This week the Shuffle Button won’t sound exactly the same as it usually does. Featuring rap and trap and without house music, it’s a bit of a departure from the usual fare. Don’t worry there’s still some Baltimore club and drum and bass in here, so we’re not too far off base.
Cam’ron feat. Kanye West & Syleena Johnson – Down And Out
Cam’ron, the poster child for New York City rap collective the Diplomats (Dipset!), put the rap world on notice with Purple Haze. With a mix of gritty beats and graphic rhymes he took the mantle of hottest New York rapper in 2004.
For “Down And Out” he teamed up with Kanye West and Brian “All Day” Miller to marry those striking lyrics with masterful production that was soulful yet aggressive.
One of the lighter songs on the album, it served as one of the more radio ready singles leading up to the release.
TNGHT – Higher Ground
Trap as a genre gained popularity in the early to mid 2010’s. This is not to say that it didn’t exist before, it just was on the fringe of the electronic music popularity.
Ushering in the popularity of the genre was this massive song by TNGHT. The duo consisted of Lunice and Hudson Mohawke, legendary producers long before “trap” entered the casual electronic music fan’s vocabulary. “Higher Ground” was a great example of the new sound that would soon take over the scene and challenge dubstep for bass music supremacy.
Imposing rhythms laid over a slowed down but heavy bass-line became staples for the genre during its invasive growth within the electronic music scene.
James Nasty feat. DJ Dizzy & Mario – Keep On
Keeping on this ghetto flow, but jacking up the pace, we’re moving into some Baltimore club.
James Nasty and DJ Dizzy put in work to bring more than just a standard bass-line into the mix with “Keep On”. By including bongos into the track, the song has a different sound that frankly you don’t hear much in the genre. Combining unique instrumental elements with perfectly placed vocal samples, this track will get you hype.
Danny Byrd feat. Ky Lenz – Hold Up The Crown
Danny Byrd has been on a tear recently. He’s released a bunch of big tunes in the past few months and he keeps his streak going here.
Byrd seems to have nailed down his sound and keeps producing music that’s upbeat, energetic, and easy to listen to. He does it again in “Hold Up The Crown”. His classic synthesized bass-line and sunny vibe plays so well with Ky Lenz’s happy and upbeat vocals.
Vini Vici, Emok, Martin Vice, & Off Limits – In & Out
To wind down the standard portion of the post, we’re jacking up the energy with some psytrance. Although preaching easy breathing (In and Out, get it?), this track is far from soothing. Instead it possesses a lively and pulsing beat that propels energy into you.
“In & Out” is hyper and aggressive, but with the right amount of melody. It’s the kind of song that you hear when you’ve been in the club for hours and you don’t know what time it is.
CHOOOOOOON of the Week
Kanye West – New Slaves
Kanye West is a bit of an enigmatic musician. He’s got the whole mad scientist thing going which works for him and against him. His music always ranges a ton between albums.
One thing that does stay consistent is that even though it’s not necessarily explicit, there tends to be a theme to each of his albums. Yeezus is an interesting case study. You can tell that throughout the whole album he’s trying to push the boundaries in his productions. The true stars of the album are the beats that underpin the biggest songs.
“New Slaves” has the subtlety of a sledgehammer. The name of the song is controversial, and the lyrics are unapologetic. However, the production is the most interesting part of the song. As the beat comes in, it’s menacing yet minimalist. The distorted bass hits your chest like a load of bricks and the intimidating demeanor stays throughout the whole song. That is until, it COMPLETELY changes into something soft and soulful. It’s a jarring switch that shows his reckless abandon.
Kanye West is a complicated personality, many of the things he says are hard to agree with. One thing that’s undeniable is that’s he’s a visionary when it comes to producing music.
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