The Unknowable Career of Killa Cam

Cam’ron is one of raps great enigmas, reminiscent of a time when when mink coats and throwbacks weren’t quite ironic. The Diplomats had their time and at their peak were one of the best crews in rap history. A big single put him on top of the game, and then he seemingly disappeared. Who would have guessed that in house producer AraabMuzik would be the most visible member under the Diplomats umbrella in the 2010’s?

When the ill-fated Killer Season straight to DVD movie and album came out Cam seemingly lost all the fans as he gained with “Hey Ma” and the brilliant Come Home with Me and Purple Haze. His style has always been best when backed with chipmuck soul samples, and “Humphrey” is a throwback to that sucka-free style. He never really went away, but casual listeners haven’t had much to go off. Cam didn’t fight his way to the top of the food chain to become a vegetarian (his words, not mine). On “Humphrey” Killer sounds HUNGRY for something other than veggies, and it fits him well. He’s still laid-back, but obviously with something to prove.

“Humphrey” is an early best of 2014 contender and stands up with anything in rap that’s come out in the last decade. If Cam and A-Trak can approach the quality of this first single with the rest of their album, their collab is going to be something special.

Top Ten Hip-Hop Tracks of 2012

10. Danny Brown-Grown Up

Over a classic jazz-rap beat, Danny Brown approaches the track halfway between his normal crazed yelp and his straight up approach from the last third of XXX. It’s a great look for Brown after a year in which he dropped a half dozen phenomenal singles. Without completely discarding what make him unique, the restraint of “Grown Up” makes it arguably his best track.

09. 2 Chainz-No Lie (Feat. Drake)

Another rapper who has had a great couple years, 2012 has seen 2 Chainz cement his status as one of only a few rappers that jumps on any track and immediately makes it better. A 2 Chainz track in name only, “No Lie” is an amazing Drake track bookended by verses from the artist formerly known as Tity Boi.

08. Ground Up-Hold Me Down (Feat. Action Bronson)

Having seen other artists approach a similar minimal, spiritual beat, “Hold Me Down” is better than anything off Bronson’s disappointing Rare Chandeliers. His deft flows don’t overpower the quiet beat but work around it perfectly.

Jamie xx: One of the Most Important Men in Music?

The most defining feature of The xx's self-titled debut were the hushed back and forth vocals of Romy Madley Croft and Oliver Sim. Rather than creating a bigger sound with a hit record under their belt, the band has actually paired down their sound for their forthcoming second record, Coexist (set for release on September 10.) Though their calling-card breathy vocals, simple melodies, and passionate lyrics are still intact, the real star of the album is member/producer Jamie xx's subtle drumming and electronics. Despite being a quieter record, Coexist is much more musically varied and complex than The xx.

Why It Doesn't Matter that Joey Bada$$ is 17.

Every bit of ink spilled about rapper Joey Bada$$ starts with the fact that he is only 17 years old. Though it initially seems noteworthy that Joey is producing quality music at such a young age, last weeks' release of his mix tape, 1999, proves that Joey's age is entirely inconsequential. Rap has a long history of teenage artists emerging and gaining popularity, from The Fresh Prince and Soulja Boy to Bow Wow and Romeo. Most young rappers undergo a rebranding in an attempt to remain relevant. Bow Wow and Romeo proved to be mere youth novelties, after dropping the "Lil" in front of their names, both have been inconsequential as MCs. Soulja Boy transitioned from pop-rap internet superstar to spaced out Lil B associate. After releasing a few acclaimed albums in the late 80's and early 90's, The Fresh Prince became Hollywood superstar Will Smith. Even the Odd Future crew, who rode a wave of success due in equal parts to their youth and shocking lyrical content have already reached a point of diminishing returns. Odd Future leader Tyler the Creator seems very aware of this, and in an interview with Spin Magazine, talks about his music evolving in a completely different direction.

The Wildly Divergent Careers of Fiona Apple and D'Angelo (Coming Full Circle?)

Singers Fiona Apple and D'Angelo are very different stylistic performers, but both emerged in the mid-90s on a wave of critical success, the strength of their artistic visions and breathtaking, affecting voices. Both singers scored unlikely top 25 hits and burst into public consciousness because of controversial, body barring videos (D'Angelo for "Untitled (How Does It Feel)" and Apple for "Criminal.") At this point the similarities seem to end. D'Angelo fell into addiction and stopped making music while Apple, after battling years of label drama, released the well-recieved Extraordinary Machine and toured extensively in support of it.

Coachella 2012 Diary April 22, 2012

After two full days of festival-going, I got a little later start to the third day, but with such a stacked lineup Sunday evening there was no time for fatigue to set in.

Santigold: Not much of a Santigold fan, her Sunday afternoon warm-up set was in no way noteworthy. She had dancers in crazy outfits and performed her uninspired M.I.A./Gwen Stafani hybrid songs. And that was that.

araabMUZIK: Basically only knowing his production work with Dipset and his Electronic Dream hit "Streetz Tonight," I didn't really know what araabMUZIK's live show was all about. I heard rumors about  his skills on the MPC drum machine, but had my doubts. araab-produced Dipset cuts "Get it in Ohio" and "Salute" are solid hip hop beats, but don't hint at an exceptionally talented drum machine master. Initially, I was surprised at how dubstep-y araabMUZIK's set sounded, incorporating almost none of the hip-hop of his Dipset work or the dreamy electronica of Electronic Dream. As a casual electronica/dubstep listener, araab's set wouldn't have done much for me without his calling card, the MPC. While simultaneously dropping beats and jamming away at the drum machine, he solved the one problem I tend have with live electronica music, that the live shows seem so sterile. To my untrained eye, I can't really tell what the artists are doing onstage at any given time, being unable to differentiate what is preprogramed and what is improvised in a live environment. And if you need any video proof, araabMUZIK is just ridiculous and must be seen in person.

Coachella 2012 Diary April 21, 2012

Since the writing delay has been entirely too long we will jump right into thoughts about Coachella Day 2.

Destroyer: With temperatures reaching 106 degrees, Destroyer breezed through a set of songs mostly from their excellent 2011 album, Kaputt. The lounge-y saxophones and soft rock harmonies were a perfect accompaniment to the oppressive heat, but it seemed strange that Dan Bejar, one of the elder statesmen of literate indie rock, was relegated to a side stage in one of the day's first time slots.




Azealia Banks: Azealia Banks, a highly blog-hyped cross between Lil Kim and M.I.A., was a huge letdown. Only playing slightly over half of her allotted 40 minute stage time, she didn't seem ready or polished enough for a big league Coachella performance. She did bring the energy and got the crowd going with her performance of "212" but as recent post-Coachella single "Jumanji"proves, Banks has a lot more to offer.