Review: Lexington and Whatevski -- Customer Appreciation Day

Lexington and Whatevksi's Customer Appreciation Day is one of the best albums I picked up in 2008, and because it was a free album, well... that only made it better. In fact, this is such a solid piece of work I find it almost unfair that I didn't pay for it. Released on Hand'Solo Records, the album first caught my eye because of the provocative cover, which displays the title of the album sharpied onto a woman's bare chest. I figured, Canadian Hip Hop has been treating me well, why not give it a try. I like what Hand'Solo's been putting out and I was desperate for some new music on my Zune so I downloaded it.
Little did I know this album would change my perception of hip hop. Honestly, I haven't heard anything like this before and it really blew me away. From the opening track's intro with a man crying out for "spange" for a Lexington + Whatevski show to the closing ad for their full-length album Preggers Can't Be Choosers, it was perfect. These guys do to hip hop what Bird did to basketball... they took something that everybody can take a shot at and kinged their pawns. That is to say, they not only did something different, but they raised the bar doing it.

The album progresses with some of the best beats I've ever heard, dirty and dark, a stinky carnival full of drunks kind of sound, mixed with some hard-hitting drums. I'm dying to hear an instrumental version of this album if they ever release that, actually. The production is some of my favorite I've ever heard and I can only describe it as a magical experience. Wherever they're digging up samples from... well, I wish I had access to what they're listening to and the skill to arrange in such a way. Every chorus is catchy, and the layering of sounds is almost too intense, though never overwhelming... if that makes sense.

Lyrically, Lex and Evski kill it. From serious tracks like Back When to hilarious tracks like Dick in Ya Drink, it's all over the place. Vulgarity aside, the lyrics are fantastic. It's a great balance between philosophical and comical, and all the flow is solid throughout.

Speaking of the flow, the album is littered with guest rappers who absolutely rip it up. Planit, Touch, Hollohan aka G.O.D., B-Money, Ryan Crack the Dirt Dogg, and Mr. Grim make appearances, and all of them do justice. Aside from the extreme weirdness of the first half of Planit's verse on Dead and Famous. It's all solid, though, and Planit's verse has grown on me. I guess I was just weirded out about that kind of flow when I first heard it.

All in all, I give this album a 10 out of 10 because since I've downloaded it, I've listened to it all the way through at least once a week and still it surprises me. Most of the tracks have made it onto my bicycling/traveling playlist, almost every track is fantastic, and I am left in awe at how well-done this all is, especially for a free release.

Lexington and Whatevski are without a doubt in my top 10 favorite hip hop artists/groups, and solely because this album is so perfect. If you don't download it, you're a damned fool, it's a fantastic album all the way through and goddammit, it's free!

Best track? I can't even name one. Good People and Back When are probably my favorites. Don't forget to check back for the release of Preggers Can't Be Choosers, their new album. You can find more information at the following locations.

Hand'Solo Records Page
Lexington and Whatevski Official Website

ECID -- Red Beretta Pre-Order

ECID, the rapper and producer behind label Fill in the Breaks is releasing a new album, and this time a concept album, no less. The mind behind 2006's Biograffiti and 2007's Economy Size Godd Costume brings us 2009's Red Beretta, a concept album advertised with the premise, "the bizarre events that turn a modern day hero into a monster." He's got an interesting and captivating style; his vocals are off the wall and his subject matter is insightfully candid... he definitely gives you a dose of his opinions on people, relationships, politics, and everything else whether you want to hear it or not. And now there's a new album coming out and it's going to be something entirely different, so expect it to be good.



Right now Red Beretta is available for pre-order. From a recent bulletin post:

"Pre-Order Ecid's new album "Red Beretta" for only $15+Shipping & you will receive the cd (which includes a 16 page lyric book w/art by minneapolis artist James Penfield), a free hi quality download of "Bargain Junkie Classics 4", Stickers, & a poster. All pre-orders will ship one week before the March 24th release date. Pre-Orders deal ends March 17th."

So hit this one up! It should be fantastic. Go to the Fill in the Breaks page for more info.

Fill in the Breaks
ECID Official MySpace

Rootbeer - "Pink Limousine" Tour

If you haven't heard of Rootbeer, it's a couple of emcees who have great taste when it comes to the fliest clothes available... oh, and they can rap, too. The combination of Flynn Adam and Pigeon John could be described as fantastic or even "dope," as the two emcees (in the only two tracks available so far on their MySpace page) weave seamlessly together to make a comfortable and warm hip hop quilt that you can wrap your ears up in... or something to that effect.

Either way, news has reached my ears that the duo is going on tour AND releasing an EP, entitled The Pink Limousine. Though this may sound fruity, rest assured that it's going to be 100% awesome. Being a long-time fan of Pigeon John, I have faith in this release, as I do with all of his releases. Now that I think about it, there's nothing better than cruising around in the Sentra with Daniel bumping Pigeon John and the Summertime Pool Party during the summer when it's nice and hot out and all the tunes get you in that mood to chill out... I suggest you buy that album immediately. Actually, if not for Rootbeer, I probably wouldn't have heard of Flynn Adam, at least not when I did, and I have yet to cop his own EP Such a Time, which I'd buy if I had any money (as currently I am unemployed). YOU should buy it so you can get ready for the dubious duo's tour, then e-mail me a .zip of the tracks, so I can hear them too. I'll pay my dues when I see 'em live! And of course, after the show I'll be writing a review and I'll be really critical of all of their mistakes. Last time Pigeon John came through here at the local Petaluma Phoenix Theater, I missed it, so there's no way I'm missing this show.

Anyhow... The Pink Limousine is officially out on March 10th both digitally and available in hard copies. I'll be at the show March 30th, in San Francisco. The tour dates are as follows;

Sat Mar 14 – Goleta, Residence Hall
Tue Mar 17 – Phoenix, Chasers
Wed Mar 18- Austin, SXSW
Thurs Mar 19- Austin, SXSW
Friday Mar 20- Austin, SXSW
Sat Mar 21 – Austin, SXSW
Mon Mar 23 – Santa Fe, Moonlight Lounge
Tue Mar 24 – Denver, The Marquis Theater
Wed Mar 25 – Salt Lake City, The Urban Lounge
Fri Mar 27 – Seattle, WA Nectar’s
Sat Mar 28 – Portland, Someday Lounge
Sun Mar 29 – Eugene, WOW Hall
Mon Mar 30 – San Francisco, Bottom of the Hill
Tue Mar 31 – Reno, The Tonic Lounge
Fri Apr 3 – Santa Barbara, Club Mercy
Sat Apr 4 – Costa Mesa, Detroit Bar

And if you want to hear more;
Rootbeer MySpace Page
Pigeon John
Flynn Adam

Super Dragon X - Where the Fuck is your Album Mixtape

Super Dragon X, known to most as the harsher-voiced of Metamystiks Incorporated's two emcees, has decided to release a mixtape of his older tracks in preparation for a new era of SDX's rap career. As SDX himself put it;

"This is the first time I've ever put out a mixtape of my own tracks, fully tagged and collected, and I hope this stuff gets some heads nodding among people who haven't heard my music yet. With scratches and a couple beats by the omnipresent DJ Snyder, these tracks run the gamut from dark sci-fi to tongue-in-cheek rants about video games."

I haven't listened to it yet, but I assure you it'll be good, 'cause if it's got any of the SDX tracks I've already got, then it's a sure-fire winner. Super Dragon X's gruff vocals and subject matter come together perfectly, and he delivers his rhymes without hestitation, never letting up on the flow and always delivering a powerful punch.

I'm excited about this because it's the first SDX mixtape and there are tracks I haven't heard before, so I'm pretty excited. Don't miss this one, because if you haven't heard SDX you're missing out!

Download from MegaUpload

Download from Galactopicon

Super Dragon X MySpace

Metamystiks Incorportated MySpace

Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everybody. It's a great holiday, all the family together, eating a huge ham, getting presents, spreading cheer, playing with a brand new puppy, and listening to new music! It doesn't get better than this... or does it? I think it does:



Seattle-based hip hop band Optimus Rhyme has been broken up for some time, though in the grand holiday spirit, they have released a fantastic EP featuring five brand new songs... and the kicker?



It's FREE!







Not surprisingly, it's also really awesome, and hearing unreleased music from one of my favorite groups of all time is always a plus (especially when they're no longer together). transfORmed is fantastic, a medley of new songs that combine all of the breathtaking style that Optimus Rhyme is known for, letting us know they're still kicking from a shallow grave.



OR, we still love you!

Merry Christmas, everybody!


Optimus Rhyme Official Website

transfORmed Download Link

Epic-1 - Black Friday

Epic-1 has released his debut album Black Friday, a fantastic piece of poetry spread across five of the coolest tracks I've heard in a while. EMPulse Records, home to some great artists (Rocket Propelled Geeks, Krondor Krew, In Real Life, and more!) picked up Epic-1 a while ago, and since he popped up on Rocket Propelled Geeks' track Boomstick Serenade I've been eagerly awaiting a release by the man.


Black Friday is a five-track EP, available for free from EMPulse Records, with new tracks from Epic-1 over some seriously wicked production. With everything from nerdy rhymes to serious stuff and just messing around on the track, he's got it down, no doubt. Epic-1's voice is soothing, his rhymes are fresh the entire album through, he throws around metaphors like a hero, and the songs transition very smoothly between each other. It's a great EP.


Favorite Track: Black Friday

There's no doubt that the production on this track is awesome, and Epic-1's vocals float smoothly over the melodies, especially in the choruses. What I really like is that his vocal range allows his choruses to not simply sound like an extension to the verse, but to be catchy, original, and clean, which I really like. And being free, how can you pass this one up?


EMPulse Records

Epic-1's Myspace

Download the Album for Free!

A Few Free Albums to Consider

So, I've updated the circulation on my ZUNE in the past few days with a ton of releases I've snagged all over the web. I've been trying to expand my listening range all over the hip hop board, though I must say, I always am aiming to expand my artist list and keep everything rotating constantly. Aside from hip hop I've recently been listening to a lot of Half-Handed Cloud, P:ano, Emperor X, and so forth... but more importantly, here's how it's been going down:

I hit up rhymetorrents for a couple of releases...

GOSHone
ctrl_alt_ego
I got the pleasure of seeing GOSHone debut this album and perform a bunch of tracks from it at West Coast Wig Out, and though I didn't snag a hard copy when I was there (I was trying not to spend money) I downloaded it as soon as I saw it was available. It's his debut album and the entire thing flows smoothly. What I really like about it is that the whole album is consistent in production, audio levels, style, and mastering. It sounds like an album, not a collection of songs, which I really like.
Available here!

Heightened Titans
Self-titled
Though I haven't listened to this entire release yet, I've heard tracks here and there and I dig it, though I'm not going to give it any sort of review. What I want to note is that The HT of Empulse Records decided to re-master the original release and I've only heard good reviews of it. I'm going to throw it on and play Metal Slug X this weekend.
Available here!

And then I headed to the Motherboard...

DJ 0.000001 feat. The Mole
Whirled Fusion
This is a wicked album, an eclectic deejay mixup of varying types of music put together delicately into entirely new compositions by DJ 0.000001. It's really cool, 'cause it all runs together and sounds great. It doesn't sound like your typical artist mashups and more like original songs based on other songs... I don't know how to describe it, really. And then, scattered throughout the ashes is rapping by The Mole. My favorite track on the album is How to Be Cool (Remix), because the rapping is awesome, the beat is crazy, and the lyrics are hilarious.
Available here!

Noah23
Upside Down Bluejay
I snagged this because I heard Noah23 on the Hand'Solo release Hokey Religions and Ancient Weapons and his verse on Keep the Channel Locked was one of my favorite of the album. I didn't know what I was getting into, but this release has a ton of different styles and all sorts of talent. The guy's vocabulary is something to be reckoned with, too, he's so solid. Also, as a bonus, there was a track with Livestock, who I first heard on the Train Rawbers album which is STILL in rotation on the player. I'm glad I've got a release from Noah23 now.
Available here!

CAPS3 - Pixel
2008
I don't even know if that's really what it's called. I've downloaded this but I haven't gotten to listen to it yet because I've been trying to get through all the music on my computer that hasn't been heard yet. All I know is, it's got CAPS3, and I haven't heard much of the guy's music yet, so hopefully it's good. There's a track on it called Diggin' up Ogres though, so it can't be bad.
Available here!

I've got a lot to listen to and a lot more to write, myself. Hopefully none of the artists listed here didn't want their albums listed for whatever reason, contact me and I will immediately take down the link for you. Keep on listening to whatever you like, I'm gonna do the same.

Nerdcore Group Releases!

There seem to be a lot of nerdcore supergroups coming together these days. As it goes, more and more artists are working together on extended projects, as opposed to simply individual tracks. I love it, and I wanted to do a brief coverage of some stuff that's out there right now. With a HUGE amount of stuff coming up in the nerdcore community in the past month of October and a lot of projected music for the lovely month of November (including my album!), I can barely keep up. Here's a lowdown:

Group: The Sinister Six
Album: Invasion of the Mic Snatchers
Emcees: MadHatter, ZeaLouS1, Chester, Benjamin Bear, MC_Loki, YTCracker
Website: Scrub Club Records Album Page

Group: 8-Bit Boys
Album: 8-Bit Diagrams
Emcees: Entity, YTCracker, The Ranger, TYT
Website: Official Website

Group: Emergency Pizza Party
Album: Z.E.D. (Zombie Emergency Defense)
Emcees: MC Wreckshin, Sir Up, Betty Rebel, Fanatical, Benjamin Bear
Website: EPP Official Website

Group: Heightened Titans
Album: Heightened Titans
Emcees: Whoremoans, TYT, The Ranger
Website: Official MySpace

As you can see, there's a lot out there right now. I can only vouch right now for Emergency Pizza Party and The Sinister Six, as I am downloading the other two albums as I write this, but I can say that by listening to the sample tracks on both of the albums I'm excited. EPP's album was a great concept album and the entire thing flowed through perfectly. I thought it was an incredible step up from their previous album release (and not just because Fanatical and Bbear are back). The Sinister Six was album was well worth the wait. Every emcee killed it on every track, and there's not a lot that wasn't done amazingly.

There have been a ton of great songs coming out. Listen up! For all of you nerdcore haters out there who don't like the label nerdcore, or don't like the idea of nerds making hip hop... it's time you face the facts! There's no turning back, and (the end of) 2008 is the year of the nerd.

Download the albums and throw them on your music player of choice, go on a walk out in the fresh air, and listen to the magic.