Rapcore

Scuzz Sundays: Limp Bizkit – “Rollin’ (Air Raid Vehicle)”

June 27, 2021 — Leave a comment

Get your bandannas, masks, the crew and motorbikes at the ready. It’s Scuzz Sunday!

  • Pictured: Fred Durst (Lead Vocals), John Otto (Drums), Sam Rivers (Bass Guitar/Occasional Backing Vocals), Wes Borland (Guitars/Vocals) and DJ Lethal (Turntables/Sampling/Programming) in a Covid-era promo (2020) (Photo by Kerrang.com)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here – and we all know what time it is – as we revisit a heavy rock staple of the Emo period between the late-1990’s up to the mid-2000’s, all in the name of a little Scuzz TV, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! An unusual UK #1 Singles Chart hit for the controversial Florida-native Rap-Rock 5-piece group Limp Bizkit, ‘Rollin (Air Raid Vehicle)’ was a pop culture talking point when it appealed to the masses in 2000, taken from their third studio album ‘Chocolate Starfish and The Hot Dog Flavoured Water’, reaching the top 10 of several European countries and becoming their highest-charting single on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart. It was everywhere – being used for The Undertaker’s entrance as the “American Badass” character in WWE for a few years. It was also made famous by ‘The Fast and The Furious’, ‘American Dad’, and by MLB player Scott Rolen. As of now, Limp Bizkit have just announced a UK Tour for next year and continue to work on their unreleased sixth album, ‘Stampede Of The Disco Elephants’. Despite troubles within the press and contentious live festival performances, Limp Bizkit have been nominated for three Grammy Awards, and they have sold over 40 million copies worldwide. Roll up below.

The chart success of ‘Rollin (Air Raid Vehicle)’ for Limp Bizkit in 2000 was bolstered by the memorable remix entitled ‘Rollin (Urban Assault Vehicle)’ which was put together by the quite popular hip-hop artists of the time DMX, Method Man and Redman. It was produced by Swizz Beats, and it was included as a bonus track for their ‘Chocolate Starfish and The Hot Dog Flavoured Water’ album. Of course, the leading actor of Ben Stiller appearing in the music video was a hot topic, too. As for the music without it’s branching tools, we’re given a fairly standard Nu-Metal rock tune built on bright melodicism and turntable scratching from DJ Lethal. Being the #1 hit they are predominantly known for, it’s exactly what you would come to expect from them. The verses come thick and fast, with a wall of huge-sounding guitar riffs that drive the aggression forwards at a brisk pace. I won’t even try to break the lyrics down because it’s so quick and nonsensical, but it’s mostly a rap-oriented delivery that constantly reminds you to put your hands up and just turn up the volume dial on your stereo to the max. There’s absolutely no substance to anything at all, with a vocal delivery that feels very squeaky and amateur. It’s still catchy though, with Fred Durst shouting a barrage of nonsense at a breakneck speed, chanting meaningless words like “Get it on, Every day and every night”, but with a flailing flow that just about lets him pull it off. I was never finding myself bored either, since there’s always enough going on within the jangled instrumentation to keep the speed gliding along. It’s an incoherent mess, with a cluttered soundscape, but there’s also plenty to smile at here. It’s not taking itself too seriously, and I think that’s both it’s greatest strength and it’s most unfortunate flipside. There’s unintentional comedy, but there’s also a delightful sense of silly to indulge into. On the whole, it’s pretty toxic, but also a strange sort of genius.

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Limp Bizkit Presents: Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water” (LP) (Released on October 17th, 2000) (via Interscope Records/Flip Records)

That’s all for now! Thank you for reaching the end of your daily blog post – and make sure to join me tomorrow for a brand new Punk full-blaster that I would pitch as an alternative anthem to a certain European football competition that is happening at the moment. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Scuzz Sundays: Linkin Park – “In The End”

June 13, 2021 — Leave a comment

It was just another walk in the park for Agoura Hill’s Metal youths. It’s Scuzz Sunday!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Hybrid Theory” (LP) (Released on October 24th, 2020) (via Warner Bros Records)

Good Morning to you! It’s Jacob Braybrooke here – as always – for another entry in our ‘Scuzz Sundays’ catalogue, as we re-examine the output of our conduit for THAT phase of the late-1990’s through to the mid-2000’s, to see whether these heavy hits of yore still hold up to quality and value, not forgetting that it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! ‘In The End’ by California crossover staples Linkin Park is, if we are being honest, a basic choice for the feature. However, since we haven’t covered anything else close to it yet, here we are. Back in the day, Linkin Park’s music spanned a fusion of Rap-Rock and Nu-Metal before the band went much more mainstream, so to speak, with a sound that is really straight-up Pop music. A lot of their recent material isn’t exactly a creative endeavor, I’ll put it that way for you. There was a time, however, where, the controversy aside, Linkin Park were the ‘poster boys’ of the MTV Rock brand in the US, with significant exposure on the channels and selling their way to over 100 million albums worldwide. Kerrang named them ‘The Biggest Rock Band In The World Right Now’ in 2014, and the band are still working on new music to this day, despite a brief hiatus that began in 2017. ‘In The End’ was one of the main singles from 2000’s ‘Hybrid Theory’, which became certified as a rare Diamond by the RIAA. Just this year, it became the first-ever Nu-Metal classed track to surpass one billion streams on Spotify. Give it a whirl below.

The crown jewel of 2000’s ‘Hybrid Theory’, ‘In The End’ easily crossed over to the mainstream singles charts worldwide, reaching #2 on the US Billboard Hot 100, as a real sleeper hit, since it eventually reached the Top 40 two years following it’s release. It remains to be one of Linkin Park’s most recognisable tracks, despite a story which reports that the amusingly named lead vocalist Chester Bennington initially disliked ‘In The End’ and he didn’t want for it to make the cut of the track listing for ‘Hybrid Theory’, and so that would have been a mistake. A signature example of Linkin Park’s more popular and acclaimed sound, ‘In The End’ is known for it’s moody Piano riffs and it’s infusions of Rapcore elements, as Mike Shioda raps in the verses, before Bennington takes the lead for a melodramatic chorus. The lyrics are dealing with a break-up amongst Bennington’s constant struggle with drug abuse and the divorce of his two parents. Shioda’s Rap-Rock verses result in bars like “Time is a valuable thing/Watch it fly by as the pendulum swings” and “Watch it count down to the end of the day/The clock ticks life away” that combines the raw feel of Eminem with the hard-edged rock vibes of Evanescence. They come across as motivational, while the familiar chorus from Bennington is more bleak, depicting a conflict of emotions, chanting “I had to fall/To lose it all/But in the end/It doesn’t even matter” with a very heightened quality. The guitar riffs mix a wave of distortion with a catchy rhythm, and the glitched Drum shuffle which leads the verse adds some more depth. I feel this is a decent tune that is a victim of the ‘overexposure system’, so to speak, where it has been over-played to death to such a silly point now, and it’s difficult to invest in too emotionally. I quite like the moody aesthetics and the electronic Synth patterns, however, since I’m really not a “fan” of Linkin Park typically, it’s hard for me to judge. I find the rapping to be a little too much on the Corny side, and the overly angry chorus lacks range, with a flat, one-dimensional vocal delivery which downplays the emotion a little bit for me. That said, it was innovative for it’s time and a mismatch of different genre pieces, with a theatrical quality that appeals to a diversity of listeners, so I can easily see why it’s done, and it’s still doing in the decades since, big business for itself.

  • Pictured: Chester Bennington (Lead Vocals/Rhythm Guitar), Joe Hahn (Turntables/Sampling/Programming/Backing Vocals), Mike Shinoda (Rapping/Keyboard/Synths), Rob Bourdon (Drums/Percussion/Occasional Backing Vocals), Brad Delson (Lead Guitar/Backing Vocals) and Dave “Phoenix” Farrell (Bass Guitar/Backing Vocals) (2012) (Photography via National Geographic.com)

On that note – you’ve reached The End of another daily post here on the blog. We’re gunning for a transition into some smoother electronic music tomorrow, as we review some brand new music from a Bournemouth-born Ambient and IDM music producer who previously made an appearance on the site with his tribute track to the late-great DJ Andy Weatherhall, and he’s got a brand new album on the way for September. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Emawk – “Highroad”

May 4, 2021 — Leave a comment

Hit the Road, Jack, and never come back, no more, no more, no more. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “HIGHROAD” (Single) (Released on January 27th, 2021) (via Self-Released)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and, you know the drill by now – I need to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Born in Boston, raised in Kenya, and based in New York City, singer-songwriter and self-producer Kwame Nkrumah – who uses the moniker of Emawk – is a young graduate of the Berklee College Of Music who has spent the last handful of years writing and recording his music entirely on his own, despite an odd collaboration with actor Hart Denton from the hit US TV series ‘Riverdale’. Nevertheless, Emawk’s Hip-Hop music is gathering a healthy following on the internet, with his recent output gaining support from third-party promoters like Beats1 and Majestic Casual. Accompanied by a B-side, ‘Beads’, his first new track of 2021 was ‘HIGHROAD’, which kicked off an ambitious new audio-visual project that sees Emawk documenting a testimony of his personal life through steady new single releases during the year, which recently picked up with slick R&B, woozy offering ‘ACOUSCOUS’. Let’s hit the ‘HIGHROAD’ for a sample of his work below.

‘HIGHROAD’ marked the new point for Emawk to take a more candid approach to his craft, as he told Equate Magazine in a recent interview, “While I’m proud of the lyrics and the time I took to write them, it was one of the few times where writing was mostly about the vibe”, adding on ‘HIGHROAD’ and ‘Beads’ by penning, “I made the instrumental for Beads and just vibed with it. Hopefully, that comes across and hopefully whoever listens can vibe with it as well”, after joking about how cheesy the role of ‘Vibe’ played into the two tracks. As for ‘HIGHROAD’ specifically, Emawk prides himself in a cut where his self-expression feels at his most unsullied, and his natural instincts gave him the platform to transition from 2020 to 2021 with a refreshing attitude and a new start. A soulful and Gospel-backed mood reflects this, as slick and polished bass grooves interweave with a sun-soaked vocal outpouring of reflections on growing maturity. The first verse leans heavily into self-respect, with lyrics like “You talk a good game, tried to cross up my brain” and “I let you think that you won, I flip the script like I want/Then stepped over the spot where you tripped” and the second verse is a personal reflection on changes that could be made for the better, as lyrics like “I’ve got a lot of old fears that I’ve got to unlearn and I’m unlearning” as he picks himself up to encourage becoming more open to others. The final bridge of “Shout out to anyone who ever caught me on a bad day, And decided that’s all that I could ever be” hits hard, and he gets the last laugh on “I ain’t got the time to throw stones” as the self-confrontational messages draw to an end. Raw and heated are the words I’d use to describe the tone of the track. As for the instrumentation, we weave through sweet and steady flowing rhythms of Dub instrumentals, low-key synth tones that feel warm, and a honeyed production that sees the radiant, lo-fi acoustic guitar pluckings add a finishing touch during the home stretch. While there’s nothing here that truly blows me away, as I think it could have done without the briefly distracting auto-tune near the end, it’s fresh and it sounds good, with varied instrumentation and an intimate feel which lets Emawk off the leash to show personality among the polish.

  • Pictured: Emawk in the music video for “18” (2019) (Photo Credit: TMRWMagazine.com)

Well, it’s time for me to hit the ‘HIGHROAD’ and get on with my work deadlines for the rest of the day now. A break from the new music spotlight is on the docket for tomorrow, just like usual, however, as we delve into a retro hit from one of my own Dad’s favourite 90’s groups, and beyond, in roughly 24 hours time. The Liverpool indie rock trio are still gaining decent radio airplay, however, particularly for a national football anthem that saw them work with comedian David Baddiel and Absolute Radio presenter Frank Skinner for a sporting sensation that made it to the top of the charts in 1996 and 1998, and then again, in 2018. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

WWE WrestleMania 37 Weekend Special: 21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin – “Ric Flair Drip”

April 11, 2021 — Leave a comment

To be The Man – You’ve got to beat The Man. On that note, it’s time for a special post!

  • Pictured: Alternate Cover Art for “Without Warning” (Released on October 31, 2017) (via Epic Records)

Well… You could say that last night’s events certainly put a whole new meaning into WWE’s ‘Thunderdome’. Once it got going half an hour later than scheduled though, I had a great night. A fantastic main event, a solid opener that picked up the pace and got things moving again pretty well, the sight of seeing my guy Cesaro getting the big win that I thought and hoped he would in an instant classic, two matches that turned out to be better than expected, and only one of the matches fell outright flat, and so that’s pretty good going, all things considered for a pro wrestling show just shy of four hours long. Sunday’s two-day spread of specifically themed posts continues with a look back at a more contemporary track than my offering yesterday with a track themed around the 16-time world champion Ric Flair. Released in 2018 on their ‘Without Warning’ Halloween mixtape, 21 Savage, Offset & Metro Boomin, a trio of US rappers and producers known from other projects like Migos, popularized the term of ‘Drip’ through their Nature Boy tribute. It’s a slang expression for excessive fashion and pompous wealth, and the track has, since it’s release, become the second most-streamed song on the RapCaviar Spotify playlist. It’s also the highest charting single for Offset and Metro Boomin, as leading artists, on the US Billboard Hot 100 chart, peaking to the heights of #13 after the music video went viral. Let’s check it out below.

It was simply emotional to see fans in an actual venue for the first time in over a year, even if the first sights of ponchos and heavy rainfall was one that you simply couldn’t make up. Anyways, part two resumes tonight with the promising line-up of Roman Reigns vs. Edge vs. Daniel Bryan in a Triple Threat main event for the WWE Universal Championship, Asuka vs. Rhea Ripley for the WWE Raw Women’s Championship and Kevin Owens vs. Sami Zayn with a celebrity appearance from the YouTube megastar Logan Paul, to name just a few. Let’s hope the weather holds up. Back to the task at hand, ‘Ric Flair Drip’ is a track which I didn’t recognize by it’s name, but once I hit play on the music video, I instantly knew it. This track was played very heavily on the soundtrack of WWE 2K19, along with a small selection of other tracks. With it’s very recognizably programmed Trap Beats and it’s tense tapestry of moods, it didn’t take me long to gather my thoughts. Lyrically, it plays out as you’d expect, with slang-filled sequences like “Fifty-Seven ninety, Split the coupe on my wrist” and “My car five-hundred and I don’t put no miles on it” that are delivered with a boastful and flauntering attitude, as they glide aggressively over the top of a melodramatic backing beat. There’s some heated String sections and copious amounts of heavy Bassline that dovetail the Grime-inflicted production. There isn’t much of a chorus here, but lyrics that declare 21 Savage as the “Top of the food chain” and flaunter his commercial success as a music artist like “Multi-million dollar, I’m a fool with the hits” that rhyme with preceding lines paint a very clear picture of what they’re getting at here. Icy Keyboard melodies and low-pitched Drum beats make up the darker variations of mood, we get a fun cameo from Ric Flair in the track and the video itself, and that’s your lot. Some of these hooks are decently catchy, and the mood works well even if it doesn’t progress very much. Overall, it feels all a little stereotypical for my liking, with a basic lyrical theme that we’ve seen a hundred times before about money and power, and it doesn’t seem to be pushing many boundaries. The heavy auto-tune effects get rather tiresome and the classic gangster rap picture isn’t doing anything very interesting for them. While it’s not great, it’s pedestrian and it has a brief couple of fun moments. Overall, though, I don’t think it’s really the case of it not really being my thing, I think it’s just pretty bad on the whole. While not inherently offensive, it simply lacks much variation, the songwriting is average, and it gets on my nerves a little bit. So, that leaves me with just one thing left to say – WOOOOOOOOO!

  • Pictured: Ric Flair with the WWF Championship in Albany, New York (1992) (Photo via WWE.com)

That concludes our WrestleMania-centric weekend of blog posts here on the blog, and Scuzz Sundays will make it’s huge return from a two-week hiatus at this point in seven days time. But first, if you missed out on my post yesterday, it’s time to hit the ‘Big Time’ with Peter Gabriel here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2021/04/10/wwe-wrestlemania-37-weekend-special-peter-gabriel-big-time/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “So” (Album/LP) (Released on 19th May, 1986) (via Charisma Records)

That’s all for today – I’ll be back to business as usual tomorrow once I’ve recovered from what’s shaping up to be another late one! That’s what you get for being a WWE fan in the UK though, right? You won’t want to miss out though as we sample the new tune from the final member of the Boygenius trio – which also included the recent breakout stars Phoebe Bridgers and Julien Baker. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Scuzz Sundays: Cypress Hill – “(Rock) Superstar”

March 28, 2021 — Leave a comment

The spiritual “Black Goat” of the Latin American Rap-Metal picture. It’s Scuzz Sunday!

  • Pictured: DJ Muggs, Louis “B-Real” Freese & Eric “Eric Bobbo” Corea (Date n/a) (Photo via Medium.com)

Good Afternoon to you – I’m Jacob Braybrooke and, yet again, it’s time for our weekly throw back to the relics of the Emo era world from between the late-1990’s and the mid-2000’s, to see if the ‘classics’ hold up to that moniker, because it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! Fronted by “The Black Goat” DJ Muggs (who has just put out some more solo material with a new album, for the record) – Cypress Hill, although technically still active, were California-based cornerstones of the Scuzz TV era. They sometimes got polarizing reviews from audiences and critics in a Nickelback or Imagine Dragons sort-of way, but they are still largely seen as the main pioneers of West Coast Hip-Hop from the 90’s, and the group have still sold their way to over 20 million units globally. In 2019, they became the first ever Latin-American rap group to receive a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame. ‘(Rock) Superstar’ was a UK Top 20 single taken from their fifth studio album, ‘Skull & Bones’, released in 2000. It closely resembles the preceding single, ‘(Rap) Superstar’ in it’s duology subject matter, where the album was even divided into two sections on seperate discs – one exploring Rap-Rock and the other exploring Nu-Metal, by way of comparing and contrasting the band’s experiences with these two sub-genres. Check out the music video, with a cameo from Coal Chamber’s bassist Nadja Peulen, below.

If you are less familiar with Cypress Hill – each of the group’s members have always notably advocated for medical and recreational use of Cannabis in the States, which is a crucial stage of their mythos. Collaborations is another – with the 2000 release of ‘Skull & Bones’ alone seeing guest musicians like Chino Moren from Deftones, Brad Wilk from Rage Against The Machine, Dino Cazares from Fear Factory, and even the ‘Rap God’ himself – Eminem – pulling in some appearances. Back to the matter at hand, however, we can see some blurring of the lines between melodic Hip-Hop and commercial Metal on ‘(Rock) Superstar’. The track paints it’s dark tonal picture with the spoken word into by Chino Moreno of Deftones, before a tense violin string and slowly building drum beats gives the track a downbeat vibe. Lines like “I remember the days when I was a young kid growing up/Looking in the mirror dreamin’ bout blowing up” and “I wish it was all fun and games, but the price is high” look back at the dark edges of our childhood dreams. Sen Dogg recites a slightly more involved verse later on, following from the ballad-style narrative that B-Real delivers, rapping the likes of “You wanna look shanty in the Bentley/Be a snob and never act friendly” and “I heard that some never give full to the fullest/That’s while fools end up dining on the bullet” as the string section intensifies. The chorus sees DJ Muggs lay down a Trap beat, as “So you wanna be a rock superstar, And live large, a big house, 5 cars, you’re in charge” and “Comin’ up in the world don’t trust nobody, Gotta look over your shoulder constantly” permeate through the dramatic instrumentation and the harsh synth tones. I get an overall Hamilton vibe from this track – a strikingly similar one, as a matter of fact, while rich String instrumentation and heavily Rap-inspired Spoken Word sections tell the narrative with an intensely cinematic and character-driven style. The subject matter of the track isn’t particularly interesting, but the feel of Paranoia is easy to identify with, as a listener, and the beats remain mostly the same, although there is some decent guitar work going on here, with some distorted sounds and delayed pedal effects contributing to the atmosphere. The vocals feel slightly out-of-place with the Hip-Hop influences, but the drums on the hook make for some palpable aggression. To sum it up, I feel that it works. While there’s nothing here that truly blows me away, it feels different to the type of music that was around elsewhere in the day, and some effort clearly went into building the atmosphere here. An odd sense of commercial roots bogs it down a little and the pure singing abilities aren’t the best and feel a little ‘amateur dramatics’ overall, but the hooks are pretty enjoyable and the Hamiltion-style rapping is fun too. All in all – I’ll give it a thumbs up.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Skull & Bones” (Released on April 25th, 2000) (via Columbia Records)

Thank you for reading my latest blog post! I’ll be back tomorrow to do it all over again – with a new post that features a rising star Indie Rock 4-piece band who have been playing all over the UK and Ireland since they formed in 2015, but they are from West Lothian, Scotland. The band’s material has been used in a national advertising campaign for Strongbow cider. Their new single was released in support of the Scottish Refugee Council, with the quartet donating the budget for the video to the charity. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Genesis Owusu – “Whip Cracker”

March 27, 2021 — 1 Comment

Title not to be confused with the Phil Collins-starring vehicle, Genesis. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Smiling With No Teeth” (LP) (Released on March 5th, 2021) (via OURNESS)

Good Afternoon to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke and – you know the drill by now – it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! The soundtrack to your Saturday comes from the rising star Aussie hip-hop producer Genesis Owusu, who had his origins set in his birth-place of Koforidua in Ghana, but he was relocated to the Australian capital city of Canberra when he was only two years old. I first came to discover Genesis (real name: Kofi Owusu-Ansah) around seven months ago, when his single ‘Don’t Need You’ was featured on The Current’s Song Of The Day podcast. I liked it back then, and I play-listed the track for airplay on my student radio station. All of that time later – his debut studio album, titled ‘Smiling With No Teeth’ was released on March 5th via his own label, OURNESS, and it really has come out of nowhere to become probably the strongest release of the new year so far. Filled with rich, carefully manufactured concepts around mental state and systematic racism, along with deep and satisfying grooves, and the surprise factor, he really has become one of the most exciting new talents for me, and one that I’d highly suggest that you get your finger on the pulse with. Genesis is also the brother of the two-time ARIA Awards-nominated rapper Citizen Kay. I think that my favourite track from the record is probably ‘Whip Cracker’. ‘Easy’, ‘Gold Chains’ and ‘The Other Black Dog’ are highlights too, but this track makes for a natural change of pace between the midway point of the record. On the track, he hits out at the stereotypes of his race and upper-class bigotry, which had been building throughout the previous tracks. Back in June, he released a black-and-white music video for the track, which he says was filmed in almost a single take, and directed by Bart Celestino. Let’s check it out below.

I did not previously know that ‘Whip Cracker’ had already been shared during the heights of the Black Lives Matter cultural movement over the previous summer, but it certainly makes a great deal of sense, with the bold subject matter of the track feeling ripe for those anxiety-inducing moments. Shared on an Instagram post at the time, Genesis wrote: “I’m not gonna sit here and try to convince anyone why me and my family’s lives matter. I’m not gonna be congratulating white people for not being racist, and I’m not gonna beg and plead for the justice of my people anymore. I’m taking that shit.” in his adrenaline-fueled post. He also shared links to Ways To Act, a resource that listed organisations which work with indigenous Australians. Back to the task at hand – ‘Whip Cracker’ is pretty much just that. Bolstered by references to Malcolm X and slavery issues, he delivers lines like “Spit up on my grave, Hope my thoughts behave, we so depraved” and “Hope your soul is safe, We gon’ hold your fate” with a great viscerality and an urgent flow. Rather than feeling like a series of buzz words of his naming and shaming, however, this more vaguely feels like a celebration of outspoken rights attitudes, although Genesis never shies away from the acknowledgement that more work needs to be done. For instance, the main bulk of the track sees an electronically-based synth opening slowly develop into a lovely Post-Punk backing for Genesis to hit his aggressive bars from. The guitar licks and the angular bass riffs just mould themselves into a slightly psychedelic Aussie Synth-Pop conclusion that makes the genre feel wonderfully tricky to really define. It also feels like there is a full backing band sound behind this – instead of just a lyricist and a producer that most modern hip-hop productions are often modelled after. The themes are edgy and rich, but the instrumentation is deeply satisfying too – with a fresh feel, as the metaphors featured in the prior tracks on the new LP are ditched in favour of a short-fuse, outspoken personality. It pays off hugely for Genesis, with the important messages of the track and the exciting production tactics making it feel like a viable, strong argument for the Best Single Of The Year, and I’m sure the record will be making an appearance on my Top Ten lists. I mean, it only takes you some listening to the album to find out that he is clearly not just your average rap artist. It’s fantastic.

  • Pictured: Genesis Owusu in a general promo press shoot (2020) (Photo Credit: Bec Parson/OURNESS)

As previously mentioned, I did cover ‘Don’t Need You’ on the blog back a long while ago, and I wasn’t as familiar with Genesis as I am now, but if you’d like to see how far that we’ve both come since that point, you can still peruse my little musing on that track here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/11/06/todays-track-genesis-owusu-dont-need-you/

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Don’t Need You” (Single) (Released on May 15, 2020) (via Ourness Pty Ltd.)

That’s all I’ve got time for – and probably enough rave reviewing for your eyes to read. They won’t get much of a short rest, however, because duty calls tomorrow for another new weekly entry in our Scuzz Sundays series – where we revisit an Emo-era Pop-Punk classic from the late 90’s up to the mid-00’s. Join me then – for an in-depth look back at a single coming from a Rap-Rock group famously native to South Gate, Carolina who became the first Latin-American Hip-Hop group to earn a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2019. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Noga Erez – “End Of The Road”

March 2, 2021 — Leave a comment

A potential landmark in the journey of an emerging singer-songwriter. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “KIDS” (LP) (Released on March 26th, 2021) (via City Slang Records)

Good Morning to you! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time once again for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of new music every day! A fresh talent born in Isreal, Noga Erez is an eclectic singer, songwriter and producer based in Tel-Aviv who has established a solid creative relationship with her partner, Ori Rousso. We previously covered her Lockdown single, “NO News On TV” a long while ago on the blog, and I liked what I heard back then. The chances are that, even if you may not know who Erez is, you may have heard her music anyway. That’s because her single, “Dance While You Shoot”, was used in a TV advertising campaign for Apple Music following it’s release in 2017. That year, she also released her debut album, “Off The Radar”, to a good critical reception. Four years later, and it’s time for the follow-up. Her sophomore LP, “Kids”, is set to release at the end of the month, on March 26th, via City Slang Records. The announcement was paired with the release of a new single, “End Of The Road”, which reflects on human mortality in the face of a rugged, stylish hip-hop beat and some comically meaningful commentary on modern life. The new LP features collaborations with Blimes and Reo Cragun, and previous singles such as “NO News on TV”. Let’s see her perform her latest track for Succulent Sessions below.

Noga Erez describes her upcoming long-player release as “These are songs about what we inherit from past generations, how we pass things on. How this game of evolution of our culture and humanity is very much in our hands. We were all somewhat at a blank page at some point”, before concluding that, “KIDS talks about humanity’s potential for both beauty and destruction”, in her press release – and now completed with a full backing band, it’s shaping up to be one of her most polished offerings yet. The music influences on “End Of The Road” feel as diverse as they come, with shades of Gorillaz, Fiona Apple and M.I.A. being thrown in a Jazz-oriented production package, and a little bit of Billie Eilish tossed in with the darker pop melodies too. Another striking touch in this single is the Hip-Hop stylings, with Erez rapping lines like “I got celings but I burn in the sun, Never miss one shot, I’m sick as a gun, I got mortal friends, I’m dead as they come” and “Right hand, chop it/Like a pickpocket, You had the mic, Now you can’t drop it” at a quick pace where they can be challenging to keep up with – over the top of a muted backing track with a Jazz-inflicted sheen. The chorus builds on these quiet hip-hop deliveries with a wider scope, as the words and the images work in tandem to craft a more aggressive and fiery character. She sings, “I don’t know what really, really happens at the end of the road” with a sharp edge, as the driving Power-Pop structure and the half-spoken vocals of the hook really drills it’s way into your ears, singing “But, my trip is mad, I ain’t finished, I got loads” to imply that despite having no answers to the reasons for living, we enjoy the growth of our experiences regardless. The third verse plays out as an unbridled torrent of wordplay, with an almost Pseudo-Scat delivery working up a sweat over the top of more playful Alt-Pop instrumentation. Bizarre to a certain extent and eclectic down a tee, it’s a solid single that manages to really show off Erez’s skills of incorporating an edgy personality into her lyricism, and it’s another signifier that superstardom may possibly be on the way for her with it’s wider appeal to audiences.

  • Pictured: Noga Erez performing an “Off The Radar” session (2017) (Photo by Greg Barnes/RedBull.com)

As I just mentioned beforehand, we previously took an in-depth look at Noga Erez’s Lockdown-themed 2020 anthem, “NO News On TV”, on the blog. With lyrics that anybody could very easily relate to, check it out and see what you make of it here: https://onetrackatatime.home.blog/2020/09/19/todays-track-noga-erez-no-news-on-tv/

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “NO News On TV” (Single) (Released on June 23rd, 2020) (via City Slang Records)

That’s the End Of The Road for my music reviews today – I’ve got work to be getting on with, after all. I can’t believe it’s already been a whole week since we cast our mind back to the late-1980’s Jason Donovan last week, but it’s time for another “Way Back Wednesdays” post tomorrow. This week’s pick is different to what’s come before, as we’re going to pay tribute to a Rock-and-Roll Hall Of Fame-inducted US doo-wop vocal group from the mid-to-late 1950’s, as we remind ourselves of their 1959 cover version of “I Only Have Eyes For You” on the blog tomorrow. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Pa Salieu (feat. Mahalia) – “Energy”

February 8, 2021 — Leave a comment

Coventry Market – Although I’m not complaining, it could be draining. New post time!

  • Pictured: Pa Salieu and Mahalia in a recent PR shoot (in 2020) (Photo Credit: Warner Bros Records UK)

Good Morning to you! I am Jacob Braybrooke, and, as per usual, it’s time for me to get typing up for your daily track on the blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to write up about a different piece of music every day! A 23-year-old British-Gambian rapper from Coventry, Pa Salieu was born in to a life where he was surrounded by other musicians and performers, with his Auntie being a Folk singer-songwriter from Gambia. After spending his early life growing up in Slough, Salieu landed the most played track on BBC Radio 1Xtra of 2020 in his debut single, “Frontline”, which he released in January of last year. Since then, he has released his first full-length record (Which he calls a Mixtape, rather than a traditional Album release) titled “Send Them To Coventry”, which earned him tremendous acclaim. It received a Metacritic review aggregate score of 90, as critics cited his experimentation with genres like Dancehall and Afrobeat, within a diverse Grime and Afro-Swing hip-hop template, which critics felt reflected the sonic fluidity of “Black Music” genres in the past and present. After collaborating on tracks with FKA Twigs and SL, Salieu enlisted the help of artists including Ni Santora, Stizee, Kwes Darko and Felix Joseph. The most notable of which is probably “Energy”, in which the Jamaican-British singer and actress Mahalia assists Salieu, on the closing number of the 15-track project. Let’s give this one a shot below.

The music video for “Energy” was directed by Femi Ladi, and in an interview with NME before the release of his mixtape last November, Pa Salieu spoke of his aspirations for the times ahead, explaining: “I’m not coming from a good life. But my music will have very big meaning… I see a better life for me and my family now. I can see that life can change now, I don’t feel so trapped. I can see the view over the horizon”, in reaction to the new-found acclaim signifying a fresh start for his personal and creative life. This sense of peace comes across in “Energy”, where Salieu raps lines like “Crown on my head, I was born shining” and “They put us in the dirt so we keep dying, I’ve died a hundred times and I keep fighting” over the top of a looping instrumental where the 80’s soft-rock synths are mellow, and these lyrical notes of elevation and self-worth are padded out with a rumbling Bass backing and a straightforward Bedroom Pop production. Light elements of Afrobeat flesh out the soundscape with limbering drum beats and sparsely placed guitar licks that evoke a little Funk-Rock. The tones of the instrumentation fit nicely with Salieu’s reminders to “Protect your energy”, in an ode to broadly well-meaning positivity and self-belief. The hook of “They just want your fall ’cause of jealousy” cements these messages of motivation, and the guest spot with Mahalia adds a soulful touch to proceedings. Although brief, it adds a female dynamic to the track that gives it more optimism. It’s usually more difficult for me to connect truly with artists who have been hyped up to the hills by the media like Pa Salieu seems to be, but overall, I think this is a solid performance. Although I think there’s a slight over-reliance on the auto-tune effects here for me, the sound palette has a great range and the lyrics are easy to relate with. It also feels like a good direction for Pa Salieu going forward, as the non-violent and melodic nature of the instrumental beats work nicely to convey the tone. I also like that when you take a look at his guest list, it’s wonderfully inclusive. An exciting artist.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Take Them To Coventry” (Released on November 13, 2020) (via Warner Records)

Well – That’s all I have for you to read today! My daily diary continues tomorrow as you would expect – where you can join me for an in-depth listen to a single from another very exciting emerging talent who I’ve heard about before, but I’ve only recently discovered for myself. She blew me away with her recent performance for KEXP’s Live At Home sessions, and this Colombian electronic music producer loves to describe her own sound as “Bright Music For Dark Times”, the direction of her debut solo LP, which she released last October from the well-known Domino Recordings label. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Christmas Eve Special: Run-D.M.C. – “Christmas In Hollis”

December 24, 2020 — Leave a comment

The 80’s Hip-Hop carol that put the ‘W-Rapping’ on the presents! It’s Christmas Eve…

  • Pictured: Daryll McDaniels, Jason Mizell and Joseph Simmons (1987) (Photo by Michael Ochs/Getty)

Y’all feeling festive yet? Good Morning to you, my name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up on the blog all about your latest track on the daily blog, because it is always my day-to-day pleasure to get writing up about a different piece of music every day! We’re heading across to the States today – for an in-depth look back at “Christmas In Hollis”, released by the illustrious hip-hop trio Run DMC, back in 1987, in the hopes of getting you warmed up for a very different Christmas tomorrow. Hip-Hop isn’t really a genre that’s commonly associated with Christmas music, so let’s make it different – right? The track was released as the lead single of a compilation album of Christmas-themed Hip-Hop music, “A Very Special Christmas”, which hit shop shelves in October of 1987, before it was made available as a standalone single release in November, as the popularity and demand of the track was much higher than expected. You can also find it as a bonus track on the deluxe edition of their 1988 LP, “Tougher Than Leather”, and on the “Christmas Rap” compilation LP. It was produced by the trio, along with Rick Rubin, to benefit the Special Olympics as a charity single, and it takes influence from the trio’s childhood, of which they grew up with in Hollis – a neighborhood in New York City known as Queens, which is notable for having a particularly large community of African-Americans. Let’s stream it below.

Run DMC always strike me as the influential group to be the first who really highlighted the significance of the relationship between the MC and the DJ partnership commonly associated with Hip-Hop music, as well as the first to break barriers in the ways that African-American artists were treated on-screen and behind-the-scenes in the music industry, and this must be a great implication as to why they were voted as The Greatest Hip-Hop group of all-time by MTV in 2007 – as well as becoming the second Hip-Hop group to be inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall Of Fame in 2009. “Christmas In Hollis” is no different – with the trio spitting some smooth bars to emphasize their cultural, historical and artistic significance, despite it being condensed into a festive format which feels commercially viable, yet fun and – dare I say – cheesy. A smoky Jazz-infused trumpet opening leads to a fast verse, where Mitzel raps: “I picked the Wallet up, then I took a pause/Took out the license and it cold said Santa Claus” to tell a narrative of a Santa mishap. It’s adorned with fun Seasonal samples of traditional Christmas carols and festive Sleigh Bell melodies, before Daniels chips in for the next verse, by rapping: “It’s Christmas time in Hollis, queens” and “The rhymes you hear, are the rhymes of Daryl/But each and every year we bust Christmas carols” before short and snappy samples that layer traditional Carol sounds together as we build back to the Jazz-influenced rhythms of Run DMC’s rap sounds. The three come together for a final, hook-led chorus, as they exclaim: “So, open your ears and lend us an ear/We want to say/Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year” over the top of a proud, explosive Saxophone melody. The vocals are confident, and the short duration of the track allows for a decent amount of depth to be spreaded across the course of the three minutes of running time. Overall, this is a track that’s gone down as a modern classic of alternative Christmas tunes, and I think the fun sample work and the thick Jazz interludes both hold up nicely to this day. I think the reason why it works for both the mainstream and the more music-obsessed is because Run DMC manage to reflect their personality as artists throughout the quirky track, as well as expressing a good affinity for the Festive track format that are attractive to the more casual ears. Unique and cheesy – both in the best way possible.

  • Pictured: Cover Art for “Christmas In Hollis” (Single) (Released on Nov 25th, 1987) (via A&M Records)

Thank you for checking out my Christmas Eve special for this year! Hopefully, you enjoyed seeing me seek out the track, and you’ll be willing to come back for some more festive cheer tomorrow, and the second part of my unique and different trilogy of seasonal songs over the period. Tomorrow’s track comes from a style which I wouldn’t typically roll with – here on the blog. It comes from an artist who… You know, I’ve been working on it for a weekend or so now, and so I just won’t spoil anything for you. Come back tomorrow and you’ll find out where this is going. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/

Today’s Track: Blimes & Gab – “Baptism”

December 18, 2020 — Leave a comment

Set flame to your lighter. Roll your papers. Let’s get down to business. New post time!

  • Pictured: Cover Artwork for “Talk About It” (Released on June 26th, 2020) (via B.A.G. Enterprises Inc.)

Good Afternoon! My name is Jacob Braybrooke, and it’s time for me to get typing up, yet again, all about today’s track on the blog, since it’s always my day-to-day pleasure to do so. Back to my laptop now, since my new charger has worked a treat so far, although writing my last two posts using my smartphone wasn’t really that bad, as it seemed slightly quicker. Nevertheless, we’re going to be taking a break from all the Christmas music for today so that we can keep things fresh! In fact, I’ve even got some underground West Coast Hip-Hop to show to you today. “Baptism” comes from the Seattle-based MC/Lyricist duo of Blimes Brixton and Gifted Gab – who go by Blimes & Gab. Their debut LP, “Talk About It” was released earlier, in the summer, through the B.A.G. Enterprises indie hip-hop label. This gained a ton of support from radio station KEXP in particular, as well as a positive critical reception, with most reviewers paying attention to their music video for the single, “Come Correct” which became a viral hit in 2018, by gaining over 10 million views on YouTube. They’ve also gained coverage from Billboard and HipHopDX. Let’s take a listen to “Baptism” below.

“Talk About It” gained support from fellow rappers Rah Digga and Joyner Lucas, with the duo describing their own project as “In order to talk about it, you got to be about it” in a recent interview with the GRAMMY’s, adding: “I think the vision behind {our album} is just, they’re always going to have something to say, always going to have something to talk about, so we might as well give them something to talk about” to express their female status in the face of adversity. “Baptism” makes amazing use of a Gospel backing vocal, contorting and molding around the shape of a Hymn verse sample, as Brixton and Gab deliver some smooth, flowing bars on top of an ushered, symphonic rhythm. Lyrics like “Y’all be taking double L’s like you hang around the J/You’re not down to blaze with two girlies from around the way” come thick and fast, at a melodic pace, with a briefly floating Piano section lurking between the layers, before coming into it’s own more fully near the conclusion at the end of the track. Bars like “90’s energy, like Keanu Reeves in denim jeans” hint at the influences that 90’s culture has on their sound, while lines such as “Can’t leave rap alone, we gotta hell ground to break” feel more rooted in political action and a call for non-stereotyped change in the music industry. The wordplay is clever, as Blimes and Gab deliver the lyrics which feel introductory to them as artists, telling us that they’re all about real songwriting, real rappers and real hip-hop, which is appropriate given the fact that “Baptism” is actually the opening track of their full-length album. Overall, it sounds pretty smooth – and I’m pleased to hear a lack of auto-tune which, for me, tends to plague releases from the likes of more mainstream names like Drake and Post Malone infused into their modern releases. On a contrary note, Blimes and Gab feel more old-school, with a sound that’s comparable to Public Enemy in the 90’s, and representing a melodic aggression alike Run The Jewels. Lyrics are a little generic, but the commentary on gender politics, and the chemistry of the two, keeps things sharp.

  • Pictured: MC Gifted Gab & Blimes Brixton in a promotional shoot (in 2020) (Photo via LADYGUNN.com)

Thank you for checking out my latest blog post! As usual, I’ll be back tomorrow – With a brilliant Festive track that I’ve been looking forward to writing to you about all week now. It comes from a Rastafarian-to-Christian supergroup who center their musical output around the personality of Mark Mohr, the front-man of the band, who is an ordained minister of religious faith. If you really liked what you just read, why not follow the blog to get notified when every new daily post is up and why not like the Facebook page here?: https://www.facebook.com/OneTrackAtATime/