[Ear To The Beats] More Than A ‘Milli’

Courtesy Killer Mike

Killer Mike nods to his Atlanta roots with his new album, “I Pledge Allegiance to the Grind, Part II.”

by David Dennis Jr.
September 24, 2008

The major summer 2008 hip-hop story has undoubtedly been Lil’ Wayne “Michael Phelps-ing” the charts with his highly anticipated, double platinum (and counting) “Tha Carter III” album. In a musical climate where the only records turning a profit are those involving a High School Musical or Hannah Montana, Weezy has managed to become a money-making machine that has revitalized the hope that the music industry is not on its last leg. As each week passes, thousands of copies of “Tha Carter III” fly off the shelves while a new song from the album finds its way onto radio.

Frankly, it’s a little overkill. One would think that Wayne’s album was the only bit of hip-hop released over the past four months. Fortunately for us, that is not the case. Sit back, relax and put your last ribs on the grill while Ear to the Beats takes a look at the top three albums and mixtapes you may have missed while singing about “Lollipops” and “A Milli’s” this summer.

Wale (pronounced Wah-lay), “The Mixtape About Nothing:” Don’t let the name fool you. With this mixtape, Wale constructed a concept album based on the very non-hip-hop TV show, “Seinfeld.” The Washington, D.C., rapper takes snippets from the sitcom and uses them as springboards to tackle poignant topics. Just look at the politically charged, emotional track, “The Kramer,” in which Wale uses sound bites from Michael Richards’ racist meltdown to introduce a tale of the “N” word and its ability to tear people apart from the inside. Like any episode of “Seinfeld,” Wale does a stellar job of combining frivolous comedy with social commentary. Watch out for this MC in the near future.

Killer Mike, “I Pledge Allegiance To The Grind Part II:” Some of you may remember Killer Mike from his collaborations with Outkast (most notably on their Grammy-winning “The Whole World” single), but Mike is much more than a sidekick. If Nas’ “Untitled” is politically charged, Killer Mike’s latest offering is 17 tracks of political electrocution. The passionate delivery and chilling imagery of survival in an impoverished Atlanta neighborhood is sure to give any listener goosebumps. The album is not all doom and gloom, though, as Mike sought out some authentic bass-crushing production to make any UGK alum proud. “I Pledge Allegiance” is the album that finally allows Killer Mike to step out of Outkast’s shadow and become a superstar on his own.

N.E.R.D., “Seeing Sounds:” OK, this one is bending the rules a little, but Pharrell gets an honorary hip-hop lifetime pass even though he does little to no rapping on this album. The Neptunes production team that makes up N.E.R.D. is a staple in hip-hop music and perennial Top 10 hitmaker, creating innumerable hits for other artists. “Experimentation” is the magic word for this album as N.E.R.D. tries to push Pharell’s voice to varying octaves and blend it with the snares and horns that dance along the edges of each track. The infectious drug/party anthem “Everybody Nose” anchors the album, and its chanting chorus and crackling snares make it a song that stays on repeat in the car. That single, though, is only a taste; the entire album guarantees multiple exhilarating listens.

Once the smoke clears from Weezy’s fireball of a summer, we will see which of the major fall albums can compete. The next few months will see many highly anticipated releases from the likes of Common, T.I. and Jay-Z, to name a few. The summer may have been a thrilling few months, but things look to get even hotter as 2008 roars to a close.

 
posted by on 09/24/08 at 03:04 PM. [printer-friendly version]