ALBUM REVIEW: DJ Headmasta – For Forgotten Memories

“For Forgotten Memories” is the newest beat tape from Luxembourg hip-hop producer DJ Headmasta and his first vinyl release under the indie hip hop label “De Läbbel”. As a proud hip-hop head since the 90s, I’ve always marveled at what I call this European resurgence of the basement-created, boom-bap sounds of East Coast hip hop. Over the years, I’ve discovered many hip hop revivalist gems from various European producers and labels, some of which are absolute favorites of mine like Kuartz’ “Shurikens” (2017), CORC’s “The Outer Limits” (2018) and demotapez’ “Da World iz a Mad Place” (2020).

Prior to listening to this album, I checked out Headmasta’s Bandcamp discography, starting with his 2016 debut “Going Back EP”. That project, along with his subsequent projects “Lost Pieces” (a 2017-released compilation) and “Hit these Pads Vol. 1” from 2018, showcased Headmasta’s ability to craft mood-setting, multi-layered soundscapes whilst incorporating rudimentary hip hop production techniques. Oftentimes, he would go on a somewhat experimental or concept-driven route like the meditative, “Art of War”-based “Duty of a Warrior” from “Going Back EP” and the track “Excuse Me” off “Hit these Pads Vol. 1” where the beat switches from jazzy to soulful to spacey in the course of roughly 4 ½ minutes. Headmasta also produced tracks for rappers like Don Cee from Belgium (2019’s “Shine”) and Don Tox from Cameroon (2020’s “Pure”), the latter of which features one of the BEST beats I’ve ever heard from him (blame it on the strings)!

Compared to Headmasta’s previous projects, “For Forgotten Memories” is more conventional, stripped-down and straightforward in terms of its old school, boom-bap aesthetic. It’s only right that it was given the vinyl approach since all of its 14 tracks sound like they’re lifted from some rap record pressed in the early-to-mid ‘90s. In particular, the mastering, handled by Dutch mastering engineer Ivo Statinski who worked with legendary artists like the Wu-Tang Clan, Missy Elliott and Masta Ace, is truly praiseworthy.

The opening instrumental “Fat Funk” (Intro) kicks things off nicely with its murky, upright bass sample, hard drums, haunting horns, stuttering cuts of the word “headmasta” and occasional bits of electric guitar. This is the type of beat you can easily picture a hardcore hip hop artist rapping over, with his crew standing by to deliver grimy-ass gang vocals on the hook. Speaking of crew, the twinkling piano keys on the following track “Good Advice” sound eerily similar to the ones present on the Wu-Tang Clan masterpiece “Triumph”. But while there was an obviously grandiose and epic feel to RZA’s production on that track, Headmasta’s instrumentation sounds relatively low-key, with its sparse drum pattern and smooth sax loops.

Things get psychedelic on the next track “Mind, Soul and Body”, the title of which is a reference to the late, great Prodigy’s noteworthy verse on the LL Cool J-led posse cut “I Shot Ya (Remix)”. This is essentially a lo-fi, mind-expanding mood piece, complete with warped keyboards, echoing horns, crisp drums and a few female rap vocal samples, one of which appears and re-appears on the track like a specter (“I represent….”). From psychedelic to straight-up NOCTURNAL, we get “Rock This”, one of my favorite beats on this album! Like the intro, this is one instrumental I’d LOVE to hear vocals over, and given its dark, cold vibe throughout, you can imagine a group of rappers (the opening lines from the Marley Marl classic “The Symphony”, which opens this track, suggests that there should be at least two emcees on the mic) spitting some cold-blooded bars over it. But the true highlight of the track is this striking trumpet sample meant to signalize the song’s hook, which sounds both jazz and Latin music-inspired.

After the interlude “Gimmick”, which features what I believe to be a Miles Davis interview, we get the track “Mad Hip Hop”. Here, Headmasta presents a downtempo, jazzy instrumental that incorporates two carefully-selected vocal snippets from two lines off the iconic verse performed by the late, great Notorious B.I.G. on the late, great Craig Mack’s “Flava in Ya Ear (Remix)”: “Don’t be mad, UPS is hiring” and “You should’ve been a cop, fuck hip hop”. To keep things more Bad Boy-friendly, he adds Biggie’s “Ugh!” and Diddy’s “Yeah” as ad-libs on the beat. The next track “On the Run” – another favorite of mine – hits us with an atmospheric mix of warbling electronic rhythms (there’s a moment around the 20 second mark where they quickly ‘swim’ back and forth across the left and right channels), mid-tempo drums and melancholy horns.

The second half of the beat tape starts on a mellow note with “Cherry Blossom”, whose production is driven by a short, soothing and flat-out GOREGEOUS piano melody! Woven into it are a smooth drum pattern, a brief horn sample and an indiscernible vocal bit. The mellowness continues in what is easily the album’s best track: “Love for the Art”. Its sound more than lives up to the title due to its pleasant, swelling strings, relaxed keyboards and steadily-paced drumbeat. The addition of a MPC drum machine-related interview snippet (I could be wrong, but the interviewee sounds a lot like Pete Rock) at the opening and closing of the track helps establish this warm, Christmas-like vibe throughout, as if we’re seeing someone craft their first beat on a MPC minutes after receiving it as a Christmas gift.

The album then hits us with a one-two combo of hazy instrumentals, the first being the aptly-titled “Make your eardrumz bleed”, a track that, despite its short runtime, manages to leave an impression, thanks to its hard drums and hypnotic, cavernous bassline. “Anima Mundi” (a rather odd title to name a rap beat given its metaphysical context) gives us roughly twice the runtime of the prior track, which is more than enough time to savor the track’s laid-back, reverbed, head nod-inducing production. Up next, we have “The Soul Brother” which, given the obvious Pete Rock (and to an extent, his live ensemble) reference in its title, is a love letter to the jazz rap sub-genre he helped shape. Led by some IRRESISTIBLY SMOOTH, slightly modulated vibraphone bar strikes and supported by some dusty drums and siren-like horns, the beat maintains an undeniably chilled-out vibe from start to finish.

As the album winds down, Headmasta gives us one more beat to snap our necks to with “Ask Why”. For its 2 minute and 18 second duration, this track SLAPS, with its bouncy piano sample, hard-hitting drums and interpolation of a few bars from who I assume (given his cadence) is either Tek or Steele (i.e. the duo Smif-N-Wessun) from the Boot Camp Clik supergroup.  And to close things off, we get the outro track “I Gotta Go”, an intentionally drowsy and bluesy but still satisfyingly relaxed instrumental designed to inform the listener that “Yes, the party’s over, and it’s time to go home”. There’s also a noticeably inebriated vibe to the track, as if you’re drunkenly shuffling your way out of a bar or club, disappointed that the party is indeed over but knowing deep down you had the time of your life (NOT a true story, in case you were wondering)!

As a whole, I really enjoyed “For Forgotten Memories”. It’s easily DJ Headmasta’s most consistent and entertaining beat tape to date, and a project that, hopefully, will be brought up amongst the incredible output of European-based, 90s-era hip hop revivalism over the past few years. Beat junkies and die-hard hip hop heads will definitely enjoy this album, and as for those who prefer contemporary and/or progressive rap sounds, there’s still enough here to appreciate and enjoy. Time will tell when we’ll get another project from Headmasta (maybe we’ll finally get a follow-up to “Hit these Pads Vol. 1”) but here’s hoping we get more of that pure, golden era sound that continues to inspire beatmakers the world over.

OVERALL RATING: 8 out of 10

Now available on all digital platforms. Vinyl is available for purchase on DJ Headmasta’s Bandcamp page.

BBB RADIO S02E17 – It’s Almost Dry (ALBUM REVIEW), Abbott Elementary (Season 1). Russian Doll (Season 2), The Bad Guys, Ambulance, X, The Northman

In this week’s episode of BBB RADIO, Matthew covers the Ti West-directed slasher film “X”, Ricardo talks about the first season of the mockumentary comedy series “Abbott Elementary”, the second season of the mind-bending Netflix series “Russian Doll” and the Dreamworks animated feature “The Bad Guys”, and they review the new Pusha T album “It’s Almost Dry”, the Michael Bay-directed action thriller “Ambulance” and the Robert Eggers-directed Viking epic “The Northman”. 

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE

BBB RADIO S02E16 – BBB RADIO INTERVIEWS – C.W. Franz

In his third interview, Matthew speaks with Chicago ambient/ new age/ experimental producer, singer-songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Charlie Franz about his career, discography and musical concepts, and breaks down the newest entry in his self-titled album series “C.W. Franz VI”.

LISTEN TO THE FULL INTERVIEW HERE

OR WATCH IT HERE

TRACK REVIEW: Jia Davis ft. Antonia Marquee – Focus

For this new track review, I’ll be covering “Focus”, the new single from St. Louis rapper Jia Davis featuring singer-songwriter Antonia Marquee and produced by Boston producer and co-founder of Jim’s Pool Room Records, SV. This marks my official introduction to Jia, whose first release under Jim’s Pool Room came in the form of the 2020 album “Reality King”. This was a gritty, truthful crystallization of his life at that point amidst the streets of St. Louis, with production by fellow rapper Capo on tracks like the 70s soul-inspired “Saint Louis Streets” and the systemic change-addressing title track.  

With “Focus”, however, we get what is essentially a love song but centered mainly on the admiration Jia has for the woman in his life. The intro brilliantly sets up the song’s scenario: it’s morning and he’s waking up her up to go with him to Starbucks. In short, he’s intent on spending as much time with her as possible before he returns to his grind.

He wastes no time in showing off his witty sense of humor by opening the song with: “You got a pretty smile, plus the head right”. From there, he delivers these heartfelt compliments on her beauty and personality, whilst bringing up the things he’d like to do with her on his ‘time off’.  I appreciate how Jia incorporates Southern slang and enunciations into his bars, like “Errtime” on the first verse and “Right Thurr” on the second, both of which are titles to songs I bumped in the 2000s, but that’s another story for another day! And on the subject of bars, my top favorite is easily “No apps and media, we all maps and speed limits”, which is probably one of the sharpest descriptions of a social media break I’ve ever heard!

Antonia Marquee continues her streak of dropping great hooks on Jim’s Pool Room releases by delivering one of her absolute catchiest on this track (“Want you to focus on me in the morning / Down to the moment when we both go to sleep”). From a structural perspective, “Focus” doesn’t sound like a majority of time is spent on Jia. Though she sings the hook and pre-chorus, Antonia’s vocals are utilized almost at an equal amount to Jia, giving her more of a presence and purpose on the track. This also has to do with the eight-bar second verse Jia performs, which is a decent continuation of the longer first verse, but in my opinion, could’ve ran on a bit longer.

But the main ingredient behind “Focus” is the production, and here, SV opens the track with some irresistibly smooth keyboards laced with dusty boom-bap drums. On the first instance of the hook, he applies jazzy horns (very much akin to 90s hip hop instrumentals) and a subtle, slightly up-tempo drum pattern to the existing melody, the latter of which plays throughout the rest of the song. As an added bonus, he adds brief, fluttering flute notes during the pre-chorus. Altogether, they create this relaxed, chilled-out ambience that’ll instantly entice the listener from the first few seconds of its runtime.

As a whole, I REALLY enjoyed “Focus”! From its breezy, laid-back production and sincere, Southern-flavored lyrics from Jia Davis to the lovely vocals from Antonia Marquee, there’s a lot to admire and enjoy on this track. While it’s unclear at the moment whether it’ll appear on a full project or remain a standalone release, it is still worth focusing on (Get it?) and well worth adding to your chill-out / lounge/ relaxing playlist!

“Focus” is now available on Spotify, iTunes and Bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: Noho Fidel – “COLLABORATORIUM” (2020)

“COLLABORATORIUM” is the 2020 Bandcamp release from Atlanta hip-hop producer Noho Fidel and a follow-up to “LUJIAN X NOHO FIDEL VOL 1”, his collaborative beat tape with Filipino producer Lujian, released in the same year. The title itself is quite clever as the album plays out like this large, open space where Noho and other like-minded producers meet up, bring their ideas together and create great music out of their respective unions. What’s also clever is the specific credit given to the lead performers attached to this project (“Noho Fidel and _______________”) No, that’s not a typo! That’s the actual credit! In other words, each of the seven tracks presented here is titled after the producers Noho has worked with throughout his career.

As its rather psychedelic cover suggests, “COLLABORATORIUM” delivers a mood-inducing, downtempo vibe throughout its short runtime. Noho states on the album’s Bandcamp page that it was “heavily inspired by the sounds and textures of the 1970s”. However, that doesn’t mean you’re getting classic soul, R&B, rock and pop revivalism on this project, like the throwback sounds of the Grammy-winning album “An Evening with Silk Sonic”, for example. Instead, you’re getting a series of beats which sound contemporary as far as hip-hop, future soul and jazz rap production goes, and yet there are these subtle inflections and nods to vintage 70s music that gives each beat its own personality and flavor.

The opening track “DEAD GIVEAWAY” consists of a mid-tempo trap kick drum pattern mixed with moody piano chords, spacey sound effects and a soft rock-esque electric guitar melody line. The guitar itself serves as an occasional fill passage between the uses of the drum pattern in the song, and helps steer the course of the instrumental after the 1:35 mark. There’s even a BRILLIANT ‘fake-out’ moment around the 2:45 mark where the instrumental fades out and resumes after a few seconds. It’s so effective, it’s easy to assume – even after multiple listens –that the song is indeed over at that particular point.

Next up, we have “LEGITIMATE”, which features a murky bassline supplied by guest performer Maxwell Vossberg, glistening piano keys courtesy of Thomson Knoles and an ethereal male vocal sample that slips in and out of the beat. A noteworthy aspect of this instrumental is its consistently cerebral and atmospheric vibe. The same can be said for the following track “DELAZ”, a two-part instrumental which begins with a gorgeously airy musical passage, with an EXCELLENT flute solo from guest musician Melissa Sebel, very much akin to the intros of ‘bedroom music’-classified R&B songs of the 70s. But as soon as the snare drums kick in, we get a slow, disenchanted melody with gloomy sax work by Noho himself, an icy synth lead and ghostly wails in the background. When the snare drums are brought back in to close the first part of the song, we’re treated to this synth-driven, space and prog rock-inspired beat that is, simply put, the sonic equivalent of getting high! The transitioning between genres and moods on this track is admittedly unusual upon retrospect, but the euphoria felt throughout the last two thirds of “DELAZ” more than makes up for it.

And just when you thought it was safe to come down from that high, Noho hits you afterwards with “DAY TRIPPER”, which sounds like it was lifted from some obscure, arthouse sci-fi film – and as a fan of obscure, arthouse sci-fi films, that’s as fitting of a compliment I can possibly give this track! From the spacey, retro-sounding synths, mellow drums and sporadic horns to the trippy vocal samples that appear occasionally on the beat (I could be wrong, but one of them sounds eerily like the word ‘lemonade’ being sung by a female vocalist), this track stands tall as the most psychedelic this album has to offer!

We then get what is in my opinion the BEST and most enjoyable track on the album: the delightful and danceable “HONEYDRIPP”. On the surface, it’s a smooth, sensual dance song that you can imagine fans of quiet storm and ‘late-night’ R&B absolutely digging! Interestingly enough, you can also picture it as a disco song, but one that’s more subdued and less grandiose, and yet similarly open to incorporating instruments not associated with dancefloor music in the 70s, like the trombone on Diana Ross’ “I’m Coming Out” or the string section on Walter Murphy’s “A Fifth of Beethoven”. In this case, Melissa Sebel returns to the album to deliver some irresistibly chilly flute notes which flow effortlessly through the beat. Additionally, we hear some jazzy horns, a romantic Spanish guitar lick, bouncy synths and a groovy bassline provided by guest guitarist @anomaly22, all of which are combined into a certified crowd pleaser of an instrumental!

The album winds down with the relaxed, low-key sounds of “MARTY NIGHTWAGON”. Though it’s the shortest track on the album with its 2 minute and 21 second duration, it still manages to leave an impression thanks to its smoky, nocturnal tone, use of chopped-up guitar riffs, handclaps and funky bass,  and – similar to “DAY TRIPPER” – weird, indiscernible vocal samples.

Closing things off, we have “LUJIAN” which is not only a collaborative track with the aforementioned producer, but an actual song from the “LUJIAN X NOHO FIDEL VOL 1” beat tape as well (“HEAVY FOR A LIVING”). And similar to that project, this beat is easily the moodiest on the album, thanks in part to its dramatic string section, hypnotic keyboards and haunting vocalization. There’s a great vocal moment near the end of the instrumental where, during an interview snippet, a musician encourages others to “pretend like you’re making music for yourself” and if it “translates to everyone else”, that’s where “true genius takes form” and “something new happens”. The last few seconds of this snippet rings true, ESPECIALLY if you’re a creative: “You can’t try to please everybody because you never will”.

Compared to the original “HEAVY FOR A LIVING”, this version features a hidden track that shows up after less than a minute of silence. Given its placement and brief runtime, I assume it’s an incomplete track from the “LUJIAN X NOHO FIDEL” recording sessions. Honestly, there’s nothing spectacular or experimental about it, but it does conclude the album on an oddly sweet note with its warm, pleasant keyboards and simple, sung hook (the first and only one on the album) centered on a woman both Noho and Lujian (I also assume) have feelings for. Perhaps this is a taste of what to expect with “LUJIAN X NOHO FIDEL VOL. 2” which, given the resonant chemistry between both artists on the first beat tape, NEEDS to happen!

As a whole, I really enjoyed “COLLABORATORIUM”. It’s a concise, textured and moody collection of instrumentals guaranteed to please beat junkies like myself and those who simply want to vibe out to some laid-back, downtempo hip hop production. Noho Fidel clearly knows how to work well with other producers, and you have to give the man credit for acknowledging their respective input on this beat tape. Hopefully this ‘collaboratorium’ will be expanded in the near-future to include more dope producers and equally dope music. But in the meantime, this field trip through Noho’s musical mind is certainly worth the price of admission!

OVERALL RATING: 7.5 out of 10

Now available on Bandcamp

ALBUM REVIEW: C.W. Franz – C.W. Franz VI

“C.W. Franz VI” is the latest entry in the ongoing series of self-titled albums from Chicago singer-songwriter, producer and multi-instrumentalist C.W. Franz. Essentially, this is a concept album centered on an unnamed main character (one could make the argument that C.W.’s playing a version of himself) currently undergoing an existential crisis amidst a rapidly-developing Chicago. Unable to exit the rat race, he finds himself physically and emotionally disconnected from the world around him. And it’s only after a literal out-of-body experience that he understands his place in this reality called life.

The album kicks off with the two-parter track “Periwinkle Pond / Guiding Tides”. The “Periwinkle” section is a short instrumental piece with disenchanted, piano chords performed by C.W. and soothing rainstick work provided by guest percussionist Reinaldo Ocando. “Guiding Tides” follows, and we hear this peppy, retro synth lead followed by a SILKY SMOOTH tenor sax solo from Manuel Trabucco with accompanying congas and electric bass guitar from Reinaldo and Joe Bordash respectively. Altogether, they create the feel of watching the intro to some 80s TV show/movie consisting of establishing shots of city life. C.W. begins the album’s narrative by singing in an appropriately somber tone about his distraction by a school of koi fish swimming in a pond (the track’s opening instrumental sums up his mind state at that point in the story) knowing he’s supposed to be on his way to work. And though he’s quick to express his resentment of working a 9-to-5, he’s aware of his perceived role in this rat race and what might happen if he goes against it (“Every cog must break their back / So that the machine does not lack”). The instrumentation brilliantly creates this emotional dissonance in the song, as its breezy, deceptively optimistic vibe (meant to emphasize the acceptance of the rat race) clashes heavily with C.W.’s dissatisfaction.

Up next, we have “Mason” which is actually named after guest drummer Mason Rosenfeld. This is easily one of the most ‘traditional’ songs C.W. has ever produced, simply because it’s a drum solo. Though there’s nothing experimental going on here, the familiarity of the performance itself is what gives the track its meaning. The mid-tempo pattern of crisp snare drums and cymbals delivered by Mason has a somewhat rudimentary sound to it, and yet there’s a gradual, LOGICAL evolution of that pattern which helps ends the track on an intense note. The message is simple: nothing stays the same. Everything and everyone must evolve, even a drum pattern, but at what cost?

We get another two-parter track with “Standalone Osco / Imperial Jaguar”, the title of which combines the names of two closed businesses: the Osco Drug chain pharmacy and the Jaguar dealership Imperial Motors. Though the closure of socially and economically beneficial businesses is nothing new in C.W.’s oeuvre (look at the fantastic “C.W. Franz III” and the “LOOK AT THE MENU” track from his recently-released “Important Ephemera” project as examples), he uses these two defunct companies as the backdrop for some global socio-economic commentary.

“Standalone Osco” opens with a spacey, nocturnal synth passage which runs for about a minute and stops abruptly for a piano rendition of “The Star-Spangled Banner” by C.W. All we hear of that rendition, however, are the keys for “Oh, say can you see / By….” The song itself begins with a melodramatic combination of acoustic and electric guitars by Joe Bordash and Gabb Matos. C.W. delivers these forlorn, cynical lyrics about the continual suffering of the working class while the rich prospers off their hard work (his “Moguls visit space on their lunch break” line, in particular, cuts DEEP), in addition to the broken promise of freedom the American Dream offers.

A regal rendition of “God Save The Queen”, the quality of which sounds like it’s being played from an old phonograph, acts as a bridge between “Standalone Osco” and “Imperial Jaguar”. Compared to the former song, this track actually pays tribute to the abovementioned Imperial Motors, but in a more poetic fashion. Here, he sings of the awe inspired by seeing these British-manufactured cars in his hometown and the illusion of financial freedom they must’ve presented to him. But over the song’s bluesy pianos provided by Emilio, both the awe and illusion become fleeting with every passing second. Then, before the final verse, Emilio plays a brief passage from Frederic Chopin’s “Piano Sonata No. 2 in B-flat Minor, Funeral March”, signifying the end to this “royal” empire. C.W. bookends the song chillingly with the following line “Picking up pieces, it builds the tower higher”, a chilling reference to the Tower of Babel, which, if you’re familiar with that story, is a foreboding-enough hint of what’s to come later on in the album.

After the brief, bleak, French horn-assisted instrumental track “Approaching the Edge”, we get….well…..”The Edge”, which is currently the LONGEST musical composition C.W has created thus far in his career! Clocking in at roughly 24 ½ minutes, this seven-part suite functions as a mini-album (or album if you want to be specific) within this larger body of work, telling its own stories whilst adding to the narrative which preceded it.

C.W. handles synth work on both “Clock Watching”, a calm, ambient introductory piece, and “Fugue State” which features an ongoing, sinister-sounding chord progression. With the assistance of some STELLAR electric guitar work in the background, C.W. sings about the disillusionment and helplessness he feels as he gets older. After a lengthy period of sonic gloom and despair, the synth-and-guitar combo is cut short by some relatively warm and inviting acoustic guitar strums by Nicky V and accompanying drums by Mason Rosenfeld, signaling the start of the suite’s third section “A Ledge”. C.W. performs the longest song in the suite, verbally lamenting his inability to connect with others whilst sinking deeper into self-deprecation and loneliness. As we hear the song’s disparaging hook “We all come and go/ We all come and go”, its instrumentation adopts this psychedelic tone, thanks in part to the use of baritone electric guitar and spacey, warbling synths, the latter of which is supplied by guest performer Puzzle.

After a few seconds of silence, the ambiguous and APOCALYPTIC B-side of “The Edge” commences with the two-part “Bandwidth”. On “Communicating”, we hear an unsettling sound bed of what sounds like a radio signal from space. Even more unsettling is a brief introductory spoken-word piece from C.W. where his voice is compressed and over-modulated to an almost terrifying degree.  The sound bed is cut off after roughly a minute and replaced by a Spanish-language interview which sounds like it was beamed from Earth to some random space station via the radio signal. Layered over the interview sample is a combination of pleasant acoustic guitar strums and a heavenly, cosmic-sounding synth lead, creating a sense of optimism that even in space, human connection can still be achieved.

The peaceful vibe of “Communicating” is cut short by “Reporting”, which consists of a 1986 NBC newscast from Bill Wolff of all people (you can find the entire clip on YouTube, by the way), where he runs down various news reports like the recovery of dead bodies from a mudslide in Colombia to the Toronto Blue Jays baseball team “clobbering” the New York Yankees. Like the average newscast, there’s a shift in tone from stories centered on death and destruction to more comfortable and revelatory news topics. The production matches that tonal shift by opening with a sparse, nightmarish soundscape set to some haunting vocalizing, and closing with a combination of pleasurable vibraphone bar strikes by Reinaldo Ocando and a pitch-shifted version of the same vocalizing from earlier, meant to sound more angelic and assuring.

“The Edge” draws to a close with the ambient piece “Ancient Transmission”, which is easily the best-produced section of the suite. Supported by a low-key synth passage, we hear a Morse Code message being sent from underwater (most likely a submarine) and received in a undisclosed area which, given the frequent use of a harsh wind sound effect, may very well be somewhere in a desert or arctic region. Like the drums on “Mason”, the signals are slightly updated to match the subterranean setting they travel through, giving the overall message a gradually rhythmic feel as the song progresses. In an inventive bit of production, C.W. switches constantly from sea to land, emphasizing the sonic similarities between both areas. And in a genuinely beautiful moment, a fully-realized melody is created through the sea and land call-and-responses, symbolizing an unseen yet harmonious connection.

On the aptly-titled denouement “Exeunt: Ad Astra”, we’re treated to a calm, synth-supported piano solo from Emilio Satti which sounds relieved in comparison to what we heard from C.W. on “Periwinkle Pond”. Lyrically, C.W. uses mythic images of “Promethean ire”, “loyal angels” and “ancient winds” to illustrate his transcendental overcoming of his existential crisis. From both a survivalist and humanistic perspective, he learns that he must adapt to his surroundings or die (both literally and figuratively), but not at the cost of his own humanity and his connection to the world around him. As he states near the end of the album, he has to make the most of his stay on this Earth. After all, the world will go on when he’s long gone, even when it turns from “red to black”.

While I’m not sure whether this is the last of C.W. Franz’s self-titled series or not, there is an underlying sense of finality that permeates throughout “C.W. Franz VI”. It truly feels like a culmination of concepts and ideas established in his previous records – even some of his non self-titled ones – released in a 41 ½ minute cathartic experience. Given its existential subject matter, the album is disquieting and depressing – and rightfully so – but it’s also heartfelt and hopeful. In addition, it’s arguably C.W.’s most ambitious album in the series, and dare I say, one of his best records – PERIOD! Fans of C.W’s work should definitely seek this one out, and as for first-timers, I suggest starting your musical deep-dive with the first “C.W. Franz” album or any other of his previous projects before jumping in to this new album. It’s a difficult journey for sure, but the destination is absolutely worth it.

OVERALL RATING: 9 out of 10

Now available on Bandcamp, Spotify, iTunes, Apple Music, Tidal, Amazon Music and Deezer

BBB RADIO S02E15 – Batchack Man: The Peacemakers (Episode 4), The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey (Mini-series), Umma, Sonic the Hedgehog 2

In this week’s episode of BBB RADIO, Ricardo reviews the follow-up to the surprise box office smash “Sonic the Hedgehog”, and I cover the fourth episode of the Trinbagonian superhero web series “Batchack Man: The Peacemakers”, the Apple TV mini-series “The Last Days of Ptolemy Grey” and the supernatural thriller “Umma”. 

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE

BBB RADIO S02E14 – Bel-Air (Season 1), Moon Knight (Series Premiere), Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood, The Bubble

In this week’s episode of BBB RADIO, Matthew, Ricardo and Ashton share their thoughts on the first season of “Bel-Air”, the long-awaited dramatization of the beloved “Fresh Prince of Bel-Air” sitcom, and the first episode of the Marvel Studios TV series “Moon Knight”. Afterwards, Ricardo and Matthew discuss the newest animated feature from Richard Linklater, “Apollo 10 1/2: A Space Age Childhood”, and Matthew delivers a rant review of the Netflix comedy film “The Bubble”.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE

EP & MUSIC VIDEO REVIEWS: Black Catt – Night Life Catt EP / “teetee” MUSIC VIDEO

“Night Life Catt” is the latest EP from Detroit-born, Atlanta-residing rapper Black Catt and a follow-up to his 2018 debut EP “90 Days in Atlanta”. Drawing inspiration from R&B songstress H.E.R., R&B/pop star The Weeknd (in his early career) and the late, great hip-hop wordsmith MF DOOM, Black Catt assumes the role – in both his music and videos – of a Kato eye mask-wearing lothario more concerned about his money and career than maintaining a long-term, sustainable relationship.

His 2020 single “Vivi” alluded to that persona, with its chilled-out instrumental, lyrics centered on taking YOUR girl and “having (his) cake and eating it too” in the process, and appropriately sultry visuals present in its music video. “Night Life Catt” serves as a continuation of this ‘love story’ between him and Vivi, and what we get on this EP are two tracks (“25 at Midnight” and “teetee”), the latter of which has its own music video.

Over the murky, nocturnal production of “25 at Midnight”, Black Catt raps about his efforts to spend time with his girlfriend despite his seemingly endless grind. Though she’s critical of the little time he gives her, Black states on the hook that she still has to earn it (“I know I’m always busy, I made time to catch up / Put in work for this….make you work for it”).

In the first verse, he raps about how they shared feelings for each other from a young age. However, he’s quick to inform her that he is far from perfect and probably too toxic to handle (“Baby, don’t you ever walk out on the kid”). The rest of this verse focuses on his appreciation of his time spent with his girlfriend; far away from the stress of everyday life, if only for a fleeting moment. Adopting a gruff and impatient demeanor, he opens the second verse with the following: “My love life in the trash / Threw that shit out in the flames”. For him, this rendezvous is nothing more than a brief fling to be had before he hops a plane and resumes his hustle. In a somewhat sardonic twist near the end of that verse, he shouts out three of his day-ones for their support in his career, and yet he forgets to mention the girl who remained supportive for him far longer than they did.

With the subsequent listens I gave this track, the more I found myself pondering on whether the ‘narrator’ in the second verse of “25 at Midnight” is Black Catt or someone else. I say that because according to the liner notes on the following track “teetee”, which maintains the previous track’s nocturnal vibe but consists of a dark, trap-flavored beat, Black’s girlfriend dumps him on Valentine’s Day. The song itself involves her actual boyfriend contacting him directly, followed by a verbal scuffle.

On its catchy-as-hell hook, a cocky and confident Black Catt drops some memorable lines like “You better get your tone right / Because your ho, she will get busy / She call my line when you be busy / So boy, don’t call me ‘bout no teetee”. During the first verse, he mentions his sexual escapades with the man’s girlfriend (“Looking like the perfect bong, baby let me take a hit” – which, by the way, is one of the most forthright ways to describe a woman’s curves I’ve heard in quite some time) which took place while he was “out of town” – according to his IG photos, of course. But in that verse, Black drops a revealing plot point when he states that he hooked up with his now-ex on the 1^st. At the time of the phone call, it’s the 26^th, which is an allusion to the “25” in the preceding track’s title.

The chastisement doesn’t stop there, as on the second verse, Black Catt continues to cut his cheated enemy down to size: “Need that bitch gone, don’t call my phone / I done moved on, can’t do no wrong / You think you with her, but you on your own / You think she love you, but n****, she gone”. To bookend the verse, Black drops a genuinely hilarious final bar: “Shawty got that DY-NO-MITE, n**** this ain’t Good Times”. But for me, the icing on this particular cake came in the form of the slowed and reverbed version of the hook that plays near the end. And as a longtime fan of the slowed + reverb sound, that moment brought a huge smile to my face!

This leads to the music video for “teetee”, and without spoiling the ending, what I can safely say is that the visuals for the abovementioned slowed and reverbed section are both unexpected and darkly humorous. And for some reason, they fit perfectly within the song’s dark vibe and relatable, albeit emotionally uncomfortable, subject matter.

Shot in black-and-white, the video gives us a highlight reel of the events which took place on the night of Valentine’s Day at the home of Black Catt’s former lover. After wishing her primary boyfriend off, she proceeds to get kinky with Black in the bedroom. I have to commend the video for having the actress dressed in a Catwoman outfit (the Michelle Pfeiffer one, in case you were wondering) to match Black’s….ahem….costume. During the first refrain, we see both handheld and ‘security’ camera footage of the woman and her primary boyfriend arguing over her infidelity. But it’s at the end of the second refrain, where Black responds to the guy by saying “Guess what” where we see a certain someone’s plan coming to fruition.

Overall, I really enjoyed the “Night Life Catt” EP and “teetee” music video. The former is clearly meant to be an appetizer to fans for an upcoming project, which I do hope he drops very soon. And while I doubt we’ll get any sort of follow-up as to what happened after the events of “teetee”, I am curious to see what salacious shenanigans Black Catt gets involved in. In the meantime, if you’re a fan of hip hop with a chilled, late-night vibe, “Night Life Catt” and the “teetee” video are absolutely worth checking out.

“Night Life Catt” is now available on Spotify and Apple Music

BBB RADIO S02E13 – RIP Taylor Hawkins & Dexter ‘Blaxx’ Stewart, Forever (ALBUM REVIEW), Jackass Forever, Atlanta (Season 3 – Episodes 1 & 2), Halo (Series Premiere), 2022 Academy Awards Highlights

In this week’s episode of BBB RADIO, I do a track-by-track review of the late, great Phife Dawg’s second and final album “Forever” and cover the fourth entry in the “Jackass” film series “Jackass Forever” alongside Ashton. Ricardo and I share our thoughts on the first two episodes of the long-awaited third season of the comedy-drama “Atlanta” and the series premiere of the video game-to-TV adaptation of “Halo”. In addition, we pay respect to the late, great Taylor Hawkins (formerly of the rock band Foo Fighters) and soca icon Dexter ‘Blaxx’ Stewart and weigh in on what was easily the most controversial Academy Awards ceremony to date, with emphasis on Will Smith’s meme-worthy, on-stage response to a bad Chris Rock joke.

LISTEN TO THE FULL EPISODE HERE

CHECK OUT THE 2022 OSCAR NOMINATIONS PLAYLIST HERE