(1) first go to www.djztrip.com and launch player. Listen to the tunage.
(2) new computer is bitchin' fast
(3) I want to shout to to 90.3 BC's radio station and one show in particular - Funk to the Folks / Schoolbeats by Brian Coleman Mondays 5:30 to 7:30. This is a great show ! Starts with 1970's funk moves to 1980's rap/hip hop and then plays today's underground stuff. This is where I first heard of Z-trip. Check it out.
(4) A historical note. I think rap first peaked around 1989/1990. When I listen to Brian's show, you hear the early stuff. Simpler beats, straight forward rap, not every one trying to be a gangster positive vibe. Even the bragging is good natured. This is good stuff, Think what was out then : Run DMC, LL Cool J, Shcooly D, Ice T/NWA (when west coast was still looked down on), Boogie Down Productions (figured most people would not know BDP), Rob Bass, Fresh Prince, Salt n Pepa, Rakim. De la soul had just hit and Beastie Boys/dust Brothers put out the radical album Paul's Boutique which, as well as changing rap as much as NWA with it's radical sampling, crossed the color barrier. Rick Rubin was everywhere. Admit it - you even liked Vanilla Ice. But even bigger than all that was Public Enemy. "Fear of a Black Planet" has just hit - an awesome album Fight the Power, Welcome to the Terrordome, etc. side 2 was a DJ tour de force equal to Paul's Boutique. Listening to Funk to the Folks, you realize how much PE set the tone and style. - beat structure, positivity. Dr. Dre may had set the standard for rap after, but PE reveberated accros all pop music.
(5) Which brings us today's business. "Is it the DJ or the music?" Well here, it's the DJ but ztrip keeps the balance between the two that makes a great record. The first half of the album is a big house party. This is old school rap - Public Enemy (see "about face", "furious") is clearly the number one influence. Not the pounding hyper beats but crisp, straig ahead rythm. Beats are stripped down but not overly simple. MC's like Soup of Jurassic 5 bring their skills and keep the party going. Whipper Whip may be peurto rican but he could pass for Flavor Flav (chuck D era, pre vh1). About half way through, we switch over to house/techno style. ztrip can do that too. Walking Dead could be God Lives Underwater. In general, I find techno a little boring but z-trip can do it as well as rap. Once final shift occurs when Chuck D (yes that Chuck D) - his track is "shock and awe" and its a guitar romp. Not a hummable tune but powerful as he shouts down everyone, sounding like a rocking, left wing Bill Cosby.
I would have given it 5 stars but z-trip does go the Public Enemy route occasionally - military beats, over the top monologues. Yeah it's interesting, relevant and topical but doesn't hold up to repeated listening. For instance, revolution part 1 does the job - we don't need to turn it into a 15 mintue song by adding part 2. However, there is more than enough here to meet the standard.
Don't miss :
Listen to the DJ - perfect crossover rap/dj song
They get down - house party deluxe
Take Two Copies - Jethro Tull sample. rap needs more flute music.
Bury me Standing - Hard core for the rock crowd.
Breakfast Club - "If you can't relate to this song, you're takin this shit too seriosuly" celebration of Saturday morning cartoons
Walking Dead - Who let Joy Division in ?
Shock and awe - Chuck D does body count
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