Articles tagged with hip hop

Missy Elliott and Timbaland are back at it, collaborating on a pair of singles that landed in the iTunes store yesterday. Being a big fan of their past work, which still sounds fresh to these ears (like this, or that, or this, or that), I felt some joy drain out of my headphones when I cued up the two new songs, “Triple Threat” and “9^th Inning” and was pretty underwhelmed. Fortunately, UK production duo and self-described “boogie boat” PBR Streetgang swept in on the same day with their rework of Missy & Timbo’s “Lick Shots,” echoing the elements that made all those earlier tracks so great- catchy, inventive, a little weird and, most of all, fun.

– Spoolwork

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King Tim III – “Charley Says! (Roller Boogie Baby)”

Disco and roller skates, what’s not to like? The combo launched Patrick Swayze to stardom in Skatetown USA, extended Linda Blair’s career another notch with Roller Boogie, and landed King Tim III on at least one more piece of wax before the curtains closed on his discography. Best known for lending his buttery enunciations to Fatback’s 1979 single “Personality Jock” (release date: August 29, 1979- one full month before “Rapper’s Delight” and therefore considered by many to be the real first rap record), this second and final single by the New York-based radio DJ is a rarity, maybe even a novelty, but still fun as hell. Produced by Fatback members Bill Curtis & Gerry Thomas and featuring cartoonish extra-girlie backing vocals that slinkily reference a 1950’s candy commercial, the tune glides in on a groove and never lets go. Lace up, take a spin and enjoy the ride.

– Spoolwork

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Mo Kolours – “Keep It Up”

London-based beatsmith Mo Kolours dropped his latest EP Banana Wine a little bit ago, and it’s a gurgling, lo-fi wash of Jamaican dub, hip hop and soul, with a hint of the traditional sega music peeking in from time to time via his family’s roots in Mauritius. “Keep It Up” is a nice example of the genre blending at work here- imagine King Tubby and D’Angelo huddled over a four-track and a sticky MPC2000, bobbing their heads in unison til a perfect beat congeals, echoing the familiar and sounding completely new.

Mo Kolours’ Banana Wine is out now via One-Handed Music and can be downloaded for free from Bandcamp.

– Spoolwork

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Portentous preachings aside (“Kali Yuga” being the Hindu age of vice in which we’ll all sink beneath black flames of ignorance, avarice, addiction and lust), this track from Georgia Anne Muldrow’s new disc Seeds is about as inviting as a slow burn can get. The LA based singer/musician teams up with producer Madlib, whose junk drawer approach to sampled beat construction- gluing ramshackle bits of forgotten vinyl into woozy slabs of jelly-neck funk- fits Ms. Muldrow’s voice like silky, dust-caked glove. Dangling her luscious voice over thick drops of kick and snare, she leaves enough space for Madlib to fill in the gaps with horn stabs, disembodied backup singers and a wave of human voices, either crying out in anguish or begging for more. If this is what the age of vice sounds like, I’ll opt for the latter.

Georgia Anne Muldrow’s Seeds is out now on SomeOthaShip Connect.

– Spoolwork