Africa Is So Hot Right Now

Fam-Lay – “Dirtyway (Intro)”
Fam-Lay – “War Music”
from Dirtyway Mixtape (2008)
First it was “I Will Not Apologize“. Now permanantly shelved Neptunes affiliate and Norfolk representer Fam-Lay takes a completely out of left field turn towards Afro-Beat-Rap (and Google colorways) for his forthcoming Dirtyway tape. He doesn’t rhyme on the intro, just adlibs about his debt, but kicks a bizarre flow towards the end of “War Music”. I think I am with this move, though I’m not entirely sure.


April 25th, 2008 at 2:58 pm
It’s different, but I wouldn’t do it for a whole album, and I don’t like the Google colorways.
April 25th, 2008 at 4:01 pm
bizarre flow? ….. he just sounds off-beat, off-rhythm, and generally f*cked the f*ck up.
or maybe my asian rhythms can’t keep up with crazy african rhythms.
April 25th, 2008 at 6:25 pm
i really really love the beat, but i am pretty iffy about the flow. he does sound off beat and off rhythm. hopefully it gets more fully refined on the whole album but right now i am also not entirely sure how i feel about it.
April 25th, 2008 at 7:28 pm
Does anyone know what the rhythm is? Did someone produce it or is it a sample?
April 25th, 2008 at 11:17 pm
EJ The Witchdoctor would be proud.
April 26th, 2008 at 1:04 am
Over here in Europe, afro has been trendy for some time now. I’ve been meaning to travel to the “Fesivale au desert” in Mali for a couple years, but never got around to it yet.
US rappers jumping onboard now, like three years after? Don’t know, but it sure feels kinda late. Some people didn’t do their homework. Stick to what you do well: i.e. that new, real cool shit out of Atlanta. B.O.B., Playboy Tre and, maybe, Bohagon.
That shit is dope for real-
April 26th, 2008 at 9:56 am
The verse is off the beeper song that he done with pharrell
April 28th, 2008 at 11:47 am
I like it Anything is better than the crap they play on the radio.
April 28th, 2008 at 10:10 pm
i like it. its a fresh switch from whats “hot” right now.
April 29th, 2008 at 5:44 pm
i am feelin this!
April 29th, 2008 at 8:16 pm
yea that verse is straight from beeper.
but WHO made the beat!? where is the sample from!?
May 31st, 2008 at 5:46 pm
norfolk stand up!
June 4th, 2008 at 2:27 am
it’s in 6/8 time, or triplets, hence that stilted rhythm, pretty typical feature of a lot of afro-beat stuff. this is completely refreshing, and shows a fair bit of lateral thinking. can’t wait for it to drop!