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Album of the Year #14: Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory - HipHop

Album of the Year #14: Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory - HipHop

Album of the Year #14: Vince Staples - Big Fish Theory

Posted: 14 Dec 2017 02:19 PM PST

Artist: Vince Staples

Album: Big Fish Theory

Label: ARTium / Blacksmith / Def Jam

Release Date: 6/23/17

Listen:

Apple Music

Spotify

Tidal

Google Play Music

Background:

For the sake of this review and the context in which Big Fish Theory was birthed, this portion of the review is going to be dedicated to the background of this album's formation rather than Vince Staples, who needs no introduction at this point. A good amount of my information stems from this incredible interview with Zach Sekoff, which gives the most background on the creation of the album of all the pieces I've read that I recommend everyone read.

Vince's foray into experimenting with his sound and pushing himself as an artist began with last year's Prima Donna EP. A project inspired by a Amy Winehouse documentary Amy, the brooding, cold 22 minute extended play shocked fans with its electronic, experimental production and long spoken word segments. The extended play could be played forward and backward, with the gunshot at the end of Let It Shine signaling either the end or beginning of the story told within. Many fans responded with confusion and some with negativity, unable to reconcile with this change in direction and sound. The approach to suicidal thoughts, isolation, and the throes of fame fully embraced Vince's pre-existing nihilism, ramping it up more than ever before. It works perfectly as a precursor to Big Fish Theory, which took these elements and combined them with an even farther left change in production choices and its approach to the themes that make up Prima Donna.

The most critical element in the formation of Big Fish Theory was Los Angeles producer Zach Sekoff. Having known Vince previously, around the time Prima Donna was released Vince asked Sekoff to send him beats, in which Sekoff hilariously sent him what he described as "Vince Staples type beats" before spending some studio time with Vince and realizing that that sound was of the past and Vince had a different direction in mind. Sekoff notes Vince listening to a lot of Detroit house, techno, and various other electronic music, which combined with Sekoff's love for UK garage and electronics, makes up the lifeblood of Big Fish Theory. He goes in depth about Vince's hands on approach to the project, and how he pushed his own boundaries by working with producers like GTA and James Blake.

Something important to remember when analyzing the creation of this album and Vince's approach to the sound and direction is to keep Vince the media & interview personality and Vince the artist and musician separate. Vince the personality oversimplifies concepts like creating an album, how he approaches songwriting and structure, opting instead for sarcastic humor and wit. To people unfamiliar with Vince, this can come off as lack of interest in his output or that he simply raps over beats and throws them together into projects. Rather, Sekoff's interview is just one of numerous accounts of how truly hands on, focused, and involved Vince is with every element of his music. Vince the artist has a deep, true love for music and pushing his own boundaries, listening to experimental and off kilter works that influence not only his choice of sonics but his own approach and direction. Vince's music should never be taken as anything less than completely real, artistic works.

Review:

This thing called love real hard for me

This thing called love is a God to me

I remember being starstruck seeing Vince Staples perform in front of me back in March of this year for The Life Aquatic Tour. Before his set and longtime friend and collaborator Kilo Kish's opening set, the screen setup was a muted playback of The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou in reverse. His stage presence was unlike anything I had seen before; his cold, dead eyes staring at the audience, stalking around the stage like a predator observing his prey. Fish and aquatic images littered the huge, encompassing back screen. At one point, there were lights that spread out over the crowd that looked like moving water above us. Through the visuals, Vince continued to prowl around the stage, and with the overt aquatic imagery combined with my understanding of Bagbak and the vocal interlude, I started to piece it all together over the next few months leading up to release. The cover art for the single contained what looked like a grainy underwater shot, and taking that into consideration the interlude (which reminds me heavily of the narration of the Jaguar Shark film within the film) was the biggest indicator of what was to come:

They found it

Depth close to 3230 feet

A deep dive, but within acceptable range

3230 Poppy St. being Vince's address, it made sense. Once the album details started to come out, it finally all connected and made sense. Thus began the Big Fish Theory era.

Big Fish Theory works as two halves to a whole; the first six tracks acting as what I'll deem the "love" side and the last six acting as the "fame" side, although they are very much one and the same; two sides to the same coin. The album opens up with Crabs In a Bucket, a glitchy, gorgeous electronic piece that combined Zach Sekoff's electronic influence and Justin Vernon (Bon Iver's) synthy, pristine touch to craft one of Vince's best openers yet. The metaphor "crabs in a bucket" is something Vince has touched before on Senorita. It refers to the mentality of crabs in an actual bucket, who when trying to climb up the side are clawed down by the other crabs at the bottom, which reflects on people in a similar situation only looking out for themselves and bringing down others who begin to rise out of it or become above them. This has a double meaning, as "crab" is an insult used generally against Crips by Bloods, which Vince touched on in Senorita. Something to note especially with the production is how watery and submersed it sounds, something that runs throughout every track on the project. Everything from the percussion and bass to the vocals themselves sound submerged in water, which brings a fantastic, unique sound to the sonics throughout.

Much of the first side explores Vince's relationship with love more indepth than he has before on past works. Love Can Be, one of his most stunning and beautiful songs yet, approaches love with a nuance Vince has experienced in his rise to fame. He touches upon how money has never done him wrong where women have, which Kilo Kish's wonderful feature displays perfectly, coming across as uninterested in her partner and tired of his shit. These women Vince has been involved with want this famous lifestyle, and nothing truly lasts or has real meaning in Vince's love life. One of my favorite parts of this entire track is Ray J's fucking fantastic vocals, which when I first heard made me go crazy because it reminded me of Archangel off Burial's Untrue, an album and song I love that famously sampled Ray J's One Wish and repurposed his vocals into this heartbreaking, cold plead against a sparse, gorgeous electronic background. It's an absolutely breathtaking perfect storm, combining Vince's continued love and admiration for Ray J, and which if anyone hasn't seen Vince's incredible theory on Ray J's influence it's absolutely essential viewing, and the connection between the two sonics of each track.

One of the most critical tracks on the entire project is Alyssa Interlude, which samples an Amy Winehouse interview that was featured on Amy. The track acts perfectly as a thesis for the entire project:

Sometimes you have to get all the... all the crap out the way before you hit the good stuff and you're like "OK, I'm getting good stuff now"

But, um, uh, I had a b- I mean, the stuff I write about, what do I really write about?

I've got my weed songs and all my songs about my boy- uh, my ex-boyfriend, George

Songs about relationships that are kinda doomed from the start

You know, songs about when I fell in love and it went wrong

And I was so in love at the time, you know, I was like...

And I was with someone that I was in love with, you know what I mean? We were in love

You know what I mean? We were together, so-

When it- and that's like a real drug, isn't it? So when it- when it didn't come together, I was just like...

You know? It really hurt

But I needed enough distance from it

So that it wasn't like raw emotion anymore

But not enough distance that I'd forget

I'm quite a self-destructive person, so I guess

I guess I give myself material...

This acts so perfectly in the context of the album: it touches on love lost, and how being a self-destructive individual creates this material for her music, and how it reflects in her approach to songwriting. This reflects on Vince as well, in all these love songs he details these experiences with love he's had that have come from lost love and failed relationships, which craft some of his best work yet, but are catalyzed by this loss. This is perfectly juxtaposed with Vince's verse after, his most vulnerable and raw he's ever been alongside Summertime; this time, there is no warbled autotune on his voice, just him talking about how he misses his old love, his fear of people leaving and how he should have protected her. He is bare and naked alongside a sample of The Temptation's I Wish It Would Rain, which plays after he says the title. It works so well to further the power behind the verse, and sets up the two most important rain references that occur later in the album to have even more meaning.

The other tracks on the first half only further the themes explored. 745 is a fantastic, deep bass centered track in which Vince recounts a troubled relationship and their night out. "All my life pretty women done told me lies", a saying which touches on Vince's experience with love, even before the fame. This is paired with a deep bass that sounds completely submerged, and the synths littering the track remind me of the Donkey Kong Country Aquatic Ambience music, and only further that cold, isolated submerged feeling Vince portrays. Big Fish, on the other hand, is the only truly weak part of the entire album. It is clearly the "label radio single" of the album, and is a 'pretty good' song on a project full of fantastic songs. As I've understood the sounds Vince and Sekoff explored throughout more and more, this song makes much more sense in the context of that realm of sonics but it is still the clearly the radio single of the album. The rest of the project is incredible enough to negative the weak properties of this song, and I think it fits fine as I've spent a lot of time listening to the project. That is the only true criticism or weakness on the entire project.

Once Ramona Park Is Yankee Stadium hits, the project begins to shift into the second half. Sounds of a heavy thunderstorm envelope the track as Vince sings/raps about New York in a monotone, detached voice. The seagulls and tone of the track reflect the Ramona Park Legend Pt. ½ tracks from Summertime '06, with a different take this time. The overtness of the title reflects how Vince wears a Yankee hat, a symbol of his Crip status and upbringing, and how Ramona Park is home to this Crip presence. He wonders if New York, this city so far from his home that he wears on his body, would even know about him if he died. It's heartbreaking the way he parallels this symbol for his gang status and this city. His home in Ramona Park seems so insignificant to this huge, foreign city to him. The thunderstorm is in full force and rain has finally fallen, Vince's tears are hidden in the rain and the shift from love to fame in the second half begins.

Yeah Right is a startling shift from the dreary, depressed atmosphere of the track before and Vince's braggadocio is in full force. His rapping is accompanied by one of the most disgusting, harshest basslines I've ever heard in my entire life. It sounds so gritty and warbled, with background synths seesawing behind his rapping, talking about the pretty women from before but from a different aspect of Vince's personality this time. Everything sounds chaotic and warbled before KUČKA's voice breaks through with a stunning, beautiful bridge that leads into the arrival of Kendrick Lamar, top dog of the new school who delivers one of my favorite features from him period. It's as if Vince is at the height of his bragging here, no credits on any of the song titles, and Kendrick shows up unannounced as if to say here's the biggest, most critically and commercially acclaimed and lauded rapper out right now, a feature on my song. It's structured amazingly, and I'm left wondering how Vince was able to convince his label to not have Kendrick credited on the title, as it would obviously receive much more attention. Regardless, Kendrick delivers an amazing verse, featuring a wonderful line in which at exactly 2:11 in the track, he states "211 got bread on me!" and the disgusting bass comes back in full force, 211 being the police code for robbery.

The next track, Homage, acts as a way of confronting the crabs in his bucket while he pays homage to different flows and a direct sample of a Rick Ross hook. He talks about how people can't hold him back anymore, Prima Donna was amazing and he deserves all the praise for it (which I agree with wholeheartedly), and he's at the top of his game. This works as a double meaning in my eyes, as people can't hold him back from success anymore and people cannot hold him back from expanding his sound and artistry beyond the 'gangster rap' label of the past. He is more than that, and this song acts as a big fuck you to everyone who wants him to stay in that sound. I love how he uses the "New Level" flow and the sampled Ross hook almost to say, this is the culture I'm in and I'm doing my own thing. This works in conjunction with SAMO, one of my favorite instrumentals on the album, in which Vince references people expecting him to keep doing the same sound over and over again. The production is heavy, with the bass reverberating alongside harsh synths stabs that sounds like a shark swimming through dark, murky waters. It's an amazing piece that truly cements that feeling of Vince wanting to break through the confines set on him as an artist, and with the insane production you'd be hard pressed to disagree with him.

Party People is the climax of the project and easily the most critical to the themes and concepts of the album, even above Alyssa Interlude. One of my favorite parts of the entire project is the opening to this song, as the kick drum sounds like someone tapping on a fish tank. The cover with the zoomed in picture on the face of the goldfish makes it look almost startled and frightened, as if someone just tapped on the glass and disturbed their tank. I envision those kicks to be that tapping, because coming off the braggadocio and 'fuck you' attitude of the past few tracks, the opening lines are the most raw of the entire project and set the tone for the rest of the song:

I been fucked since my early days

I been stuck in my worldly ways

Propaganda, press pan the camera

Please don't look at me in my face

Everybody might see my pain

Off the rail, might off myself

This is a stark contrast from the previous few tracks, as throughout the rest of the verse he talks more about his suicidal thoughts and how its "false bravado masked by wealth". Someone has finally disturbed his place in the tank, and his fear and anxiety has come to the surface. The pre-hook reflects this as well:

Move your body if you came here to party

If not then pardon me

How I'm supposed to have a good time

When death and destruction's all I see?

Out of sight, I'm out of my mind

The sound of sunshine is callin' me

Good vibrations is all I need

All I need, all I need

The way this is delivered works perfectly with the chorus, in which he repeats lines about how he wants to see the party people dancing, and it sounds like someone pleading. He needs that energy because he doesn't want to face his anxieties and insecurities. The second verse comes in, with lines that reference Vince referring to love as a "God" to him back in 745:

I met God once at a rendezvous and felt star-struck

"Vince, the car's out front"

Got things to do, got to make my moves

And the sound of a car screeching outside is heard. As soon as Vince has finally fallen in love he is immediately taken back to his life of fame, and even if he wants something more out of his love life, he doesn't have the time because of the fame. It's a truly fantastic track that works perfectly to explore all the themes present on the project, and is a good segue into the aggressive and political nature of BagBak.

BagBak explores Vince's politics and his standing as a black man in the current political landscape over the most uptempo and aggressive track yet. He talks about how there should be more black representation in politics and until he's fully accepted as a black man and black people are fully equal in all ways Vince is going to go harder than ever before. It works perfectly as an end to the braggadocios side of the album, with Vince declaring that he and his people are finally on now, and everyone can suck his dick because they're finally making it and fighting back. It works perfectly in conjunction with Rain Come Down, which returns to the sound of the first half of the album. On his first verse which is repeated twice for effect, Vince discusses his home of Long Beach and how cops don't come around where he's from, and he made it from where he's from and people shouldn't try to do the same because they're not on his level. In the third verse, he touches on not wanting a relationship full of love, just fine women which reflects the rain finally coming down when he states that

Make it rain, in the club

Don't you dream of how it feel to be in love?

The rain is now literally coming down in the form of dollars in the strip club, and Vince reflects asking if the woman dreams of the feeling of love. This disconnect is wonderfully established and it's a great way to wrap everything up, and all this is done with a beautiful thumping beat and an amazing Ty Dolla $ign hook.

Vince's uncompromising commitment to pushing himself as an artist and making better, more genre bending and blurring music is uncontested. The result is a fantastic project that builds upon concepts and themes previously explored in a wonderful package that challenges both Vince and his listener to push their boundaries of what they are used to. As a longtime fan, I was not fully on board at first with the change in sound but over months of analyzing and listening and researching I feel as though I am completely confident in saying this is his best work and an absolutely amazing project. Big Fish Theory is a phenomenal, daring masterstroke by one of hiphop's most crucial trailblazers.

Discussion Questions:

1) How long have you been following Vince Staples? How do you think that's influenced how you feel about his changes in sound?

2) What are your favorite lyrics from the project?

3) Has this project made you want to check out the genres that influenced the sound of the production? If so, how did you like it?

4) How do you feel about Prima Donna? Has this project made you go back and revisit it and feel differently?

5) Where would you like to see Vince go from here? Any genres you'd like to see him explore?

BONUS QUESTION FOR MY REAL ONES

1) For those like me who have been following Vince since the Shyne Coldchain & Winter in Prague days, what's been your favorite era in his career so far?

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Hip-Hop Listening Club Album of the Week #238: Three 6 Mafia - Underground Vol. 3: Kings of Memphis

Posted: 14 Dec 2017 02:38 PM PST

Welcome to HHH Listening Club!

This well we'll be listening to Underground Vol. 3: Kings of Memphis by Three 6 Mafia.

Background

Three 6 Mafia :Underground Vol. 3: Kings of Memphis is the third volume in the "Underground" series of albums released by Three 6 Mafia. The songs are either previously unreleased songs from the early to mid-1990s or songs that didn't make the final cut for their album, When the Smoke Clears: Sixty 6, Sixty 1.

It's doesn't get brought up much when talking about Three 6 but I think it has some essential tracks and compares strongly against more popular releases like Underground Vol.1 (especially because every track has verses) and Chapter 2: World Domination. Tracks like "Sleep" and "Grab Tha Gauge" are easily some of the best they've put out. This album is not really underground like the others, more remade tracks than remastered, but that's a bonus for me because it sounds like they were all in the studio together rather than piecing together an album from old tapes.

I've said it before but with Three 6 you can never predict which member is going to have the best verse, Gangsta Boo has a deadly flow on "Grab The Gauge" whole Lord Infamous is in his element on "Sleep" while DJ Paul and Juicy J make up the backbone of the album with great chemistry. Lil E is also has two songs to himself on "Powder" and "Niggaz Down To Make Some Ends" and he brings a real low down and dirty feel.

This albums showcases most styles of Three 6 from hard tracks like "M.E.M.P.H.I.S.", smooth and laid back on "Da Summa (remix)" and "Lockdown", the hypnotic "Sleep" and "Mindstate" and the rest mostly sounding like Mystic Stylez. So for both old fans and people wanting to check out what influenced today's Memphis revival rappers this has a lot to offer.

Two of the best songs, "Da Summa (remix)" and "Lockdown" aren't on Spotify for some reason so make not to miss them.

Selector: /u/4_5_6

Album: Three 6 Mafia - Underground Vol. 3: Kings of Memphis (2000 (rec. 1991-2000))

Label: Loud Records

Producer(s): DJ Paul & Juicy J

Representing: Memphis, Tennessee

Streaming Sources:

Guidelines:

This is an open thread to share your thoughts on the album. Avoid vague statements of praise or criticism. This is your chance to be a critic.

Please keep any top level comments to 140+ characters unless you have a simple question to ask about the album.

Why do you like this album? What are the best tracks? Did it meet your expectations? Have you listened to this tape before? What is your first impression? Explain why you like it or why you don't.

Remember, people who participate in the discussion in a meaningful way are entered into a drawing to select next week's album!

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[FRESH ALBUM] BROCKHAMPTON - SATURATION 3

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EDIT: Looks like many people have been wanting proof. He basically said the date on his instagram story yesterday which has now been deleted. If anybody can find it, I'll link.

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Album Of The Year #13: Dälek - Endangered Philosophies - HipHop

Album Of The Year #13: Dälek - Endangered Philosophies - HipHop

Album Of The Year #13: Dälek - Endangered Philosophies

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 09:20 AM PST

Artist: Dälek

Album: Endangered Philosophies

Label: Ipecac Records

Release Date: September 1, 2017

Listen:

Bandcamp

YouTube

Spotify

Apple Music

Google Play

Tidal

Background:

When you think of "experimental hip-hop" or "industrial hip-hop" today a few key names consistently get brought up; Death Grips, Danny Brown, Shabazz Palaces, clipping and even Mr. Kanye West with his 2013 release Yeezus. After all, these are the guys who brought industrial music and an extreme aesthetic into hip-hop right? Well Not really. Before any of these artists got their legs there was Dälek . Though they have somewhat faded from popular consciousness in hip-hop today these guys are without a doubt THE most important and legendary artists in the twisted and abstract realm of industrial hip-hop.

Formed in 1997 in the depths of Newark, New Jersy, the project was largely the collaboration of MC/producer Dälek (Will Brooks), co-producer Oktopus and a select few studio collaborators. For nearly 2 decades the group pushed hip-hop to its most extreme limits by fusing relentless noise, industrial, drone and dark ambient music into grimy, gritty boom bap. Not only that, but fighting the usual haze of frenzied fuzz is MC Dälek , who delivers scathing political and social critiques with a rattling bite. The main constant in the band's music has always been darkness born from political discontent, social upheaval and an anti-establishment attitude.

In '98 the group independently released their first studio record, Negro Necro Nekros, which was entrenched in its alternative rock and industrial influences. The album turned heads in both the rap world and moreso in the rock world as Dalek went on to sign to experimental/alternative legend mike patton's label, Ipecac Recordings. As a result of this, Dalek became a group more known among metal fans than hip-hop heads. The atmospheric, bad tempered approach to their sound made them a perfect gateway drug to hip-hop for the experimental and extreme music world and sadly led to them being largely overlooked in the rap world.

Under Ipecac the group released four of their most celebrated albums, which still remain as some of the most acclaimed experimental rap albums of all time. While their first album had it's obvious dark elements, Dalek went on to make fringe hip-hop that was more blown out, more dissonant and more morose. These four albums are (in order) From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots, Absence, Abandoned Language and Gutter Tactics.

With Ipecac they had complete freedom to become more upfront and abrasive. From Filthy Tongue of Gods and Griots incorporated a myriad of styles alongside their established extreme sound (even including African world music). The album also contained an insane 12 minute track based around feedbacking guitars and erratic electronics (a sure influence for the death grips work that arrive over a decade later).

Then came Absence. This album will surely go down as the most important noise rap album in history and solidified Dalek as legends in their field. Here the group showed that they were perfectly fine with drowning out vocals, leaving out percussion, ramping up distortion and pushing a dreading atmosphere as the focus in their music, rather than a beat or lyrics (though those aspects were always there and always excellent). colossal sludgy guitars, waves of electronics and crazy structures made for the first complete album in truly atonal, idiosyncratic hip-hop. A turning point for both genres and an essential record.

In 2011 following 3 more heavily acclaimed records the group went on a permanent hiatus with members breaking off to explore other avenues. In 2015 Brooks began to miss the chaos and reformed Dalek with guitarist Mike Mare and DJ Rek. On Profound Lore Records (note: an extreme metal label) they released a comeback LP, Asphalt for Eden, which initially started as an EP that the group ended up extending out to album length. Though people were worried how the band would fare without founding member Oktopus helping to produce the music, the record came to a mostly positive response, but it was subtly evident that the guys were still finding their feet again.

In 2016, Ipecac Records had re-signed Dalek and they were hard at work on a new experiment in chaos. The result is Endangered Philosophies.

Review:

Endangered Philosophies starts unlike any other hip-hop record has this year; Two heavily distorted, sludgy guitars snarl and smash against each other in disjointed dissonance, each trying to overpower the other with their off kilter riffs. Suddenly these clanky, metallic drums crash in and lay a hip-hop beat as a fuzzed out bass guitar enters the fold, pairing up with the the guitars to continue the sonic onslaught. When the rapper emerges out of the destruction, he sounds charged and pissed off. As a response the guitars actually change and start dive bombing around his disgruntled spitting. MC Dalek thunders through the madness by rapping about the political and racial tensions in the world today:

Respond to pressure

Viewed by most as lesser

Don't come with fake tears when you chose to play aggressor.

Droning, swirling noise; this sounds like Absence era Dalek. The intensity of the MC is as charged as the bombastic maelstrom he literally has to shout over, makingEchoes Of… a bold opening statement. Musically it displays a Dalek that are still capable of creating enveloping, immediate walls of spontaneous distortion rather than focusing on an ambient atmosphere. Recent albums were cleaner and more melodic but this opener quells any doubts in the minds of fanatics. Lyrically it is the statement that we've been waiting for Brooks to make in the current climate.

In 2017 not much needs to be said about the divisive and explosive nature of American politics. With the recent cases of young African Americans being killed by police, the election of Donald trump 45th president of the U.S, the rise of his followers online (including the alt rights) and the rise of white supremacist groups in America in the ensuing fallout of the 2016 election it's perhaps an understatement to say race politics and tensions are at a high this decade. Systemic oppression, discrimination and the hot tempered back and forth between the right and left has resulted a disenfranchised feeling permeating through the hip-hop community. How does MC Dalek respond? By opening Endangered Philosophies loudly exclaiming:

We're the Echoes of Martin, of Malcolm, Of Evers,

Of Hampton, Of Seale

My People won't kneel

Reminding the world that his people are following the echos of major black activists, MC Dalek sends out a message that they will not submit to the pressure they're under. This sets the tone, lyrically, for the entire album to come. Dalek often focus on the fucked up parts of the world, but underneath that rage is a persistent revolutionary anger and stubborn message of empowerment.

Following on from such an incendiary opener the tracks Weapons and Few Understand play to a more recent sound from the trio. These instrumentals are relatively melodic and even ethereal by comparison. This is where Endangered Philosophies starts to prove itself as a more eclectic, dynamic album. A stark contrast to the opener, the soundscapes on these tracks are comprised entirely of pulsing ambient synths and subtly played bass lines. There are however two musical constants that have carried on from the first track; the rapping and the drumming. If you remove these constants you're essentially listening to ambient music.

Constants are impossible to ignore though, and the aforementioned two are the essence the Dalek sound. Percussive beats remain weighty and stay locked into a classic golden era rhythm. One of the most impressive things about the production is that whether there's heavy roaring guitars, slow ambience or an industrial cacophony– there will invariably be a BOOM followed by a BAP. The beauty of Dalek and this record is that they successfully manage to incorporate fringe genres within hip-hops strict percussive walls.

These ambient industrial based detours may be melodic, but they are still densely shrouded in a sullen and unsmiling atmosphere, enforced with the other mentioned constant; angry politicized lyrics. Though the anger of the intro is still present, MC Dalek starts to talk more about issues at hand than gut emotions:

We born as suspects, wonder why we upset,

reluctant to walk streets as they blood let,

a brainwashed public elects an inept government, more than troubling

Throughout the album themes of civil disobedience, unrest, institutionalized racism, revolution and the failures of the human race incessantly crop up. Hip-hop always has a political core and has its political minds, however this album delves into the darkest conclusions and realities of the world (note: even the title points towards this if you think about what they refer to with the phrase "Endangered Philosophies"). No better way to illustrate that than the fourth song, The son of Immigrants, which brings back noise elements into the mix and descends into an angrier, more visceral lyrical approach as the topic of immigration and immigrants in America is brought up (not hard to see how this one relates to the modern world).

From this point on, harsh noise music and twisted electronics seldom leave the equation, though sometimes the guys toe the line between obtrusively loud and eerily atmospheric. Beyond The Madness uses noise to create a soft ambiance which results in some of the most hauntingly beautiful moments on the record, Nothing Stays Permanent actively incorporates a jazzy piano sample into surrounding distortion with screeches and industrial electronics. Straight Razors uses pure dissonance as the backbone of its instrumental, while Numb is drenched in a gorgeously melancholic soundscape that evokes a fleeting sense of nostalgia (coincidentally in a song about change).

The track Sacrifice utilizes the brooding synths of earlier tracks but ingeniously has intermingling stabs of piercing distortion and chilled synths. The mid paced track contains this amazing interplay between post-rock based crescendos and industrial ambiance that gets intruded by these interlocking scratches. It's the chaotic backdrop for MC Dalek to deliver the most misanthropic lyrics on the whole album:

Surmise existence is fitting,

only a species destined for death could convince themselves they're winning.

Unwitting accomplices in their own demise

And:

20 plus years of speaking on simple observation,

at times leaves me speechless, we sad creatures

This is possibly the darkest and most impassioned moment from the MC vocally on the album. It is both striking and unnerving in how grim it gets lyrically and the instrumental perfectly matches that tone.

Though there is no title track or obvious concept of the album, it's clear that the 7 minute track A Collective Cancelled Thought is the centerpiece of Endangered Philosophies. This track is a display of the most idiosyncratic writing and structuring across the 55 minute LP. The first two minutes of the cut is an unsettling and impenetrable series of building layers of electronics and bass tones. To clarify, this track is cacophonous, consuming noise with no beat to hang on to for two tense minutes. The drums that explode into the mix may give the listener some sense of normalcy to return to but it soon becomes evident that they're only here to allow Dalek and co. to experiment (over the next three minutes) as scratches, screeches and tumultuous industrial samples continually enter and leave from the whole breadth of this apocalyptic sonic landcape that's been laid bare before you. An all too brief ambient pause occurs before the MC starts viciously spitting bars for the next minute of the track. Similar to sacrifice, this is an visceral, misanthropic performance from brooks as he unleashes lyrics touching on genocide, death and humanities implosion.

After what is easily the most enigmatic and exhausting track on the album is Battlecries which conversely places itself as the most calm, melodic and down-tempo track on the album. It's excellent sequencing, as Dalek surely must know that a typical listener may have been overwhelmed by the preceding track. The beauty of it isn't lost, but is of course hidden underneath a smog of moody atmosphere. The album winds down with the following songs, ending with the aforementioned Numb (a contender for the best song on here).

From start to finish the production takes turns on Endangered Philosophies, willing to go from quietly contemplative to vehemently dissonant and everywhere in between while still utilizing a variety of different experimental styles. All of this is cohesively wrapped together with a persistently cold, bleak, dense atmosphere. The gloomy sound never really dissipates, but is twisted and takes on new forms from track to track. MC Dalek steps up to the plate every time and delivers powerful performances and thoughtful lyrics.

The average hip-hop listener may hear this album and think that it all sounds the same, but I implore that listener to become acquainted with more extreme styles of music; Dark ambient, noise, punk, industrial and metal. Dalek beautifully combine these into passionate, political hip-hop that at the core takes cues from public enemy and ice cube. Excelling at being experimental not by being erratic, but instead by being brooding and atmospheric. Dalek seldom will fully disengage from their hip-hop fundamentals but they're also OK with turning those foundations on their head for moments. They are a group unafraid to push these alien styles to the hip-hop listener, to leave long sections with no rapping, and to be punishingly abrasive or glacially ambient. Endangered Philosophies perfectly encapsulates and builds on the legacy of these experimental rap titans; It's enigmatic, angry, abrasive, dense, pessimistic and tiring to listen to, however through all of these idiosyncrasies lies a deeply rewarding and truly unique album in modern hip-hop that will repay the listener tenfold for enduring the madness.

Finally, there is something I believe is important to note throughout the album. The mixing of the vocals is distinctly low in the mix. Often times the lyrics are hard to hear and MC Dalek is fighting the layers of music around him. This definitely in part is to show the immensely detailed production, but I think also is used as a way of showing that even under all of this noise that the media, the racists, the politicians and the world makes – the people cannot be silenced, and neither can the revolution. Endangered Philosophies cannot be hunted to extinction. Dalek are here 20 years after their inception, as cutting edge as ever and breaking every rule in hip-hop, to keep fire and power in the hearts of the people that salt the earth.

Discussion Questions:

  1. What do you think about the idea of focusing on atmosphere in rap over lyrics or flows? To the point where lyrics are being intentionally drowned in the mix
  2. Why do you think a group like Dalek, who've been doing noise-hop for 2 decades, never received the recognition or accolades of artists like death grips?
  3. In 2017 there's been plenty of political statements in rap music. Is it overdone, or do you want to hear more of it in your hip-hop? If so how should it be approached?
  4. Does a different culture (metalheads) appreciating and fostering this sound say something about the rap community? Is hip-hop exclusionary to artists trying to incorporate more experimental music into the culture?
  5. Would listening to a rap album ever make you go listen to a genre you never have before? Specifically genres that are not associated with rap often like metal or punk?
submitted by /u/-Moonchild-
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HHH Secret Santa Mixtape Thread

Posted: 10 Dec 2017 11:38 AM PST

Hey y'all. Sorry this thread is so late, I've been busy gearing up for finals and shit.

RULES FOR THE MIXTAPE EXCHANGE

  1. Post a comment in this thread to be entered into the exchange.

  2. At some point before Christmas you'll be PM'd someone's username. You need to send that person an 8-10 song mixtape before December 24th (Spotify playlist, Youtube playlist, list of song titles, etc.)

  3. There will be a discussion thread after all the tapes are sent.

  4. Songs do NOT have to be from this year.

  5. Songs don't have to be obscure, just a representation of what you've been listening to this year. Avoid super mainstream artists like Drake, Kendrick, Lil Pump, etc.

  6. Dank hand crafted covers for the tape are highly encouraged

If you have any questions, feel free to message me. Shoutout to /u/Squid__ because none of this would be possible without them.

#FreeHannibal

EDIT: Not every song has to be hip hop, but the majority of your tape should be.

EDIT #2: /u/Squid__ will be sending you the message with the username, not me.

submitted by /u/freedawg
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EMINEMS REVIVAL LEAKED

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 11:37 AM PST

its out there

submitted by /u/Jazzsezhi
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Tracklist for Ski Mask the Slump God - The Book of Eli

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 08:28 PM PST

[Fresh] N.E.R.D - Don't Don't Do It! (feat. Kendrick Lamar)

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 08:42 AM PST

Music Mogul Russell Simmons is Accused of Raping Three Women

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 02:57 PM PST

BROCKHAMPTON to premiere new song on Zane Lowe tommorrow

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 02:09 PM PST

Nelly's Rape Case Dropped By Prosecutors

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 04:34 PM PST

[FRESH] Tay-K - The Race (Remix) [feat. 21 Savage & Young Nudy]

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 08:38 PM PST

[FRESH ALBUM] Tay-K - #SantanaWorld (+)

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 08:27 PM PST

Daily Discussion Thread 12/13/2017

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 05:20 PM PST

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:

submitted by /u/AutoModerator
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[FRESH VIDEO] Meek Mill - We Ball ft. Young Thug (For real this time)

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 05:53 PM PST

[FRESH] Foster the People, J.I.D., SABA - “Pay The Man”

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 08:22 AM PST

King Geedorah - Anti Matter feat. MF Doom / Mr. Fantastik

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 03:50 PM PST

Lil Skies' new project "Life of a Dark Rose" will be coming out in January

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 01:05 PM PST

[FRESH][Vinyl Rip] Young Thug ft. Travis Scott - Me or Us - V

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 07:53 AM PST

Eminem & Royce Da 5'9 - A Kiss

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 02:39 PM PST

[FRESH] Boogie - Came Up

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 04:38 PM PST

[FRESH] Jorja Smith - Lost (Frank Ocean Cover)

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 08:51 AM PST

ILOVEMAKONNEN Feat Drake - Tuesday

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 04:39 AM PST

Huncho Jack Jack Huncho Travis Scott and Quavo Album

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 05:34 PM PST

is this album suppose to come out tomorrow or next week? Travis said at one of his shows last week that it was gonna come in a few days but i found out he has a concert this saturday and not another one until like december 30th so it makes me think he's gonna announce something this weekend and drop next week but idk im hoping tomorrow lol

submitted by /u/Poohbear1997
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Kid Cudi - Man On The Moon (Live NYC 2010)

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 06:29 PM PST

[FRESH] BROCKHAMPTON - BLEACH

Posted: 12 Dec 2017 11:22 PM PST

[FRESH] Tay-K - I Love My Choppa (Remix) [feat. Maxo Kream]

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 08:38 PM PST

New Zaytoven album called "Trapping Made It Happen" out this friday

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 06:10 AM PST

[FRESH] TAY K FREE

Posted: 13 Dec 2017 07:43 PM PST
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