The visual accompaniment to the anthemic Somebody, directed by ST Trillsburge. Some context and commentary courtesy of Codie G:
This video was shot in the same neighborhood as Antione Dodson a few days before all his viral bonanza started. It’s great that it’s coming out after that because this is our version of what’s going down in Huntsville. We have highlighted over the years so much of what’s makes this city such as NASA, Redstone Arsenal, etc but this is the first time we dove into the gentrification going on in our city i.e. the Starshipz and Rocketz cover. Well this is the first video.
The contrast in this is the two schools shown and the two sets of housing projects. One we show the past, Boarded up schools and projects to a school that just closed down “For Sale” to a housing project on the chopping block for closure. The mural is from library satellite in another housing projects, Mason Court. The irony in this work of art is it’s hidden from the major thoroughfare running parallel to the library for the world to see. I call it hidden hope. With that said i give you the “Somebody” video
One detail about the video I want to point out – note that everyone is holding microphones. This is a clever touch that connects the dots between documentary and performance aspects of the video, underscoring the song’s compelling relationship of medium and message. Props to whoever came up with that idea.
Wi-Fi is the standout on Clova’s new solo mixtape, the song that showcases both his underrated rapping abilities and his developing production skills. It’s also the most G-side-ish track on the whole thing (obviously not counting the actual G-side tracks). The rest of the Koolest Kid is no slouch either, being especially valuable in presenting a side of Clova not usually seen in the group setting. There is a bit too much interference from the DJ for my taste, but that can be overlooked.
Today we conclude the promotional portion of DB49 week with two exclusive solo DB49′er efforts, one from Bentley and one from Kristmas. DB49′s debut album Happy Hour drops tomorrow, you might as well start pre-gaming now. The album is conveniently free, so you have more money to spend on beer and weed and DB49 merch or whatever you like to get fucked up on. As of post time it’s around 9 only in certain parts of Europe and Africa, the rest of you got no excuse.
First up alphabetically we got Bentley’s I Know. The song is a slightly off-kilter/drunken take on typical rapper/r&b chick collaborations, dedicated to the universal subject of bitches. You get a nice mellow nod-inducing beat from Mr. Beatnik, two hilarious Bentley verses as bookends, and some sweet crooning from guest songstress Ahu in the middle (her phrasing of ‘I know all the bitches’ is profoundly bonerrific). There’s also a nice little bit reminiscent of the ‘vertical hold’ gag from The Man On The Moon, you’ll know it when you hear it.
Next we got Why I Wanna from Kristmas. Here Professor Kristmas gets his Harvard on to give a 301 level class about the in and outs of the W2 Boy philosophy, with detailed arguments and examples and an appropriate soundbite from ATL to drive the point home. The song was co-produced by Bossman and R.Dot. It premiered officially last night on Baller’s Eve radio.
Big thanks to Codie G for blessing us with the exclusives. Art credits go to Bentley (who came up with the idea for the pic above) and John Turner Jr (who brought it to life).
Next year DB49 and Obama dollaz will change a housewife into a ho: #changeyoucanbelievein
DB49 week continues bumpin’ and gridin’ along towards the Friday release of the Happy Hour album. This track is a bonus of sorts, it will be featured on an upcoming DBG mixtape but will not be on the album. G-Side’s Clova was on the boards for this one and also has a guest verse, hopefully you will see a full solo mixtape from him posted here sometime soon.
DB49 is what happens when the W2 boys get off work. I’m going to have the pleasure of attending the DB49 album release party this coming Friday, and if it’s anything like the video above I’m in for some shit. Stay tuned for a club picture with my bong.
UPDATE: A new interview with Kristmas aka The Freshest Fatboy On The Planet just popped up on the twitter courtesy of Grade A Muzik. You can see that below the jump.
Errybody is going crazy for the Yelawolf/Gucci Mane collaboration, but to me this song is way more interesting (and better). There are a couple of really cool things happening here… He starts with a soft spoken word delivery which gradually rises to an intensity of a mad preacher’s sermon and finally morphs into fast rap. The beat evolves from minimal keys with chipmunk vocals into a drone, then adds layer after layer of drums until things get vaguely jungle-ish. It’s all a bit weird and proggy and experimental and doesn’t even feel like rap in the traditional sense of the word. This is a different side of Yelawolf, I’d like to see more of it.
This is good day for mixtapes, first Gibbs now this. You know SMS puts out quality product, and the O’Third crew has been on a particularly winning streak lately (see here). And you know releases from Huntsville are always family affairs, so there’s bound to be a cast of luminaries involved. So you know you gotta download this one.
EDIT: Had to revise the post a little after listening. There are nowhere near as many guests on here as I thought there would be. It’s an O’Third showcase all the way through, and it does a great job of displaying their considerable talents. Calling it a mixtape doesn’t do it justice either, as a cohesive statement of purpose it’s better than many ‘official’ albums released this year (granted, these semantic distinctions don’t matter much anymore).
DJ Cunta does really well but Kristmas steals the show. It doesn’t even sound like he’s performing a song here, more like he’s on top of a mountain somewhere yelling at god.
R.Dot (aka the SMS Intern) crafted my favorite G-Side song since Hunstville International and for this he deserves some attention. Here are two of his patented IvyLeague remixes. Honestly I’m not too crazy about the Jay-Z one, it’s a little anemic for my taste but I can see others enjoying it. On the other hand, his transformation of Weezy’s dense stomper into a breezy stroll is a big success.
A brief but informative look into the minds of CP and Mali, aka the Block Beattaz aka the architects of the Huntsvegas sound, as recorded by Grade A Muzik.
For more insight into the Huntsville scene, check out this interview Grade A did about a month ago with SMS mastermind Codie G.
