http://www.spin.com/articles/hear-killer-mikes-fiery-rap-music-mc-runs-us-through-his-new-lp

!!!!!

Man, El-P and Killer Mike were made to make music together. This is the 2012 Ice Cube and The Bomb Squad.

His breakdown of each song is pretty cool too.

http://board.okayplayer.com/okp.php?az=show_topic&forum=5&topic_id=2642581&mesg_id=2642581&listing_type=search#2642646

Instant purchase!

People have been saying that about them for years, but who would have expected them to do an album together?

killer mike is the best rapper alive

But Later on I'm going2check thisout just2see what it sounds Like. I did Like the joint eL produced that had aLL the overgroundheavyweights rapping on it

shit is flames. Killer Mike has yet to disappoint me.

"Big Beast feat. Bun B, T.I., and Trouble"
"This is some that punch you in the face shit. I made 'Re-Akshon' ten years ago and we never got a chance to shoot that video. Now after ten years, I have this record to validate that time of me not giving up. It may be one of my favorite records ever. I mean, no one gets kicked out of the NBA and then ten years later gets to come back and slam dunk on the their first shot. For me, to start the album off with it, I just wanted a banging-ass track!"

"Untitled feat. Scar"
"That woman down there , that's my wife. A lot of the things I say, people have been killed before for saying. It challenges people and that's not always appreciated or liked. It could get your ass an FBI file. It's something I worry about but not something I fret about. What I do worry about, I don't want to die a day early on . I want to be with her the rest of my life and I don't want that to be a short life.That first verse is me saying what I feel, that I have the emotion of a Dr. King, as in wanting to do what is right but selfishly not wanting to die. I don't want that woman living in a shack you know, it's the fear of my own mortality."

"Go!:
"Man, 'Go!' is sick. It's just a long-ass freestyle. This one just poured out of me. There's a ton of West Coast references in there and the West Coast influenced me so much and played a huge role in my life. I had to put those in there. This one is an All Star game, it's not about defense. This is all offense. It's about how lyrically what I can take and master and do with words and make sense. A lot of people sound good with words but don't make sense. It's just a bunch of shit that might sound good. This is my ability to show off and be technically proficient in rap but more than anything show how much I love the art form."

"Southern Fried"
"This is some funky shit, a country-rap tune. It's hip-hop but from the perspective of a Southerner. That's me singing on the hook too. I had never done that. I was like, 'Why not?' If I'm taking the mentality that every record is my last record why not do everything I want to do?"

"Jojo's Chillin'"
"Anybody familiar with my catalog knows I'm a proficient storyteller. I'm a storyteller on the Biggie and Slick Rick level. Jojo is a combination of people I know. Jojo is a little off, he's a little complex, and as I'm rapping I can see Jojo and I wanna know what happens next. I just wanted to take people on an adventure."

"Reagan"
"A lot of people try to peg me as a political rapper and I'm not. I'm a social commentator and at times people have politicized the things I say, but I don't care too much for any political party. I care about people. Under Reagan, drugs were allowed to flood our community and wipe out two to three generations of people that could have kept my community growing and I take exception to that. I threw a BBQ when Reagan died. It's not a vehement hate though, I'm not gonna spit on his grave. I wanted to break down what the Reagan era was really like."

"Don't Die"
"This song talks about what propels the passion of the street. History is being lost about the suppression and oppression of ideas in America. I watched this Gloria Steinem documentary the other night and never realized how violently feminism was opposed. I never realized these things because true history gets suppressed."

"Butane feat. El-P"
"Man, El Got it off on that, he went in! We both went in man. I was so country on the hook he didn't understand what I was saying at first. It's like, butane is that fire and it's just two rappers from two different regions going in."

"Anywhere But Here"
"There is no better place for a black man in the world than Atlanta and there's no better place with more opportunity for kids than New York. Yet, both of these cities have oppression. You don't find a whole lot of native Atlantans in Atlanta and same in New York because they're trying to escape. It's about that mentality. Like 'Jojo,' both songs start with guys doing reasonably well but there is something unfulfilled and they just need to get out of their city. It's about an emotion — where I've been and all I've gained is not good enough, and i'm supposed to be somewhere else."

"Willie Burke Sherwood"
"That's my granddad. That's my man. My grandma just died and my granddad died nine yard ago. With them I lost my parents because they raised me. This is probably the most personal song on because I'm talking about me. I was insecure when I was young, and this record, just listening to it allows people to know me. I had spent so much time being defiant that I had become someone I felt people couldn't know. I was so torn and worn that I became like an iron man and I need to show people myself. It's hard for me to listen to this song without weeping."

"R.A.P. Music"
"The natural assumption you have about a song called "R.A.P. Music" is that it will all be about hip-hop, well it's not. I'm talking about every music that's been born on this continent from a group of people that were brought here in chains. That music that gave them hope. It gave them a way of communicating. It gave them laughter. It gave them passion. My people have given a great amount to the culture of this country and I wanted my predecessors to know how much I appreciate them. That's what R.A.P. Music is."

http://www.spin.com/articles/hear-killer-mikes-fiery-rap-music-mc-runs-us-through-his-new-lp

fuck what you Talkin aint nothing going to fuck wit this ESP in rap
Live from he underground prop got the only shot in rap
El p killed it Killa Mike murdered it
Who making rap like this now
Who coming close to this I wanna kniw for real where they at
Maybe brother Ali maybe but he cant bring it like Mike

if the throne came out this year they wouldn't have a chance

maybe ro$$ ...

Let em try something like anywhere but here....

Maybe hell prove me wrong I hope he do but I doubt it too many people countin on numbers from him

on mainstream level making something as potent, but seriously
killer is on another level right now

I dont think he gonna top Teflon Don tho

Therefore Killer Mike can put out an album like this.

Ross' album is the tentpole album of 2012 for Def Jam.

Not fair to compare.

Ross should be big enough to talk about what he wants and do what he wants to do

Let's not act like Killer Mike's last major album attempt (granted, it was many years ago) didn't try to placate the masses too.

he still had more subject matter than ross.

Scared straight really showed his story skills.
DRagon is some heartfelt shit

Rap is dead before Nas said it.

but come on Ross could talk about something besides being a fake mafasio and coke he ain't sold by now...he had more subject matter early on in his carrer..i.e. Pots and Pans.

has in one verse.

not a good comparison.

Ross' moment is over man. He had some hot joints and made noise with Teflon Don
but C'MON YO! REAL RECOGNIZE REAL! Ross is a fuckin' joke, talkin BULLSHIT compared
to what Killer Mike is on right now.

this quality but it's going to have to be a phenomenal year for R.A.P. to get knocked out of my top 5.

but don't know if it's hitting me like el-p's album. either way, el-p should be getting a lot more work from other rappers. dude really killed these two albums.

Southern MCs going start hitting him up

and how killer mike does on every single one of em. lol.


http://theyesyesyalls.com
http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

Bun doing that flow he's been doing for the past ten years with El-P starting to add that second-level of industrial drums was feeling like too much to my ears for a second upon first lesson.

Then T.I. hopped on & nimbly tap danced all over that shit to surprisingly make for a perfectly rhythmic juxtaposition over El-P's production to create a shared sound I hadn't heard before.

That moment reminded me of that quote famous Louisiana Chef Paul Prudhome told Dick Schaap in an interview when they asked him his idea of a great taste & he said 'chocolate ice cream with curry sauce--because they're so different'.

but that's mainly because his overall solo style is closer to what I want. I can easily see how this might appeal to more people, however.

WOW

I'm not really familiar with El-P's production, but that shit rumbles.

I have to turn the bass notch on my in-car mixer down to about half of the norm.

Try to get back to that old feeling of anticipating an album and running out to the record store on release day to cop that shit. But with the El-P album leaking and now this, it's getting damn hard to stick to that.

I avoided the last 2 leak songs and the stream thats all I could do lol

I might crumble, but so far I'm sticking to it.
__
I don't like the beat anymore because its just a loop. ALC didn't FLIP IT ENOUGH!

Flip it enough? Flip these. Flip off. Go flip some f*cking burgers.(c)Kno

Allied State of the National Electric Beat Treaty Organization (NEBTO)

instead of him rapping about how great he is, maybe this can inspire him
yes this album is that good
nas has already proven he can address 'serious' topics

And Jay rapping about "serious" topics just as much.

Maybe you're talking about a different Jay and Nas.

Edit: Nas lost. Killer Mike & El-P won though.

that is all

...ionno if i can do it. i might be back.

Goodgoddamn!

ain't I...whooo!

for those wondering if this will be accepted by the hood...this will bump anywhere...

respect,
bc

"my old boy from the Point but I'm from Southwest..."

"Are you really ready to carry some weight?,
Are you ready to design your fate?" -Kelvin Mercer

Wow! I knew this was going to be good but ...wow. Album of the year so far. But you never know since we're in the middle of a new golden age maybe we can see a few more of this caliber this year!

I thought that post was tongue in cheek?

I really feel like there's something in the air. Even the people who are making music I don't like seem to be making music from a truer place that's about more than just getting money.

Coherent,aggressive, funny, grimy and political. It's forward-thinking but also fully in the tradition of Public Enemy and Ice Cube. Talib and Mos should listen to it album and weep. If this post gets less replies than that one about the OC/Apollo Brown album, I give up.

>Talib and Mos should listen to it album
>and weep.

Im stoned out of my mind.

the state i'm in when i usually post

_______________________________
Killer Mike - R.A.P. Music
L.E.P. Bogus Boys - Now Or Neva
Jadakiss/DJ Drama - The Consignment

although it's "out there" I can't even fathom to do that...just pre-ordered it though

or is this just going to stay relatively unknown?

El-P deserves some god damn recognition beyond just the "underground" scene.

EDIT: and holy shit, I have "Reagan" on repeat right now.

i'm curious to see what Killer fans will think of this project. and by Killer fans i'm talking about Pookie and Peanut from the hood. Not fellow OKP alum.

it could catch on and save a few souls too

The bpms, the energy in it, the low key catchiness of some of the choruses... they might actually find themselves listening to something that means something

What I like about it.. musically and lyrically it's in tune with what's going on in the world - dictatorships, injustice, corruption and war

This is the best rap album I've heard in a long time

.

I have HUGE expectations for this album.

man i looked for shit not to like lol. couldnt find anything.

mike and el-p bodied it from top to bottom.

i think i'm on 7th or 8th listen
reagon, willie burke sherwood, anywhere but here, ghetto gospel are fuego

this is the first time i've ever been impressed by El-P.
i've never been a fan he did his thing on here.

excellent album.
not aoty, but im sure it'll be in my top 15 for the year when all is said and done.

might have to check out C4C.

...

...i always admired his content, but it never "clicked" with me. I'm still not crazy about some of the preachier songs, but the production and approach are just undeniable.

Killer Mike been good with me. But man.

just as good as C4C. El-P thank you! Killer Mike speaking for a lot of us outchea. Respect.

.

like... yeah.

just whoa.


http://theyesyesyalls.com
http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

http://theyesyesyalls.com
http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

.

~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." © Jay Bilas

http://www.last.fm/user/NodimaChee
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Nodima/run_that_shit__nodimas_hip_hop_handbook

Dude totally sounds like Cube on everything and El-P has been compared to a modern Bomb Squad for years. You know they thought of that concept.

Im gonna have to give Pledge 2 another listen before I can say that definitively. This is getting even better with repeat listens.

and more mindblowing in many ways, there's not a single pander towards the regular


but it's also in many ways a regular killer mike album


el-p is more impressive to me. (because he seems to have no interest in denying Mike is a southern rapper, while keeping it undeniably Def Jux)


obviously I need a lot more listens, and they will obviously come as rapidly as possible, but pledge 2 changed my point of view on a LOT of things, it really helped bring me out of a dark period.


maybe, for me, r.a.p. album will suffer against pledge 2 in that nostalgic aspect. but I have to believe even this early (just finishing jojo's children) that this album is every bit that album's equal, at the VERY least.


pl3dge was a bit of al et down for me, honestly. this is a total retribution.


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." © Jay Bilas

http://www.last.fm/user/NodimaChee
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Nodima/run_that_shit__nodimas_hip_hop_handbook

but is really unfocused when compared Pledge 2 and R.A.P. Music.

this is head and shoulders above it.

he stayed away from the "club bangers" that sort of weighed the last album down, and focused more on his strengths on this one.

"Reagen" is gonna have hella people mad. "Dont Die" "Anywhere but Here" the title track. this shit is on another level.

nothing sucks about this album.

http://theyesyesyalls.com
http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

But other than that, I have no issue.

AND it's produced superbly by a revered white producer??

shit. they're gonna give this shit a 10.5


http://theyesyesyalls.com
http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

we already know its getting BNM'd and probably top 20 on their aoty list.

I'd be pretty shocked if it went higher than 9.

why shouldnt this hit a 9.0?

they gave pl3dge an 8.0

thats nothing new.

On 'Reagan' he really sounds like Sir Luscious but with Killer Mike content.

And obviously 'Don't Die' is a pure AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted homage by the most obvious descendent MC of Early Cube along with the producer most reminiscent of The Bomb Squad (now that I think about it, isn't Don't Die the title of that Korn/Don-Mega-Era-Cube song from one of those weak War & Peace albums? It was something close to that).

Speaking of AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted, did anyone hear T.I. pronouncing all three 'k's inside the country's name during his verse while still keeping the pattern intact then hitting the next mark exactly where the last one was.

That little nugget (sorta like Big ending his verse with 'Dont Tempt Me'' as Meth quietly says 't-h-o-d-man' underneath right behind him to finish spelling for Big on "The What") was slick enough that you could almost miss it but serves as a small reminder that T.I. has an all-time elite-level-flow/delivery even if I haven't really like an album of his much since King (and this is still a 'skip around a bit' disc).

And El-P does his damn thing here. He manages to sound like himself/Def-Jux while keeping it streamlined to feature the MC rather than take those detours into dissonance that sorta leaves me cold on some of that Company Flow/Fantastic Damage stuff.

As a result after only three full listens I can already tell this is my favorite El-P-helmed-album since Cold Vein.

El-P is sorta like a producer version of Bjork singing. They're already bugged-out & unique enough that it actually serves them better (like El-P here & on Can Ox's album or Homogenic for Bjork) to try keeping their crayon work inside the lines because it's still gonna come out some crazy shape & color rather than doing weird-for-weird's-sake that can end up as some inscrutable, inaccessible chore listening.

Oddly enough even though Mike spazzed all over this thing he may be the weak link here if you had to name one mostly because his voice & earnest sometimes accusatory tone can get wearing over the course of a full album. I could have used another feature or two because basically it's Mike for the entire album after T.I. finishes his verse on track one.

I'm not even a huge fan of El-P as a rapper but when he finally shows up for a verse on Butane it's a welcome relief just to have some variation in the vocals & on top of that he kills it.

Killer Mike while I always liked him on Kast records, loved a few solo songs & have a 2/3 mixtapes.....I guess I'm just not invested enough in his persona or his sometimes stringent social commentary to not start feeling a bit full over the course of a full-album (even if it's about the same length of Illmatic or that Curren$y/Alc EP).

That being said, I understand that this is his magnum opus & I won't begrudge him that. Props to him for making the collaboration.

Guess it just made me realize how much I'd love to hear him make a 'Soul Survivor' type of album with a bunch of certified MCs.

I wanna hear Casual on one of his beats. An El-P/Wu posse cut. Have Mike go round up some Dungeon Fam for a joint. Money Jam Boys with Peedi or Beans. KRS having one of those late-career blackout moments when he gets a real track & a collection of top-tier rappers to compete against in front of a different audience. Give a young cat like Kendrick a shot at it. And on and on.

Petty criticisms & greedy wish-lists aside however, make no mistake: this album is the aural equivalent of Tug McGraw recording the final out of the World Series on top of Mt. St. Helens in 1980.

Big Boi? Why would he channel someone he crushed when they contested him? Hell....he crushed him when they were friendly. Naw. I heard no Big Boi in any of that. Now on Don't Die....sounded like the resurrection of Cube.

its not something thats frequent on the album but its there.

.

I haven't really taken in any Killer Mike over the years. I'm a few tracks in and so far so good! But I love this KRS insight. so on point.


KRS having one of those late-career
>blackout moments when he gets a real track & a collection of
>top-tier rappers to compete against in front of a different
>audience. Give a young cat like Kendrick a shot at it. And on
>and on.
>



lurkin since 1999. werd.

>Oddly enough even though Mike spazzed all over this thing he
>may be the weak link here if you had to name one mostly
>because his voice & earnest sometimes accusatory tone can get
>wearing over the course of a full album.

Accusatory tone is good, we need more accusations in rap, or at least awareness of reality.. Are you a Republican or something!?

> I could have used
>another feature or two because basically it's Mike for the
>entire album after T.I. finishes his verse on track one.

I like that he raps the whole album through, there's a theme to the album and you can lose the theme if you have a bunch of different rappers all with their different topics. The El-P verse fits right in cos they're on the same wavelength themes wise... He only gave himself one verse so he had to bring the ruckus

>I'm not even a huge fan of El-P as a rapper but when he
>finally shows up for a verse on Butane it's a welcome relief
>just to have some variation in the vocals & on top of that he
>kills it.


>I guess I'm just not
>invested enough in his persona or his sometimes stringent
>social commentary to not start feeling a bit full over the
>course of a full-album

What social commentary do you not like on the tape?


>Petty criticisms & greedy wish-lists aside however, make no
>mistake: this album is the aural equivalent of Tug McGraw
>recording the final out of the World Series on top of Mt. St.
>Helens in 1980.

I don't know who Tug is but I agree, this album is bananas

>>Oddly enough even though Mike spazzed all over this thing
>he
>>may be the weak link here if you had to name one mostly
>>because his voice & earnest sometimes accusatory tone can
>get
>>wearing over the course of a full album.
>
>Accusatory tone is good, we need more accusations in rap, or
>at least awareness of reality.. Are you a Republican or
>something!?
>
lol, no.

>> I could have used
>>another feature or two because basically it's Mike for the
>>entire album after T.I. finishes his verse on track one.
>
>I like that he raps the whole album through, there's a theme
>to the album and you can lose the theme if you have a bunch of
>different rappers all with their different topics. The El-P
>verse fits right in cos they're on the same wavelength themes
>wise... He only gave himself one verse so he had to bring the
>ruckus
>
which is why I said towards the end of what I wrote that I understand why I understand that this was important for Mike from his persective to be pretty much the only guy on this, just that it made me realize I'd like to hear El-P make a record like this with a group of MCs.

>>I'm not even a huge fan of El-P as a rapper but when he
>>finally shows up for a verse on Butane it's a welcome relief
>>just to have some variation in the vocals & on top of that
>he
>>kills it.
>
>
>>I guess I'm just not
>>invested enough in his persona or his sometimes stringent
>>social commentary to not start feeling a bit full over the
>>course of a full-album
>
>What social commentary do you not like on the tape?
>
This isn't about me disagreeing with his politics, this is about him as an MC. He's never made me feel fully invested in his 'story' from a personal perspective & he's never been able to spit the political stuff at a level of a Chuck, Boots, etc but I appreciate the efforts.
>
>>Petty criticisms & greedy wish-lists aside however, make no
>>mistake: this album is the aural equivalent of Tug McGraw
>>recording the final out of the World Series on top of Mt.
>St.
>>Helens in 1980.
>
>I don't know who Tug is but I agree, this album is bananas
>
>
>

eclectically ridiculous and experimental at the same time COMPLETELY accessible. Like every producers dream, and he fucking did it with a rapper that is doing almost the exact damn thing at his job, thought provoking emotional and gripping subject matter with extremely fun style and intense delivery.

fuck yeah man, this album!

I ordered the Deluxe package or whatever for $45, and now the vinyl isn't shipping until the 29th. Also, not that I really cared about it, but they took the signed poster out of the package.

______________________________________________________________
http://twitter.com/Gedi

"This is your world. Shape it or someone else will." - Gary Lew

Damn

DAMN!

this should get EL-P more work.

.

,....

http://theyesyesyalls.com
http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

"Jojo's Chillin" is definitely on repeat right now.

______________________________________________________________
http://twitter.com/Gedi

"This is your world. Shape it or someone else will." - Gary Lew

damn, i just listened to the album front to back and it lived up to all the hype in this thread

I have a problem with Big Beast being the first song. I heard Mike's explanation, but it just SOUNDS like a 2nd track, and Untitled sounds so much like an opener. Also some other minor changes

Untitled
Big Beast
Southern Fried
JoJo's Chillin
Butane
Go!
Reagan
Don't Die
Ghetto Ghospel
Anywhere But Here
Willie Burke Sherwood
R.A.P Music

Compare the two listening experiences and tell me I'm wrong.

I agree. Untitled should have opened this album. I like where you placed "go" as well.

+ this might be a top 5 dungeon fam album,
time will tell.

Then he time-travelled back to drop this right here ! Seriously though: Hip-hop can never die, if any one MC, every now and then insulates himself from the nonsense and comes back once every decade to bless us with some crazy shit like this.


Come Barack ! (Hawuzwe !)
Nyamazana ! (Hawuzwe !)
Come Barack ! (Hawuzwe !)
Obama ! (Hawuzwe !)

http://pitchfork.com/features/interviews/8834-killer-mike/?utm_medium=site&utm_source=ticker&utm_name=ticker

mike's the kind of dude that more people should put on for, he's a great personality for people to gravitate to in hip hop, might actually spark some positive change.

______________________________________________________________
http://twitter.com/Gedi

"This is your world. Shape it or someone else will." - Gary Lew

this is one to bully your friends siblings and teammates to listen to, ram it down their throats until they get it, like Wu-Tang

Does a rapper need to make a truly great album before he's considered one of the best alive? It's a question with no objective answer. Some rappers are phenomenal with verses and punchlines but have no knack for hooks or song structure. Some can do all of those things but lack personality. Some never get the production budget they deserve; many do and just have the worst ear for beats. Some fail to capitalize on their buzz, and others are completely incapable of making themselves relevant. And yet, none of that explains why Killer Mike has been able to consistently make some of the most visceral and intellectually potent hip-hop of the past decade and a half without having a true classic under his belt.
On the unimpeachable R.A.P. Music, Mike hooks up with 2012 MVP frontrunner El-P and Adult Swim subsidiary Williams Street to create what's described on the title track as "what my people need and the opposite of bullshit." It's the 2012 equivalent to Ice Cube and the Bomb Squad's similarly inspired bicoastal union on AmeriKKKa's Most Wanted. Limiting himself to one producer, legends-only guest spots, and a real sense that he'd better make this one count, Killer Mike rises to the occasion.
But while this record is sure to please longtime fans, it also works as a compelling introduction. As in the past, R.A.P. Music takes a stand politically without going off the grid into conspiracy theorizing or sounding so circumspect that you'd think Mike himself was running for public office. On "Reagan", he calls out the government for spending billions of taxpayer dollars invading foreign land as "a hobby paid for by the oil lobby." To him, the "War on Drugs" is mostly an excuse for crooked cops to illegally search and seize young black men. But if you happen to be a phony rapper that's dumb enough to spit that "fiction sold by conglomerates" in Mike's neighborhood, you can expect to leave without your chain and dignity. None of this is contradictory to anyone with a lick of sense, but there's a tangible thrill in hearing someone tell it like it is with such conviction.
There was enough spleen vented on the Grind mixtapes to last until the next decade; on R.A.P., there's more heart and soul, both musically and spiritually. In a recent interview with Pitchfork.tv, Mike seemed particularly fond of the scene he sets during "Untitled", wherein the women closest to him in life are placed within an epic historical scale: "Will my woman be Corretta take my name and cherish it?/ Or will she Jackie O drop the Kennedy, remarry it/ My sister say it's necessary on some Cleopatra shit/ My grandmamma said 'no, never that, it's sacrilege.'" It's part of a deep respect for family that runs throughout R.A.P. Music, whether it's to his cop father during the "fuck the police" narrative "Don't Die", or his wife amidst astonishing Southernplayalistic pimp shit on "Southern Fried". He dedicates the last verse to her ("I married a Trina/ Pretty as a singer/ Fine as a stripper"), informing all other girls that if you want a piece of Killer Mike, you gotta service his woman too. It's actually kinda heartwarming.
Let's take a moment and talk about the actual rapping on R.A.P. Music. Dear lord, the rapping on this thing. When he first started appearing on dirtier OutKast tracks like "Snappin' & Trappin'", Mike might've been seen as the devil on Big Boi's shoulder opposite André. It's become clear since then he takes a backseat to no one in the Dungeon Family. Transcribing a jaw-dropping bout of dexterity like, "And what's happenin'/ Ménage-a-nage in my garage/ With these two young ladies is the reason I A.D.I.D.A.S./ That's all day I dream about that sex scene/ You textin' hopin' that they call you/ I just barbecue and call 'em up and say, 'hey fall through,'" feels about as effective as trying to explain Led Zeppelin IV with guitar tablature. Mike introduces himself on "Untitled", saying, "You are witnessing elegance/ In the form of a black elephant," and it's a perfect summation of Mike's muscular yet impossibly nimble vocals. There's no reason for him to make a two-minute, no-hook track like "Go!" other than to prove he can destroy anyone in terms of pure technique "even when I ain't sayin' sheeeit." The sheer sonic effect of the volley of words on R.A.P. could thrill a hip-hop fan who doesn't speak a word of English.
Not that you shouldn't be paying attention to what Killer Mike says throughout R.A.P. Music. "Reagan" is the one that names names and cites facts to denigrate the presidency as little more than "telling lies on teleprompters" to serve the "country's real masters." But on "Anywhere But Here", the trickle-down effect of corruption is felt on a more local scale. After solemnly acknowledging the police brutality and economic stratification of New York, Mike takes a look at his home city of Atlanta, seemingly a "black male's heaven" as one the most racially progressive in the nation, "Even though it's blacktop from the mayors to the cops/ Black blood still gets spilled." "Don't Die" shows a vivid example of that: Cops break into Mike's house on a hunch and things inevitably get violent. Though the concept of their being there in the first place because "a nigga on this rap shit" might initially sound trite, if you don't believe the suspicion of being a part of that culture is enough to get you harassed and then killed, you might need to start watching the news. That's really why "Don't Die" can take its place alongside anti-authoritarian classics like "Black Steel in the Hour of Chaos": The big picture is timeless; the news fills in the blanks to make it depressing in its timeliness.
There are plenty of hip-hop records with worthy causes but the good intentions don't always make your car stereo knock. That's not an issue here: I don't think we'll hear a better end-to-end production job on a rap record than we do on R.A.P. Music. El-P has managed to make strides in learning to give a rapper like Mike what he needs: on 2009's ATL RMX, he reconfigured Young Jeezy's "I Got This" with a punishing beat that somehow managed to overexert its will on the guy rapping. We get wheezing organs, incessantly ticking hi-hats, guitar skronk, and soul claps tamed to do Mike and El's evil bidding whether it's B-boy boom bap ("Jojo's Chillin'") or chain-swang braggadocio ("Butane (Champion's Anthem)"). I'm tempted to call it "warm," but so is nuclear radiation, and the bass most often sounds like a monstrous, gleefully evil sandworm that could guest star on "Aqua Teen Hunger Force".
On the closing title track, Mike equates R.A.P. Music to something holy, within the lineage of the most legendary black musicians: "That Miles Davis Bitches Brew, that 'beee-yatch' said by playboy Too ." More appropriate are the multiple lyrical nods to Public Enemy and N.W.A., even if R.A.P. Music doesn't break enough rules or have enough of a platform to reach the levels of Fear of a Black Planet or Straight Outta Compton or Death Certificate. But it does come off as the kind of powerful mid-career album those acts should've been able to make as hip-hop's elder spokesmen-- artists granted an evergreen relevance similar to Bruce Springsteen or Neil Young-- had it not been for their irreparable personnel issues: impervious to trends, passionate about politics and pleasure, something that a college professor could base a lecture on even as his students blast it at house parties later that night.

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/albums/16537-killer-mike-rap-music/

I don't think they care about piracy at all. They just sent me an email with the wrong order # and a link to download it.

I'll be picking up both on vinyl when I catch El-P and Killer Mike together in Chicago this summer. I'd like to support right now, but the cost for the bundle is too much ($85).

period

and cancer 4 cure aint far behind

they have a ships within 1 to 4 weeks status over there. not good.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B007LNJ71W/ref=s9_simh_gw_p15_d0_g15_i1?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=center-2&pf_rd_r=1269E011MAFY3A6NJSR7&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=470938631&pf_rd_i=507846

~Austin

"God is a concept by which we measure our pain."
— John Lennon
http://austintayeshus.blogspot.com
http://www.last.fm/user/Austintayeshus
http://twitter.com/Austintayeshus

I don't buy digital downloads

I was being facetious.

~Austin

"God is a concept by which we measure our pain."
— John Lennon
http://austintayeshus.blogspot.com
http://www.last.fm/user/Austintayeshus
http://twitter.com/Austintayeshus

My bad fam. I never catch sarcasm around here.

I mean I know physical media is deader than ever, but this just really drives it home, considering the anticipation for this album was pretty high.

~Austin

"God is a concept by which we measure our pain."
— John Lennon
http://austintayeshus.blogspot.com
http://www.last.fm/user/Austintayeshus
http://twitter.com/Austintayeshus

I had ordered this with the in-store pick up option since it was AVAILABLE FOR IN STORE PICK UP lol and it's a mile from my house.

Just got an email saying "our bad, we don't have this in store for pick up. Sorry!".



__
I don't like the beat anymore because its just a loop. ALC didn't FLIP IT ENOUGH!

Flip it enough? Flip these. Flip off. Go flip some f*cking burgers.(c)Kno

Allied State of the National Electric Beat Treaty Organization (NEBTO)

i mean i aint pre-order, but i wanted to walk into best buy (being that its the only record store near me) and go to the rap section and pick it up like it was 94-05 all over again. i know when i get out of work this wont be the case

Took up my whole lunch hour to get down there from the office. They had 2 copies available so depending on where you're at maybe you'll get lucky.



__
I don't like the beat anymore because its just a loop. ALC didn't FLIP IT ENOUGH!

Flip it enough? Flip these. Flip off. Go flip some f*cking burgers.(c)Kno

Allied State of the National Electric Beat Treaty Organization (NEBTO)

there was a good 5-7 on the rack which was nice to see

glad i got a physical too. the art is real nice and there's a lyric booklet.

but trust that they had like ten copies of Underground Atlanta


huh?

...unfortunately. This was the case for Witchdoctor album as well (even though that album isn't nearly as good, so a limited pressing was warranted).

I wonder if they even have legitimate distribution.

am i the only one who thinks Mike out did El on this? as in his rhymes >>>> el's beats?

but it might be cuz ive only streamed it on laptop speakers and I dont usually get El P's brilliance until later.

until you hear them in the whip/good speakers.
it knocks so hard that its a different song without the thump.

normally they're really in-your-face and punishing...this time they sound like they're tailor made to simply complement the emcee. i don't think he WANTED to outdo mike. i think he wanted to make him sound as good as he possibly could.


http://theyesyesyalls.com
http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

>normally they're really in-your-face and punishing...

I got about half way through it on the way back to the office during lunch and I actually had to tweak the EQ a little in the car. The drums and BASS were booming like all hell.



__
I don't like the beat anymore because its just a loop. ALC didn't FLIP IT ENOUGH!

Flip it enough? Flip these. Flip off. Go flip some f*cking burgers.(c)Kno

Allied State of the National Electric Beat Treaty Organization (NEBTO)

well the bass is still pretty damn booming. i'm mainly talkin bout the general feel of the beats. i mean if you listen to some el-p stuff where he himself is rapping over his beats they're much more "out there" than this stuff.


http://theyesyesyalls.com
http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

>well the bass is still pretty damn booming. i'm mainly talkin
>bout the general feel of the beats. i mean if you listen to
>some el-p stuff where he himself is rapping over his beats
>they're much more "out there" than this stuff.
>
>
>http://theyesyesyalls.com
>http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
>http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
>http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
>http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

first thing that came to mind on 1st listen. though i've never been an el-p fan so that probably has something to do with it.

but like dude above said, it's a completely different monster on a good system.

...exact opposite imo...

& all I can say is WOW!!

This is what Mike shoulda been doin!

Just when you think there's no hope. Instant Classic. Much respect to Mike & El-P.
Real recognize real. Finally some rappers other than The Roots that are making some
shit that deals with this fucked up world in 2012 and that still bumps.\

This is one of the best Rap albums of the last 10 years imo.

better than Cuban Linx 2, better than Hell Hath No Fury or whatever bullshit gets
praised. This is the type of ode to P.E. I've been waiting for. El & Mike buckled down,
nodded to the old guard, but are keeping it real fresh and new sounding for 2012.

well done.

east coast bias strikes again

Loving R.A.P. like a mug but HHNF is a better listen. We should just be happy both exist.

This is a better, more enjoyable rap record than HHNF... god damn that record is over-rated, and i mean i love that album

Both are great in their own right, no need to put down one to praise another.

A better example would have been the last few Nas albums. This is the type of record Nas dreams of making.

i mean... who hasn't wanted Nas to make THIS fucn record.

and before yall niggaz come in here with this aint Nas' sound and yada yada yada, yall know what we mean

Judge each by their own merits, then decide "which accomplishes its aim better?"

HHNF and this are both one-producer, one artist/group albums, in a new-age hip hop style. They both strive for a singular tone. I think the comparison is fair.

i love hhnf but "trill" & "ain't cha" got me leaning toward XL
the weakest r.a.p. album track is "big beast" that's it...

they just gave that album a classic cause crtics love the clipse.

RAP music > that.

I don't remember the last time I listened to an album so many times in one day.

I was listening to it in the car today and I kept getting lost in those El Producto bangers and ignoring Mike's rapping. I gotta give it a couple spins on less impressive speakers to let the words sink in.

Goddamn though, those fucking beats. Shit hits HARD.

my Senn. HD 598s are bugging out all day long

Game Theory

as far as the production/lyrics/subject matter clicking with me immediately....and just builds as the album goes on.

AND

wearing out the repeat button on the first day.

Sh*t is incredible.


Reagan alone is worth 12 bucks. Like...my jaw dropped and only closed to scream "oh sh!t" at the end (to myself no less)


Only think that is odd is why the album didn't open with Untitled or even Go (like someone above said)


Glad my spot actually had 2 copies.

****wierd thing though...my spot had like 15 copies of the physical single of Big Beast?? I didn't even know they still made cd singles***

artwork is dissapointing - thats the best they could do?
as i posted already, the hooks are just generic and sound near cut and pasted
and mike is great at being angry but he doesnt have as much focus as someone like cube had
actually i dont think hes as smart as cube
hes got the fury and the heart, but not the political smarts

but its a good angry rap album
not many of those around anymore

I'll wait.

>and mike is great at being angry but he doesnt have as much
>focus as someone like cube had
>actually i dont think hes as smart as cube
>hes got the fury and the heart, but not the political smarts


?? What? You are out of your muthafukkin mind.

Besides Bun B (and maybe Rick Ross purely for the entertainment factor), Killer Mike is the best interviewee in rap.

What Cube did have (to a level Mike just doesn't possess but then again few do or did) was impeccable storytelling ability along with the ability to seamlessly incorporate small details that add humor/character/depth to them along with the ability to discuss 'political' issues from a personalized perspective where it was easy to point out hypocrisy/ridiculousness of government/police policy/protocols and have you understand where its coming from even though you might not have been in his shoes.

Mike's not an MC on that level nor will he ever have the platform that Ice Cube did circa 1990 so I don't expect that, what you do have here is a concerted (if at times self-conscious) attempt to make a strong, uncompromising rap album from a sonic/lyrical/thematic perspective.

It mostly succeeds in doing that.

cube was a storyteller, or a reporter at least. mike is just a firebrand ranter, really.

came in complaning about the artwork and tried to called him smart.

3 tracks deep in the whip, and GODDAMN...the low end hits so hard. every track bangs. el-p killed the production, and killer mike destroys every track per usual.

i'm glad an album like this finally came out.

are hyperbolic. jesus

really enjoyed the album. "don't die" (or more specifically the first 'movement' of "don't die") is probably my favorite cut. mike is really spitting on this album. maybe even stepping it up above pl3dge, which is saying a lot

el tailored his beats well to mike. it knocks waaay harder than i expected. that said, the most el-p-ish beats ("don't die", "butane", "willie burk sherwood", etc.) sounded better to me than his attempts to bring some funk/swing/southern flavor into the mix. that's just me though. all in all, they work really well together. they share an intensity that must be hard to stifle when they're working with others. glad they could let it all hang out on this one

great album. glad i pre-ordered the vinyl

and man does opn's "returnal" sound good after this album

For the moment, I've forsaken the rest of the album in order to play that song numerous x's in a row. The beat changes alone make it worth the price of admission.

is the crunkest shit ive ever heard. swag swag.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=grXtyFR9S-U

...agreed, and it's not close, even though I'm still digesting "Cancer for the Cure"...ISWYD was just too next level...

STOP. THAT. SHIT.

ISWYD is a fantastic record. if from what you heard you PREFER ISWYD over C4C, that's understandable. but acting like C4C is a HUGE step down is poppycock.

followed closely by Don't Die

V.

It really is fantastic, front to back.
He and El-P are a great team.
I am really loving this new group of rappers that has been killing it the past year or so i.e. Danny Brown, Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire, Despot, El-P resurgence, Killer Mike resurgence, etc.

WHOA!!!

Perhaps more than any producer save for the Bomb Squad crew members, El-P has very consciously avoided making records that come across as bipartisan. His sonic agenda has always very clearly been aimed towards hip-hop listeners of a peculiar faith, oftentimes to the point of being accused as nothing more than a noisemaker by those who prefer their rap music soundtracked by various Hitmen or diggers of crates. Killer Mike, on the other hand, has made a career out of playing much the same role as a lyricist, carving out a niche that began with his I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind mixtape and established Mike as the premier heir to Ice Cube's long vacant, angry gangsta party boy sociocommentator throne. But he's rarely allowed the music that backs him to follow that muse, often openly and enthusiastically embracing whatever the current trends of Atlanta rap might be. That's not to say that he hasn't seen the stars align over an excellent album or two, but that his surprise marriage to El-P by way of Adult Swim's boutique hip-hop label is a surprise that feels somewhat overdue. Perhaps it shouldn't be a surprise that the union worked out as well as it has considering the focus of the two men involved, but if you played I'll Sleep When You're Dead and PL3DGE against each other it'd feel pretty unimaginable El-P and Killer Mike would ever cross paths.

Biographical shock value aside, R.A.P. Album provides enough jaw drops on its own merits that it's sure to be a record that comes to define 2010s hip-hop in some way. It opens with "Big Beast", a track that would probably be saved for second or third on most records but here is thrust into the leadoff spot, dropping you right into R.A.P. Album's unrelentingly confrontational atmosphere without grace or subtlety; this is to music listening as Mike Tyson is to boxing, all fury and iron. Featuring two of the only guest raps on the record (Trouble also handles the hook, and El-P appears later on the accurately christened "Butane"), "Big Beast" is exactly that - when T.I. casually drops the line "Drankin' on that Hennessey, blowin' on that canibus, Amerikkka's Nightmare, trap nigga fantasy" and actually finds the rhythm to pronounce each of the k's in that Ice Cube reference, not only is it awesomely gripping but further proof that for all T.I.'s album gaffs he can bring a technicality to his performances that few of his peers can approach. That El-P's beat is so distinctly southern in its brashness and yet maintains plenty of El-P touchstones is just icing on the cake.

In many ways, El-P's bowing to the sound of Atlanta without compromising his desire to challenge is R.A.P. Album's greatest success story. "Go!" would have fit right in alongside Mike's work on I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II, while "Ghetto Gospel" cackles in the ears of those who would complain El-P is forever the soundtrack to white bread, coldly backpack-oriented abstraction. It's a minor footnote that a man known for such derogatorily defined "white rap" has made such an extremely southern, black record, but it's definitely an accomplishment that will dominant early sessions for folks intimate with his past works. But with the constantly transforming background details, squiggly synth basslines and AmeriKKKaz Most Wanted revivals like "Don't Die" and "Reagan", one would be very wrong to assume El-P held back from putting his foot in this album. He simply did it in a way that can only be defined as shockingly accessible considering his oeuvre.

Mike doesn't shock listeners in quite the same way, but this is a guy who would have been eager to compare Barack Obama to Ronald Reagan on record with or without El-P. Playing up to the legacy of, say, Vast Aire or El-P's other favored collaborators wouldn't have done much for his career, and thankfully he takes the opportunity to rap over the finest music he's ever had access to with more of the same. Which means "Jo Jo's Chillin'", a consolidation of various men Mike's met in the traps of Atlanta distilled into one character fleeing Atlanta for New York, receiving a variety of humorous breaks on his way to smuggling drugs across state lines. That means "Anywhere But Here", on which Mike deconstructs the so-called "black heavens" of New York City and Atlanta into the hotbeds for racial profiling and black-on-black violence that lie beneath the Gatsbian visions of greatness. That means "They declared the war on drugs, like a war on terror / But what it really did was let the police terrorize whoever / But mostly black boys, but they would call us niggas / And lay us on our bellies while they fingers on they triggers / They bruise us on our head, they dogs is on our crotches / And they would beat us up if we had diamonds on our watches / And they would take our drugs and money as they picked our pockets / I guess that's the privilege of policin' for some profits / But thanks to Reagonomics, prison turned to profits / Cause free labor's the cornerstone of U.S. economics", which is just a prelude to an attack on America's history with slavery and a total emasculation of every President of the United States.

It wouldn't be a Killer Mike album without some lighthearted fun, though, which is where the El-P featuring "Butane" comes in with the two spitting title-nodding fire at unnamed comers, "Go!" with Mike's loose, playful word association and "R.A.P. Music" on which Mike pays tribute to all manner of black entertainers who performed "Rebellious African People Music". His eagerness to play both sides of the field is pretty reigned in compared to PL3DGE, though, as its highlights are very certainly the most rebelliously African on the record. Even more than the above-quoted "Reagan", "Don't Die" defines this record as the most visceral hip-hop album in years if not decades. That track may as well have been called "My Summer Vacation Part 2" for all the venom it spews at the world around Killer Mike, with El-P's gelatinous beat (it goes through at least four complete transformations) matching Mike's vitriol step for step. It's already easy to say it's one of the records of the year and the track's only existed in the public space for a week. But as if to prove Mike's anger is rooted in a positive place, not only does he pay tribute to all the musicians who inspired him to close the album, but also his recently deceased grandfather "Willie Burke Sherwood". It's a really touching way to close an album so often dedicated to pouring gasoline on everything, and adds a nice hint of kind heartedness to an album so often scoffing at the idea of playing nice. R.A.P. Album, a few slightly faulty hooks aside, is a definitive statement from Mike and a legacy changer for El-P. What more could anyone really ask for?




~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." © Jay Bilas

http://www.last.fm/user/NodimaChee
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Nodima/run_that_shit__nodimas_hip_hop_handbook

Your writing style has changed just a little lol.

And this shit is even more fire now that I have the disc. Xxxplosive.


~~~~~~~~~
"This is the streets, and I am the trap." © Jay Bilas

http://www.last.fm/user/NodimaChee
http://www.popmatters.com/pm/archive/contributor/517
http://rateyourmusic.com/list/Nodima/run_that_shit__nodimas_hip_hop_handbook

>In many ways, El-P's bowing to the sound of Atlanta without
>compromising his desire to challenge is R.A.P. Album's
>greatest success story. "Go!" would have fit right in
>alongside Mike's work on I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind II,
>while "Ghetto Gospel" cackles in the ears of those who would
>complain El-P is forever the soundtrack to white bread, coldly
>backpack-oriented abstraction. It's a minor footnote that a
>man known for such derogatorily defined "white rap" has made
>such an extremely southern, black record, but it's definitely
>an accomplishment that will dominant early sessions for folks
>intimate with his past works. But with the constantly
>transforming background details, squiggly synth basslines and
>AmeriKKKaz Most Wanted revivals like "Don't Die" and "Reagan",
>one would be very wrong to assume El-P held back from putting
>his foot in this album. He simply did it in a way that can
>only be defined as shockingly accessible considering his
>oeuvre.

BANGED pieces here and there til I GOT home, gave it a full listen thru and stood up and clapped all by my fuckin self in my living room at the end of R.A.P Music. Pulpit indeed.



Yeah.

it really does make you just want shake their hands on some thank you, this is incredible

All it took was the second long clips on AS and the reactions here for me to tube it up and figure that this is an album that needed to be BOUGHT.


Yeah.

i damn near felt the same way, man. the music is that good.

killer fucking mike and el-producto...never would've thought, the monster and lazer face.

I miss how DJ's used to scratch records on songs like that...

http://theyesyesyalls.com
http://facebook.com/theyesyesyalls
http://reverbnation.com/theyesyesyalls
http://shamelessplug.bandcamp.com
http://twitter.com/shamelessplug

or southern fried. or reagan.

the album should be called Propane and Propane Accessories.

cause that's what it is.

something about it has that fire that I don't always get from his studio tracks. like, it's that effortless, "fuck y'all, I'm reclaiming the throne" flow.

and then comes Killer Mike with the KRS-style. That transition is mean.

Tip over an El-P beat in itself is incredible, the fact that he stole the show was surprising, I thought he might phone it in.

yeah i was suprised about that too.

when he's on, he can be really dope. I love that Amerik-k-ka's nightmare line.

im set for life.

haven't heard anything off it yet, think i'll pick it up on the way home tonight. i know everyone is anti itunes on here but is it on itunes?

classic

that untitled w/ scar ???

cotdamn

I can easily see R.A.P. Music and Cancer 4 Cure staying in my rotation for the entire summer.

that 3 track run of Reagan, Don't Die, and then Ghetto Gospel is one of the best I've heard in a while

They are doing serious damage to-

my speakers

my eardrums

and no doubt my relationship with my neighbors.


Not to mention the play of other artists.


Unreal.

The entire thing is DOPE. . . BUT

tracks 6-12??

f*cking perfection.


I leave you with four words

just heard this about a week or 2 ago....... and shit. can't stop listening. def. didn't notice this post before.. lol

.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=lNsAfGDkUtk

and its awesome.