Rap Music |Meets| Real Artistry

Kanye West is a munst; there I said it.  I mean, in general, I like the kid.  He has some super tight hits and his not-giving-a-flying-fug attitude has "hella" (sp.?) swag.  However his jabs at Beck, saying he lacked "true artistry" were pretty wild and just out of touch.

Here is some real rap artistry off Kendrick Lamar's "To Pimp A Butterfly".  I've always appreciated albums, of any genre, where the whole is greater than the sum of its parts.  Gorillaz' "Plastic Beach", Zappa's "Joe's Garage", and obviously Riff Raff's "Neon Icon", all fit this mold.  Lamar's work is badass in its entirety, be sure to listen to it all the way through.

(none of it is up on youtube but just spoderfly it)

-Bro'shea

Medeski, Martin & Wood |Meets| James Brown

The only cure for the post St. Patty's Day blues is funk.  I tried chugging water and eating chic-fil-a, but only this pack of funky bros could muster the strength to stave off the scaries.

Vulfpeck , as previously described, is a funky group of bros who met in their college German lit class. I describe their style as having the funky-savvy and technical abilities of Medeski, Martin & Wood with the accessibility of a James Brown hit.

To stick it to the man, Vulfpeck released a spotify album called "Sleepify" that was a bunch of 30 second songs (enough time to count as a 'listen') with no music at all.  They then asked their fans to listen to the album as they slept, so that they could rake in the royalties.  The money earned from this stunt was used to give their fans a free tour.  Super dank.

Vulfpeck, Squad Songs salutes the hell out of you

Keep it funky, and go hoos

Vulfpeck- "It Gets Funkier 2"

GiGGiTY GUEST HENRY CHiLLNiCKY: Subversive ATL indie rap IMeetsI Punk rock DIY spirit

Well SquadNation, your dedicated host BrO'Shea clearly isn't doing much to defend his recent "lazy as fug" confession, as he has commissioned me to bring everyone today's squad song. I must admit that BrO'Shea himself approached me with the idea for this guest spot with a song already in mind, Father's breakout 2014 hit "Look At Wrist" feat. resident ATL weirdo iLoveMakonnen and underground icon Key! 

Look At Wrist: 

With a deceptively catchy hook, a hypnotic beat, and features from two of the city's brightest rising stars, the song was an instant hit this past summer, propelling Father and his AWFUL Records crew into the spotlight. Like many others, I was first exposed to the 15-man (and women!) collective through the song, and I was instantly infatuated with the sprawling, eclectic catalogue of each of the artists. Spanning a number of different youtube, soundcloud, and bandcamp pages, the crew's many projects, singles, mixtapes, EPs, and albums are sometimes hard to find, much less keep straight, and the diverse  sounds range from typical southern rap to jungle and D'n'B to the self-described "rhythm and creep" sounds of GAHM and Slug Christ. 

In true DIY fashion, the group handles all elements of their releases themselves, including production, engineering, and mastering duties. The members of the group are from a variety of backgrounds, and each brings a different skill set and perspective, though most of the technical stuff is self-taught and learn-as-you-go. 

What's even cooler, in my opinion, is that AWFUL is truly a family. From what I can gather through following (stalking) the members on social media and the limited press they have received, everyone really does spend all of their time together, crashing on each other's couches, partying, recording, one-upping. But always encouraging each other to follow his or her own unique (and trust me, a few are quite… unique) artistic visions. There exists a true familial, collaborative spirit that is something special, and something that I hope they are able to retain as they transition from the dark corners of the internet to the world of pop-rap stardom. Well, maybe pop-rap stardom isn't really in store for any of these guys... 

At the head of the table, though, sits Father, the group's de facto leader and the most accomplished, and arguably developed, artist of the bunch. If there is a star in AWFUL, he's it. And while it's worth checking out everyone else, I'd like to highlight a few other Father jams. Think of them as bonus squad songs for today.

Father's pre-breakout breakout hit: Coming a couple of months before "Wrist" and with Makonnen jumping on the remix (filmed one afternoon at a legitimate backyard barbecue when he happened to stop by), "Nokia (Remix)" might be just as catchy.

Nokia (Remix): 

Another track with a typically silly Father hook:

OMG, Her Butt:  

Father demonstrates his softer, more sensitive side with AWFUL songstress ABRA:

Late Nights: 

If you like what you hear, be on the lookout for Father's next project, "Who's Gonna Get F*cked First," set to drop sometime this month. 

Also, keep in mind that Father is a working artist and if you enjoy his music, think about supporting: https://fatheraintshit.bandcamp.com

Until next time, 

CHiLLNiCKY

Tasty Fruits |Meets| Illegal Drugs

Squad nation, what's the haps? So I've been lazy as fug on this blog but whatever its mine get off my ass.  Will probably change the name to the "BrO'Shea Song of Whenever I Feel Like It". mehe.

The Dupe Boys and I have been getting real into Ween lately.  Big Hits "Ocean Man" and "Your Party" have been flowing steadily through our speakz.  A most fitting ballad for the pre-sprang break week, Ween's "Bananas and Blow" tells the tale of a super-chill guy in the Caribbean who gets stuck on vacation and winds up getting into las drogas.

Again, Squad Songs doesn't support the use of las drogas, only tasty jams.

Best,
BrO'Shea

Ween "Bananas and Blow"