As a self-proclaimed international hip-hop connoisseur, I always appreciate some heat from overseas. Thanks to the good people over at B&E Worldwide for the heads up on the newest solo effort from Swedish rapper/graffiti artist Promoe, of the group Looptroop Rockers. The video is dope, on some Lord of the Rings meets Narnia shit (I think they were actually LARPing at the end of it). I love the sound of this, it just feels authentic, and I'm a sucker for some reggae-influenced shit. The first rapper resembling some kind of Satyr (who I believe is Swedish rapper Timbuktu) gave my favorite performance, but even Gandalf himself (Promoe) and The Creature from the Black Lagoon (Supreme, also of Looptroop Rockers) represented to the fullest (from what I can tell without knowing what the hell they are saying).
The name of the song is "Mammas Gata" which translates into "Mom's Street??" There's gotta be something else to it, maybe it's a neighborhood they rep? Anyway, enough nerding out, here's the track. Peace.
Here's the group's official site:
www.looptrooprockers.com
Friday, April 15, 2011
Wednesday, April 13, 2011
Our tax dollars at work...
It seems, my friends, that we are doomed. Sorry, Martin, I'm afraid we will never learn.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
American Rapstar...
The one and only Big K.R.I.T. is on top of the music world right now, and this song is absolutely beautiful!
If you're interested, check www.cecrew.com to hear "Where It Began" featuring Big K.R.I.T from our "Time For Hope EP". (It's the third song on the player. Krit wrote and performed the hook and the last verse. The man is a song-writing machine, for real. One of the greats. Go get all his shit.)
If you're interested, check www.cecrew.com to hear "Where It Began" featuring Big K.R.I.T from our "Time For Hope EP". (It's the third song on the player. Krit wrote and performed the hook and the last verse. The man is a song-writing machine, for real. One of the greats. Go get all his shit.)
Real Hip Hop is Back...
...in the form of Big Rec (actually it's the name of his latest project). I'm not sure that "real hip hop" as he sees it ever really went anywhere, it's just harder to locate, especially if you rely upon mainstream radio or television for that kind of music. That would be disheartening to say the least. It's out there, though...just not getting any money or attention. Big Rec is reppin' my hometown Atlanta via Oklahoma via New Orleans, and in my personal opinion he is quite the lyrical monster.
Last year Collective Efforts shared the bill with his supergroup The 5ive (five dope MCs that met in the ATL battle rap circuit and decided to combine forces) and Diamond D (who also provided the group with some production and a cameo verse). Although all five MCs wrecked shop, Big Rec definitely lived up to his name with his high energy, relentless multis and captivating stage presence. The first words that popped into mind when I saw him rapping were BATTLE and BEAST, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that his off-stage personality is quite the opposite. Without a hint of arrogance he maneuvered through the crowd, politely and humbly introducing himself to fans and other artists. Stylistically, he has a tendency to drop multi-syllabic battle rhymes that may offend the sensibilities of some listeners (those who would prefer not to be aurally bombarded with quote after quote of ceaseless self-aggrandizing). [Note the conversation he had with what appears to be RecZilla's biggest fan judging from the number of times he commented on his video.] But in the world of "real" hip hop, of which Big Rec is a proud representative, that is exactly the mission. You must convince the audience that you are the best, and let all scrub MCs know that they need to step up their unimpressive simpleton lines and never again get in the way of the complete lyrical dominance being witnessed...or to quote a young Aceyalone, "Every rapper in the house shut the f*ck up!"
I admit the battle rap scene does bore me, as it just gets more and more predictable (granted once I hit thirty the whole thing just seemed adolescent and contrived). But Big Rec does not bore me, and it's not just his constant barrage of meticulously crafted phrases that keeps me listening, it's his genuine passion for the art form that shines through and really makes him stand out from the mediocrity - that and the strong voice, which always helps. I am looking forward to hearing some big things from Big Rec, and maybe even collaborating with him on a track (those wheels are already in motion).
Sidenote: I don't want to call him out, because this can also be perceived as a weakness in the minds of fickle rap purists, but Rec can sing, too. The 5ive tracked their verses for one of the Diamond D joints over at the CE Estate, and he had a singing part on it. I wasn't recording it, but I heard it from the other room, and afterwards I had to find out who it was. Solid.
For more info on the artist and his projects, check the sites below.
www.BigRecOnline.com
www.RealHipHopisBack.com
www.TheFiveHipHop.com
Last year Collective Efforts shared the bill with his supergroup The 5ive (five dope MCs that met in the ATL battle rap circuit and decided to combine forces) and Diamond D (who also provided the group with some production and a cameo verse). Although all five MCs wrecked shop, Big Rec definitely lived up to his name with his high energy, relentless multis and captivating stage presence. The first words that popped into mind when I saw him rapping were BATTLE and BEAST, but I was pleasantly surprised to find that his off-stage personality is quite the opposite. Without a hint of arrogance he maneuvered through the crowd, politely and humbly introducing himself to fans and other artists. Stylistically, he has a tendency to drop multi-syllabic battle rhymes that may offend the sensibilities of some listeners (those who would prefer not to be aurally bombarded with quote after quote of ceaseless self-aggrandizing). [Note the conversation he had with what appears to be RecZilla's biggest fan judging from the number of times he commented on his video.] But in the world of "real" hip hop, of which Big Rec is a proud representative, that is exactly the mission. You must convince the audience that you are the best, and let all scrub MCs know that they need to step up their unimpressive simpleton lines and never again get in the way of the complete lyrical dominance being witnessed...or to quote a young Aceyalone, "Every rapper in the house shut the f*ck up!"
I admit the battle rap scene does bore me, as it just gets more and more predictable (granted once I hit thirty the whole thing just seemed adolescent and contrived). But Big Rec does not bore me, and it's not just his constant barrage of meticulously crafted phrases that keeps me listening, it's his genuine passion for the art form that shines through and really makes him stand out from the mediocrity - that and the strong voice, which always helps. I am looking forward to hearing some big things from Big Rec, and maybe even collaborating with him on a track (those wheels are already in motion).
Sidenote: I don't want to call him out, because this can also be perceived as a weakness in the minds of fickle rap purists, but Rec can sing, too. The 5ive tracked their verses for one of the Diamond D joints over at the CE Estate, and he had a singing part on it. I wasn't recording it, but I heard it from the other room, and afterwards I had to find out who it was. Solid.
For more info on the artist and his projects, check the sites below.
www.BigRecOnline.com
www.RealHipHopisBack.com
www.TheFiveHipHop.com
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