Originating in New York City during the 1970s, hip hop is an undeniably American artform. It is certainly as important to the cultural fabric as apple pie and cheeseburgers, so if you find yourself celebrating this Memorial Day with a plate full of USA, you might also consider bumping the tracks I’ve meticulously sourced from the many corners of the internet for your listening pleasure.
Before we begin, a final word of caution; no matter what your friends tell you, you cannot bust out an elevated freeze on a flattened cardboard box if you’ve been pounding beef patties and fruit filling for three hours. There’s a reason you never see b-boys at BBQs.
Earl Sweatshirt feat. Mac Miller - “Guild”
Odd Future golden child Earl Sweatshirt, the junior hip hop prodigy banished to Samoa by his mom to protect him from jealous MCs looking to drink his blood and absorb his powers, gives us the third track to be released off his forthcoming album Doris, set to drop at some undetermined point in the future. If you’ve ever thought that rolling a blunt would be a pretty okay time, you might consider doing it to this song, as Earl and Mac Miller spend a fair bit of “Guild” celebrating that sweet, sweet marijuana.
The production on this one is what you might consider decent (or, “aight”) and I don’t particularly care for the pitched down vocals, but you won’t find a more talented set of dudes making background music for you and your pals to listen to the next time you’re facing an entire eighth.
Check these guys out when they hit the Outer Harbor on July 21st and try not to get caught with a pocket full of cannabis. Or maybe you want to get arrested, I don’t know. That way you can tell your friends you didn’t go to the Flogging Molly show because you were locked up. Everyone wins! Except you. Because of jail.
The Jet Age of Tomorrow feat. Earl Sweatshirt and Casey Veggies - “One Take”
Obligatory Odd Future bridge track. The Jet Age of Tomorrow, whose new mixtape you might as well be downloading, are otherwise known as Matt Martians and Hal Williams. Their beats are very good (or, “fresh”) and “One Take” is absolutely something you should be listening to a dozen times in a row. Earl Sweatshirt and Casey Veggies do good work here, but the beat is the main event.
Trivia bonus: Matt Martians and Odd Future member Syd tha Kyd make up the funk duo The Internet who will also be appearing at the Outer Harbor in support of Mac Miller. Snap!
Action Bronson - “Strictly 4 My Jeeps”
Former Queens, New York chef Action Bronson was set to appear last January at DBGB but ran into some trouble at a local Comfort Inn and decided to skip town instead. Since then he’s continued to blow up and any hope of him appearing at an Allentown venue has likely died entirely.
Still, this song is great (or, “ill”) and I’m going to listen to it twenty more times throughout the day. It’s one of the best songs of the week, which is why I’ve arbitrarily inserted it into the middle of today’s write-up instead of using it to finish strong.
Watch the video. If you don’t come away convinced this man should have his own cooking show, I don’t know what I can do for you.
Look for Bronson’s major label debut Saab Stories later this year.
Madlib - “The Mad March”
If you’re anything like me, you love a good marching band. If you’re exactly like me, you prefer those marching bands to be from the south either coming from or on their way to do a ton of drugs.
That’s the best I can do to describe Madlib’s new track, which you might get to own a physical copy of in limited release 7-inch vinyl form if you live in San Francisco, plan on hitting up his June 7th show, and 300 people haven’t beaten you to the punch.
Alright, it’s Memorial Day, I won’t keep you any longer. Go forth into the world and dispense this new wisdom you have been given. Be sure to crack a forty and pour a little out for our fallen men and women in uniform, too. Or drink that whole thing as to not be wasteful. The choice is yours!
Black Hippy - “U.O.E.N.O Remix”
Rape isn’t dope, and Rick Ross is wack, which is why it doesn’t surprise me he came under fire after spitting about date raping someone on the Rocko track “U.O.E.N.O” back in April. Stupid people do stupid things.
Now we have Black Hippy, essentially hip hop’s version of the Avengers at this point, putting their own spin on the track, and the result is one of the most exciting things I’ve heard all month. Kendrick Lamar, Schoolboy Q, Ab-Soul, and Jay Rock are staggeringly talented MCs, and you’ll want to put this one on your iPod immediately.
Maybe the next time Mr. Ross feels the urge to slip molly into someone’s drink, he’ll take Schoolboy’s advice and ask permission first.
Schoolboy Q - “Hell Of A Night”
Speaking of staggering talent, Schoolboy put out his own joint last week, and if the intended result was leaving the western world in feverish anticipation of his album Oxymoron, mission accomplished. You won’t hear a better rapper named Quincy today.
Produced by DJ Dahi, the beat goes hard, though I must admit to some level of confusion over the feelings these sounds stir in me. I imagine the call I hear deep within my soul is some early, prehistoric part of my brain urging me to dance, but as I am fearful of indulging that sort of behavior in a general sense, I drown it in beer and the desire passes. Feel free to nod your head like crazy, though.
Alright, it’s Memorial Day, I won’t keep you any longer. Go forth into the world and dispense this new wisdom you have been given. Be sure to crack a forty and pour a little out for our fallen men and women in uniform, too. Or drink that whole thing as to not be wasteful. The choice is yours!
The Madlib song just made me want some Zatarain's.