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Image via Unsplash.
Sounds like:
Black Keys,
Dangermouse,
Mos Def
Why do we like this?
I was too excited for this album to review it right away. The Black Keys...Mos Def...PHAROAHE MONCH!?!? Everything about this project made sense to me. the black keys have been experimenting more and more with each release, culminating in their collaboration with dangermouse on their 2008 LP "Attack & release". Mos Def had experimented with rock production on his follow up to the classic "Black on Both Sides" and for what its worth, I think that album (called The New Danger) is absurdly underrated. But of course this project isn't just Mos and The Keys, and that's why I hated it.
After listening 2, 3, 4 times all I kept thinking was, "why so many collaborations?" They nail it on the two songs with Mos on vocals. I mean, both of these artists encapsulate the blues in their own unique ways, why not let them run with it for a whole album? What changed for me was when I tried forgetting who the hell was playing/rapping, and just listened to it for what it was. In actuality this album feels more cohesive than most hip hop records done by one person. When listened to as a whole, the personalities on the record become different characters in the same movie, all contributing something to the big picture.
One of the many sickeningly cool things about this project is that it was thoroughly documented through its website, where there are episodic videos (mostly of Jim Jones lighting up in every square foot of the recording studio and discussing ridiculous things), nicely done B&W photos, and news about the Blakroc Camero (wtf?)
As a side note: does Jim Jones go to sleep with a joint in his mouth? Does he sweat liquid THC? If he has fish, do they catch contact highs in their bowl? Has Jim Jones ever failed at getting someone high? Ever? This man is not a pot enthusiast, he is a connoisseur, an artist, a pot wizard perhaps.
After listening 2, 3, 4 times all I kept thinking was, "why so many collaborations?" They nail it on the two songs with Mos on vocals. I mean, both of these artists encapsulate the blues in their own unique ways, why not let them run with it for a whole album? What changed for me was when I tried forgetting who the hell was playing/rapping, and just listened to it for what it was. In actuality this album feels more cohesive than most hip hop records done by one person. When listened to as a whole, the personalities on the record become different characters in the same movie, all contributing something to the big picture.
One of the many sickeningly cool things about this project is that it was thoroughly documented through its website, where there are episodic videos (mostly of Jim Jones lighting up in every square foot of the recording studio and discussing ridiculous things), nicely done B&W photos, and news about the Blakroc Camero (wtf?)
As a side note: does Jim Jones go to sleep with a joint in his mouth? Does he sweat liquid THC? If he has fish, do they catch contact highs in their bowl? Has Jim Jones ever failed at getting someone high? Ever? This man is not a pot enthusiast, he is a connoisseur, an artist, a pot wizard perhaps.
...for better or worse, it ultimately serves as both the floor and the ceiling. If you're okay with "solid" being the main descriptor for a project boasting such well-known talent, BlakRoc won't be a disappointment - Pitchfork
Streaming source:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sl8cDaj1BLU
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