Trap Tuesday: Waka Flocka

The name itself speaks volumes of nothing, like a lot of his music.  But just like the music, the name is strangely enjoyable.  There's something of a visceral connection to the music that Waka Flocka creates.  There is nothing deeply interesting about it, but it is able to incite an energy something along the lines of heavy metal, and I think the two are quite similar.  Although more attention is still paid to lyrics than in most heavy metal songs.  A member of Gucci Mane's 1017 Brick Squad, Flocka takes cues from Radric Davis in content but has established a very different style.



As his name has become more prominent, owing recently to the video for "O Let's do it," many have begun to question the merits of the music he makes.  I think it is a valid conversation to have.  I value the musical output of a number of Atlanta-based artists far more and would much prefer to see artists like Pill break into the mainstream market first.  However, I do appreciate some of his music and certainly feel that it has a place in this genre.  I'd also like to point out that Waka Flocka is one of the few to bring a unique sound to rap in recent years.  The fact that his music sounds quite different is part of what seems to be gaining him both so many supporters and detractors.  Mark me as a fan of some of his songs, but I can't align myself with either camp yet.  However, I would argue that his music has value.

Watch the video for "O Let's do it," and it is easy to see that the music is created in the context of getting an audience hyped.  It's hard not to feel the energy in the song, and even harder to sit still when listening to it.  The song, like a lot of Flocka's material, combines elements of crunk, snap, and trap music, synthesizing some of the popular elements of Atlanta's music culture.  The fact that it is so rooted in this culture makes it a far more organic and authentic expression of populism than the carefully manufactured fun of LMFAO's shit-tastic "Shots." It's meant for a party atmosphere, but I would argue that its unique sound makes it transcend that designation.  However, the simple fact that it is party music will make some question its worth.  Critics making this argument seem to have forgotten the importance that similarly themed songs had on the development of rock and roll.  "The Twist" for example, is completely asinine but Rolling Stone named it one of the 500 greatest songs of all time.  While it is repetitive and simple, it had an undeniable energy and played an important role in the development of rock.  One can also look to some of The Beatles' early material, with songs like "Twist and Shout" serving a similar purpose.  The point is not to say these songs are the same; Chubby Checker and The Beatles had a lasting impact, while I find it unlikely that Waka Flocka will.  It is important, though, to point out the similarities when arguing about a song's "worth."  Those early 1960's dance tunes were an expression of a changing youth culture that defined America in the following decades.  "O Let's do it" is a similar expression of a shifting southern hip hop culture.

Trap Tuesday

You could almost call this one the prison edition after the events of last week.

Lemonade - Gucci Mane:  Both singles for the upcoming album have been relatively good, and after Gucci's incarceration last week, "Lemonade" was leaked ostensibly to keep some of the buzz going.  The track is produced by Bangladesh of "A Milli" fame and features an uptempo piano vamp as the centerpiece and an odd children's sing-a-long sounding chorus.  It's a little on the fruity side, but I suppose that makes sense given the title.  It's also surprisingly enjoyable.  After seeing the tracklist for The State Vs. Radric Davis I'm not too optimistic about the cohesiveness of the album.  This is one of the few songs without a feature and I'm willing to bet it will be one of the best come the release date.

Done it All - Lil Boosie:  Boosie also caught some time last week.  He was set to do about a year, but after violating the terms of his house arrest he'll be out in two with good behavior.  "Done it All" was released shortly after he entered prison and looks to be featured on an upcoming mixtape.  This sounds like the kind of song you'd make when you're a little pissed off, looking at a bleak future.  It's pure bragging over wahed guitars and synth horns.

Jets Over Everything - Curren$y:  Curren$y still hasn't really broken out yet, which is disappointing because there's some clear talent, and it shows especially in this song.  He sure likes metaphors related to being fly. Curren$y is currently working on an album with Mos Def and Jay Electronica under the name Center Edge Territory.  Word is Dame Dash got them together while Mos Def was working on the Blackroc album; the first project from Dame's new label featuring hip hop acts over instrumentals provided by the Black Keys.  This new "supergroup" is especially appealing in the sense that the pairing of acts was unexpected.  It isn't Mos Def, Black Thought, and Pharoahe Monch (though that would be fucking incredible), but instead is joining artists stylistically and regionally very separate.  You have Mos' New York traditionalism mixed with his jazz obsession, Jay's left-field associational rhyming, and Curren$y's Weezy-y leanings.  Clearly, the project has my support.

Trap Tuesday: The Appeal of Gucci Mane

If someone were to ask me (unlikely) who the most influential black man in America has been in 2009, it would come down to a toss-up between Barack Obama and Gucci Mane. I'm unsure whether this is a testament to Obama's lack of action in some areas, or to the fierce dedication of a newly paroled man out to prove something. And there's no doubt Gucci had something to prove, to himself, and to the world after his last album Back to the Traphouse was a critical and commercial failure. Ever since stepping out of prison in March, he's done nothing but slowly and steadily climb to the top of the rap world. It's been a meteoric rise to the top, faster (especially without a proper release) than anybody I have seen in recent years, and most notably he has done so by eschewing today's popular means of attention-seeking, instead sticking to the basics with a flood of features and mixtapes. It's been interesting to watch his emergence, starting from the streets and the blogs to now being a consistent fixture on hip-hop stations.

Consequently, a lot of people aren't fans. They often say they just don't “get” him, or they understand his popular appeal but don't understand why I, as a discerning rap listener enjoy his music. I didn't initially, but I became a convert after the release of the celebrated Writing on the Wall mixtape in mid-Spring. It was the song “Gorgeous” that specifically caught my attention, and I still believe it to sit among the finest he's released this year. It also became the blueprint for a number of his other noteworthy songs and propelled his notoriety forward. Writing on the wall indeed.

But where did that appeal come from? The same people who claim not to “get” Gucci Mane are the ones who offer up hypotheses: it's the beats, it's the party tunes, it's his charisma, it's some intangible that certain people are born with. Aside from his ear for production and his ability to craft good party tracks, it really isn't any of the above, and those two alone won't get you as far as Gucci has come. I tend to think attributing his success to charisma is one of the least valid arguments. The man has a potbelly, looks kinda dopey, and speaks/raps with a pretty noticeable lisp. These same people immediately discount a lyrical basis for his appeal as if ball-out subject matter and lyrical ability are mutually exclusive. I certainly don't speak for everybody, but to me the appeal is lyrics, as well as presentation and a refreshing sense of humor.

This preconception that one cannot be both lyrical and hedonistic is simply false, with material from the catalogs of Ghostface, MF DOOM, and Biggie providing good examples. Gucci Mane takes the hedonism and abandonment of reality to another level, and people thereby seem to make the assumption that it is not thinking man's music. I disagree. It may not require a significant amount of thought to deconstruct the lyrics, but it clearly took some thought from the man who wrote them. Gucci brings a level of descriptive abstraction to major label rap that I would argue hasn't been seen since Supreme Clientele. A prominent example is from the first verse in “Wonderful:”

Red bezzle on my Jacob lookin' like a sliced tomato

Fuck a hater, I blow acres of Jamaica in Decatur

I'm so extraordinary while my bracelet so canary

…

Half your budget spent on luggage, spent your mortgage on a portrait

Purple bud look like an orchid, can't afford it? Watch me torch it

If you were to just listen to the hook from that specific song, you might not be so enthralled, but it's hard to deny the cleverness and humor in the above lyrics even though nothing of profound impact is being said. If you're unfamiliar with the song, I'd recommend also listening to it in order to understand how he makes use of his Atlanta accent in the rhyme scheme. “Weird” is another song that came out around the same time and reveals a similar aesthetic. He's just having fun with words:

My car got personality, the grill be smiling honey
My rims are very charming and my leather seats are comfy
Gucci major money, shawty I get crazy cloudy
Have a baby by me probly maybe I’ll buy you an Audi
Maui Wowie, stupid cloudy, loudy got me rowdy rowdy
Chevy Caprice '73 play Master P I'm 'bout it 'bout it

If we're talking charisma as a factor contributing to his appeal, then it is as a result of the personality that shines through via the lyrics rather than a certain intangible personality like what Jay-Z claims to (and off and on does) have. What is also important to notice when listening to the above songs is his flow. Like a lot of rappers, Gucci brags about how different his flow is, but his word placement truly is unique. Even after listening to a song, it's hard to comprehend how he effortlessly crams words into a single bar when reading the lyrics.

Gucci Mane's appeal is multi-faceted, but to deny that lyricism is a part of that appeal is simple-minded. His ability to combine interesting lyrics with a unique flow, an engaging personality, and compelling production has propelled him near to the top of the rap game all in a matter of months. Both the commercial success and the quality of his upcoming album The State Vs. Radric Davis releasing on December 8^th, will determine whether or not his impact will be lasting.

Trap Tuesday: Triple C's Edition

When the debut album from Triple C's (Carol City Cartel), Custom Cars & Cycles released last Tuesday, I had my doubts.  Rarely does a well-established rapper bring his friends along and create an album worth listening to more than once.  The group leaked some good tracks in the run-up to the album release, and a couple quality videos, but in such situations it's easier for the established rapper to carry the group on his back.  Not so, with an album.  It turns out that the trio of Young Breed, Torch, and Gunplay aren't simply Rick Ross' weed carriers as some suggested, but all manage to hold their own next to Ross and contribute to the group dynamic.  As evidenced by the cover, Ross often takes center stage, but his forward presence seems to be more of a marketing consideration than a reaction to a deficit in talent among the other members.

With such a large group, one can expect some longer songs.  Over half of them stretch beyond five minutes, and the epic "Diamonds & Maybachs Pt. 2" reaches past the seven minute mark.  You know Triple C's is doing something right, because none of them seem too long.  The album is also loaded with features, stretching from Young Jeezy and Gucci Mane (on separate tracks of course) to Mack 10 and Warren G.  However, the effort stays cohesive and none of the guests sound out of place or take away from the (somewhat ostentatious) feeling created by the group.



The album is good, with several notable tracks including the aforementioned "Diamonds & Maybachs Pt. 2" and the understated "Throw it in the Sky."  The production is consistent, even when ranging from synth-fuelled trap anthems to the sample-heavy  hustler epics.  I'm a little disappointed that the album isn't receiving more attention and I think some were a little too quick to write it off.

Album Rating: 7/10

Update:  It's looking like the album is going to do only around 4,000 in first week sales which is a dismal number.  A lot of underground rappers do better than that with next to no promotion.  And to think that Triple C's had the wait of Def Jam behind them and some high profile features, it's pretty sad.  It'll be interesting to see how this plays out, because frankly the album deserves more love.

Trap Tuesday

Welcome to the first consciously weekly column known as Trap Tuesday.  It'll be a look at a few songs representative of the best trap music to be released during the week.  Funny enough, not much was released this week that was of interest to me, so I'll be going back to some overlooked stuff from a couple weeks ago as well.

"Million Dollarz" by The RPZ is a song off their new mixtape that I still haven't found the time to listen to in full.  This track stood out to me, though, and if for some reason you're struggling to find a good song about money, this one is for you.  The slightly sped up sample is great by itself, but gets torn up (in a good way) once the 808 drums come in.

"Gangsta" is the last track on a new mixtape from St 2 Lettaz of G-Side.  Most of the mixtape was pretty underwhelming, but it finishes on a high note.  The whole vibe of the track is a little bugged out, but manages to stay menacing at the same time.  Something like Gucci meets Wu-Tang.  It sounds familiar, and the themes are nothing new, but when you get down to it I'm not sure you could find another song like it.

"Fix Ya Face" (No DJ) is the newest (but not exactly new) track from Yung Redd, featuring Lil Keke and Killa Kyleon.  Redd absolutely destroys his verse, leaving the others to clean up.