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)

Betty Bibbs - The Story Of My Life [19??]

With the release year of The Story Of My Life a complete mystery, soul sister Betty Bibbs' b-side promises to be our most obscure track yet. Based on earlier releases in '65 and '68, however, we can presume that the song was likely recorded in the late '60s or early '70s. Don't be misled by the Motown label on the record though -  Bibbs hails from the deep south and, as a result, is able to inject a gospel quality into her music quite organically. Backed by a charming instrumental and a powerful choir, here she compellingly delivers a desperate but ultimately hopeful lament over her tumultuous romantic life.

[Best Of] Top 30 Songs of 2015

Here's a quick recap of my favorite tracks of the year. Even though I limited it to one per artist it still turned out to be pretty hip hop-centric, but hopefully there are a few joints y'all haven't heard before. Some of the bigger tracks aren't available on Youtube or Soundcloud due to copyright so those ones you'll have to hunt down yourselves.


30. Tennyson - Fault Line - Electropop


29. Action Bronson - Baby Blue (feat. Chance the Rapper) - East Coast Hip Hop

28. Freddie Gibbs - Careless - Trap Rap

27. Denzel Curry - Ultimate [Demo] - Memphis Rap, Trap Rap

26. Animal Collective - FloriDada - Psychedelic Pop, Electropop

25. Deafheaven - Brought to the Water - Black Metal, Shoegaze

24. Chance the Rapper - Angels - Hip Hop

23. Pusha T - Untouchable - Hip Hop

22. Dr. Dre - Animals (feat. Anderson .Paak) - West Coast Hip Hop

21. Jay Rock - Vice City (feat. Black Hippy) - West Coast Hip Hop

20. Young Thug - Raw (Might Just) - Trap Rap, Cloud Rap

19. Penthouse Penthouse - 69 Camaro (feat. Bobby Saint) - Synthpop, R&B

18. Future - Slave Master - Trap Rap

17. Lil Ugly Mane - Leonard's Lake - Instrumental Hip Hop, Abstract Hip Hop

16. Vince Staples - Summertime - West Coast Hip Hop, R&B

15. Post-Malone - White Iverson - R&B, Trap Rap

14. Drake & Future - Diamonds Dancing - Trap Rap, R&B

13. Mourn - Your Brain Is Made of Candy - Indie Rock

12. Youth Lagoon - Highway Patrol Stun Gun - Indie Pop, Dream Pop

11. James Blake - The Sound of Silence (feat. Justin Vernon) [Cover] - Gospel

10. Drake - Hotline Bling - R&B, Pop Rap

9. Travi$ Scott - 90210 - Trap Rap

8. Grimes - Realiti [Demo] - Synthpop, Electropop

7. Beach House - Space Song - Dream Pop

6. Kanye West - Only One - R&B

5. Lupe Fiasco - Mural - Hip Hop

4. Wet - Deadwater - Indie Pop, Dream Pop

3. Childish Gambino - So Into You [Cover] - R&B

During a recent appearance on Australian radio station triple j, Childish Gambino completely revamped Tamia's 1998 classic So Into You into a song of his own for their Like A Version segment. In delivering a spectacular vocal performance over jazzy live instrumentation as opposed to the original pop beat, Gambino manages to (quite successfully) stretch his wings a bit musically. The minimalist approach and live radio setting make for a very intimate atmosphere and render the cover all the more powerful and infectious.

2. Kendrick Lamar - u - West Coast Hip Hop

Releasing one of the greatest modern hip hop albums to date in March, it would be criminal to exclude Kendrick from this list. After having months to absorb his radio-friendly lead single i, Kendrick's unparalleled emotive delivery on the juxtaposing track u was that much more devastating on first listen. One can hear the deep conviction in every word he manages between the sobs, bottle clinks, and calls for room service. The song represents a low-point in the story arch of To Pimp A Butterfly as Kendrick struggles with his most excruciating fears and doubts, but artistically it is a high-point for him as he succeeds in fully pulling the listener in to this hotel room where he is pouring his heart out, first in outrage and then, during the latter half, in agony.

1. Jamie xx - Good Times (feat. Young Thug) [Demo] - Trap Rap, UK Bass

Before the phenomenal In Colour dropped earlier this year, a demo of Jamie xx's track with Young Thug, Good Times, leaked. The album version would later add Popcaan to the mix and reverse the order of the verses but only to the song's detriment. The demo version is much more succinct in showcasing Young Thug's ridiculous versatility and hilarious quote-ables over one of Jamie's greatest instrumentals. Thugga's singularly unique delivery can certainly take a while to acclimate to before being able to properly appreciate its intricacies. That being said, this is probably the best place to start as Jamie's production - including the wonderfully sampled hook - has much more pop appeal than the trap instrumentals Young Thug typically appears over. However, every other copy of the demo has been removed from the internet, so I uploaded my own copy to Vimeo for y'all to hear it.

Tennyson - Fault Line [2015]

Released just a few weeks ago, the Like What EP is only the latest in Tennyson's engrossing stream of output over the last few years. The Edmonton duo has managed to channel influences from pop, EDM and ambient music into songs as addictive as Fault Line that sound ready-made to blow up. This upbeat track is unusual though in that 18 year old Luke Tennyson's vocals sometimes verge on raps here due to how well he flows over the lush, entrancing electronic instrumental. 

DJ Zirk - Ana 4 Ya Hoez [2001]

DJ Zirk is one of the many under-appreciated artists in the Memphis rap scene. Getting his start in '94 with the 2 Thick EP, he showcased his ability early on for crafting dark, grimy, lo-fi bangers in line with his city's new sound. Track 6 off the EP, Ana 4 Ya Hoez, stands out in particular with its catchy hook, hard-hitting bassline, and interweaving samples that instantly mesmerize the listener. The samples are pulled from The Isley Brothers' 1973 track Summer Breeze, which has been flipped rather extensively in hip hop but never quite as brilliantly as here. Clearly Zirk thought the song was special too as he used a remastered version to open his 2001 album of mixes Underworld. This is the version that appears above as the clarity and slowed down samples of the mix just pack that much more of a punch than the original.

Pablo Gad - Sad Mistake [1980]

Releasing only six albums since his '77 debut International Dread, British-based Pablo Gad has remained an elusive figure despite a number of early classic singles. He was discovered by The Equators' frontman Winston Fergus, whose band also provided the backing for his first recordings. His sophomore effort Hard Times has become an underground staple of roots reggae, revered for its reverb and dub-soaked production. Sad Mistake is exemplary of Gad's conscious, Rastafarian lyricism and knack for riding a smooth, pulsating rhythm.

The Heartbeats - A Thousand Miles Away [1956]

The Heartbeats, a quintet formed in Queens, NY in 1955, had a brief but reasonably successful run of infectious doo-wop singles until their sudden disbandment in '59. Their most popular song, A Thousand Miles Away, peaked at #52 on the Billboard Hot 100 and was eventually reintroduced to more modern audiences when included in the American Graffiti soundtrack 17 years later. Rendering James Sheppard's incredibly intimate lead vocal performance all the more convincing is the fact that he had written it - along with the help of William Miller - for his ex-girlfriend right after she had moved away to Texas. As a result, it feels as though Sheppard is not addressing us with his laments but rather her directly.

Merz - Butterfly [2005]

Although British dream pop artist Merz has yet to penetrate the mainstream in his 16-year career, his discography is revered by the fans and critics he has managed to reach. His 2005 sophomore effort Loveheart is an overlooked gem of the indie scene, reminiscent in its intricate yet simple arrangements of contemporaries like Sufjan Stevens. Butterfly is a beautiful and expert combination of soothing male vocals backed by warm, acoustic melodies and ethereal female harmonies.

Future - One Helluva Night [2015]

Future's rapid ascension to stardom over the past couple years has been ignited by both his trailblazing trap crooner style as well as his seeming invincibility since parting ways with Ciara. In relentlessly dropping new mixtapes, albums, and singles for his fans Future has not sacrificed any quality, in fact, he seems to only be improving over time; though how long he can maintain this codeine-fueled run of trap classics is concerning and often draws comparisons to Lil Wayne's career. One track that may have slipped past your radar is the recently leaked One Helluva Night, presumably a cut from his 2014 album Honest. The song plays like a sort of prequel to Codeine Crazy with its portrayal of a hedonistic, drug-addled superstar's nocturnal debauchery and romantic turbulence. The instrumental centers around a 3 Stacks-esque guitar sample and is really more at home in R&B than trap. But perhaps it was best left as a demo since the fuzziness of the mix only solidifies the atmosphere that Future is already going for with his muddy, auto-tuned triplet flows.