California’s independent Hip Hop movement has changed a lot in the last year. From Murs‘ “Road Is My Religion” [click to read] to Aceyalone‘s recent Reggae-to-Doo Wop transition to Zion I‘s newfound Freestyle influence on The Takeover [click to read], it seems that bars over kicks and snares aren’t working anymore. To his credit, Pigeon John [click to read] has always been a trailblazer among his peers. A descendant of the rugged ciphers and competitive culture of L.A. Symphony and Project Blowed, John has adapted a sing-song delivery and poolside subject matter that’s far more G Love than G Rap [click to read]. With a new group, Rootbeer, the five-song EP Pink Limousine stumbles a thin line between art and hipsterism.
Joined by L.A. Symphony member/producer Flynn Adam, Pink Limousine lives up to its ostentatious name. Although the Symphony and solo projects often tackled unique subject matters of the heart over boisterous production, Rootbeer seems to careless about rhymes, focusing on choruses. “Girlies” uses the same Cool Kids repetitive chorus style, and the simple hook-up rhymes may mention will.i.am, but they come courtesy of a Fergie-like delivery. The same is true of “Chimpanzee,” which argues to act like the primate of the same name. Complete with monkey sound-effects, this song is somewhere between V.I.C. and Black Eyed Peas crossover, and totally intolerable whether looked at as experimentalism or just “fun.”
For five songs, the final two are where the art – if that’s the intention – comes together nicely. Pigeon John has long had the insightful topics that separated him from his peers, and a yearning to talk casually through his delivery. Flynn‘s productions, when focused on traditional song structure, make this more natural than ever before. “Under Control,” with John on the MPC 2000, bass and Triton and Flynn on MS 2000, finds the two making a feel-good song that could be a hit had it been sung by Lady Gaga and not two Good Life alums. “So Good” follows, and with careful key-play, is as good as anything in either artist’s catalogues. PJ justifies what his male-peers may call “buddy whipped” and Flynn follows, and the song explains the whole style and reasoning of two rare cases of emcees that fill a crowd with pretty females night after night, as well as B-boys. The song’s slow production updates the lineage of funky, ’70s-minded grooves that fans crave, after three tracks of ’80s-inspired 808s and repetition.
At less than 20 minutes, Rootbeer is less curious than this seemingly rushed project. Flynn Adam and Pigeon John seemed like they had two projects in the works, and melded them together half-baked. The first three records are watered-down attempts at License To Ill production, with Fergie-style sunglasses raps. The final two records, which pack substance, thought and craft, are more of an extension of Pigeon John‘s 2006 Summertime [click to read] release, his strongest to date. On the right day, root beer hits the spot, and reminds the pallet of a classic childhood flavor. Other times, it prompts headaches and fails to quench thirst of any kind. Its musical group of the same name follows suit.
