Unapologetic Art Rap is the most mature, self-assured debut album I’ve heard since Illmatic.

I know – “BLASPHEMER, YOU ARE!!!” – is screaming through your brain like a date rape freight train. After you calm down and listen to the canvass painted on by the man with the talons, the frenzied, fan boy rage will have subsided enough for you to observe the future of rap through a new, burgeoning lens. Plain and simple: Open Mike Eagle has, by himself, restored the luster to Project Blowed. And in a larger context, Los Angeles as a trailblazing galaxy of gregarious gangsters and humble hardrocks. Trumping all of these accomplishments, though, is his bombastic escape from the shadow of Abstract Rude.

Whenever OME’s name is referenced, comparisons are immediately drawn between him and Ab Rude. Don’t get me wrong, that’s not the worst thing in the world if you’re a rapper. However, in order for an artist to truly be able to thrive and cut the umbilical creativity-commonality cord, they must be identifiable, self-identifiable and viable. OME decisively establishes himself as his own man and a fore bearer of the new-new-new school. Class is in session, too. A bold warning I’ll undoubtedly be mocked for: THIS IS NOT AN ALBUM FOR DUMB MOTHER FUCKERS. If the last book you read was authored by the modern day warrior scribe Tom Clancy or the last album you stole from your ex-girlfriend’s iPod was anything with the name Gucci Mane attached, delete this before you download it.

OME is vitally aware of this and plays it to his benefit on the tongue-in-cheek opener “Art Rap Party.” The hook? “Ain’t no party like an art rap party ‘cuz an art rap party’s so smart.” Smarmy sandwich anyone? Anticon and all of it’s off shoots and all of their off shoots tried this and failed, some valiantly and some by way of Valium. Humble arrogance is a beast under the control of a laser-focused, self-aware, self-deprecating microphone controller the likes of OME. The sheer number of quotables is staggering. “Freak Flag” is the after party to UAR‘s intro. Accompanied by an ill hook Mike ponders:

Son of a preacher man/Dancin’ like peter pan/Suckin’ on a thermal meter to see where my fever lands/Should I call the doctor or just dial the Reefer Man?/Either plan is decent, I just wish to breathe again

Infuckingdeed. If you’ve yet to peep “iRock”, an OME staple, it wins 365-days-a-year and then some. I’m glad the song finally finds a permanent address in this neighborhood. “Rap Protection Prayer” finds OME fighting victoriously against a sickeningly, gets under your skin, guitar riff and bringing it all together by using a surprisingly infectious hook as the glue. Although I’m not an admirer of men singing in the nefarious world of underground rap (it still exists!), his harmonizing in the last minute is a welcomed finisher. “Helicopter” is a frenetic, violently oscillating trek that concludes with the Talon Man annihilating the final minute. “Mistakes” follows and features the masterwork’s first guest Alpha MC. In his own right Alpha MC has the credentials, but this is his patna’s playground and he is vastly overshadowed by the eagle’s wings. Is it possible to dislike a song containing the line,

go write a rap about vagina meat

Is it? The goofy ending is a nice touch, too.

“WTF is Art Rap?” is a hands down impeccable interlude. First of all, the beat is one of those pitched-down, big, banging boat trips into the harmonic gut of the producer. The show’s star, OME of course, is mocking Maxwell and D’Angelo and their mass marketed, faux-sexuality. Whether he intended to or not, over the course of this interlude he essentially sums up hip hop as a whole remarking:

yo, i’m about to aggressively point out my favorite elements of this van gough painting, (AND BATTLE RAP OVER WINE AND CHEESE) the winner gets a $50 whole food gift card and six american apparel t shirts

Interludes are somewhere near impossible to pull off properly and this exceeds those standards. Wasting no time we trudge back into the thickets and meet the demolition duo that is the City of Lost Angels’ Nocando, the album’s second guest, and OME. “Unapologetic” is a shred session reveled in by two friends capable of spitting syllabic circles around the world’s most revered, meta-battle rappers who will never successfully transition from one night stands to franchises. While the beat is shifting underneath the pair like holographic disco frisbees, Nocan and the Talon Man are blatantly bringing race to the forefront and scoffing at how it translates in the world they find themselves trapped in. OME’s trademark syrup speed in full-force he delivers this devastating payload into the center of hearts the world round:

Scenes built on the backs of black rappers/Somehow, When I’m askin’ for cash you can’t answer/The same folks that shackled my ancestors come to watch us battle and cackle like Fran Drescher/That’s the demographic since it’s been adapted/Bottled up and sold in some old nigger magic

Get some. Coupled with Nocando’s daggers, this track is the true samurai. “Pissy Transmissions” I could live without if I had to, but it’s OME inebriated narrating a classic blues break with a tale of the woes a woman can cause. When we finally meet guest number three, he comes to us in the form of West Coast legend Busdriver. His cameo is of much importance because it again does what a guest spot is supposed to do: LET THE STAR OF THE SHOW SHINE. I’ve seen Busdriver perform live and he is the embodiment of what any and every MC should aspire to. He’s a nuclear bomb inside a nuclear bomb and the fact that OME has the chops to easily go toe-to-toe with him speaks powerfully of his range. They’re two freak show rappers and are unafraid to announce it.

“Partly Cloudy” is a worthy B-side to “iRock.” Although it starts off with startling similarity, it rapidly gains its own personality, Another brick in the wall cementing the West Coast’s relevance as a warp zone of forward thinking. “Easter Surgery” avoids the coming-of-age cliches that cloud so-called “religious raps.” Mike points to the pitfalls and popularity that all too often blur the line between belief and blather. Preachy at parts, I’m guessing anyone who listens to it will instantly identify their own connection to the subject matter. “Garbage Man” and “Mole In Your Ministry” are almost one extended version of the same song. OME structures these conceptual gems and polishes them until they sparkle in the light of day. Staking his claim in the stream of conciousness category he unloads on topics as farflung as veganism and classicism without projecting the energy of a sign-waving douche bag. An amazing feat in 2010.

“Go Home” is this journey’s finish line. Swim Team slice-and-dice their way through yet another impossible-not-to-nod-your-head-to beat. It’s reminiscent of a lighthearted posse cut that plays during the credits of some cult classic, nineties teen movie. One of the ones you sleep on until it grabs your attention one day.

Despite the advance copy, there are no production credits I could find for each individual song. I will say, though, whoever produced this album and participated in its engineering is who I want to hear more from. Aurally thick is the only way to describe this album. Between the vocals and the dense, multi-layered production, headphones IS A MUST. Whatever the Talon Man tries next, I’m joining the National Audubon Society to keep tabs.

10/10.

May 11th on Mush Records.

Peace,
Employee

Preorder here

The Talon Man himself delivered a copy of his Mush debut Unapologetic Art Rap to my Gmail yesterday (nh). I’m jazzercised seeing as how OME is one of a handful of West Coasters I keep tabs on (nh). Expect a review from Pimployee inside of the next week at the latest.

A blast from the past:

“Career Advice”

“The Ballad of Netty”

“The Financial Crisis”

Another Roadside Attraction (EP)

1. Bloody Show
2. Career Advice
3. The Ballad of Netty Armstrong
4. Combustible Party Truck ft. Rift Napalm, Rogue Venom & Nocando
5. The Shoulder Shrug
6. Gratefultude
7. Sacrifices
8. The Financial Crisis Song (We’re in a Recession/Beat-theft Mix) Stolen from Bullion

Another Roadside Attraction EP

Peace,
Employee

‘Tis the season. Swim Team/Project Blowed holiday hollerations from Sahtyre & DJ Zo.

Sahta Clause EP

Peace,
Employee

So last Friday was my son’s first birthday. His nickname is King Popcorn so we got him a little birthday crown and threw him a party that he cried himself to sleep in the middle of. That night I performed and bartended at a fundraiser for a non-profit that I work with, after that I went to a show and ciphered with C-Rayz Walz, Mikah 9, and P.E.A.C.E.

Its been a helluva year.

When I think of 2009, I make this face where I put my chin to my chest , open my eyes real wide, and look up into my head…its my face trying to help my brain wrap itself around how acutely insane this calendar year has been.

Musically, this has easily been the best year I’ve seen. My group (Thirsty Fish) and I signed to Mush Records earlier this year. The group was commissioned to record a new album and we’re finishing the last song this week. It features production from Exile, Daedelus, Tokimonsta, Omid, Awkward, and others…Sonically, it’s the highest quality project that I’ve been involved with and I truly believe its going to turn some heads. Classic group-rap symmetry meets thumping production and relevant content. Everyone that’s gotten a sample thus far has been wowed but that might not mean much as I haven’t gone out of my way to audition the music for anyone that doesn’t like me.

During the creation of said awesome record, the good people at Mush took a liking to my solo LP “Unapologetic Art Rap”. This was a surprise. Not because I don’t have high rap-self-esteem. I have very high rap self-esteem (mostly). I was surprised because I made this record in my house with the intention manufacturing and distributing it…from my house.

I’ve heard and read quite a few people argue that the age of the record label is dead, and that their services are no longer needed. There’s definitely something to be said for controlling one’s own destiny and thereby claiming all of one’s dime. But I think there’s also something to be said about having other people to work on your behalf. Especially people who are already good at what they do. I’ve done some PR and distro work and it sucked balls. I can’t believe that there are people who enjoy calling other people and trying to convince them to take chances on unpredictable shit. But these folks are out there. I’ve met a couple. I like it when they’re on my side.

I’ve got to admit, though, the hype machine has eaten a few rap souls this year, too. Once again the industry looks to the underground with the intent to harvest the next phenom. Except that this time, the instability of the buying public, and the fickle nature of hipster love have left label heads unsure of what image to impose upon their new signees. They’ve opted to let Wale, Murs, Cudi, and Kid Sister be themselves (themselves?…) with varying degrees of success. In many of these cases, the media that edifies them during their meteoric rise is left unimpressed by the final product. Have artists forgotten how to make albums, or have critics forgotten what a new rap artist sounds like? I wouldn’t know. I don’t really like rap.

I can’t front on how good rap has been to me this year, though. I toured Japan (does two shows count as a tour? They were in different cities…I had to take a train….) then toured in the states twice. I put out a well received, although somewhat ignored EP (that I really like). My crew, the Swim Team, is coming up all over the place, touring, battling, and putting out great music. I featured on Abstract Rude’s Rejuvenation LP and recorded with other artists that I have great respect for like Busdriver and Serengeti. I even got some love on PhilaFlava , and they stopped fucking with fools with dreadlocks like five years ago.

Here’s to next year being even better, but for now..im gonna hop off my own Johnson…and go back to the real world…where indie rap accomplishments don’t mean much.
________________________

A tip of the hat to Open Mike Eagle. In case you missed it:

“Career Advice”

“The Ballad of Netty”

“The Financial Crisis”

1. Bloody Show
2. Career Advice
3. The Ballad of Netty Armstrong
4. Combustible Party Truck ft. Rift Napalm, Rogue Venom & Nocando
5. The Shoulder Shrug
6. Gratefultude
7. Sacrifices
8. The Financial Crisis Song (We’re in a Recession/Beat-theft Mix) Stolen from Bullion

Another Roadside Attraction (<---Download the EP)

More Open Mike here.

Peace,
Employee

Swim Team status. Alpha MC let loose this free piece halfway through the summer. Excellent L.A. music.

Loving Life

I also wanted to re-up Nocando’s The Patient EP. Listening to this more and more, I really am beginning to believe that this guy has the capacity, with the right production behind him, to put together an album as enduring as Aceyalone’s All Balls Don’t Bounce.

The Patient

Peace,
Employee