Slept-On But Very Dope Hip Hop Songs From The Week Of 1/2/2012

After a plethora of year-end content, the staff at DX took time to chill with our families and kiss the babies over the holidays, rather than pester you with more content. Plus, few artists dropped new music in a period where Hip Hop fans tend to look back and soak in a year. Well, in the first full week of 2012, we are back at it. With a year-end-award-winner dropping another gem, perhaps from his third project in nearly 12 months, a tag-team’s first single from their sophomore collaborative album, and a joint from one of Jersey’s patient emcees.

Gangrene (Alchemist & Oh No) – “Vodka & Ayahausca”

I’m still old school when it comes to album titles. I think a title should act like an elevator sales pitch. It should sum up the experience, the world the listener will inhabit for the next 50 minutes rather than some random pretentious sounding couplet or inside joke you would’ve needed to be on last year’s tour bus to understand.

In that regard the duo of Alchemist and Oh No, two producer-emcees, known collectively as Gangrene are masters of the art. 2010’s Gutter Water – which loosely followed the format of one of my all time favorite projects J Dilla and Madlib’s (as Jaylib) Champion Sound – contained beats that were submerged in a literal funk before getting “funky” in the musical sense. Forget what you’ve heard about shit-storms, Gangrene’s are actually a blast.

Now thanks to availability of the title track of their soon-to-be released follow-up, we get a sense that the duo have gone from the gutter to a place where there seems to be a bit more life, namely shrubs chock full of DMT that can make for one wild weekend in the Amazon. Gangrene is back doing what they do best, trading rhymes written on prescription pads that unfold like an acid trip travelogue. All this is done over an ALC beat that sounds like Shocking Blue on some rotted blotter tabs; psych guitars doing the requisite Ravi Shankar riff and a walking bass line infused with robotic squelches. Think of the Cenobites landing in Haight-Ashbury. It’s Vodka and Ayahuasca a/k/a I’ll have what they’re having.” – Michael Sheehan

Listen to “Vodka & Ayahausca” by Gangrene

A.P. – “Lightskinned Death”

I’m from New Jersey, and I can argue with anyone that almost every NJ rapper that has “made it” is super dope. Find me one that truly sucks. Go ahead, I’ll wait. While I’m waiting I can talk about A.P. This guy snuck into 2011, and I can guarantee he’ll be getting his true buzz going coming 2012. Shout out to B.O.B.O.’s Steve-O, who supplies the frequent tracks A.P. has been dropping on the regular. This one, though, was my favorite. A.P. takes The Fugees‘ title track from their ’96 super-album The Score and moves over the beat so properly. A.P. couples grimy lyrics with a clean delivery, just like his NJ predecessors Redman, Joe Budden, and even Treach. I’m really excited to see what this guy has to offer this year. – Kathy Iandoli (@Kath3000)

Listen to “Lightskinned Death” by A.P.

Action Bronson – “Contemporary Man”

During the “Sunday Slept-On” hiatus, Action Bronson was deemed DX’s Top Rising Star of 2011. Tracks like “Contemporary Man” illustrate why our staff feels that way. Produced by Blended Babies – coming off of a win with Asher Roth‘s Pabst & Jazz mixtape, this track veers into mash-up territory, as Bronson rhymes over ’80s Top 40 classics from John Mellencamp, Peter Gabriel, Phil Collins and others. However, this isn’t a contrived cop to get the White-girl effect for a street emcee. Instead, there’s concept here, as Bronson’s rhymes are as dirty as ever, and the listener can see the stoned chef smiling as he delivers his verbs and nouns, almost making a joke at artists who make joints like this in hopes of nailing the college crowd. This is anti-hero music, and calls back to radio show excellence of the early ’90s, where deejays surprised emcees with beat-flips. A true contemporary man is cultured in the classic, whether that’s an old school mixtape style, a Top 40 record or verses that made your mom mad, a la Kool G. Rap.

P.S. Apologies to Bronson, Blended Babies and ALC, who suffered some misinformation from the kid when I reported a news story confusing the titles of a few projects coming later this year. – Jake Paine (@Citizen__Paine)

Listen to “Contemporary Man” by Action Bronson

The last Slept On piece.