For episode 4 of BBB Radio, I review the excellent debut album from hip-hop/R&B artist .nic “something about rain” and Janicza Bravo’s provocative comedy-drama “Zola”, and Ricardo and I review the first two episodes of the newest web series from Ville Ventures Universe “Black Land: Aftermath”, Steven Soderbergh’s noirish crime film “No Sudden Move”, Michael Sarnoski’s fantastic debut feature “Pig” and the first half of the first season of the highly-anticipated “He-Man” follow-up series “Masters of the Universe: Revelation”, along with its fan backlash since its release.
For Episode 3 of BBB RADIO, Ricardo and I, with special guests Tracy Hutchings, Alice Oscura, Sommerleigh Pollonais and I Julien Neaves pay tribute to rapso icon Brother Resistance and hip-hop legend Biz Markie, celebrate the 35th anniversary of James Cameron’s “Aliens”, go spoilery on the first season of Marvel Studios’ “Loki” and share our honest opinions on the long-awaited “Space Jam: A New Legacy”.
“ODDSSY” is the sophomore album from Cleveland, Ohio rapper theKD and a follow-up to his 2019 debut “You Don’t Know Me Now, but you Will” and 2020 EP “M.i.S. (Mind in Space)”. According to the Soundcloud page for the album, “ODDSSY” highlights a period where “his entire world was shattered by the people he considered to be his family”. theKD “sees himself as Odysseus (hence the title) as he travels through life trying to find his way again”.
Given the references to the hero of the Greek author Homer’s epic poem “The Odyssey” (whose influence can be seen in many forms of literature, from novels to scripts) in that synopsis, one may go into this album expecting something grandiose, thought-provoking or even mythological. But unlike records like “Orpheus vs. The Sirens”, the collaborative project from New York rapper Ka and L.A. producer Animoss (arguably one of the best rap albums of the past decade), where the fantasy of Greek myth was juxtaposed with the bleakness of modern-day street life, “ODDSSY” is more concerned about establishing a chilled vibe in the midst of our antihero’s stormy inner conflict.
I say ‘antihero’ because while the character of Homer is essentially a hero, theKD……isn’t. Of course, he’s not a villain, but throughout the album, his thoughts and actions aren’t hero-like. And that’s both the album’s main theme and overall point: theKD is a work in progress, both as a rapper and as a human being. His odyssey to greatness has already begun, but in no way, is it an easy one. He frames himself as flawed, imperfect and incomplete, and yet the talent, confidence and foresight he possesses are effective enough as he constantly battles his personal demons.
“ODDSSY” begins with the track “Black Rose” which features this smooth, soulful, laid-back instrumental and a standout hook which begins with the following bars: “Mirror, mirror, on the wall, tell me who’s the flyest / No need to wear a crown when Mary’s calling me your Highness”(the latter bar won’t be the last time theKD references weed on the album). I could’ve done without the “Homer Simpson” (the first in a number of cartoon references) on the hook; and yes, I get that it’s meant to be a play on the aforementioned Homer character, but the listener would’ve easily figured that out without the use of the surname “Simpson”. But anyway, this track kicks the album off in grand fashion, with theKD acknowledging the almost-supernatural, life-changing power his rhymes contain. The second verse is quite intriguing, as the first of his many burdens is revealed through his relationship with his parents: “Tell my mama‘Say a prayer, I’m chasing after a dream’ / Tell my father ‘FUCK THAT N***A, I never needed a thing’”.
We get a couple of bangers on “ODDSSY”, the first being the single “Headshot” which has a trap-flavored beat with some dramatic synths and some truly impressive triplet flows from theKD. A moment that stuck out to me was when he realized at age 6 he was poor. To learn that at such a young age was clearly a life-altering moment for theKD (some people actually learn this YEARS later in life) and you can certainly understand why he puts everything into his music. The second banger is the aptly-titled “Snakes in the Garden”, a short (it runs for under 2 minutes) yet savage verbal assault on the proverbial snakes who constantly cross his path. Though it plays more like an interlude to the following track (more on that later) than anything else, it’s still a true highlight on the album.
theKD displays his introspective side on the album as well, like on the track “Tinted Glass” where he raps over this hazy, piano-driven beat about seeing the world in a warped fashion, being blinded by his own self-confidence and habits, and ignorant to other people’s advice, however well-intentioned it may be. There’s a great bit of self-awareness near the end of the track when he spits: “Staring at the window, tinted glass when I pass by / Shitty how the world is always passing us by / They say that timing is everything, fuck if timing is right / I broke the tinted glass in half, I wasn’t seeing quite right”. There’s also the SUPERB track “Maybe” where he attempts to differentiate what will make him truly fulfilled in life from what he desires as a rapper, like a Ferrari, a studio, a hit song, jewelry, weed etc.
Speaking of weed, theKD also expresses his fondness for……weed. On the spacey, chillwave-esque “Escapism”, he raps about using marijuana to cope with the day-to-day, and on its CATCHY-ASS hook, he says: “I need to medicate / Everybody got their way to meditate, I can’t relate / Need to spark one up so watch me levitate”. There’s also the hazy, nocturnal “Light it Up” which, despite the title, isn’t entirely centered on weed, but on the temporary comfort he feels in this party-like setting with his ‘friends’ alongside him, girls nearby and easy access to drugs and alcohol.
These three aspects are explored on a large portion of the album. Right after “Light it Up”, we get the ‘morning-after’ track “After the Party” which incorporates a reversed, slightly pitch-shifted version of the vocal sample FROM THE PREVIOUS TRACK into its instrumental. theKD’s insecurities rise to the surface at this point, as he mentions “re-suffocating his demons” and his failed attempt to do so sexually (“Sex a placebo, it’s not penicillin”). We get some great bars afterwards when theKD says: “Shawty keep asking me all of these questions / Why the fuck do you keep stressin’ / Why don’t you count your own blessings / Not everyone evil, you don’t need protection”. In a great moment of vulnerability, he responds by saying he feels like everyone will eventually leave him to face his battles alone.
On the following song “Not a Star”, theKD explores alcohol abuse through a metaphorical scenario involving a chance encounter with a woman he meets at a bar. Its oddly upbeat and sunny instrumental, which includes a pleasant vibraphone melody, fits the dark vibe of the song perfectly. And though it is a bit over-reliant on the hook (which takes up significant time on the track where its narrative could’ve been fleshed out more), it is ultimately one of the brightest spots on the album. Another bright spot is “Fantasy Interlude” where, over a woozy, psychedelic beat, theKD raps from the perspective of the god of the underworld himself, Hades, as he expresses his love for (if you’re familiar with Greek myth) Zeus and Demeter’s daughter Persephone. This features some of the album’s standout bars like “We just trying to find our way / If they hate, then let them hate / These hoes gon’ fight for that bouquet / While they wish they in your place / I hear these n****s talking, they just wanna have themselves a taste / Imma think about it when I’m finished licking off my plate”.
The tracks “Womanizer” and “Lucy” serve as examinations of theKD’s drug use throughout the record. Despite the almost-3-minute runtime and one verse, one hook structure of the former, we get a brilliant and quite haunting song with “Womanizer”, as theKD articulates his dependency on drugs, each personified as a sexual partner. The latter focuses on “Lucy”, one of the ‘women’ mentioned in the previous track, and I love the way he uses familiar hip hop terminology to frame her as irresistible (“Bad and boujee”, “Savage, ruthless”). There’s also a blink-and-you-miss-it reference to “Rick & Morty” which, if you’re familiar with the ridiculous level of violence in that show, you should be able to pick up on.
His insecurity towards women, particularly his inability to establish meaningful relationships with them, are explored on “Lie2Me 2”, “Sirens” and to a lesser extent, the penultimate track “27”. Unlike the first “Lie2Me” from theKD’s debut where he rapped about falling in love with a girl who already had a boyfriend, on the sequel, he uses this moody, flute-centered instrumental and, quite noticeably, the legendary Greek character Medusa to rap about a girl he’s obsessed over – even though she’s not right for him. Compared to the original, theKD sounds intentionally desperate on this track, as he longs to be with her, if only for one night.
“Sirens” paints a more complex picture, as theKD raps about the mistrust he feels over his latest significant other who, compared to the ‘Medusa’ on “Lie2Me 2”, may actually be right for him! Her true intentions are constantly being questioned by theKD in lines like “Yeah, the music we make together been clouding my judgment / That’s all that we’ve ever done, she do nothing that’s public / Doesn’t post on the socials, never thought anything of it / ‘Til I checked my accountant, saw things that weren’t in the budget”. “27”, which appears after “Snakes in the Garden”, attempts to thematically connect theKD’s insecurities to his focus on his musical goals. However, with the more listens I gave this song, I can’t help but feel there could’ve been a stronger connection between both themes. Perhaps a second verse, instead of the sole verse we got on this track, would’ve helped things.
“ODDSSY” concludes with “Winner’s Circle (Outro)” where theKD dedicates the track to everyone he’s encountered on his journey to greatness thus far, from his family and friends to exes and strangers. This is the moment on the album’s admittedly loose narrative where he gets back on track after losing his way to his inner demons. He’s appreciative of everything now – his ups, downs and in-betweens – simply because he’s committed to the life path he’s chosen. His odyssey’s far from over, but it’s clear he’s glad he made it this far. It’s a rather optimistic way to look at life and a surprisingly optimistic and well-earned way to end the album. I particularly dug the sort of slowed-and-reverb version of the beat that plays near the end of the song, implying that theKD’s imperfections and inner turmoil will continue to impact his journey.
As a whole, I found myself really enjoying and appreciating “ODDSSY”. Though I felt a few songs could’ve ran a bit longer or delved a little deeper thematically (“After the Party”, “Not a Star”, and “27” come to mind), theKD really came through a solid sophomore album full of great beats, sharp lyricism and engaging subject matter. While there’s no telling how far this odyssey will take him, here’s hoping we get some great music out of it. “ODDSSY” is definitely worth checking out.
“Zandunga – EP” is the debut demo EP from Mexico-based world music band Zandunga. The first of two releases – the second being an LP – slated for release this year, this four-track EP is a mostly instrumental affair with the occasional vocal performance during its 15-minute runtime. This is essentially the first course (if you want to talk full-course dinners) to the band’s musical style, whose foundation lies in Jamaican reggae but oftentimes expands its reach into the sonic territories of jazz, Latin music and, on the final track, Afrobeat.
Upon first listen, the music on this EP may allude to something experimental or progressive, with its contemporary take on established genres. What it does however is highlight their similarities in a simple, straight-forward way, while maintaining the essence of each genre being presented.
In a sense, Zandunga’s music pays tribute to the foundations of these genres, not by re-inventing the wheel for today’s audiences or referencing them sporadically like experimental musicians and producers do (specifically in hip hop), but by tapping into their respective fundamentals and building a specific sound and vibe from them. And ‘vibe’ is the key word to consider when listening to this project, with each track maintaining a cool, laid-back and mainly upbeat atmosphere.
The opening track “NZURI” starts off with some beautiful, haunting and a tad bit melancholy female vocalizing, followed by a reggae drum-and-guitar combo. After the vocalizing, the singing (performed completely in Arabic) adopts a rockers-like cadence which fittingly matches the track’s dancefloor-oriented vibe and aesthetic. The Latin-flavored horns were a nice touch to the song, with a FANTASTIC trumpet solo in-between the second verse which easily ranks amongst one of the EP’s major highlights.
We then get “7 7”, which is actually my favorite song on the EP, thanks to its warm, breezy grooves, short, simple and sweet hook (“Sweet summer days”), smooth, sensual guitar rhythms near the end, and an overall vibe that’ll instantly transport you to a beach bar in one of those hotels Trip Advisor gives regular 5-star ratings to. In its first minute, the track does sound like your average reggae song, but when the horns kick in, they give the song a bit of a ska feel. A rather interesting moment on the song comes in the form of a brief spoken-word piece, which I assume (if only I knew how to speak Spanish) is centered on summer and the memories and emotions the season evokes.
On “Algoritmo”, and in another major highlight on the EP, we’re treated to two spoken-word pieces of sorts (again, if only I knew how to speak Spanish) delivered by a little girl. It’s a truly unexpected and genuinely adorable moment on “Zandunga – EP”, and one which adds character to the song’s seamless blend of electric guitar, horns, drums and sax (adding a bit of jazz to the mix), along with bongo drums and cowbell in the background.
The final track “4 Fela” (which is kinda sorta funny, since it’s the fourth track and the number ‘4’ is in the title) is a self-explanatory tribute to the late, great Nigerian musician and Afrobeat pioneer Fela Kuti. This track in particular is the most fascinating on the EP, as it finds its own sonic middle ground between reggae and Afrobeat, two genres which, from a conceptual standpoint, SHOULD prove simple enough to fuse together. Its guitars remain reggae-inspired throughout “4 Fela”, but the horns give the song a funky, jazzy feel – which makes sense since Fela experimented with funk and jazz in his musical work. Supported by an EXCELLENT sax performance and a generally hazy, hypnotic vibe (emphasized by the delay effects added to the guitars and drums in its roughly minute-long outro), this was truly a great way to bring the EP’s proceedings to a close.
Despite its fairly short duration, the infectious multi-cultural and crossover sounds presented on “Zandunga – EP” are more than enough to entertain and satisfy listeners. Additionally, it feels like a small taste of what we can expect with their upcoming LP, which I expect will incorporate more songwriting and themes into their music. If you’re a fan of easy-listening genre-fused, world music, or if you’re simply looking for music to vibe or chill out to, then by all means, give this project a listen!
OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10.
LISTEN TO THE EP ON SPOTIFY, iTUNES/APPLE MUSIC AND THE OFFICIAL ZANDUNGA WEBSITE: zandunga.org
“Five Piano Improvisations” is the latest album from new age multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and producer C.W. Franz, and the newest entry in his ongoing discography of meditative, artistic and oftentimes experimental musical collections. With the three albums and track (“Should I Sail?”) I’ve reviewed from C.W. thus far, I’ve been greatly impressed by his talent as an arranger; honing in on a particular mood or vibe from the beginning of a song, adding the right (and at times, unexpected) instrumentation to heighten that mood and seeing just how far he can take listeners on this emotional experience.
With this five-track project (clocking in at roughly 20 minutes), he gives listeners EXACTLY what the title suggests: five pieces of musical composition and collaboration, each of which play out for as long as they should, without overstaying their welcome. Recorded in 2018 over a three-month period in the Harriett Fuller House of Illinois Wesleyan University, “Five Piano Improvisations” finds C.W. exploring the creative parameters of the lounge piano. Enlisting the assistance of Nicky V, Steve Williams, Reinaldo Ocando and Rodnell Matos on string instruments, Joe Di Fiore and Oscar on wind instruments, Larry Salzman on percussion, Camille Bois on Ondes Martenot and D. Heming (whose role I’ll get to in a bit), C.W. creates these musical blueprints out of the piano and designs moody, chamber music-like compositions out of them.
C.W. lays the foundation of the opening track “Vermillion River (October – April)” with some calm, wistful chords, upon which Nicky V builds upon with a beautifully bluesy electric guitar solo. While both artists remain prominent throughout the track, Larry Salzman adds some light, periodic flourishes of rainstick, frame drum, temple blocks and shakers. Within the last 30 seconds of the song, Oscar comes through with a lovely bansuri melody – which should come as no surprise to those already familiar with the occasional use of Asian instruments in C.W.’s music.
The following track “Pavane: Long Lake” plays mostly like a sonic duet between C.W.’s piano and Nicky V’s electric guitar, creating this peaceful, serene soundscape in the process. You can even imagine this song playing over a film montage of epic sweeping shots highlighting some American landscape (Long Lake AND Vermillion River, Minnesota, come to mind). Larry punctuates the song with vibraphone bars and taps to the Akai drum machine, while Joe Di Flore delivers a brief Eb clarinet solo near the end of the 3 minute mark.
On “Worcester (Frost on your Birthday”), the longest track on the album, the luscious sonic landscape of the previous track is replaced with a barren, frozen wasteland. Complimenting C.W.’s moody piano chords are Complimenting C.W.’s moody piano chords are Camille Bois’ Ondes Martenot at the back of the mix altered sounds of what may either be harsh winter winds or a snow blower, and the recording of breaking ice ‘performed’ by D. Heming. Altogether, these sounds create a bleak, melancholy, but still calm and reflective, representation of the sadness and joy one can experience within the coldness of winter.
“Kate”, which is my favorite song on this album (in case you were wondering), delivers this warm, nostalgic mood which feels like a genuinely emotional progression from the previous track. Here, we’re treated to some lush piano keys from C.W., passionate acoustic guitar and mandolin work from Nicky V and Rodnell Matos respectively, pleasant marimba bars from Reinaldo Ocando and a piccolo solo from Joe Di Fiore that is so incredibly beautiful, it elevates the vibe of the song quite considerably.
For the final piano improvisation, we get “Sleeper to Cleveland”, the (relatively) shortest track on the album and easily the most ambiguous, emotion and vibe-wise. There’s this underlying sense of uncertainty throughout it, as if someone’s fate will be decided long after the song ends. Every instrument on this track sounds dark and foreboding, from C.W.’s base melody to Steve Williams’ ghostly electric lap steel guitar, Oscar’s mournful EWI and Larry Salzman’s accompanying bells.
Overall, “Five Piano Improvisations” is a short, sweet, accessible and digestible project that will certainly please C.W. Franz fans and appeal to those looking for some stimulating instrumental music to vibe to. I would like to see C.W. continue his instrument-driven improvisations, one of which will hopefully result in a longer, more immersive project in the near-future. But for now, five improvisations from a lounge piano at an Illinois university will have to do.
OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10
Available on Bandcamp, Apple Music/iTunes, Spotify and Tidal.
For episode 2 of BBB Radio, Ricardo and I pay our respects to the late, great filmmakers Richard Donner and Robert Downey Sr., and review “A Quiet Place Part II”, “Luca”, “The Tomorrow War” and “Black Widow”. Additionally, I share my quick thoughts on two of 2021’s best albums (The Soul Powers’ debut “The Beginning Of…” and Terry Blade’s debut “American Descendant of Slavery”) and one of 2021’s best movies, the Questlove-directed “Summer of Soul (…Or, When the Revolution Could Not Be Televised).
“I’ma bring the heat, I’ma bring the heat, like a one-man army” says Charles Laney, Columbus, Ohio-born, Los Angeles-based rapper/singer/ producer, on “OMA”, the opening track to his debut album “Midnight & Lion”. The first in a number of catchy-ass hooks (Seriously, THEY ARE) peppered throughout this album, it perfectly sums up Charles’ DIY approach to his debut, as everything from songwriting to mastering was handled entirely by him. Additionally, it sums up the ‘character’ he plays on the album; because while, upon first listen, you’re treated to a seemingly non-stop playlist of nocturnal, EDM-laced rap bangers, it’s the ‘one man’ himself and the internal and external battles he faces – or tries desperately to avoid – that’s front and center.
Thematically, “Midnight & Lion” plays out like a night on the town set to hyper-energetic music, with Charles playing the role of a wild, promiscuous individual who buries his insecurities with inebriated partying, one-night stands and shallow flexing. However, when the sun rises, the high comes down and he’s forced to truly look himself in the mirror, that’s when his insecurities are unearthed (a sub-theme which shows up on the album’s third act) and revealed to the listener.
Over the pounding, 90s electronica-inspired beat for the aforementioned “OMA”, Charles’ odyssey begins. Here, he’s in full braggadocious mode, and you can picture him looking fresh to death, in the middle of a nightclub dancefloor, fist-pumping (People still do that shit, right?) every time the hook kicks in. And before you think this is some “A Night at the Roxbury”-type shit where you’re supposed to laugh at the trying-desperately-to-be-cool protagonist, the production brilliantly sustains a dark, moody vibe throughout, placing us in the unstable mind state of the album’s antihero.
The album’s first act continues with four tracks centered on Charles’ club-based sexual escapades. On “Potent Love Potion”, which features a spacey, chillwave beat laced with a moody keyboard melody, Charles hits on a woman, despite his friend warning him that she’s “loose” and he “might fade away…..like them other n***as”. Vocally, Charles comes off as incredibly exuberant on this track, like the way he pronounces “nah” on the first verse, the ridiculous way he enunciates “rear”, “pier” and “fear” on the second verse and the way-longer-than-necessary final verse where he makes reference to things like “Jurassic Park” and “Spongebob Squarepants”. Over the quirky instrumental for “Cool Girl”, Charles who, within the context of the album thus far, sounds like he has TEN drinks in him with his hushed, chilled vocal delivery, hits on a woman who’s clearly not down for a one-night stand (“She can’t stand me (I can’t stand you) / But she gon’ make that p***y pop like she planned to”).
Speaking of one-night stands, “That Work” treats us to a successful (I guess) stand involving Charles and a woman who he may or may not have hit on in the previous tracks. This is easily the sleaziest track on the album, with its steamy, sweaty nightclub-evoking, string-assisted electronic beat which intensifies when the hook comes in (which sounds eerily similar to the ‘Izzo Kizzay’ section of the classic Frankie Smith song “Double Dutch Bus”). The following track “Long Gone”, the shortest song on the album, plays like an extension of the previous track and an interlude of sorts. Charles’ vocals sound particularly robotic here, fitting neatly with the track’s futuristic-sounding instrumental, as he informs potential sexual prospects to take any opportunity presented to them to be with him since there “won’t be a second chance”.
The second act delves deeper into Charles’ hedonism, starting and ending with references to fashion. “Dressed to Kill”, one of the album’s best songs, finds Charles rapping non-stop – and bordering on a bit of insanity (from the delivery of his hook to the hushed, repeated lines on the song’s second half) – over an instrumental which ironically sounds like it’s designed for a fashion show, even though Charles, in easily the most memorable hook on the album, declares that “this is not a fashion show!” The posturing he exhibits on that track carries over on “I’ve Got Nothing Left”, which opens with drumline horns and drums and leads into a beat which feels lifted from an intense sequence in an action thriller. Charles’ warped-sounding vocals, chant-like hook of “I got nothing. You got something”, and prevalent dark humor (in one standout moment, he brags about successfully persuading someone’s daughter to do molly) creates the impression that our antihero is clearly ‘not right in the head’ at this point.
Over the haunting production of “Rock & Roll”, Charles delivers a hazy, drugged-up version of what is essentially the lyrics to a basic, innocent-enough pop/R&B song (up until the sexually-charged final verse, that is) where the guy encourages the girl to get involved with him. The second act concludes with “Designer Beauty”, another great song on the album, which features a bright, bouncy instrumental laced with periodic synths which, for some reason, kept reminding me of Slava Tsukerman’s musical work on the 1982 sci-fi cult classic “Liquid Sky” (which, not only should you DEFINITELY seek out but is also centered on nightlife, high fashion and substance abuse). By framing himself as overly confident in front of two ‘model-type’ women (of course, he doesn’t know their names so he switches between Halle Berry and Meagan Good), Charles slowly reveals the self-deprecating way he views himself. Emphasized by the FANTASTIC hook, he feels ‘good’ within their superficial beauty, though it’s painfully clear he’ll feel the absolute opposite way about himself when they’re gone (“Beauty’s our design / Beautiful by design / Your skin, babe, is so sublime / But I am so ugly / It’s okay when I look at you / My skin glows a little bit brighter / Smile a bit wider / Baby, you’re my fire taking me higher”). He tries to keep their, and his, spirits up with these intentionally redundant and pointless refrains near the end of the song (“Hold up… I’m hoed up”, Hyped up….I’m hyped up”, “Python… Gotta python”) but to no avail, as the beat slows down to a crawl, signaling the end of the party.
In the final act, more of Charles’ insecurities are uprooted. On “Fire with Fire” – my favorite song on the album, in case you were wondering – Charles delivers a grandiosely sardonic assault on his haters and detractors, opting to use ‘fire’ to expose and decimate the proverbial ‘snakes in the grass’. He makes great use of the track’s bouncy, piano-driven beat with his half-threatening, half-animated delivery throughout this song (Points for the HILARIOUS Kermit-like vocal inflection he uses on the pre-chorus). We then get “Rock & Roll (Part II”), which is more of a reprise than a sequel to “Rock & Roll”, but serving as a darker continuation of the disdain established in “Fire with Fire”. The combination of crackling, chant-like lyrics and minimalist, cavernous instrumental gives the track the feel of falling headfirst into hell.
On the penultimate track “Midnight in the Morning”, Charles’ insecurity surrounding women is finally revealed, as we learn that he’s still hung up on the fact that his ex has moved on with someone else. The beat has this dramatic, revelatory, pop ballad-like vibe to it, as if the clouds are finally parting and sunlight shines on our antihero for the first time on the album. And yet, though he finds difficulty in moving forward from what was most likely a doomed relationship, it’s one of the primary influences behind his personality and creativity (“I guess that means you’re winning though / I made this instrumental tho / I created from what we went through / I took my pain and made it beautiful”).
The album closes with the epic (in the sense that it runs for roughly 8 ½ minutes) “Lord of the Crowns”, where his alias “Midnight & Lion” is finally mentioned. Backed by a cascading, slightly melancholy beat with a buzzing keyboard melody at its center, Charles finally looks at himself in the mirror, picking out his flaws and imperfections, yet assuring himself that he’s already destined for greatness. I actually dug the long-ass final verse where he literally raps as if his life counted on it. Interestingly, the legendary Egyptian pharaoh King Tut is brought up verbally by Charles and in the haunting sample used in the track’s cacophonous final moments (the blaring horns and swirling synths are guaranteed to stay with you long after you’ve heard this track). Upon first listen, the mention of King Tut may seem like some random historical reference, but it adds a significant piece to the already-fractured portrait presented on the album. Does Charles see himself as a king right now, or one who’ll be revered long after he’s dead and buried in some figurative catacomb? What’ll be left when his remains are unearthed? His failures or victories? And most importantly, will he be remembered for the former or latter?
Clearly, I’m reading WAY too much into “Midnight & Lion”, which is to say, I didn’t expect that much thematic and emotional complexity (more of which will show itself with subsequent listens) from this album. And while it’s not flawless (my one gripe is that at times, Charles’ vocals seem slightly overpowered by the production and vocal effects), and won’t be for everyone, especially those who like their party-oriented music with little to no nihilism or cynicism, I do recommend checking it out for yourself. As for me, I found myself enjoying this album way more than I expected, thanks to Charles’ sonically captivating production, sticky hooks and refrains, and energetic, versatile vocal performances, along with the album’s after-hours, under-the-influence journey to hell and back. If you’re a fan of abrasive, adventurous, experimental hip-hop, by all means give “Midnight & Lion” a listen!
For the pilot episode of BBB Radio (formerly known as Beers, Beats & Bailey. Don’t worry. The intro will explain the name change), Ricardo Medina, Tracy Hutchings, Alice Oscura, C.C. Lilford and I celebrate the 30th anniversary and 25th anniversary respectively of two of the most influential visual effect extravaganzas in film history: James Cameron’s “Terminator 2: Judgment Day” and Roland Emmerich’s “Independence Day”
BBB RADIO 