thyme, rue, sage
Sage Francis - Slow Down Gandhi
something happens to white kids when they become emcees. they either end up doing lighthearted (but catchy!) self-mocking raps that highlight their production skills (or complete lack thereof; remember this shit?), or they get hunched over, pissed as hell, and scare the shit out of everyone with bitingly political raps, incredible production and a towering, bear-like flow. in the former corner, we've got Mocky, Edan and so on. in the latter, we've got artistic monsters like El-P, Food for Animals, and Sage Francis.
make no mistake, this is a HIGHLY political album, so if you like hip-hop for the booty twitch it gives you or because you like pointless blingy narratives, skip this one. however. if you're still here, listen to these tracks and put Sage's upcoming release, A Healthy Distrust, on your to-buy list [pre-order from Amazon]. the LP features a slew of serious production cred, with the likes of Dangermouse, Sixtoo, Reanimator, and Alias contributing heavily to this album. the whole thing plays from start to finish without giving you a chance to catch your breath - I hadn't even noticed the track had changed at several points. the production styles are varied, but overall the album sounds a great deal like it could be released on Anticon, with a fast mix of samples old and new, dusty samples and electronic loops alike rolling up and down your face like an hour of rhythmic punches that keep your head nodding like a speedbag. if you like Lateef the truthspeaker, El-P, or almost any other hip-hopper that gives a concious edge to their message, get this album. if you're indifferent lyrically, but want to get your goddamn face rocked off, GET THIS ALBUM. seriously. it was really, really tough picking tracks from this CD, they're all diamond-solid.
oh, and fucking eck what a lineup.