Video: Schoolboy Q “There He Go”
Rapper Schoolboy Q has been everywhere this year since releasing his accomplished sophomore album Habits & Contradictions back in January. The range of styles he displayed on the album made it my favorite Black Hippy release yet. “There He Go” was the song that immediately drew me in and has become probably my most played song of the year by any artist. Q’s charismatic flow and energetic, pitch-shifting delivery makes the simple instrumental sound majestic and turns the song into a sing-along anthem.
The song captures the feeling of indulging in newfound fame in a bottle, both on a personal level and on a larger scale. It’s the type of song that gives you the feeling that Q could have a long-term commercially viable career, and probably a big reason why Interscope felt comfortable including Q and the entire Black Hippy crew in their deal with Kendrick Lamar. This new video for “There He Go” was a needed opportunity for me to formally introduce Schoolboy Q to the Thought on Tracks audience, as he’ll be coming to Indy with A$VP Rocky and Danny Brown on October 9th at the Egyptian Room. Pick up Habits & Contradictions.
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Written by John Bugbee
Video: Twin Shadow “Run My Heart” (Yours Truly Session)
I will reluctantly admit that I was slow on the uptake when it came to Twin Shadow‘s sophomore LP, Confess. For whatever reason, my ears tend to avoid sounds with such overt references to 1980s pop music. I have always had trouble finding the humanity beneath the often plastic dance beats and synth-driven overlays that dominated popular music during the latter half of that decade. This disdain could stem from my lack of any discernible posterior that prevents my wearing skinny jeans, my inability to dance or an intolerance for uppers of all varieties. That isn’t to say I won’t rock the fuck out to Rick James, provided a few cocktails and a reason to celebrate. But by and large, I find the music to mirror the gaudiness of the time – overstated and manufactured.
Despite all of this, Confess has steadily earned my affection in 2012. Yesterday, the outstanding San Francisco-based video blog Yours Truly debuted their session with Twin Shadow’s George Lewis Jr. “Run My Heart” proves one of my favorite tracks of the album, reminiscent of Police-era Sting or some of Prince’s more restrained work. Yours Truly presents a stripped down, bass-driven version of the song. It’s always a testament to the songwriting when a track translates in any setting. This is certainly the case with “Run My Heart,” which only grows more disarming in the intimate setting of Lewis’ Los Angeles backyard. Check out the video below, that begins with Lewis working on the most rock n’ roll of all vehicles, his Triumph Bonneville. Although he may need to trade it in for a Honda Shadow, just for consistency’s sake.
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Written by Rob Peoni
Album Review: The Alchemist ‘Russian Roulette’
Producers like The Alchemist are the main reason that I always check a rap album’s credits. Not only has Al been one of the best producers in hip hop for over 10 years, he has shown that he is capable of making almost any type of beat and always seems to bring the best out of the MC’s that he works with. If a rapper is fortunate enough to get a beat or two from The Alchemist on their album, you can usually assume those tracks will be among the album’s best. The Alchemist has made producer albums filled with random guest appearances before, and while those albums were successful projects, Russian Roulette is something different altogether, a true album that doesn’t feel like a compilation or beat tape.
As far as the beats, you can tell The Alchemist has been influenced by his Gangrene partner Oh No and Oh No’s brother Madlib, from the psychedelic 60’s and 70’s samples and loops to the short, random song structures. He uses the album’s Russian theme to not just incorporate vocal clips from Rocky IV, but even samples clips of Dolph Lundgren talking to Joan Rivers about his role as Ivan Drago. You might consider Russian Roulette The Alchemist’s “art album.” He has reached a status that allows him to pick and choose the rappers that he works with, and he picked some great rappers that have incredibly varied styles. The beats are what really stand out, but all the MC’s seem to fit in perfect with the blunted, aggressive but hazy aesthetic that Al is going for.
Roc Marciano’s appearance on “The Turning Point” is an obvious highlight, a beautifully detailed picture of success over Al’s eerie guitar sample. Danny Brown and ScHoolboy Q make for a great combo on the off-the-wall banger “Flight Confirmation”, which has a crazy NSFW video that you can view above. Action Bronson, Boldy James, and Mr. Muthafuckin’ eXquire all show why they’re some of the best new rappers around as well. EXquire and his Biggie influenced alien adventure on “The Explanation” stands out in particular and is a great ending to Al’s spacey album. The Alchemist’s ability to build custom tracks for his favorite MC’s combined with his flawless execution of a musical theme makes Russian Roulette a great front to back listen, as well as something you can throw on to vibe out to without devoting all of your attention to it. The entire album plays like one long song, a free flowing recording with the perfect balance of sharp verses and trippy instrumentals. Stream the album over at SPIN and purchase via iTunes.
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Written by John Bugbee
Thought on Tracks 