Archive for the ‘Black Spade’ tag
So…. here’s the thing. I love hip hop. I do. Or rap. Or whatever we’re calling it these days. But over the last few months, very little hip hop has reached and grabbed me. I’ve been missing that certain something, namely that visceral soul-stretching oomph that firmly implants a song beyond your ears and deep into your body.
The Physics are a rising Seattle trio. Abrupt definition? Well, there’s a reason: while the musical foundation of the Physics (Thig Nat, Monk Wordsmith and producer Justo) is firmly settled on hip hop, as a group and a concept (yes, a concept, dammit), they have grown, vine-like, outside the strict definitions that label implies (and no, we don’t have to get into a “what is hip hop” discussion here, just go with it).
In advance of their upcoming release Love is a Business, the Physics team recently posted five of their new songs for your streaming pleasure. The songs show a group in transition – moving from classically hip hop towards a vibe and sound at whose extreme you find artists like the Hawthorne Headhunters’ Black Spade.
It’s a brave step, and one that – thus far – appears to be taken confidently. Fearlessness plus talent equals musical evolution, and that’s exactly what hip hop is in need of now.
Over the last few months, I’ve been more than happy to spill some digital ink on/over/somewhat nearby the Los Angeles soul hop collective the Hawthorne Headhunters. And now I get to do it some more! Black Spade, one third of those Hawthorne gents, just dropped the Build and Destroy Mixtape – mixed by DJ Track Star – which is a heavy little addition to the ongoing HH-affiliated discography.
What’s most interesting about solo projects from members of a cohesive group is how individuals’ personal tastes show themselves. For one, you see immediately how the whole is affected by the parts – everyone brings something very different to the table, and you only know what it is after you have a control group to test against. Build and Destroy is no exception: after only a handful of songs you have a sense that Black Spade brings a hard space-edged shake to the Headhunters’ music, which complements the souled out groove of the other members.
Highlights: the heavy flip/reimagining of Dilla’s To Fall in Love, which definitely messes with your head in some good ways.
Blaow! Tracklist after the jump.
