To be both conscious and a hustler is an oxymoron in hip-hop. One is centered upon addressing social issues and conflicts, while the other is centered upon doing what sells. So when friends Akia Ajamu and Jeremie Harris decided to form a hip-hop duo that was based upon rejecting pre-existing notions in hip-hop, no name was more fitting than Konscious Hustlaz.
“I don’t think we should put musicians in boxes. We should be a little more open-minded with our music choices.”
Ajamu, a self-proclaimed “hip-hop head,” was a solo artist struggling to find his musical niche. Harris, an actor who dabbled in spoken word poetry, never quite saw himself as a rapper. He was particularly wary of playing into the stereotype of a young, black male who views rap as his only avenue to success. But after Ajamu noticed the ingenuity and rhymes in Harris’ poems, he felt certain that Harris could have success as a rapper, and tried to convince him of his talents. Eventually, it worked.
“At the end of the day, it’s poetry over music,” Harris said. “And I think I can do it well. So why not?”
Three short months and several all-night recording sessions later, they are releasing their self-titled EP online and on iTunes this Friday, May 2.
With the EP, the duo wanted to create music that was representative of themselves—socially conscious and fun. They did not want to be pigeonholed into one specific genre, so they set out to create music that would speak upon anything from politics to parties.
“We’re just regular dudes trying to make good music and speak our minds,” Ajamu said.
“It’s just us on record, which is a complex variety of things,” Harris added.
The making of Konscious Hustlaz, both the duo and the EP, has certainly encountered some roadblocks along the way. They had the challenge of developing as a group, while they each developed as individual artists. In addition, they had to deal with the short time frame they had to produce the EP.
“We had a lot of limitations, but we still made it happen and still did it strong,” Harris said.
The EP was a collaborative student effort produced by Mykael Alexander, a Recorded Music major in Tisch. It also featured singers Elle Varner and Emily Cruz, also students in the program. CAS senior Jean Francios was also featured as a rapper.
This summer, the duo will be promoting their music in the city’s downtown hip-hop scene and in poetry clubs. They might do more recording. But beyond that, nothing is set in stone. Ajamu, a Public Administration major in the School of Continuing and Professional Studies will be focused on finishing his studies and applying to Law School. Harris, a Tisch student, will be starting a graduate drama program at Julliard in the Fall. Because of this, we may not see them reemerge until next summer. Despite what appears to be an imminent hiatus, the duo is content with all that they’ve accomplished so far and most importantly, the motives behind their music remain true.
“We’re not chasing fame,” Harris said. “We’re just doing it because we want to do it.”
3 out of 5 stars
The phrase “more cowbell” entered our minds through a 2005 SNL sketch with Will Ferrell. Right now, most fans of Minnesota band Tapes ‘n Tapes are probably hoping for more cowbell as well, as in more songs like “Cowbell” from their ‘05 debut The Loon. But on their sophomore album Walk It Off, the band refrains from simply rehashing old sounds.
It immediately becomes clear that the group is trying to lyrically and musically refine themselves. The sound of this album is much crisper, but it still manages to preserve some of the dirtiness of their debut. Most of the songs have a central driving riff and are lyrically more focused, even if they sometimes veer off the path like on the track “George Michael.”
The album is bookended by stand-outs, most notably the first and last three. It kicks off with “Le Ruse,” a song about betrayal with expert percussion, and flows into lead single “Hang Them All,” the album’s catchiest song that features a frenzied guitar riff. Other tracks like “Anvil” and “Lines” are wonderfully executed, and provide some tender reprieve from the straightforward rock of the record.
Unfortunately, the middle of the album often feels like filler. The experimentation that works so well on some tracks is overdone on others, as shown by the vocal disarray of tracks like “Blunt.” As a result, the album does not always feel cohesive. But regardless of these missteps, Walk It Off comes off as an admirable attempt for the group’s sound to continue to evolve its sound.
3 out of 5 stars
“Mirror, mirror, on the wall: Who’s the baddest of them all?” Well, if you are willing to judge a book by its cover, or an album by its title, Trina is “Still Da Baddest.” A bold claim, indeed, but with her empowered ode to the single life, beats that pop and lyrics that shock, it is hard to deny.
These days, one has to wonder if it is possible to make it in the rap world without Lil Wayne. “Single Again,” the first single of the album, leaked and then was officially released after Trina and he split up last fall. While this poppy track (moreso than a rap banger) ensures Weezy a presence on the album, Trina makes sure the world knows who is in charge: “It ain’t over till I say we finished.” Her defiance and strength carries this track, as well as “Killing You Hoes” and “Hot Commodity.”
It’s clear that Trina doesn’t seem to need any reassurance that she’s the baddest, but a guest list that reads like a who’s who of southern rap (Killer Mike, Plies, Pitbull and Rick Ross) certainly doesn’t hurt. When her rapping begins to sound tired, a searing guest verse from Missy Elliot makes all the difference on “I Got A Bottle.” The thumping syncopated rhythm and choruses, punctuated with the eenie-meenie’s of playground rhymes, keep the energy high and leave this track a cut above the rest.
Remy Ma and Lil’ Kim, the competition, may find themselves tangled up in the legal system, but Trina evades the pigs and clutches tight to her title as Diamond Princess. Her attitude is no holds barred, and you may be better off not understanding her provocative references. Still da baddest? She thinks so. And perhaps that’s all that matters in the contemporary rap scene.
1 star(out of 5)
Ludo has been described as a Weezer-Queen hybrid by its band members. Somewhere, Rivers Cuomo and Freddy Mercury are crying.
Weezer at least had an original sound. Ludo’s debut “You’re Awful, I Love You” adds absolutely nothing to the pop-punk canon. Lead singer Andrew Volpe’s vocals sound like a badly performed knockoff of Rent. Perhaps this is too harsh. A combination of Ludo’s two previous albums, “Ludo” and “Broken Bride,” “You’re Awful, I Love You” opens on a positive note.
The title track begins with Volpe’s voice and a swaying guitar twang nicely coexisting, making for a rich, inviting moment. But soon Volpe’s voice gets higher and the rest of the band kicks in. After the lyric “Fill my soul with vomit then ask me for a piece of gum,” whatever power Ludo briefly held is lost forever. Ludo might interest those who are interested in songs that make you want to jump up and down listlessly, bopping their head from side to side. Everyone else should stay far away.
3 Stars(out of 5)
California indie-poppers Hellogoodbye have re-released its full-length debut, “Zombies! Aliens! Vampires! Dinosaurs! And More!” with fourteen unreleased bonus tracks and a live DVD. This upgrade is only really exciting to die-hard fans of the band, as the unreleased tracks are simply demo versions of the album’s weaker songs.
Hellogoodbye’s lyrics are not much better than the poems scribbled by countless teenagers in their high-school notebooks. But if this lack of depth doesn’t bother you, Hellogoodbye are a relatively good pop band. “All of Your Love,” the first song of the album, sounds like a beginner’s course in well-written electronic music. Its lovey-dovey lyrics are backed by a throbbing, catchy beat. The two sweeter love songs, “Oh, It’s Love” and “Baby, It’s a Fact,” are admittedly just as cheesy as the rest, but somehow manage a gentle sincerity of which pop-crooners like Maroon 5 could only dream.
Unfortunately, the album goes downhill from there. Hellogoodbye submits to the kind of whiny pop-rock that easily fits into Drive-Thru Records’ catalog. While the few good songs make Hellogoodbye a band to watch, the whole package is probably not worth its price.
2007 was an extremely successful year for Linkin Park. The band not only produced one of the year’s biggest albums, but also effectively removed most of the hip-hop elements from its long-standing rap-rock formula. It worked on “Minutes to Midnight,” and it translated even better to its live show with Coheed & Cambria and Chiodos. The concert began with an impassioned mini-set by Chiodos, relative unknowns who connected with the audience. It was hard to understand the band’s shrieked lyrics, but the band had a solid sound and a lot of personality.
Coheed took the stage next with an excellent set drawing heavily from their four-album rock opera. Despite his grizzly bear-like appearance, lead singer Claudio Sanchez’s voice sounded fantastic as he belted out songs from the band’s latest record, “No World For Tomorrow.” Surprisingly, there was not much banter with the crowd, considering that many of them seemed to be Coheed fans. But it was ahrd to complain about their showmanship. Sanchez performed several fantastic guitar solos, while guitarist Travis Stever stomped around the stage like Jack Black in “School of Rock”(minus the goofiness). The show’s high point came when Coheed sang “The Running Free,” one of the most radio-friendly songs from “No World For Tomorrow.”
Performing their first show ever at the Garden, Linkin Park played like seasoned veterans. The California sextet delivered a fantastic set packed with songs from all three of their chart-topping albums. The newer hard-rock oriented material sounded a lot better live than the older songs. A highlight was current single “Shadow of the Day,” which features a U2-esque guitar solo by Brad Delson and a great vocal performance by Chester Bennington. The stomping grind-metal of “No More Sorrow” and “Given Up” were well-received by the crowd as well. The sold-out audience was more than happy to hear all of its old singles. Even if we’ve heard “Crawling” about a hundred times too many, its success on stage is the same as its first performance. MC Mike Shinoda shined on a freestyle that led into “Points of Authority.”
The night’s biggest sing-alongs were the hits “Numb,” “What I’ve Done,” and “In the End.” The biggest surprise came during the second encore, where the band brought out Jay-Z to earthshaking applause. The Linkin Park/Jay-Z combo blasted its way through “Numb/Encore” and “Jigga What/Faint” before Hova departed and Linkin Park closed the show with “Bleed It Out.”
Back when Linkin Park were a rap metal band, they were excellent live but were just shy of greatness. But with the blips and beeps becoming more infrequent even during the live shows , they are starting to become one of the more impressive rock bands of today. They will likely not ditch rap entirely. But Linkin Park has proven that it can evolve with the times. Eventually, the band will likely redefine themselves yet again, and that is a show you do not want to miss.
3.5 Stars(out of 5)
Akrobatik is an obscure rapper from Boston known for his deep voice and aggressively delivered punchlines. His new album is a mix of formidable battle raps and social commentary delivered over some of today’s finest beats.
If you have never heard of Akrobatik, let his production credits be your excuse to listen to “Absolute Value.” Established producers Da Beatminerz and 9th Wonder, as well as the lesser-known Illmind and Tzarizm are all on top of their game. Album highlight “Put Ya Stamp on It,” which boasts a bewildering string arrangement, is yet another tribute to the incredible talent of the late J Dilla.
Akrobatik’s flow is nearly impeccable, never slowing down enough to warran skipping a track. He also doesn’t he come off like an idiot when he switches from battle raps to political topics. But this lack of cohesion is the album’s greatest problem. Akrobatik carelessly bounces from heartfelt songs about slavery and Hurricane Katrina to songs about punching people in the face. Like many of today’s promising up-and-comers, he cannot write the hooks needed for truly memorable songs. These shortcomings are what keep Akrobatik from being one of the best. “Absolute Value” is very enjoyable, but falls just short of excellent.
At the 1,145 capacity club Scala, Britt Daniels, the lead singer of the Texan group Spoon, was amazed at how many British people came to see them live. “My record label said we couldn’t do a UK tour because we don’t have enough British fans,” he said in the microphone. “This is the best British crowd we’ve had.”
They proved everyone wrong by selling out their show at Scala in the King’s Cross in London this past Monday. Britt Daniel (vocals, guitar), Jim Eno (drums), Eric Harvey (keyboard, guitar, percussion, backing vocals) and Rob Pope (bass) were a long way from their home in Austin, Texas, but the indie rock outfit played a set that dazzled the British crowd with both older and newer material.
4 out of 5 stars
Clipse were set to take over the world. Pusha T and Malice had a well-publicized feud with Jive Records, an album packed with stunning Neptunes beats, and the hunger to deliver a masterpiece. The critical praise for its sophomore effort Hell Hath No Fury was overwhelming, and many believed that Clipse would finally reach the status it has richly deserved. But then nothing came. Selling only 80,000 copies, Hell Hath No Fury was a complete commercial failure.
Following the disappointing sales of that disturbingly angry album, Clipse have released a similarly dark mixtape. Joined by Philadelphia rappers Ab-Liva and Sandman, the group is rechristened The Re-Up Gang. We Got It 4 Cheap Vol. 3 is just as lyrically complex as its predecessor, but some of Clipse’s greatness has faded.
Much of the blame lies with the beats. While it is exciting to hear Re-Up spit over Kanye West’s “Good Morning” and Jay-Z’s “Roc Boys,” many of the instrumental tracks are mediocre at best. But the lyrical prowess on We Got it 4 Cheap Vol. 3 is undeniable. Each MC has an incredible grasp on internal rhyme and an encyclopedic knowledge of pop culture. While an overwhelming majority of the record is dedicated to the cocaine business, Clipse’s ability to remain original with such a limited topical range is impressive.
The Re-Up Gang glamorizes the wealth that comes with drug dealing, but they also make it clear that they are morally conflicted. What we are left with is an album as perverse as it is mature. Though the public may have missed out on the height of Clipse’s creative output, Pusha T, Malice, Ab-Liva and Sandman make it clear that they are still as brilliant and pissed-off as ever.
“Do the D-A-N-C-E” are the famous lyrics from “D.A.N.C.E.” by the Parisian electro house/disco-dance punk Justice, a duo consisting of Xavier de Rosnay and Gaspard Augé. You hear it in the clubs; listen to it on your iPod; sing it in the shower, on the subway (or tube) and all you want to do is DANCE.
On Valentine’s day, more than 1,500 people saw the French DJ team perform live in London’s Astoria. The body heat, the sweat, the tears - not just your own - all drench your outfit, your hair and dries on your body. The bottom floor was filed with loving teenagers carrying glowing red and blue cross necklaces around their necks, screaming and dancing to the songs “We Are Your Friends” and “DVNO.” The crowd was singing so loud that at times, the chorus of voices washed out the music. The swarm of bodies were packed so tight that not one inch of space was left between bodies. Your body had to move with the crowd and your arms had to be used as shields. When you had enough, you could move upstairs where you could stand or sit without losing yourself in the crowd and music.
Justice’s glowing cross placed in front of the stage – their recognizable logo – illuminated the room and introduced the two DJs to the crowd, as well as initiated their departure from the stage. With their closing song “Phantom Part II,” the teenagers carried out the tune all the way to the Oxford Circus tube station.
Are DJs becoming the new rock stars? Without Justice singing or talking to their audience, the crowd felt wholly in sync with the duo and was left alone to open their ears to the music, to close their eyes and to submerge themselves in a world where all that mattered was the music. DJs are finally bringing back the music that once dominated The Whiskey A-Go-Go on Sunset Boulevard back in the 60s. This brilliant duo are opening the ears of more and more people as they are making their way across the ocean to America on a tour across the U.S. and Europe. Agreeably, the duo is now, more than ever, giving “justice” to the music of the 21st century.
3 out of 5 stars
eMC is an underground hip-hop wet dream come true. The super-group is comprised of Brooklyn’s legendary Masta Ace, Punchline, Wordsworth and Milwaukee’s Stricklin, some of whom have made their individual ripples in the hip-hop game as far back as the late ‘80s. Throughout their careers, the foursome has guest-starred on each other’s tracks, trading rhymes on classics like Ace’s Disposable Arts and Words’ Mirror Music. They have gone on tour together in recent years, and while on the road announced they would be hitting up the studio to record an epic endeavor. The Show is the fruit of their labor, and although it was put together several years ago, it is finally seeing the light of day with a proper release (and putting an end to endless internet clamor surrounding it).
There is no question that the album is a prominent event in the underground scene, but in listening to the record, one cannot help but feel that The Show is missing something. It is not a matter of skill or musical cohesion: all of the emcees deliver heaps of carefully developed rhymes and the beats are as shiny as ever, with veterans like DJ Premier and Ayatollah manning the boards. The group even ties the record together with a concept, interspersing skits that tell the comedic behind-the-scenes story of what it’s like for the emcees to put on a show. The problem with the record is that no matter the group’s rate of output or marquee producer on the track, they sound equally matched in skill and tone, and because they do not attempt to outdo one another, they often remain undistinguished, regardless of how potently slick or affecting a track is.
But that’s not to say that The Show should not get a spin, or even a couple of listens. The group fills this album to the brim with bundles of top-notch rhymes, succeeding most on tracks like the Nicolay-produced “EMC (What’s It Stand For?)” on which the emcees try to one-up each other in coming up with alternative acronyms for their moniker. They can seamlessly go from emotional and gushy like on the Mom-dedicated “U Let Me Grow” to expounding deep-seated beef on the grungy cut “The Grudge.” The production is top-notch as well, with a sheen backdrop sparking the Little Brother-assisted “Traffic” and the wobbly piano tremors that slither across choppy drums on “Once More.”
Clearly, The Show is not for hip-hop amateurs and will be sure to whet the appetites of the gamut of hungry hip-hop heads, but this would have been a better album if only one of the emcees had penned it. It is difficult for artists that are equally gifted to perform without overpowering one another, and the gentlemen of eMC have too much respect for one another to make the album a competition. Any of the four lyricists are capable of shining in the solo realm, and but instead this album comes off as the work of a faceless (but sharp-tongued) entity. The Show doesn’t live up to the hype, but hip-hop afficionados can rest knowing what a collaboration of this magnitude sounds like.
3.5 out of 5 stars
Pete Rock’s NY’s Finest is the type of star-studded producer album on which the beatmaker shouldn’t be grateful to have the roster that he does; it’s the opposite. The guests should be phoning home about their opportunity to rhyme over new beats from the legend, let alone be considered lyrically dexterous enough to get in the studio with him.
On his 6th solo album, Rock assembles a roster of veterans like Raekwon and Redman and newbies like Doo Wop and Royal Flush to create a sleek nod to New York rap’s golden age, a time when beats coasted on regal trumpet samples and shook ghetto blasters with crackling drums ripped straight from classic breaks. It is a fresh and graceful record that doesn’t attempt to be bigger than it is, and with Rock showing that he is still in the mindset to create this type of album, hip-hop heads can relax knowing that someone can put out such a carefree record in this age of unoriginal music.
Rock bases the album on his signature technique, relying on frail soul samples and whipping them into head-snapping grooves. “We Roll,” featuring Jim Jones and Max B, kicks off the record with a subdued and sour beat consisting of interwoven melody lines from a B3 organ, all while Jones expectedly mumbles his way through a verse about rocks and keys. Later on the record, Little Brother pops up on the grizzly “Bring Y’all Back,” a track whose beat huffs along on the strength of a charged tuba line. But Rock saves one of the album’s best beats for the deeper cut “The PJ’s” featuring Wu-Tang brethren Raekwon and Masta Killa, a bumper that festers with psychedelic flairs and a prominent bass line.
He could have kept his involvement with NY’s Finest to making beats, but Rock steps out from behind the boards to grace the mic on several of the album’s tracks, and the results are not as treacherous as one would think. “‘Till I Retire” and “Don’t Be Mad,” the only solo tracks on the record, have some fleshy rhymes, with lines like “More bars than Alcatraz, just call me The Rock” and “Don’t be mad cause you not me / I’m the fuckin’ posterboy for the MPC.” Although Rock wisely keeps his outward presence on the album to a minimum, he reveals that he is just as capable as any of these full-time emcees of assembling a complex rhyme.
NY’s Finest is not a classic album by any means, but that’s because the time has already passed for records like this to be considered “classic.” Pete Rock is an old soul – at least in the hip-hop sense – and can funnel that sentiment into his musical projects. He may not be around for much longer, as he approaches the 40-years-old mark (that’s ancient in the hip-hop world), but he continues to show how sharp his musical sensibility is. And with a record like NY’s Finest being added to his discography, hip-hop’s fresh-blooded strain of amateur producers - and emcees - will have even bigger shoes to fill once he’s gone.
3.5 Stars(out of 5)
Atlas Sound is Deerhunter frontman Bradford Cox’s solo project. He has released several EPs over the last few years, but“Let The Blind Lead Those Who Can See But Cannot Feel” is Cox’s first attempt at a full-length solo album. Its eerie lyrics and Cox’s constant use of double-tracked vocals combine to make “Let the Blind” a haunting first effort.
The album opens with “A Ghost Story,” which samples a young child telling the story of a ghost over ambient noise. This track hints at what is to come. With three instrumental songs and the sampled opener, Cox succeeds in creating a near-ambient album. Though many of these songs (such as “After Class”) are well executed, it is on the tracks with vocals that the album truly shines.
Second track “Recent Bedroom,” about Cox’s inability to cry after the death of a relative, is melodic with excellent guitar work. This theme of isolation continues throughout the album’s lyrics. “Quarantined,” which features the lyrics “quarantined and kept so far away from my friends,” is a tragic song with a brilliant arrangement of guitars and percussion.
Atlas Sound have succeeded in creating an ambient, haunted album without being too sonically isolating. They show promise for the future and have created a solid foundation to build on.
Johnny Lloyd Rollins, who recently played a show at this year’s Sundance Film Festival, headlined the intimate upstairs room of Le Royale on February 9. Opening was Black Cat Bones, an up-and-coming British singer/songwriter. Black Cat Bones played a short but commendable set of narrative folk/blues songs, with subjects including his dog, haircuts, and the central line on the London Underground.
Johnny Lloyd Rollins, backed by his band the All-Nighters, played an excellent set. He began with the rousing rock song “The Morning After” from 2007 debut album “Let’s Be Poor Together.” The rest of the eleven-song set focused primarily on material from that record. However, he also included some crowd favorites not on the album like “The Fallout Lounge” and “Hush Puppy.”
An unsigned musician from Dallas, Rollins’ music is pop-rock with some country elements. He blends these styles together to create songs that do not rely too heavily on their visible influences. His vocals hark back to legends like Paul McCartney and Elvis. The straight-forward lyrics and catchy melodies he writes also have a McCartney-esque feel to them. This is high praise for an artist with only one album, but during his set he reaffirmed the validity of these comparisons.
Rollins, playing acoustic guitar throughout the show, had great chemistry with his band. The songs’ catchy hooks, especially on standout “Life Back Home,” made his set fun and upbeat. The music also served to compliment his spot-on vocals. He succeeded in capturing the song’s emotion
With a great on-stage persona, Rollins took control of the songs. He never exhibited a forced demeanor, and seemed to be having fun throughout his set. He joked around a bit between songs with his band. Occasionally, he would explain the inspiration behind the tracks in the set. This added to the intimacy of the show and engaged the audience, who moved closer to the stage as he continued his set.
The end of the show came too quickly for most of those in attendance. It seemed as though he had just started playing when he announced that the next song would be his last. He chose to end with the rock of “Liar’s Lament.” However, the eager crowd quickly persuaded him to do an encore, “Back It Up,” as a final end to his fantastic show.
Johnny Lloyd Rollins’ set list:
The Morning After
Miss Sugar Pie
Life Back Home
Let’s Be Poor Together
Sulphur Springs Midnight Scatt
Hush Puppy
The Fallout Lounge
She’s Real
Bi-Polar Bear Blues
Liar’s Lament
Back It Up
2.5 stars(out of 5)
It is strange how aptly named the bands of the recent 70’s rock revival are. Black Mountain’s songs are built on towering riffs, the Black Keys sound a lot like the White Stripes, and Wolfmother are just terrible. Six albums into their career, the DC psychedelic rock band Dead Meadow are no exception. Guitarist Jason Simon’s airy vocals and the band’s languid blues-rock vibe gives the impression of lying in a field of dying grass. Unsurprisingly, Dead Meadow’s music is often called “stoner-rock.”
That term is particularly troubling because it implies that its artistic value is only present while the listener is under the influence. However, listening to “Old Growth” fails to dispel this stigma. The album opens strongly with “Ain’t Got Nothing To Go Wrong” and “Between Me and The Ground”, two heavy songs that perfectly encapsulate the band’s style. However, the album manages to creep along at the same sludgy pace for the remainder of its excessive fifty-minute runtime.
The only break from the album’s monotony is “Seven Seers”, a punch-drunk folk jam with a Middle Eastern vibe. It is an intriguing experiment that serves as a sore reminder that Dead Meadow are capable of so much more than what they deliver on “Old Growth”. They have hit the right notes in defining its neo-psychedelic style. It is just a shame they can’t seem to pluck any other ones.
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