The playlist: hip-hop - J Cole, Action Bronson, Ratking and more
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Version 0 of 1. J Cole – G.O.M.D Did you know that J Cole had the biggest-selling hip-hop album of 2014? In fact, 2014 Forest Hills Drive is still No 3 in Billboard’s hip-hop chart. G.O.M.D (it stands for “get off my dick”) shows off what he does best: boom-bap production values with a bit of added contemporary sheen, all layered with witty and socially switched-on lyrics. G.O.M.D is no different and now has a video, the narrative of which focuses on a slave rebellion. As critics start to salivate over Kendrick Lamar’s new album, J Cole has reason to feel unjustly overlooked. He’s got the sales figures, it just seems that either critics haven’t quite clocked him, or he hasn’t found his most impactful sound yet. Edan Radio Show Number 4 The New York MC Edan has been quiet for a while. He hasn’t released an album since 2005’s Beauty and the Beat and has apparently been working on different projects (including a live band), and has been confirmed for a couple of festival dates (including Alfresco in Blackpool). His intense live show made him a cult favourite but his DJing was almost as impressive. His mix album, Fast Rap, was like Now that’s What I Call Golden Era Rap, with the quick-fire collection covering all imaginable bases from the genre in the late 80s. That mix was peppered with his out-there observations, while his Edan Radio Show – now in its fourth iteration – follows a similar path, only without the solely hip-hop focus. Pink Floyd feature, as do Camp Lo, psych wig-outs and Bolivian rock. It’s bona fide crate-digging in the same ballpark as DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist at their Brainfreeze best. Action Bronson ft Chance the Rapper – Baby Blue A New York rapper with a sideline in talking about delicious (note: usually very unhealthy) cuisine for Vice’s food channel, Munchies, Action Bronson has been producing 90s-facing, funny and, frankly, good rap for almost 10 years. Baby Blue is from his forthcoming album, Mr Wonderful, which again takes its cues from classic 90s and early-00s New York hip-hop, with nods to Dipset’s party-ready sound and lyrical MCs such as Jeru the Damaja. His sense of humour is what sets him apart – but unlike, say, Riff Raff, who has his own jokey video with Choppin’ Blades, he’s not defined by it. Baby Blue’s video is a homage to Coming to America, replete with Jheri curls and barbershop chat about boxing. The track itself is Bronson at his smooth-flowing best and he even sings the chorus. Oh, and Chance the Rapper features with the gentlest diss verse ever (sample lyric: “I hope your charger doesn’t work”). Ratking – 700 Fill Hip-hop album releases are fraught affairs: take Kendrick Lamar’s To Pimp a Butterfly being released a week early because of a leak, or Earl Sweatshirt’s album I Don’t Like Shit, I Don’t Go Outside suddenly shunted forward; while Lil Wayne’s looks like it may never come out at all. Ratking negated that by putting 700 Fill out on BitTorrent (with nine tracks, videos and instrumentals) for free and with more than 364,000 downloads so far it seems to have worked. Make It Work is a stand-out, and shows off their louche no-such-thing-as-less-is-more approach. You can almost feel the spit hitting the mic as the trio take it in turns to deliver unfiltered verses over jittering synths and cut-up percussion. Catch the Throne 2 After last year’s divisive first instalment, HBO are back with their Catch the Throne mixtape, which is aimed at capturing the attention of Game of Thrones’ “diverse” audiences. Yeah, it’s a weird strategy, and this year, Method Man, Ty Dolla $ign and Snoop Dogg are all taking part and sitting next to metal bands such as Anthrax, Killswitch Engage and Mastodon. Everything is based on GoT storylines so, for example, Method Man handles the oath the Night’s Watch takes, Ty Dolla $ign croons about the Mountain, and Snoop delivers the Lannisters’ Anthem. It’s about as subtle as a white walker and about as appealing. Almost everything feels dialled in, and why not, they’re being asked to rap about mythical beings. Roll on volume three. |