J Dilla is responsible for so much of what presently shapes the music that enriches my life daily. He was ahead of his time and certainly ahead of the curve. He birthed an entire generation of hip hop artists who bear his insignia on every piece of work they do, and for that privilege we should all be thankful. “Anti-American Graffiti” has long been a cherished song for me, and it does well in explaining why it took so long for him to be recognized as a genius on the forefront of not just hip hop, but music, period.
Confession: Passion of the Weiss is an important factor in Rare Frequency’s existence and Jeff Weiss has long been my most revered critical writer. I hope he forgives what could be perceived as misappropriation of his work. It’s all love guys.
Exciting: The great minds over at PotW have compiled their list of the all-time greatest hip hop producers and, judging by their lengthy and unquestionably dignified honorable mentions list, shit’s about to get real. Bookmark them and keep an eye on this. I guarantee a worthwhile reading experience.
2006 has to be the most important year for contemporary hip hop production. You could make a case for 2001 and joints like The Cold Vein and Vocal Studies + Uprock Narratives, and you wouldn’t be wrong. Let’s give credit where it’s due. 2006′s Donuts and Two/Three has to be a definitive, game-changing combination of records that just made people look at beats in a different way. In 2007, people who were assimilating forward-thinking hip hop and downtempo for years finally had a definitive blueprint. The impact of Dilla is unquestionable, but the lack of acknowledgement for Dabrye is always a mystery. He made something that had only been hinted at before sound traditional, and his output from 2001 to 2008 should be recognized as an archetype for the genre-hopping, electronic hip hop fusion that is now commonplace.
Two treats for you:
BBC 1Xtra’s “Gone Too Soon” series is broadcasting a J Dilla edition which, even if you’re fully versed, is essential listening. It’s only running until Sunday, but I think there might be a download somewhere on the net…
And FACT Magazine has listed their 10 favorite Dabrye productions which, whether you’re revisiting or hearing for the first time, is a great read and listen.
When you find your eyelids becoming heavy at eleven due to manual labour and not strenuous turkey and beer consumption, bitterness ensues. While I spent my weekend relocating all my worldly possessions, most of you were hopefully indulging in the most extravagant of all North American holiday-related meals. However, just because I was not a participant in Turkey Day festivities, it does not mean I am not thankful. Life is good and free music is abundant! In the tradition of giving I have prepared a small selection for my fellow beat and rhyme lovers. If you like the songs, search them out and support the artist or the project, enjoy!
Construction on the new Tumblr site, Rare Frequency Lite, is complete. It’s a condensed version of RF that will soon have lots of little nuggets for your enjoyment. You can find it here.
Like other losers who couldn’t escape their professional obligations long enough to escape to the forest to attend BC’s premiere electronic music festival, my only solace lies here. Big shout to Syd Woodward and Grounded TV for the stunning photography.
The Hybrid finally serves us with another tape, XXX, a reference not to pornography but seniority. I’m a firm believer that the “Adderall Admiral” is one the freshest breaths of air in the game, I just can’t always cosign his taste in beats and lack of continuity in his full lengths. Unfortunately, this isn’t an exception, and although this is easily Danny Brown’s most complete offering to date (and a very listenable one as well), we’ll have to wait for that singular classic I know he has in him.
Speaking of artists finding their sweet spot to deliver a classic record, Bad Vibes really, really delivered. All the things that made Shlohmo’s airy, ethereal style of choppy lo-fi hip hop so unique has been delicately refined to create a sprawling, impressionist work that will inevitably burrow into the hearts and minds of many. The title is a total misnomer.
Local Cats
Some locals unleashed heat in the past couple weeks as well:
I’m really feeling both of these projects and the Vancity / Cowtown scene is definitely keeping it real this year when it comes to instrumental hip hop.
This guy is gaining serious momentum. Let’s hope his debut is constructed with Clams Casino production and tracks like “Peso” and “Purple Swag” and not any of the lazy filler that comprises most of his Deep Purple mixtape.
Say what you like about the goliath, be-all-end-all of “indie” record review sites that is Pitchfork Media, but they do strike it rich on a fairly consistent basis. Their latest gold mine comes in the form of the exceedingly likable ?uestlove and his highly entertaining (and nostalgic and insightful ) interview for their 15 year celebration.
August will officially be known as compilation month from here on out. Including the FOF post from earlier today I’ve counted 5 notable (and free) compilations released in the last 48 hours. Here’s a few to check out:
Label Love Volume 3
You gotta love it when great labels come together for the common purpose of opening minds to new varieties of music that you normally wouldn’t check out. There’s a real bouncy, jazzy vibe throughout the whole of this one. It’s even got the new Freestyle Fellowship joint, “We Are”, which warrants a download alone.
Beat Stew Volume 3
According to the people at Proximal, ” The mixtape focuses on a future funk sound to get listeners in the groove for BENEDEK’s upcoming single ‘That’s My Jam! feat. DaM-FunK’ due out on August 16th”. Sweet, I get a whole album to promote a single. You’ve sold me.
Juicy Presents: Sunrise Blend
This is some seriously well-timed summer funk right here. Joints from newcomers and Rare Frequency favorites (read: Vanilla) alike, fire this one on at a barbecue and watch the asses start to shake.
The dude Rob Squire has been on the radar for quite some time now, acting under a few aliases (Sixtoo, Speaker Bruiser Rob, Prison Garde) and steamrolling through whatever musical scene he wants. One thing is for sure: party-goers in this city owe a lot to him. Whether it’s acting as the curator of hot shit, headlining events or repping alongside other great artists (taking pictures on stage with Black Milk is a fond memory), his presence is always a guarantee that the night will be worth the morning struggle.
His latest incarnation as Prison Garde signifies his movement towards a more mature, scene-stalwart type, a natural progression from the balls-to-the-wall bass assaults of the Speaker Bruiser Rob/Megasoid era (an era which I enjoyed very much, thanks). Change is good right? Right. Systeme Hermes is the first thing I’ve heard from the Prison Garde moniker (except for a slick Weeknd remix) and it’s just what I expected: somewhere between haute-couture and rugged late-night ass-shaking. I hope you like 808′s, because the joint is loaded with them and all kinds of viscous vintage synthesizer love. It’s fairly undefinable because dude goes the extra mile to give a little something to everybody, so just have a listen. This shit will be destroying dancefloors in no time, trust.
Speaking of dancefloors, August 6th sees the inaugural edition of Yours Truly, a club night designed for the “discerning individual”, not unlike the aesthetic presented on Systeme Harmes. If you like the album, be at the party.
The free download and interview are over at Subdivision.
And you thought Conan O’Brien was an odd addition to Third Man‘s Roster. Anybody who knows me will tell you that I’d follow Black Milk into hell and that I believe him to be the most overlooked Hip Hop artist in the game. I doubt that this will be a reality for much longer now that Black has been given the nod by Mr. Jack White, probably the most complete song writer-guitarist alive. This is great because it’s not just some slapdash rap meets rock and “rapper-bragging-over-looped-electric-guitar-riff-provided-by-email-from-rockstar” thing. As a giddy Black Milk explains, the two spent some real studio time together, their 2 bands jammed, and they created from the ground up. These tracks are mature and though Black’s lost his signature hunger growl, he’s replaced it with a confidence not heard since “Long Story Short“. Despite the Jack White production, both “Brain” and “Royal Mega” sound like Black Milk on one of his trademark rubbery, minimalist funk excursions. Black has been hinting toward sample free production for a while now (f you’ve ever seen him live you know what time it is), and it is comforting knowing that his talents as a super-producer go further than his mastery of his samplers.
Confession: 
