J-Green & Slikk - Southside [2009]

2009's Draped Up: The Underground Album was a remarkable collaboration between Georgia artists J-Green and Slikk that, due to sounding like a Mystic Stylez homage before Mystic Stylez homages were cool, failed to garner mainstream rap's attention. The sound they defined, or rather redefined, on this tape would set the stage for Memphis rap's resurgence through artists like Lil Ugly Mane, Raider Klan (of whom J-Green is now a member) and even A$AP Rocky. The album consists of 17 tracks featuring a number of their affiliates, including Trigg Mafia, T-Rock and Pimp Deezy. Slikk, however, whose the MC featured on this track, distinguishes himself with his impeccable flows and commanding southern drawl. The instrumental pivots around a menacing horn sample and a DJ Screw-like hook that actually references the late Houston pioneer.

Close Lobsters - A Prophecy [1987]

The five members of UK's Close Lobsters released two jangle pop pillars in the late 80s before quietly going their separate ways. Foxheads Stalk This Land, their debut record, featured subdued but emotive vocals, immaculate pop hooks, and instrumentation resembling a more upbeat Smiths/Cure hybrid. In its relatively more relaxed delivery, A Prophecy manages to stand out as especially addictive with its stream-of-conscious lyrics and phenomenal lead guitar work.

Homeshake - Heat [2015]

Check out Montreal's very own Homeshake and their lead single Heat off of their third LP Midnight Snack. Wielding a flawless blend of lo-fi indie, alternative R&B, and electropop, the group delivers a smooth, nostalgic track perfect to vibe out to. Contrary to the name of the song, it's well-suited to a chilly, winter night with its distant vocals and melancholic melody. 

The Flares - Foot Stomping [1961]

In memory of the late great David Bowie, here's one of the many forgotten 60s classics that inspired his legendary catalog of music. The Flares were an L.A. doo-wop group that released a mere two singles in their career, but this one managed to become ingrained in rock n' roll history via those it influenced. It's rumored that Bowie listened to the song incessantly while in studio sessions with John Lennon, and the result was his first #1 hit - Fame. This is supported by the fact that in 1974 Bowie covered the song on the Dick Cavett Show using an instrumental almost identical to that of Fame.

The Newfound Interest in Connecticut - I Can Hear Your Footsteps Just Outside Camp - a Sah, Sah, Sah... [2005]

The Newfound Interest In Connecticut were a five-piece midwest emo band from Toronto that quietly released one stellar album, Tell Me About The Long Dark Path Home, in 2005 and then split up. Falling in line with the dozens of other 00s artists that opted for increasingly lengthier titles, there is a passionate flair throughout the record evidenced by its intensity, which occasionally verges on sloppiness but only to the songs' merit. In a genre where the voice of the vocalist can often make or break a band's sound, The Newfound Interest In Connecticut were fortunate to find a fitting one in Matt King. By skillfully blending emo with post-rock and post-hardcore trends of the time they manage to render their instrumentals much more technical and interesting than was popular while drawing comparisons to another beloved one-album wonder of the genre, American Football.

Charlotte Cardin - Les Échardes [2015]

Don't miss up-and-coming Montreal singer-songwriter Charlotte Cardin's most compelling performance to date - Les Échardes (translation: The Shards). While the track rests on modest percussion and glistening piano chords, it is carried by her beautiful, sprawling vocals which are playful yet incredibly powerful.

[Article] In Defense of Young Thug: Why Lyricism Is Not The Be-All And End-All

Innumerable articles have already been devoted to the polarizing enigma of today’s most fascinating rapper - Young Thug. But the majority of these tend to focus on superfluous aspects of his career such as his sexuality, his beefs, or his fashion sense. Not enough effort has been dedicated towards defending the incredible artistry apparent throughout his work and especially his output in 2015, his most prolific year to date.

Young Thug is singular in the rap game; there are no easy comparisons to be drawn. He’s a baffling amalgamation of so many opposing styles and influences that it’s impossible to pinpoint what it is that makes him so special. However, his popular appeal among children and foreigners speaks volumes about his non-lyrical strengths – namely an uncanny ear for melody matched with an unparalleled ability to adapt to any instrumental thrown at him.

We’ve already witnessed his effortless dexterity over traditional trap (Halftime, Danny Glover), minimalist trap (Givenchy), ethereal cloud rap (Raw), and even UK bass (Good Times), which leads one to believe that Young Thug could take the most obscure thrash metal riff or saxophone solo and turn it into something with massive pop appeal. His delivery is so uniquely flexible that he can easily fit it to any type of music – this has never been witnessed before in hip hop. As a result, many fail to understand his inherent genius and take the shortcut of denouncing him for not being an enunciated or world-class lyricist.

But what these dissenters fail to realize is that Young Thug is not concerned with lyricism – the semantics of his raps are clearly in the periphery. Unlike any rapper before him, he places phonetics directly in the spotlight so that it’s about what sounds good, not about the meaning of those sounds. He uses his voice as an instrument, bending it with ridiculous inflections and effects, constantly switching between complicated but infectious flows, and then supplementing it all with hilarious ad-libs.

Rather than focusing on his frequently inaudible and occasionally nonsensical lyrics, listeners should appreciate his music as the complete picture that it is, where his voice simply adds to the depth of the instrumental by weaving in and out of its pockets and revealing melodies that no one else could have imagined. The fact that he does all this improvisationally – that is, by essentially freestyling each bar then refining it until he gets the perfect inflection and placement of each syllable – only confirms his massive arsenal of innate talent.

Even though lyricism can often take a backseat in other genres, hip hop listeners typically have a difficult time overlooking it. But one can point to other artists that use their vocals purely as an instrument – from the beautiful gibberish of Sigur Rós to that of Cocteau Twins – and even to entire genres that do so such as opera, doo wop, vocal jazz, and many forms of metal, in order to realize that what Young Thug is doing is not entirely new. It’s only new to hip hop. Young Thug challenges listeners in a way no prior rapper has - his music encourages us to view vocals as a means to an end, not an end in itself that necessitates a deeper meaning.

It’s all too easy to get caught up in lyricism and dismiss those who aren’t as eloquent as, say MF DOOM or Pharoahe Monch, but this ignorance is based on the mistaken assumption that vocals equal lyrics, that without lofty lyricism vocals serve no purpose. But to equate the two is merely to look at one aspect of vocals in hip hop, ignoring the numerous others that carry just as much weight, such as voice, delivery, flow, versatility, catchiness - all facets which Young Thug has managed to perfect in his very short career.

Young Thug, an ATLien if there ever was one, will remain dividing listeners and pushing the boundaries of rap outwards as he continues his relentless string of evolving releases. But even if one isn’t able to fully appreciate his music, they should at least respect his unique and well-deserved place in today’s rap game as a trailblazer, a risk taker, and a master of his art.

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For those of you not yet fully acquainted with Thugger, here are some of my favorite tracks that I believe best showcase his ability. If you want a full project I would strongly recommend Slime Season.

Good Times

Danny Glover

Halftime

Givenchy

Raw (Might Just)