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hiphopheads Essential Album of the Week #97: Three 6 Mafia - Mystic Stylez - HipHop

hiphopheads Essential Album of the Week #97: Three 6 Mafia - Mystic Stylez - HipHop

hiphopheads Essential Album of the Week #97: Three 6 Mafia - Mystic Stylez

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 02:25 PM PDT

Welcome to the new and improved Essential Album of the Week discussion thread!

Every Wednesday we will discuss an album from our Essential Albums list

Last Time: Naughty by Nature - Poverty's Paradise

This Week: Three 6 Mafia - Mystic Stylez

Stream/Purchase

Spotify

iTunes

Google Play

Singles

N/A

Background/Description (courtesy of allmusic.com)

When Three 6 Mafia released Mystic Stylez, the album that's widely seen as their full-length debut, it didn't make too many waves. After all, it was released independently in 1995, a time when indie rap labels struggled to break out of their local markets, and furthermore, the group was from Memphis of all places and their style was far from the mainstream -- very far. Yet years later, Mystic Stylez stands out as a definitive effort, defining not only what the collective would base its future empire upon but also the horrorcore style of hardcore rap that thrived among the underground scenes outside of New York during the era (e.g., Esham in Detroit, Brotha Lynch Hung in Sacramento, etc.). It's one of those albums that came and went during its initial release yet became a cult classic years later. Mystic Stylez became so for several reasons, among them the album's overall eerie tone, producers Juicy J and DJ Paul's Dirty South-defining lo-fi beats, and the group's downright confrontational rhetoric. Throughout the album, Three 6 Mafia embraces one taboo after another, often many at once, mainly violence ("Tear da Club Up"), drugs ("Now I'm Hi, Pt. 3"), sex ("Porno Movie"), and occultism ("Mystic Stylez"). All of this would be sheer exploitation for the sake of exploitation if not for the craft, especially in terms of production. And if you want evidence that there's more to Mystic Stylez than shock value, listen to "Da Summa," a calm moment of respite amid the thundering chaos that very well could be seen as the Memphis underground version of "It Was a Good Day" or the countless other laid-back summertime anthems of the mid-'90s. For the most part though, Three 6 Mafia is hell-bent here, literally, and that in itself was novelty enough for its time. Years later, in the wake of the successive Dirty South explosion, you can trace back the influence of Mystic Stylez, as a myriad heedless Southerners began throwing 'bows, blazing hydro, and embracing taboos left and right. In fact, even latter-day Three 6 Mafia became a replica of itself, as they continually strived to retain the underground essence of their own beginning. [Several reissues over the years have jumbled the original track listing a bit (adding EP tracks like "Live by Yo Rep," for instance) and altered the cover art, so it's worth shopping around. In particular, the 2001 Hypnotize Minds reissue features remastered sound and is recommended.]

Guidelines

This is an open thread for you to share your thoughts on the album. Avoid vague statements of praise or criticism. This is your chance to practice being a critic. It's fine for you to drop by just to say you love the album, but let's try and step it up a bit!!!

How has this album affected hip-hop? WHY do you like this tape? What are the best tracks? Do you think it deserves the praise it gets? Is it the first time you've listened to it? What's your first impression? Have you listened to the artist before? Explain why you like it or why you don't.

DON'T FEEL BAD ABOUT BEING LATE!!!! Discussion throughout the week is encouraged.

Next week's EAOTW will be Gangsta Pat - Deadly Verses

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[OC] 11 Essential Internet Rap Singles from 2009-2012 -- What They Were and Why They Mattered

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 02:44 PM PDT

Methodology - What is internet rap?

"Internet rap" doesn't have to operate under concrete characteristics, but here is what it means to me in five quick bullet points.

  • Internet rappers may rap about the act of using the internet itself, but don't have to.

  • Internet rappers gain a substantial audience without the help of a major label, rather the internet. They may sign with a label afterwards, but not before they have already assembled a core audience.

  • Because of this, many internet rappers do not attach themselves strongly to a geographical region like most rappers do. Instead, they operate within the borderless construct of the world wide web itself.

  • Internet rappers usually don't follow the mainstream tropes of the time, and if they do, they will satirize them.

  • Internet rappers use the internet to cultivate a very strong brand image through music videos and social media presence.

Intro - A Brief History Lesson

This list operates under the assumption that the prime of "internet rap" was around the years 2009 to 2012, but I would like to pay respects to a trio of artists from before this era before I begin. They are the forefathers.

Soulja Boy's Crank That! is probably the most important internet rap single of all time. Released in May 2007, it was a viral rap dance sensation that spent seven weeks at #1 on the Billboard Hot 100. After the success of Crank That! Soulja Boy signed a deal with Interscope Records and paid homage to the internet by naming his major label debut souljaboytellem.com. Also, Lil B would later proclaim that he "fucks with Soulja Boy" on Birth of Rap, which is a pivotal moment in internet rap, but we'll get to him later.

The Cool Kids' Black Mags, released in 2007 and made popular through MySpace, eventually landed them a contract with XL Recordings, with whom they would release their critically acclaimed The Bake Sale EP. Also, it nabbed them a Rhapsody ad with Sara Bareilles. The Cool Kids' colorful fashion sense contrasted their sparse sound, which no doubt influenced Odd Future.

Charles Hamilton's Brooklyn Girls was his first major label single. Released in 2008, it came after releasing an obscene amount of mixtapes, perhaps most notably Outside Looking and It's Charles Hamilton. The Sonic-obsessed Hamilton's career flamed out in the midst of mental issues and a now infamous video of him being punched by a woman, but his legacy still remains.

1. Das Racist - Rainbow in the Dark (December 18, 2009)

This wasn't their first rodeo, as 2008's Combination Pizza Hut and Taco Bell was more of a viral hit, but Rainbow in the Dark is a better indicator of what Das Racist had to offer. Released in the run-up to their debut mixtape, Shut Up, Dude, Rainbow in the Dark shows the effortlessly cool Heems and Kool AD at their absolute best. The duo from Brooklyn's deconstructionalist attitude towards hip hop made them outsider favorites, and they always had an innate ability to hide legitimate societal discontent within their lazy stoner personas, as Heems explained:

We're not making music that's instantly appealing. We dabble with non sequiturs, dadaism, repetition, repetition. We make dance music while talking about not-dancey things. We say things that on the surface can seem pretty dumb but it's a mask on some Paul Laurence Dunbar shit for actual discontent with a lot of shit in the world.

Notable Line(s): Catch me at the crib getting light to Jeff Mangum // It's fun to do bad things like rhyme about handguns

2. Lil B - Like A Martian Freestyle (December 19, 2009)

Lil B just is internet rap, and to choose just one track of his proved to be daunting. After all, the opening 1-2 punch of Birth of Rap and I'm God on his breakout mixtape 6Kiss may seem like more obvious picks. Age of Information also immediately stands out as an ahead-of-its-time critique of technology and the internet, but Like A Martian was Lil B's first single as, well, Lil B the BasedGod. The former Pack rapper introduces us to based music, tiny pants, and the BasedGod fucking our bitches in a four minute stream-of-consciousness lo-fi romp that still absolutely slaps today, an astounding eight-and-a-half years later.

I come from making music however it comes because you know it's motherfuckers that need the music because that's all they got and that's what they got. You know we not worried about if it's for club quality. We gon play that full blast in our car or full blast at the house, and shit the club gon play it too, eventually, you know what I'm saying?

Notable Line(s) Cause I'm wet like a pool, like a pond, like a pussy // Like a bitch, like my name, like my car, like my ring // Like my dick, fuck a bitch in the face like a boss // Like a dad, like I'm rad, like I'm Brad, like I'm Chad

3. Earl Sweatshirt - EARL (July 26, 2010)

The images of a baby-faced Earl Sweatshirt and his crew of Odd Future goons drinking a drug smoothie of sorts and proceeding to lose teeth, pull out hair, and leak blood from bodily orifices were certainly frightening, but it helped catch the attention of big music sites like Pitchfork, Gorilla vs Bear, and Complex. Recorded between the ages of 15-16, Sweatshirt's debut mixtape EARL was the first big building block for the rising careers of Odd Future, and this horrorcore-inspired macabre lead single only added to the mystique of Earl Sweatshirt when he seemingly vanished to a boarding school in Samoa, where he was forced to confront the ever prevalent themes of sexual assault that he had bragged about in tracks like EARL and epaR.

It was instant. There was nothing you could do when you're looking at a fucking little girl that's been horribly abused. It doesn't even need to be gradual. And there was never a moment where I was trying to fucking perpetrate like I was some [rapist]. I still have so much fun performing Earl. That shit was what it was. That was our way of like, screaming. That was my way of screaming, because I don't yell. Any subject, whether it's raping people or swag or some fucking shoes or something – if you rap about it enough, it's going to get boring. It was sick.

Notable Line(s): I'm a hot and bothered astronaut // Crashing while jacking off // To buffering vids of Asher Roth eating apple sauce

4. Tyler, the Creator - Yonkers (February 10, 2011)

If EARL was the big step for Odd Future, Yonkers was what solidified them as the most exciting new hip hop act in years. Beyond massive blog hype, what gave Yonkers momentum was a glowing review from Kanye West, who crowned it "The video of 2011." The growling beat, black and white horror imagery, and Bruno Mars diss made this not just a great track, but one that completely took over the internet rap Zeitgeist. Indeed, the entire rap community was thrown into a frenzy over this video of a then-unknown Tyler the Creator committing suicide after eating a cockroach, and that just goes to show how important imagery is in the genre of internet rap. The music itself is just one part of the equation.

When people ask whether I like making the video to a song or making a song to the video that's in my head, I don't know, I can't choose between either one because they go hand-in-hand. They need each other.

Notable Line(s): I'm a fucking walking paradox, no I'm not

5. Death Grips - Takyon (Death Yon) (April 27, 2011)

In an internet rap scene oversaturated with dreamy, spacey cloud rap, Death Grips turned to IDM and harsh noise. In an internet rap scene full of colorful characters with strong social media presences, Death Grips chose to remain mysterious and elusive. Takyon (Death Yon) is a single from Death Grips' breakout debut, Ex-Military, and it's the antithesis of the rest of tracks on this list. To say that Death Grips don't market themselves on internet hype would be foolish, as this is the group that leaked their album on various B1tt0rr3nt (spam filter) sites, constantly released mysterious youtube videos and visuals, and made media overstimulation a big part of their entire platform. Internet rap will outlive Death Grips, but the mark they have left behind is indelible. Also, the track is pretty good.

It is, in a certain sense. It's a hard balance to not become alienating and alienate yourself but we like to keep the focus on the music. It's definitely conscious but it goes both ways. There's no hiding behind anything but when we started the group, we talked about never revealing who was who because we wanted to create music that was concentrated on that isolation and to take away the individuals of the groups. We perceived Death Grips as its own entity and something larger than ourselves. We wanted to take ourselves out the equation and create something that is separate from what our day-to-day lives are.

Notable Line(s): Subatomic penetration, rapid fire through your skull // How I shot it on one taking it back to the days of trying to lose control

6. Kreayshawn - Gucci Gucci (May 16, 2011)

"One big room full of bad bitches." Bay-area rapper Kreayshawn may have very well been the internet rap queen of her era despite having ostensibly only one hit in the form of Gucci Gucci, a ruthlessly catchy dismissal of the luxury brands that permeate most rap lyrics. Prior to this, she had recorded and directed the aforementioned Like A Martian from her friend Lil B, and an Odd Future cameo in the video for Gucci Gucci only added to her internet rap status. This track was such a monster that it even had Lil Wayne jumping on the beat, and it set the stage for female internet rappers yet to come.

I didn't know about female rappers and the internet music industry until I was a part of it. I didn't know what the fuck I was doing. But maybe I somehow did. Everyone who's getting signed right now, their buzz must come from the internet. That's the only buzz you can have.

Notable Line(s): Bitch, you ain't no Barbie, I see you work at Arby's // Number 2, super-sized, hurry up I'm starving

7. Azealia Banks - 212 (September 12, 2011)

Half hip-hop, half house music, Azealia Banks' 212 came during a bump in her a career. After being dropped from her development deal with XL Recordings, Banks recorded 212 when she was selling key chains at a Manhattan jazz club and dancing at a Queens' strip joint to make ends meet. Named after her Manhattan area code, 212 acts as a therapeutic release of Banks' aggression and resulted in one of the best vocal performances of the era. Throughout the track, Banks shows off both a cheeky and playful demeanor, as well as outright aggression. Meanwhile, the thumping house beat produced by Lazy Jay serves as our backdrop, and explains why the track was such a hit in Europe. After all, it's a bit easier to imagine 212 playing at a discotheque in Amsterdam instead of a house party in the United States, although it's certainly still a solid choice at the latter.

I'm lucky that I learned my lessons this early, because sometimes people don't learn their lessons until they're like 28-30, you know? "212" makes fun of everything and my reactions to it. I think that's a lot of the reason why people relate to it so much, because everybody wants to say, "F*** you!" I think by virtue of English culture being so polite, I feel like there's definitely a part of every English person that just wants to be like, "Aargh!" That's why it's picking up so much over here.

Notable Line(s): I guess that cunt getting eaten (x5)

8. Mr. Muthafuckin eXquire ft. Despot, Das Racist, Danny Brown, El-P - The Last Huzzah (Remix) (September 21, 2011)

Internet rap's much-needed posse cut came in the form of a remix to Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire's Huzzah. Along for the ride are the aforementioned Das Racist, Danny Brown just after the release of the now-classic XXX, as well as underground icons El-P and Despot. While the level of "internet rapper-ness" present on this track ranges from "not really" to "extremely" on this track, depending on who you are talking about, the track as a whole is an internet rap magnum opus. Despot kicks it off, Das Racist continues in Das Racist style, with Kool AD rapping about reading Sun Tzu and Heems asserting that he's the worst rapper on the track, albeit the third coolest. Danny Brown's verse is electric as well, but the best verse undoubtedly goes to El-P, who abstractly counts to 16 while future collaborator Killer Mike poses in the background with an AK. exQuire himself wraps up this Flava In Ya Ear tribute with a triumphant spiel about his many views on Youtube, and how there is still much growth to be had.

For every person who don't get it there's ten who do. I have people coming to my shows crying: "You touched me, you made my life better." I chose [this path] and it comes with the occupation: you're putting your art out there to be judged. I listened to EL-P and Kid Cudi every day going to work. People need to hear me and make their life better.

Notable Line(s): Fuck a throne, watch the project bench covered in pigeon shit

9. A$AP Rocky - Peso (August 10, 2011)

Peso served as the lead single for A$AP Rocky's critically-acclaimed Live.Love.ASAP mixtape and introduced us to the A$AP Mob. The A$AP Ty Beats-produced joint was named by Complex as the sixth best song of 2011 and proved that surprise hit Purple Swag was not a fluke. Thanks to tracks like Peso, Rocky quickly became the most-hyped new hip hop artist out of NYC, and while he reps Harlem on the track, it's important to recognize that his Houston-influenced sound shows the breakdown of hip hop's regional borders in the internet age.

You know, at the end of the day, you don't have to be from Asia to be a fuckin' Buddhist monk. All jokes aside, you don't have to be from Jerusalem or nothin' like that. What I'm saying is...basically, that's cool. I understand that. That's unfortunate that they feel that way. But I feel like they should embrace me. I love the culture. I'm keeping it real. I'm from New York and I love that culture. I love it more than this New York shit. So why wouldn't you fuckin' fuck with me back? I got Bun B, Paul Wall, and Killa Kyleon on the "Purple Swag" remix. They love me out there.

Notable Line(s): I be that pretty mothafucka, Harlem's what I'm reppin'

10. Action Bronson & RiFF RAFF - Bird On A Wire (February 9, 2012)

In the months following the release of Bird On A Wire, RiFF RAFF and Action Bronson would both sign record deals and eventually release their respective major label debuts. Both had already been on their respective mixtape grind, but it was this cloud-rap single that showed what each party had to offer. Despite great verses from both RiFF and Bronson, it may be producer Harry Fraud who steals the show here, as he deftly lays down a beat that is both minimalist and completely ethereal. While RiFF and Bronson are very good friends now, the collaboration was a bit unlikely at the time, with Bronson bearing the torch of lyrical hip hop and being compared to Ghostface Killah, and RiFF RAFF being considered nothing more than a novelty act, but Bronson never saw it that way.

He's just an ill artist to me and I just think he's nice. We just...that song (Bird On A Wire) clicked and we just chilled and from there we did mad shows together. We did a lot of appearances. He's just a good dude, you know, he's like a genuine human.

Notable Line(s): Security guards with 9 berettas, pullin' up Volkswagen jettas

11. Kitty Pryde - Okay Cupid (April 11, 2012)

Whenever rappers break out on the internet, there's a certain attachment that comes with which website they did so through. We've had MySpace rappers, we've had Youtube rappers, and we certainly have a lot of Soundcloud rappers today. Kitty Pryde was Tumblr's rapper, and with that she brought a nerdy, endearing appeal that she puts to work on her cloud-rap love song, Okay Cupid. With a following cultivated from laptop webcam freestyles and a holds up spork approach to her persona, Kitty Pryde, like Kreayshawn and Lil B, was one of the more divisive artists from this wave, which sought to destroy every preconceived notion of what a "rapper" is or should be.

You know, like, no matter what you do, if you put it on the internet, someone's gonna hate it. Like no matter what, someone's gonna hate it. But, it's fun, like I get to have fun. I'm here and I get to do this. It's on the internet. It doesn't matter.

Notable Line(s): Lordy, shorty you're a 10 and I wait for your drunk dials at 3:30 am // I love them

Conclusion

2009-2012 was a thrilling time for oddball internet rap. That's not to disparage today's hot new artists, but we currently live in the age where what's poppin' on the internet is what's poppin' in the mainstream and vice-versa, and it wasn't always like that. To summarize, I'm asserting that we currently live without a specific defined "internet culture," because internet is already THE culture.

Further Listening

EDIT: I have close to zero self-promotion interests, but feel free to toss me a twitter DM or follow @baileyxfree. I don't tweet much about hip hop though.

submitted by /u/DistinguishedTrout
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Earl Sweatshirt- Wind In My Sails

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 07:39 AM PDT

Blurred Lines DID infringe on Marvin Gaye song, rules US appeals court - Based on the precedent set by this case, you can now sue based on the "style" of music.

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 10:37 AM PDT

Ski reveals heart/chest issues.

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 09:00 AM PDT

Pusha T - Drug Dealers Anonymous (feat. Jay Z)

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 01:26 PM PDT

An Introduction to the Lesser Known Tapes of Underground Memphis

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 03:34 PM PDT

Written by /u/yung_hokage_stef

Introduction

Besides Comin' Out Hard by 8Ball & MJG (if you're lucky), usually the only albums you hear about when discussing old school Memphis on this sub are from Three 6 Mafia, along with the subsequent solo projects from each member. While they have without a doubt earned their status in the scene to receive such amounts of conversation, there are several other rap projects that in my opinion are certainly worth your time, hence this post. The albums I will be covering are not as known to the public eye. Some of them were designated to cassettes, only to then be uploaded to YouTube years later (almost no Spotify streams to be found here). A lot of the artists associated with these projects received merely a fraction of the acclaim as their commercially successful contemporaries, and a majority of that recognition remained insulated within the city. Hell, most of them don't even have a Wikipedia page. So hopefully, by the end of this, I will have shed some light on a few tapes that I think deserve some attention. It's important to note this post isn't intended to be a "guide" to the Memphis underground, but rather an attempt to spotlight some underappreciated music. Let's begin.

"Runnin-N-Gunnin" by Tommy Wright III

Released: 1995

YouTube Stream

Standout Track: "Still Pimpin"

Our first tape on the list comes from Mr. Tommy Wright III. If you're unfamiliar with this underground legend, here's the rundown. Tommy began his career in 1992. Referred to as the "1 Man Gang", Tommy wrote, rapped and produced a string of tapes that helped to pioneer the trademark "murder-rap" of Memphis in an age where most producers were only releasing remixed beat tapes. His contributions to the city's scene laid the groundwork for future Memphis artists, like Three 6, as well as the subgenre of "crunk" music. After founding Street Smart Records in 1994 (which housed a number of other underground artists), Tommy released Runnin-N-Gunnin to the streets, and to this day is regarded as an underground classic. While there is still so much more to talk about regarding Tommy's career (such as his beef with Bone Thugs), I wouldn't want to make this post too long, so on to the tape.

Throughout Runnin-N-Gunnin's 82 minute runtime, it is not multi-syllable rhyme schemes nor rapid fire flows that the listener is supplied with. Instead, what Tommy offers in spades is authenticity. Stories of drive-bys, gang warfare, drug dealing, run-ins with the law… Tommy has seen it, and without a doubt done it all. It only takes one glance at the mugshot cover of this tape to solidify that Tommy is really what he raps about. Sound wise, Runnin-N-Gunnin consists of reverb-heavy drums over dark basslines, accompanied by eerie samples and keys. Many of the instrumentals do a great job of carrying a sinister tone to them which pairs well with Tommy's hyper-violent storytelling, describing a drive-by as if he was taking a trip to 7-Eleven. Another common trait amongst the tracks are the unorthodox song structures. Many of the cuts on this tape feature several long verses, multiple hooks, and long breaks in which Tommy lets the sample ride for a bit. While I'll admit some songs end up feeling a bit repetitive, overall it doesn't do very much to drag the project down. One last thing I will comment on are the features on this tape. Members of Tommy's "Ten Wanted Men", which I will elaborate on shortly, pop up a few times here, and they all kill their contributions, especially Princess Loko on "Still Pimpin". I cannot recommend this project enough. Tommy is an absolutely pivotal figure in Memphis hip-hop and if you enjoyed this I highly urge you to check out the rest of his discography.

"Wanted: Dead or Alive" by Ten Wanted Men

Released: 1995

YouTube Stream

Standout Track: "Magnolia Meets 4"

Mentioned earlier, Ten Wanted Men was a rap group formed by Tommy Wright III in 1995, featuring Street Smarts Records affiliates C-9, Project Pimp, Womack Da Omen, Princess Loko and T-Dog, as well as Tommy himself. That same year, they would release their first of 2 tapes, Wanted: Dead or Alive.

This tape might be my favourite out of the whole bunch. It consists of all 6 members, along with a few featured artists, going back and forth detailing accounts of brutal gang violence and the inner-city lifestyle. The Ten Wanted Men have fantastic chemistry, playing off each other's energy to great effect and really driving home the fact that this is a gang you don't want business with. All production is handled by Tommy, and in my opinion is absolutely phenomenal. Compared to Runnin-N-Gunnin's sound, which I would describe as a "laid-back aggressive" tone that one can easily vibe to, Wanted: Dead or Alive's instrumentals are upbeat and demand your attention. Songs are littered with skittery 808 drums and a wide array of samples. "Magnolia Meets 4" alone contains a catchy piano loop, a clip from what sounds like an old kung-fu film, subtle spiritual hums and ...sleigh bells ? What is most impressive about Tommy's production is how he managed to make every track sound detailed. Pretty much each instrumental has a natural progression, adding/removing elements to build and strip the beat down with ease that makes each song sound masterfully layered, highlighting Tommy's prowess as a producer. The project clocks in at about 57 minutes, with most tracks hovering around the 4 minute mark making it an overall easier listen than Runnin-N-Gunnin, so if you enjoyed that then you will definitely love this.

"Dreamworld" by Blackout

Released: 1995

YouTube Stream

Standout Track: "No Witness"

I wasn't able to find too much about Blackout online but here's what I managed to scrape up. Blackout is an underground producer who gained local fame during the 90's for his dark and aggressive style of beats. During the 90's he produced several tapes for Memphis rappers (one of them is even on this list) and eventually dropped his most well-known release, Dreamworld. Sometime before 1995 he founded Snubnoze Muzik which marked the start of several tapes being released by the artists it housed, as well as Blackout himself.

Thankfully, I have much more to say about the actual tape. I'm not exaggerating when I say this is one of the most haunting rap albums I have ever heard. The production is near flawless. Every instrumental on here is comprised of heavy 808's, piercing synths and key/vocal samples that sound like they were ripped straight from a horror film. What impressed me the most about this tape sound-wise was its incorporation of subtle details. Many of the high-pitched synths used here are not the center of attention. Instead, they lurk in the background, never willing to pop out at you, but always present nonetheless. This adds an air of uneasiness to the record and displays Blackout's ability to use atmosphere to his benefit. Sonically it all gels together to create an overwhelming tone of darkness that you can't help but feel. Foreboding, panicked and depraved are all adjectives I would use to describe the listening experience at some point or another. If A Nightmare on Elm Street took place on the streets of Memphis, this would be the soundtrack.

Not wanting his beats to go to waste, Blackout enlisted Snubnoze Muzik affiliates Lil Coop and Lil' E to provide some devilish verses to the project. They both demonstrate a wide array of flows that fit the beats perfectly, and they also manage to craft some surprisingly catchy hooks. Lyrically it's what you expect from a horror-core type project, but Coop and E back it up with a menacing enough delivery that you rarely ever grow tired of what they're saying. Compared to the other projects on this list, Dreamworld relies heavily on repetition. On songs like Murda Mix or Syko Soundz, there are no verses. Rather, Blackout loops the chosen vocal sample and hook over and over again making the track sound more like a murderous mantra than an actual song. It feels almost hypnotic, and while I could see some people getting bored of songs like this I personally had no problem with them since they sounded pretty cool. In conclusion, anybody who is into Memphis horrorcore should check this out, as should anybody big on lo-fi nocturnal sounding production. Plus, it's only 39 minutes.

"Robbery's My Speciality" by Lil Slim

Released: 1995

YouTube Stream

Standout Track:"Scopin' Out Some Niggaz"

Not to be confused with Lil Slim of Cash Money Records, this Lil Slim is from Memphis' Playa Posse, also comprised of Lil Steel, Lil Terror, Lil Nut (lol) as well as Lil Coop and Lil' E. Fans of Dreamworld's sound will be happy to hear that this is another tape fully produced by Blackout, and it sounds just as great.

Just a quick heads up, when I was preparing to do the write up for this tape, I noticed there were some inconsistencies between the tracklisting on the YouTube stream and on the Discogs page, and on some pages there was a mix of tracks from the original 1995 release and the Blackout remaster in the same tracklist. For this post, I will be going off the tracklist from the YouTube stream.

Unlike Dreamworld's dreary mood, Robbery's My Speciality's production is more ominous. It still features Blackout's signature evil disposition, but here he tailors it more to fit Slim's hardcore gangsta aesthetic. From the get go with "N Tro" the listener is met with overbearing loops of chopped up vocal samples, par for the course with Blackout production. These loops serve as a majority of the hooks on this tape. The drums here are a lot more lively and upfront giving the beats an aggressive feel, while also meshing well with Slim's rapping. Unfortunately, I don't think the performances on here are as captivating as on Dreamworld. Since the atmosphere is so encompassing, most of the rapping ends up taking the backseat. This isn't meant to imply that Slim & Co. are lacking in technical ability though, as they show a hefty amount of variety, like on the song "Playa Shit" which has them spitting quick flows on a beat featuring a hazy female vocal sample, or efficiently trading bars on "Scopin' Out Some Niggaz", which also has an awesome hook. All in all, Robbery's My Specialty is a fun listen with some stellar production that provides another reason for Blackout to be considered one of Memphis' greats.

"Coming for Your Souls" by Low Down da Sinista

Released: 1996

YouTube Stream

Standout Track: "Hell Has Arisen"

I was unfortunately not able to find out anything regarding Low Down's biography, except for that he sadly passed away from kidney failure a few years ago, so R.I.P. to Low Down.

This project is the black sheep of the list, for several reasons. First, it does not sound much like a Memphis tape, opting for a more "polished" sound overall instead of the city's trademark lo-fi quality. Second, as an MC Low Down's voice and flow are more reminiscent of a West Coast rapper than they are of his Southern counterparts. This can be seen in how he articulates and delivers his lyrics in a mostly clear manner as opposed to a drugged-out mesmerized slur. And lastly, the vocals are put at forefront of this tape. Whereas many tapes from this era feature beats that are just as prominent, if not more than the rapper performing on them, Coming for your Souls' production is more subdued, allowing the listener to fully get what Low Down is saying. All of this combined results in a Memphis tape like no other.

Now, that's not to say that he tosses away all of the city's musical conventions. Being a horrorcore project, many of the lyrics on here contain topics common to the subgenre. Murder, devil worship, paranoia, all that fun stuff. But what makes Low Down's writing stand out is how he chooses to approach them. Instead of focusing on the shock factor of these topics Coming for Your Souls sounds more like a cry for help, alternatively looking into the mental health aspect of a deranged killer. It's as if Low Down took inspiration from Geto Boys' "Mind Playing Tricks on Me" and stretched it into a whole album. As mentioned before, the beats here take a backseat to Low Down's rapping, but they still have the characteristics of old-school Memphis. Trademark high-pitched synths and 808's are ever so present , crossed with what appears to be a bit of a g-funk influence that fits Low Down's bombastic personality like a glove.

To further the West Coast comparisons, something that surprised me about this tape on my first listen was its inclusion of female sung hooks, similar to the hooks R&B artists supplied on commercial albums back in the day. I was a bit put off by them at first, but now I think they offer a nice contrast to Low Down's manic delivery, such as on "Hell Has Arisen". There are also a handful of interludes and skits here that attempt to provide a loose story to the tape (though if there is a plot it was lost on me to be honest), but at least they shed a little more light on Low Down's character, even if it is a tad exaggerated. All in all, while it may not be what you expect from an underground Memphis tape, Coming for Your Souls is still a highly entertaining and versatile listen.

Also, there's a cut on here called "Blah" that just has Low Down yelling "blah" attempting to mimic other rapper's flows for a good 3 minutes. I have nothing else to say about it but I thought it should be mentioned.

"Deadly Verses" by Gangsta Pat

Released: 1995

Spotify Stream, though all the tracks can also be found on YouTube. They are just separated into individual videos as opposed to the whole tape.

Standout Track: "Deadly Verses"

Gangsta Pat is significant within Memphis' hip-hop scene for being the first independent rapper in the city to sign to a major record deal. After joining Atlantic Records in 1991, he dropped his debut album #1 Suspect. Unfortunately, that album failed to make a mark and he left Atlantic shortly after. For the next 7 or so years he would proceed to hop from label to label dropping a slew of albums that, while well received, garnered very little commercial success. Despite this, Pat is viewed today as somebody who was able to put Memphis on the map hip-hop wise, as well as pioneer of the city's scene and an underground legend who still makes music to this day.

Deadly Verses finds us in 1995 when Pat was signed to Triad, though he'd eventually leave them in 1997. What made Deadly Verses differ from Pat's previous work was his shift towards an aggressive triplet style flow à la Bone Thugs-n-Harmony. This is all too apparent in the title track, "Deadly Verses", which is one of the most raw openings to an album I've heard. For a good 3 minutes, Pat and featured artist Tha Villain display an impressive and lengthy use of the triplet flow. Their breath control, aggression and never-ending rhythm over a dark Halloween sample easily grabs your attention from the very start. It also gives you a good idea of what you'll be getting for the next 40 minutes. On this tape, the production is standard Memphis fare and the lyrical content isn't too noteworthy either, with Pat relying instead on his flow of choice. Simply put… he uses it a lot, but thankfully he uses it very well, so while it definitely will grow stale to some, fans of fast rapping will find it swell. The tape itself is only 10 tracks long, and there are some cool cuts here such as "The O.J. Murder Story" and "Smoke with the Devil", but also some weaker ones ("Tear the Club Up" is an extremely tedious call-and-response song) so as a whole it's a pretty decent listen. But again, the main draw here is Pat's rapping ability itself, so anybody who enjoys the city's signature "Memphis flow" should check this out.

"Da Resurrection" by Al Kapone

Released: 1995

YouTube Stream

Standout Track: "No Remorse"

I could tell just how much of an icon Al Kapone was to the Memphis underground when I saw that he had a Wikipedia page. Though in Tommy Wright's defence, he also had one, it was just deleted for not meeting Wikipedia's notability guidelines. Ouch.

Al Kapone is regarded as one of the city's first underground legends. A veteran of Memphis' rap scene, Kapone released a string of mixtapes throughout the 90's helping him garner underground cult status, but it wouldn't be until 2005 that he would receive mainstream recognition. That year, he contributed to the soundtrack of the acclaimed drama film Hustle & Flow with the song "Get Crunk, Get Buck", alongside artists such as T.I., E-40, 8Ball & MJG and Three 6 Mafia (and has collaborated with many of those same artists since). To this day Kapone still lives in Memphis, and his love for his city's music scene is still going strong, always ready to support up and coming acts from the underground.

Da Resurrection is what I would consider to be the perfect blend of Southern gangsta rap and horrorcore. Right off the bat, the mood is set with the intro "Da Resurrection", a 2 and a half minute interlude with Kapone calling out everyone who he deems whack over a gloomy piano loop and subtle drums. On the following track, "Once a Thug", he sums himself up perfectly with the line:

Fuck singing a sad song I got's to get my hustle on

For that is what you get on the next 9 tracks of this tape, unfiltered stories of Kapone's attempts to make the most of his hostile environment, by any means necessary. In regards to his rapping ability he is sharp and precise, and can switch flows at the drop of a hat, sometimes within the same bar! He also has a great voice that lends itself well to his lyrical content. There are several features littered throughout, all from underground Memphis artists, and they all do a good job of adding to the feel of the tape. "No Remorse" in particular has to be one of the most well-put together posse cuts I've heard in a minute. The synths on Da Resurrection, when featured, are usually the main focus of the beat, carrying a g-funk influence similar to on Coming for Your Souls that mesh well with both the somber piano loops and the drums. One last thing I'll cover is how cinematic this project felt. The intro, outro, pacing and structure of the songs, the way the hooks build on the topics of each individual one, the shifts in tone of the beats, it all comes together to create a tape that sounds like you're listening to a 40 minute hood drama. In conclusion, this is an excellent project that definitely shows why Al Kapone is revered the way he is in the Memphis underground.

"Livin' in a Casket" by H.O.H

Released: 1995

YouTube Stream

Standout Track: "Livin' in a Casket"

H.O.H , or Hall of Hell, is a quartet consisting of rappers Big J, K.W., Spoon and Little E. Livin' in a Casket is the only project they ever dropped, as well as the only project to come out of their label, Unlimited Funk Records. I wasn't able to find any other information regarding this tape or H.O.H themselves, nor are the lyrics annotated anywhere so I don't know which rapper is which, but that shouldn't be too much of an issue for this post.

This tape kind of came out of nowhere for me when I was looking for new Memphis music and was blown away at how good it was. Livin' in a Casket's sound consists of grooves that wouldn't be out of place on a dance floor, spliced with a heavy g-funk influence. What's distinct about this project is how fast the track's tempos are throughout. On the title track, the listener is hit with a super upbeat synth, quick hitting snares and hi-hats that you can't help but nod your head to. All 4 rappers do a superb job of employing a rapid fire flow, and I'm not talking about triplets, I mean even quicker (quadruples?), and it helps add to the already high energy of the song, as well as plenty to come. The production is very clean and textured, differing from the common muddy sounds of Memphis, and impressively manages to incorporate many different elements to the beats without sounding too busy or overpowering the rappers. Big J, K.W., Spoon and Little E also have a ton of chemistry and frequently trade bars with each other to great results, and it also helps that everybody has their own recognizable style and voice playing to the group's strengths. There is also a nice variety of song ideas here. On one hand you have aggressive gangsta rap tracks like "Creepin'" and "Straight Like", and the obligatory smoking song in the form of "Blow It Out", but on the other hand you have "Raised in Da Hood", a song about the behaviours the rappers developed as a result of their upbringing, and "Niggaz Can't Hold Me Down", a triumphant telling of the struggles they had to endure in their past. Plus, all the tracks are spaced out fittingly to allow for proper pacing, making Livin' in a Casket a very solid 44 minute listen. It's a shame that these guys never went on to make anything else besides this, but at least what we did get was terrific.

"In Da Beginning: The Underground Volume One" by DJ Squeeky

Released: 1999

Spotify Stream, though all the tracks can also be found on YouTube. They are just separated into individual videos as opposed to the whole tape.

Standout Track: "Fuck a Hoe"

Our final tape comes from DJ Squeeky. Squeeky is yet another Memphis underground legend who is unfortunately unknown to many outside the city. Beginning his career in 1992, Squeeky worked with neighbourhood friends 8Ball & MJG, DJ Zirk and Tom Skeemask, releasing several underground cassette tapes throughout the decade. He is credited with being the originator of the 16 hi-hat, a hi-hat that hits on 16's, known today as the trap snare, and some people even go as far as crediting him with being the originator of trap production. To this day Squeeky continues to produce music (with some of his most recent collaborators being 2Chainz and Young Dolph), but going back to his older works you can easily see how he formed the foundation of what Southern hip-hop is today.

Taking a look at the tracklist for this tape you can see that this is one loaded project. Over 20 different artists are featured here, with rapper Criminal Manne, as well as Tom Skeemask and DJ Zirk making the most appearances. What I love about this tape is how it sounds like such a collective effort. Even though it is regarded as Squeeky's album, rightfully so, it feels more like a project created by the Memphis underground in cooperation. Pretty much every track here is a posse cut, with several rappers offering their own unique styles and trading bars over Squeeky's beats. With track titles like "Fuck a Hoe", "Bitch Please", "Glock Cocked" and "Playaz Gotta Stay Paid" one can expect some ignorant hard-hitting bangers, which the tape definitely delivers, and even though the subject matter isn't anything extraordinary I didn't find it to be stale because you have so much diversity in rapping.

Speaking of diversity, another quality of this tape is how versatile Squeeky's production is. On underground classic "Lookin' 4 Da Chewin'" you have a very skeletal beat with a sparse vocal sample showing that Squeeky is capable of creating a catchy tune with the bare minimum. "Fuck a Hoe"'s beat has a dreamy piano loop that I could fall asleep to if it wasn't for Tom Skeemask rambling on about promiscuous women, whereas "Murder" is more akin to the synth-heavy horrorcore sound. While this tape isn't as sinister and dark as what you'd expect from Memphis, those types of songs are still a welcome addition. In short, In Da Beginning is a super fun listen. You can put it on when you want to cruise, chill out, get hyped, or smoke if that's your thing, there's something for everybody here, and it is one of the many examples of why DJ Squeeky is one of Memphis' greatest producers.

Conclusion

Thanks for taking the time to read through this. I hope that I was successful in putting some of you guys onto some great music, or motivated you to check out more of Memphis hip-hop. Again, this post is merely intended to showcase a select few tapes from the Memphis underground scene so feel free to shout out any projects you feel deserve to be recognized, and maybe even get some discussion going on about them.

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Frank Ocean- We All Try

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 06:58 PM PDT

Lil Wayne Kendrick Lamar and Jay Rock on the tour bus back in 2007

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 07:16 AM PDT

Dead Prez - Hip Hop

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 04:28 PM PDT

Famous Dex Announces 'Dex Meets Dexter' Dropping 4/6

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 06:28 PM PDT

G-Eazy announces tour w/ Lil Uzi Vert, Tye Dolla $ign, YBN Nahmir, Murda Beatz, and P-Lo

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 11:20 AM PDT

Lollapaooza lineup for Grant Park announced

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 08:09 AM PDT

J.I.D says DiCaprio 2 is coming

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 12:36 PM PDT

Mos Def - Auditorium Ft. Slick Rick

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 11:43 AM PDT

Nardwuar vs. YBN Nahmir

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 08:34 PM PDT

TRIPPIE REDD - IN TOO DEEP

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 02:03 PM PDT

Death Grips update website - "Year of the Snitch", New Album coming soon

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 11:29 PM PDT

http://thirdworlds.net

They also tweeted about it. Get hype!

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We interviewed Phonte for our podcast: stories about Kanye, Drake, Combat Jack, Oprah, Danny Glover, South of the Border, Petey Pablo, BET, Sesame Street and more!

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 06:54 AM PDT

[FRESH] [LEAK] CZARFACE & MF DOOM - Captain Crunch

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 08:21 AM PDT

Meek Mill - Blue Notes

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 10:01 AM PDT

Daily Discussion Thread 03/21/2018

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 08:59 AM PDT

Welcome to the /r/hiphopheads daily discussion thread!

This thread is for:

  • objective questions with right/wrong answers (e.g. "Does anyone know what is happening with MIXTAPE?", "What is the sample in SONG?")
  • general hip-hop discussion
  • meta posts...e.g. ideas for the sub

Thread Guidelines

  • Do not create a separate self post for these types of discussions outside of this thread - if you do, your post will be removed.

  • Please be helpful and friendly.

  • If a question has been asked many times before, provide a link to a thread that contains the answer.

Other ways to interact

There are a number of other ways to interact with other members of HHH:

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Juice WRLD - ALL GIRLS ARE THE SAME (PROD. NICK MIRA)

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 09:32 AM PDT

Famous Dex performs "Japan" and covers The Temptations! ���� Karaoke Royale

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 08:33 AM PDT

PRhyme ft. 2 Chainz: Flirt - The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 03:50 AM PDT

My first full length project just premiered on Nigerian radio 107.3 Darling FM - "Before You Enter" available now on Spotify/iTunes/etc.

Posted: 21 Mar 2018 03:29 PM PDT

What's up /r/hhh?

Long time lurker, but made a new account because that's professional or whatever. My name's 0 hype, and I'm a hiphop artist. I've spent the last year or so working on my first full length project (not a single or EP), Before You Enter - which just got premiered in Nigeria.

You can watch Camille, one of the hosts of the show, rocking out to my music here. and if you'd like to listen to the rest of the project, links to every platform can be found here.

I'd love any questions or feedback you guys may have.

All the best,

0 hype

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