Slept-On But Very Dope Hip Hop Songs From The Week Of 1/16/2012

This week’s Sunday segment is comprised of two East Coast veterans, with ties to super-crews that drove the musical conversation a decade ago. Meanwhile, two rising coast acts also emerge with two additional songs, and a deep appreciation for the way things were in the old Hip Hop structure. Each of the three songs carries a message, and uses a stylish, skillful delivery to present.

Rampage featuring R.A. The Rugged Man – “Zig Zag”

One of my favorite Busta Rhymes tracks is still “Abandon Ship” off 1996’s The Coming. It’s Busta at his most lyrically unhinged, throwing his voice, disregarding the beat, getting as close as he ever has to Kool Keith. With “Abandon Ship” dinosaurs had astrological signs and Chuck Norris powers, people turned into a walruses, and chicken-heads had chicken fajitas. Now what other rapper can really be expected to share a track with that? The answer was Flipmode Quad‘s Rampage and surprisingly he turned out to be the perfect foil for Busta. Rampage was all about the practical; the real life shit that can sometimes be downright mundane. He’s the dude with the hot parole officer who wants his five Mics. Where Busta will roll you in applesauce, Rampage will just beat you down and take your drugs with plenty of time left over for Tanqueray and a fish filet.

Fast forward to this week’s track “Zig Zag” and Rampage has once again avoided looking foolish by doing what scores of weaker emcees are unable to do. It’s something called sticking to your style and being yourself. You can make the same case with R.A. The Rugged Man that you can with Busta, you don’t “feature” him the same way you wouldn’t “feature” Eddie Van Halen. When you add R.A. to your track you’re getting a guest that will give you self-deprecation, obscure cinematic references, autobiographical tales, a Hip Hop history lesson, a boxing history lesson and all the reasons why he’s the greatest rapper alive. Then he’ll start rhyming backwards. And that was just the first eight bars. If you’re smart you’ll anchor the track with some raw rhymes, don’t try too hard, pass the baton and share in the glory when the three minutes are up. Rampage is a first rate collaborator because he knows this. But just like Roc Marciano and Rah Digga proved in 2010, and hopefully like Rampage will prove this year, you can do it all on your own too.

Listen to “Zig Zag” by Rampage featuring R.A. The Rugged Man

Ab-Soul – “Black Lip Bastard”

The new school of Hip Hop has more confidence based on nothing than any other era in Rap music. Seriously. Think about it. This whole new gang of artists promoting DIY tactics and blue-collar hustles are bragging like Jay-Z did when he made his first million. The confidence this time is derived from pure skills, something we haven’t really experienced in so long. So when Ab-Soul says, “Adjust your muthafuckin stereo so I can drop the bomb on you and watch your fuckin ears explode,” it’s with the arrogance of a man with a two-ton wallet, even if all he has is a crumpled five in his back pocket. Clearly the title of the track sends a nod to pot smoking, but Ab isn’t rhyming from the angle of regular weed raps a la Curren$y, Wiz Khalifa and Chevy Woods. This guy is using it as an accessory to his “all black everything” motif. Jay-Z boasts about black Amex cards, Ab-Soul boasts about black lips and shades. See the distinction? It’s refreshing to hear someone rap about nothing more than being awesome. Ab-Soul and the rest of the Black Hippy squad (ScHoolboy Q, Jay Rock, Kendrick Lamar) are slowly becoming my favorite movement. The others better catch up ASAP (double entendre). – Kathy Iandoli (@Kath3000)

Listen to “Black Lip Bastard” by Ab-Soul

Bambu – “None Left”

A lot of trusted friends have been telling me about Bambu for a long time. Admittedly, I slept. When “None Left” hit DX last weekend, I initially checked the track as a fan of Freddie Gibbs producer Josh The Goon. This musical collaboration is magic to me, as Bambu splits the difference between Mos Def’s “Mathematics” and something you might get from Ill Bill or Immortal Technique. This is intelligent, socially-aware Rap, that presents the listener with some facts, but without anything too heavy in substance or delivery. Bambu plays it cool while Josh serves up another spooky beat, perfect to capture the angst on the streets after a year of protest and plenty more oppression going on in society.

With Sick Jacken, Bambu has been a great recent wave from the Soul Assassins crew. I really would love a renaissance of DJ Muggs-produced music and artists to come out and bring proper recognition to the S.A. outfit. Bambu has a lot of what I love about Hip Hop right now: information and style. Here’s hoping for a 2012 album, and Josh The Goon continues to – as Slick Rick said, impress the kid. – Jake Paine (@Citizen__Paine)

Listen to “None Left” by Bambu

Last week’s Slept On piece.