My last list contained 6 albums that spanned the genres of Jazz and R&B Soul that could be found, streamed and purchased via Bandcamp. This list will follow the same essential format as the previous list with the key difference that I will focus on Hip-Hop albums that the listening public has slept on for the most part which you can easily find, stream and purchase via Bandcamp. I’m well aware that this is Christmas Eve so consider this list an early Christmas but a late Hanukkah and Kwanzaa gift. Did I spell Hanukkah the same way last list? Are Black people still pretending we give a f*ck about Kwanzaa? I mean, it doesn’t even have a Charlie Brown cartoon. I mean, if Franklin & the Peanuts gang don’t care about it…What was I talking about again? Oh. Here’s another damb Dart Adams list. Happy Holidays, Killer BoomBox readers…
The future of Hip-Hop is bright if it’s in the hands of capable lyricists such as Detroit’s Clear Soul Forces (“The Departure EP”). Rappers I Know/Producers I Know fam Clear Soul Forces consists of four of the nicest young emcees assembled together in the same crew. They flow like the rap version of The Avengers and when combined with sonic landscapes provided by Ilajide they are a formidable crew indeed. Their new project “Detroit Revolution(s)” is the culmination of years of hard work, writing, shows and untold hours in the studio. The only way you could possibly even front on Clear Soul Forces is if you just hate Hip-Hop, Rap and yourself. Straight up. I’m not kidding, either.
Trenton, NJ representative and rookie emcee Honors English dropped one of 2012’s best debuts in “State Of The Art”. Overseen by veteran producer Needlz, this 14 track opus is heavy on complex bars, clever wordplay, ambitious song concepts and incredible production to match. I was first alerted to this project back in February by my boy FWMJ (he did the cover art) and he told me that Needlz was working with this incredible young emcee called Honors English. I saw some eye opening promo videos posted up on YouTube featuring some of the tracks and I just had to hear it. Needless to say, I was more than impressed with the finished product. The sleeping stops here.
Rookie emcee 7evenThirty hails from Jackson, Mississippi and he’s the most promising Hip-Hop prospect to hail from that state since the group Crooked Lettaz signed to NY label Penalty Records back in the late 90’s. His debut album on Mello Music Group is a combination of deft lyricism and top notch production. Rarely does a rookie exhibit such mastery of concepts and how to combine bars with creating a concise album theme. “Heaven’s Computer” is a concept album that shouldn’t be slept on featuring Kamikaze (Crooked Lettaz), Sleepy Will, HeadKrack, Mo Ney Stax, Gensu Dean, 5-D, Coke Bumaye and features production by Apollo Brown, Oddisee, Erik L, 5-D, M Slago and 7evenThirty himself. Most would overlook this album seeing as how he’s a rookie from the minor leagues. I’m not most people…
Bambu (“exact change”, “paper cuts”, “A Peaceful Riot” & “Walk Into A Bar”) is one of the most underrated emcees in Hip-Hop today. This conscious minded rapper has been making excellent album after excellent album going back to his days in the crew Native Guns. “…one rifle per family” is music for those that miss a time when there was balance in mainstream Hip-Hop and consciousness could be heard on the radio and seen on Viacom music video networks. The album boasts features from Killer Mike, Sick Jacken (Psycho Realm), Prometheus Brown (Blue Scholars), Rocky Rivera, Dumbfoundead, Ruby Ibarra and production from Jake One, Chops, MTK and 6 Fingers. In times of struggle, we need rebel music. NEED IT. Don’t sleep.
Gensu Dean has crafted gems for Lord Jamar (Brand Nubian), David Banner, Prince Po (Organized Konfusion), Grandaddy I.U. and more in the past and his mastery of the E-mu SP1200 is a thing of legend amongst Hip-Hop production circles. Texas’ Gensu Dean made kinetic sonic backdrops that harken back to the Golden Eras when the production matched the emcees’ mastery of the mic (Any one. Pick one. Jackson. Jordan. Tyson) for a wide range of emcees on “Lo-Fi Fingahz” including everyone from veterans Brand Nubian, Large Professor, Prince Po, David Banner, Blame One, Roc Marciano and Count Bass D to underground favorites like Sputnik Brown, The Planets, HeadKrack and 7even Thirty. The bottom line is Gensu Dean’s “Lo-Fi Fingahz” shouldn’t be slept on…
The Black Opera’s “Overture” and “Entermission” both dropped in 2011 and made serious noise based on the quality of each project, the aura and mystery surrounding the members of The Black Opera and the ingenious campaign of demonstrations using social networks to promote each single and video. In 2012, Mello Music Group partnered up with A Side Worldwide to re-release “EnterMission” to build up the release of the mind blowing new project “Libretto: Of King Legend” produced entirely by Astronote. If you managed to sleep on The Black Opera before now? The sleeper must awaken…
One.