Quick Mp3 wrap up from since I’ve been gone. Some of these joints are recent, others are virtually extinct on the rss timeline. But fuck it, too many of interesting records cease to be a viable internet talking point almost as quickly as they are released. Late passes are handed out at an alarming rate and bloggers forget the rappers name before the album drops (or doesn’t). I don’t believe in none of that shit. For those actually craving a discussion of music from those ancient times known as June and July I am here to save you like Chino XL. ^[1] After the jump.

Gorilla Zoe f/ Lil Wayne – “Lost“

from Don’t Feed The Animals^[2] (Bad Boy, 2009)
Maybe the greatest song of the summer and it’s gone inexplicably ignored. Meaning my dream of a GOTH RAP ERA will never come to pass. Zoe literally raps in a Dracula voice, which is probably a good choice because I couldn’t tell you what Gorilla Zoe rapped like prior to rapping like Dracula. He was the last rapper I would’ve expected to go left and that he did is a testament to Wayne’s influence. Drumma Boy’s ATLiens updated for the T-Pain generation beat is understated brilliance. Between this, “Put On” and “What Happenin’” he’s shaping up to be the most reliable producer of the year. I only wish he had kept his truck horn drop instead of that modulate whine he uses now. Wayne hardly does anything but still delivers the most interesting verse. His raps are occasionally glitched up but unlike Prefuse 73 and his ilk^[3], the clipped vocals never fully form any semblance of rhythm. They just happen for no reason at all. And then they sit there. When I used to work in a record store, I would play an album by, say, Oval, just to see how long it would take for a confused customer to say “uhh… your cd is skipping”. I imagine that program directors everywhere responded in the same way to this track. That might be part of the reason it never got any burn.

Kanye West – “Love Lockdown“

from 808s & Heartbreak ^[4] (Def Jam, 2008)
I like this record as much as I want to hate it. Soderberg was complaining that it’s crit bait and I guess I took it. But I think it’s important to note that Kanye is effectively selling to both pop listeners and critics. And as such it’s pretty exciting to hear taiko drums and mumbly non-singing banging out of cars on a Saturday night. That being said, it’s completely selfish of him to not give such a great song to someone who can actually sing. Even a tepid latte soul act John Legend would’ve turned this into a masterpiece.

Mac-D – “Y-Not” (Prod. By Shawty Redd)

from I Can’t Even Google This Guy (Underunderground, 2008)
“I don’t have to have a Bently to show you Fonz what I’m Worth.” Wait… what? I was under the impression that Shawty Redd was almost completely absent from The Recession because he was on an island counting that “Sexual Seduction” paper. Turns out he’s just passing choice beats to off brand unknown rent-a-Jeezy’s like Mac-D. Point blank, Jeezy should be rapping on this.

Black Milk – “Give The Drummer Sum“
from Tronic (Fat Beats, 2008)

Offabeat Afrobeat! Dilla goggles! Mac Mall style helium voices! ^[5] Maybe this BM ^[6] character isn’t as boring as his previous music made him seem.

Drake f/ Lil Wayne – “Ransom“
from Thank Me Later (?, 2009)

This other guy raps like Wayne except not very well. But then Wayne raps very well (and for a long time) and hope is restored. Weezy recalls Pharoahe Monch with all that lubriderm buttfuck talk and gets a few reverse ironic racism points by mistaking ZZ Top for one person. From what I understand, Drake is some sort of teen heartthrob on the Canadian teeny bopper television show Degrassi.^[7] Which is to say that Tyga is no longer the least credible Young Money affiliate.

Busta Rhymes – “I Got Bass“

from BOMB (Universal, 200Never)
All roads point to Wayne. Busta brought Bangladesh in a shallow attempt to recreate “A Milli” but then Bang thumbs his nose back by giving him an even less accessible beat. It’s like a swarm of bees attacked “Milli”. Trevor flounders, the beat pounds. Good enough for me. Busta should still retire and someone else should rhyme on this beat. I don’t know, let’s say Ludacris.

UGK f/ Akon – “Hard As Hell

from UGK For Life (Jive, 2008)
This lead single from their (hopefully) final album UGK For Life is easily the worst song ever recorded under the UGK name. From what I understand it was cut well before Pimp’s passing so it’s difficult to put the Dead Rappers Get Better Promotion, Worse Production excuse behind it. Instead I cry. And did Bun just kick the first ever Robert Crumb punchline? That is some sub-MF Doom nerdstalgia.

Lil Wayne f/ Nutt Da Kidd – “Fuck A N*gga Thought“

from A Gang of Tapes (Rapidshare, 2008)
More Wayne. More fakey “Milli”s. Noticing a trend? For all the Carter 3 press blitz, it was weird that the reunion of Wayne and Sqad Up’s Nutt on “Mrs. Officer” went virtually unmentioned. For the Weezy Come Latelys ^[8] – Sqad Up was Waynes old crew pre-Carter. ^[9] The Sqad tapes are where he really got his rapping about rapping legs and still stand as some of his best work to date. He sounded a lot happier then. More of a joyful carelessness than a junkie’s. “Mrs. Officer” is corny as hell, but this and a handful of other leaked cuts from the duo recalls those glory days.

_{[1] Except with fewer Tupac jabs.
[2] Great album title. I will be checking for this when it doesn’t come out.
[3] Or the british geniuses they borrowed that effect from. Or the renegade Miami bass producer THEY stole it off.
[4] Another great title! The only way he could possibly live up to it is with actual rap songs.
[5] In moderation, take notes Madlib.
[6] Worst abbreviated artist name ever?
[7] Can my readers from America Jr. verify/clarify?
[8] If the Hot Boys were N’Sync with shivs then Sqad Up was uhh… LFO with a spatula?
[9] Seriously I shouldn’t even have to explain this, but I am consistently shocked at how many clown type late period Wayne jockers are ambivalent to or just completely unaware of this era. There’s no excuse for this. Research has never been less painful.}