what Teriyaki Boyz and Ludacris alike think is cool is very different from my opinions.

- BK

The Herd, hailing from Australia, have a rather unique take on the hip hop scene; they have three emcees and a full band to perform live.  While this is not unheard of with American artists, it isn’t too common.  Because of this, I hear the live shows are really energetic; though I haven’t personally attended one.  Slight accent aside, they perform in English (for the most part) and their lyrics are more often than not politically oriented.  And now, if you will, we begin our adventure into The Sun Never Sets.

The Sun Never Sets is a feel-good, politically charged album.  While a couple tracks, such as Under Pressure, have a more serious and even daunting tone the majority of the tracks has an air of summertime to it.  There is a freedom to it that immediately brings up feelings of being at an outdoors music festival.  Even though the songs have a tendency to make one get up and dance, they are still making social commentary with each verse, they even acknowledge it in their songs:  “Yeah, that’s right, close your eyes, swing your hips / and fling yourself around with this song on your lips / Let your guard slip, drink, we all need balance… Indignant standards, chantin’, signifying what’s wrong / and then The Herd turn your concerns into a three minute pop song” (Track #4, We Can’t Hear You).

What really sets this album apart from a majority of hip hop is the folksy sound.  The combination of live instruments and the tales being told, along with a few instrumental tracks makes them almost seem like an indie band than hip hop; however, they still include many traditional elements of hip hop to make a very unique sound.  The best example of this is their cover of folk group Redgum’s 1983 single, I Was Only Nineteen.  The song is a chilling account of an Australian soldier’s experiences in Vietnam.  In fact, the cover even includes Redgum’s lead singer, John Schumann!

SOUNDS LIKE

That is The Coup.  This is one time where I have to clarify that as much as they have in common, they have absolutely nothing in common.  They both perform with live bands and are politically charged, but that is about as far as it goes.  The Coup’s style is more aggressive and instead of using metaphors or innuendos, Boots Riley of The Coup will just tell you how it is.

- BK

Dylan Kwabena Mills, or Dizzee Rascal, is our second rapper hailing from the UK.  His style is a mix of rap, grime, and club music with a really obnoxious stage presence.  If Wikipedia is to be believed, Dizzee Rascal is the most popular grime artist to date.  Like The Streets, Rascal has been part of the UK scene since 2000; unlike The Streets, Dizzee Rascal is only twenty-four, which meant he was active since he was fourteen years old.  In comparison, I’m twenty-two and the only thing I have to show for it is my vast knowledge of the Mighty Morphin’ Power Rangers.  Dizzee Rascal reminds me of a simpler time in hip hop, where a gimmick wasn’t needed to stand out amongst all the bullshit.  His name came about one day in school when his teacher called him a Rascal, for Mr. Mills was quite the school clown.  He was just a misunderstood individual, occasionally fighting with teachers, causing a ruckus in class, and every now and then he robbed pizza delivery drivers.  You know, typical adolescent mischief.  September 21, 2009 saw the release of his latest CD, Tongue’N’Cheek.

As I stated in my The Streets post, clubbing is the thing to do over in Europe, it is to them what $5-All-You-Can-Drink is to Wisconsin.  Tongue’N’Cheek features heavy bass lines with simple, catchy tunes to make you want to get up and dance.  However, since the music is rather simple it also sounds rather generic, which is perfect for climbing pop charts (all of his albums have been certified gold).  What really makes Dizzee Rascal stand out is his voice.  Not his lyrics, just the sound of his voice.  I’m not sure if it is the Nigerian descent mixed with the British accent, but whatever it is causes the listener to be captivated and potentially mesmerized.  Although that seems to be the goal, hypnotizing the listeners with a heavy bass line and catchy voice and your brain shuts off and just enjoys the scene.  Dance!  No time for thinking, only dance, dance, dance!

On a whole, the album is well made, but the situation has to be right in order to enjoy it.  Really, the only time Tongue’N’Cheek is appropriate to listen to is in a poorly lit dance floor with a bunch of flashing lights and a whole lot of drunk people just looking to get their dance on; and hey, if that is your thing, bravo.  Basically, I’m praising the album but equally terrified of it; if the CIA ever decided to start project MKUltra back up, they need look no further than Tongue’N’Cheek.

SOUNDS LIKE

I’m not going to lie, I’m not very familiar with the subgenre of grime.  I’m not too big on dancing, so it really isn’t that far of a reach.  However, Daft Punk came to mind while listening to Dizzee Rascal.  What I am not very sure of is if that is because I don’t listen to grime or dance or whatever and instead all I did was just find a connection between the only two artists I really know who have ‘dance’ music.

- BK

Shad, born Shadrach Kabango, is a twenty-eight year old Canadian rapper.  While born in Kenya, he was raised in Ontario and speaks both French and English.  Unlike a majority of rappers,  Shad actually holds a business degree from Wilfrid Laurier University.  In comparison, the only mainstream rapper known to even attend college is Kanye West, and he dropped out to pursue his career in music.  In order to finance his debut album, Shad used the $17,500 winnings from a radio station competition to pay for it himself.  Today we take a look at Shad’s sophomore effort, The Old Prince.

To begin, The Old Prince is a fantastic album.  That being said, nothing really sticks out from the album.  I’ve given this album four complete listen throughs; each time the album stops, despite thoroughly enjoying it, nothing stays with me.  He has a fantastic flow and the music is relaxing, it is very similar to the conscious style of Midwest hip hop.  The problem with Shad, and many Midwestern hip hop artists, is that while the lyrics are top notch and it is a smooth flow, there is nothing overtly unique about it and the listener is left unsatisfied.

Lyrically, he does have something.  Shad is big on puns, metaphors, social commentary and everything in between.  With witty lines like the intro tracks, “my life is like a magazine / so many issues” to social commentary like track Brother’s, “funny thing / being black wasn’t cool / where I’m from / ’til you heard rapping in school” it would be foolish to say he lacks talent.  There isn’t even any hesitant to poke fun at himself – at the 2:15 mark of The Old Prince Still Lives at Home the beat suddenly stops as he explains that he couldn’t afford the entire beat.  He then asks his producer to clap as he spits some lines in jest to the beat of the claps.  After proclaiming he is finished and it sounded perfect, you hear, “this is awful” escape from the producer’s lips before the next track begins playing.  No, to say that Shad lacks talent is beyond foolish, it is a downright lie.  Talent or not, Shad still lacks that unique sound which prevents me from being in any rush to listen to The Old Prince again.

SOUNDS LIKE

I already mentioned how Shad’s style is similar to Midwestern hip hop.  The group he most resembles is Minnesota’s own Kanser.  Laid back beats with a slower delivery more focused on lyrics, Kanser has the same unfortunate effect on me that Shad has, obviously talented, but nothing for me to come back to.

- BK

Spring break started for me at 10:45 am.  At six in the morning I will be on my way to the airport for a short vacation until next Wednesday.  Because of that and the busy schedule I’ve had the past week with midterms, I have no new artist for this week.  Nonetheless, I will have one by Thursday next week, so don’t you worry.
If you need your hip hop fix and don’t mind getting in on the American Mix, check out my Spring Break Weekly Five to see what I’ll be listening while in Seattle.

- BK

One of the most frustrating things about discussing hip hop with people who don’t listen to the genre is their brash assumptions about the music.  A typical quip from one of my rocker friends would go something like this, “I don’t listen to rap music.  It’s all about drugs, violence against women and profanity.”  When I would reply with something along the lines of, “my own major problem with rock is all those god damn horns,” watch out.  Rocker Friend then goes on, in disgust, to inform me how I was talking about ska, a sub-genre of rock’n'roll.  This is all done in seriousness, Rocker Friend doesn’t even realize what he’s saying.

THIS IS NOT ALL RAP

Because of the cultural impact artists like N.W.A., Eminem, Tupac, and The Notorious B.I.G. have had, many people have that mindset when it comes to rap.  Another reason I believe there is a lot of negativity with hip hop is the racism that was still around during the golden age.  Kind of like how the Beastie Boys were one of the first groups to associate themselves with the gangster/thug image (Paul Revere has lines about AdRock performing lewd acts on a girl with a whiffle ball bat), but it wasn’t a problem with whites until N.W.A. broke mainstream success.

But K’naan is here to change all of that.  K’naan was born in Somalia, and was raised there until 13 years of age, where he took the last commercial flight to ever leave Somalia and came to America.  His family only stayed for a brief time before they moved to Canada.  Self-taught in English through listening to classic hip hop artists such as Nas and Rakim, you would never guess it.  His accent is nonexistent, at least for his flows.  Life in Somalia was anything but pleasant, and in his songs he talks about how the ghettos in America are like a paradise compared to the ones in his home country.

All of K’naan’s lyrics serve a purpose in his songs.  Though he talks about hard times in Africa and how people turn the other way, he doesn’t claim to be politically active.  He is just an entertainer who is trying to bring awareness to the world through his lyrical genius.  His lyrics have been compared to Eminem’s, with the complex rhymes, word play and flow.  The man is so proficient in his messages and poetry, he was invited to Geneva to perform a spoken word piece at the 50th anniversary of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees.

Finally, an artist who is breaking into mainstream success who can clean up hip hop’s image.  The man is an inspiration to all, in all sincerity.  You do not have to be a fan of hip hop at all to enjoy K’naan, his music transcends genres and is simply beautiful.

- BK

This time around we travel to the UK for our most recent endeavor.  Mike Skinner is The Streets, a UK rapper that made his debut late 2000 with Original Pirate Material.  The Streets started out as a rap group, but shortly dissolved to just Skinner after the first album.  He has put out four albums to date, with a new album due sometime in 2010 tentatively titled Computers and Blues.  While it hasn’t been officially released, Skinner is on the forefront of digital distribution of music, having already leaked his entire album via his twitter account, and this is the album chosen to dissect.

Of the British hip hop I have listened too, which I admit is not much, I have noticed a trend in the music – simplicity.  Hip hop is founded on sampling and looping, but as time went on things grew more complex as artists began taking the genre more seriously.  However, British hip hop is stuck in the early 90′s, using just simple seven second loops without much variation within a particular song.  The Streets does switch it up a bit, he might have as many as three simple loop beats layered over each other!  The simplicity doesn’t stop at the music, the lyrics in Brip Hop (I just made that word up) are usually very simple as well; Computers and Blues has nearly no traces of alliteration or, as Eminem puts it, “compound syllable sounds combined.”  In fact, all of his lyrics are just plain heroic couplets.  None of this is an insult, it makes for perfect club music, which is what British hip hop is all about.  Not that we don’t have this sort of thing, over here its just called Lil Jon.

We're also sorry, Rest of the World.

My main gripe with this album is that Skinner has a very annoying voice.  This is the first album I’ve reviewed that had English lyrics, but that isn’t readily apparent because at times it is difficult trying to decipher what he is saying.  The problem is his thick accent, which might make me a bit insensitive about the whole thing, but I can’t help his voice caused my ears to bleed.  “The Robots Are Taking Over” is the best track on the album, with Skinner adding some cool futuristic effects to his voice, although the chorus is a migraine inducing experience.  Another notable track, “He’s Behind You, He’s Got Swine Flu” is worth a listen if only because it is hilariously stupid.  The music on this album, while being simple, is still quite interesting, though that is not enough to save the album from his voice, and there’s not a chance in Hell I’d recommend this to anyone.

Sounds Like

mc chris [editor's note:  not a spelling error, his title is always free of punctuation and capitalization.] is a nerd rapper who blends his high pitched voice and nerdiness with the gangsta’ image associated with hip hop.  They both rap about unconventional things, like Facebook or robot dogs, although The Streets comes nowhere near being as bad ass as mc.

- BK

Rhymester is Japanese in origin, and have been rocking faces for twenty years. That’s right, they formed the same year MTV debuted, “Yo, MTV Raps!”.  Even though they have been around since 1989, they have only released four studio albums, with their first one coming out in 2001.  Prior to that they relied on indie distribution, and that is how they garnered their popularity.  Because of this, I was only able to track down their greatest hits album.

This was like striking on hip hop gold for me.  They were part of the golden age, and one listen to them and you will understand why.  The music is upbeat with plenty of record scratches and chanting in the background.  Like most rap groups, the members trade off between rhymes, working off each other and finishing each others lines.

One notable difference between them and most of the time is their inclusion of live music; sampling is present, but the music heavily relies on instruments.  Since hip hop came from America and they were one of the first Japanese acts to come out, they borrowed largely from the culture.  While Solaar just used the basics of hip hop, rhyming over a looped beat, Rhymester straight up adopted the whole lifestyle.  They promoted break dancing, the in-your-face attitude, and it seems like since they were the first to come out in Japan, they were going to sound however the hell they felt like.  While one track appears to come ripped  straight from the Beastie Boys’ discography, while the next has rapper Utamaru sing-rap in exactly the same style ODB does.

How much do they not give a fuck?  at the 2:13 mark of their song, “Heat Island,” Mummy-D shouts, “who’s bad?” in clear reference to Michael Jackson, followed by Utamaru doing the ODB voice again.  None of it sounds plagiarized, though – it is more of an homage.  Even though they may obviously resemble other acts of the time, they manage to do so while still bringing a fresh sound to the table.

What else is there to really say about this group?  They are simply bad ass, and they make perfect party music.  Also, it might be slightly culturally insensitive, but they are hilarious.  Wearing matching suits, they try to pull off the, “I dare you to fuck with me” look while looking adorable.  I can’t help but think it is intentional, the music seems rather goofy and they appear to just be overall fun.  Plus, Rhymester has this little habit where they throw out popular hip hop phrases, such as, “microphone check,” “yes yes ya’ll,” and “we are b-boys!”

SOUNDS LIKE

They might as well be called The Japanese Beastie Boys.  Rap group sporting matching outfits?  Check.  In-your-face attitude?  Check.  Fun, upbeat music that might not be the most sensical, but are great party music?  Check.  It becomes clear real quick that Rhymester drew a heavy influence from the Beasties.  Seriously, if you consider yourself a fan of the Beastie Boys, check Rhymester out.

- BK

MC Solaar is the stage name of francophone hip hop artist Claude M’Barali. He has been putting out albums since 1991 and his website can be found here. This is a review of his debut album, Qui Sème le Vent Récolte le Tempo.

Walking into this assignment, I knew I would be facing the problem of not being able to understand some of these artists, basing my opinion mostly on how the flow of the artists’ voice sounded and if the beats were catchy; or complex enough that I largely disregard the lyrics altogether.  That being said, I can easily say this is an album you make love to.

By making love, I do mean a couple having sex while this record is playing.  This is the ultimate package:  a soothing beat that relieves you of all your problems, a black man singing blues, oh and a black man singing blues in French, with a French accent.  This is every cliché in the lovemaking book combining into one, and it worked.  It is not perfect, however.  While “La musique adoucit les moeurs” is the sexiest song I have heard in years, tracks like “L’histoire de l’art” sounds more like an attempt at the gangster genre, albeit a gangster with a sexy French accent.  Best of all, his track, “Victime de la Mode” is eerily reminiscent of the Flight of the Conchords’ song, “Foux de Fa Fa“.

So you may want to skip over “Victime de la Mode” if your girl happens to be a fan of FotC, or else she might start giggling during the act.  As if she already doesn’t.

SOUNDS LIKE

Not even close

While I am unaware of many American rappers with French accents, I am sure they are out there.  Unfortunately, the closest thing resembling what Solaar’s debut album accomplishes is Ja Rule.   Ja Rule too tried to fill the role of softhearted gangster by crooning on songs like, “Always on Time.”  Despite his ghastly attempts, Ja’s scratchy voice and just being an overall tool should be enough to forget about him once and for all.

- BK