ATSIC S04E24 - NO GAMES
If you're a regular on Twitch, one of the group whom I lovingly call my 'stay at homies,' you know I spend a lot of time gaming. But today, I’m switching it up. Unfortunately, Baggylean couldn't drop his signature scratches this week, so I decided to put on my DJ hat and whip up a mix of the freshest Canadian rap tracks. Sorry, Baldur's Gate, you'll have to wait – the streets need their regular dose of indie rap. Consistency is key, and I want y'all to know you can always come back for a fresh fix.
It’s perfect when I get to kick things on After the Smoke is Clear off with a track from one of the Wu-Tang OGs. It’s named after a song by GFK, and Ghostface Killah himself blessed us this week with “Yupp!” alongside Remy Ma. I gotta agree with Gooz from my chat – these two have some of the dopest voices in the game. GFK's bars always get me cracking up, even when he's talking tough. That “ass shot” line in the hook? Classic.
I’m super happy and need a DJ Airhorn to take and stand on my roof blasting out at Lethbridge – I’m premiering a track featuring none other than your OG’s OG himself, Snoop Dogg! Edmonton representatives StR8 GUttA & Ol’ Skool dropped the full album sneak peek (Westcoast Allstars - out Nov 10), and they gave me the green light to share the magic. Get ready for exclusive leaks with names like The Game, Layzie & Krayzie Bone, WC, The Dogg Pound, E40, and Spice 1. This week, I dropped one exclusive “Players Ball”, but keep coming back – we're dropping more in the weeks before the album hits Bandcamp.
I went with The Dirty Sample remix of Mickey O’Brien’s second single “On Guard”, before switching gears halfway to the original version laid on a beat by Fresh Kils. Both versions are nothing short of dope. It's always a nice coincidence to feature music from the artist featured in an episodes bonus Fly In Formation interview like this. Big ups to Ol' Gorilla Bones, aka The Dirty Sample, who's been serving up a lot of heat for Handsolo remixes lately. Mickey’s got me hyped for his upcoming 'Orebody' album with the first singles. He promised an escalation of lyricism. Mark your calendars for the drop on September 29th, and don't miss the pre-order on Bandcamp.
Speaking of lyricism, it’s back to back Halfcut up next, first with a feature on a track from Edmonton’s Dope Sasquatch - “Wiseman Glory” which also features upstate NY rapper MBK Richy. After that it’s onto one from Halfcut’s new project with Reks, called “Reign Supreme”, which also features NY’s Termanology. HC sounds right at home on both tracks even though his verses came from Calgary.
Kloud N9 floats in from Wekoqmq First Nation on the East coast, dropping off his new single. Some real chill introspection rhymes on this one, looking back at times when its been a little “Too Much”, over top of some soulful rainy Sunday style shit, saxophone and all.
After that it’s over to Brampton. Shouts to Spitty, who put me up on Noyz & B Magic in our Fly in Formation interview. I love talking to people and learning about artists I otherwise might have missed. These two dropped an EP recently, “Movin Cool Vol 1”, and all 3 tracks on it are nice. I’m a sucker for a horn sample like the one on “Let It Go”. It’s a real atmospheric and inspiring sound. The Eminem sample is a rare touch. I feel like most of the time using Em’s voice might be a bit abrasive. He’s so well known and so instantly recognizable and invocative he might take over listeners attention if people sampled him wrong, but this one works, using just a small phrase that’s often said by other people as well. Smart.
The vibe stays hazy as Mathematiks, Parental & Lex de Kalhex pouring out flow over some a rolling bass line and jazz drums. Math has a new one coming up Sept 22, “Mathematik Universal”.
I make a rare exception and play something with no canadian’s in the mix, but something called “B.O.B. (Bars Over Bullshit)” featuring Cassidy & Sean Price.. is probably going to get my attention. Any chance to play a new verse and pretend it’s the Nahright era again. Especially when it’s as dope as this one. Royal Flush had work with Sean P before he passed, so it figures that he’s the source for some new material hitting the light. I love it.
Things turn up a bit with “Rumble Kids”, a new one from Rob Rob featuring a variety pack of Alberta emcees; Travis Omen, Stems, Invectrum, Skyler Durden & Capitole D. I feel like a lot of these guys either do now, or have in the past lived in Red Deer. But I don’t really know. Maybe they’re all in Calgary now. Anyways, tracks dope, with them playing pass the mic every 8 bars and kicking some upbeat party raps. This is a time honoured sound that sometimes can come off as too campy and carnivalish for me, but this one doesn’t overshoot the mark, I dig it.
“Average Joe” has C.X. & KraxScull joining Uncle Fester & Allah Preme in Fester’s Basement. They brought street inspired bars and reggae flavour over top of a sinister organ sample.
CXtotheworld’s new one “Race” reminded me of whichever guy from Dead Prez started making solo music about doing pushups after the group stopped dropping albums. I wanna say it was M-1. Motivation music in full effect. The race is being run by sprinters, but I get the impression CXtotheworld will be here running a marathon and seeing results well into the future. YEG scene is in good hands with a younger generation like this taking the reigns.
I been playing a fair amount of Freelance Flint lately. Always wavy. This one sounds like a beach sunset, and Flint ends up dropping some relationship raps over a saxophone sample in appreciation for his new girl. “She on her high horse, never take the high road.. hey what do i know.. don’t do it for talk that’s for survival.. Chinese plug that’s my down low.. peace to Nanaimo that’s my home..” I’ll have to adjust the notes section accordingly on the song logs from here out and give Nanaimo it’s proper shine. That place has bars.
Speaking of “HORSE GIRLS”.. sorta.. It’s new arrival who I know nothing about; OOP-Z DAY-Z, and friend of the show who’s name is tough to make look like a name; o p yeti. He told me not to capitalize it when we talked for Fly in Formation last year, so now o p yeti is just here to confuse us all in write ups while he raps about long faced ladies and acid hallucinations. Chill shit. More saxaphone anyone? I think there’s been a lot of saxophone on this mix.
Torae & Marco Polo are back, returning with “The Return”, announcing their.. return. I’m still right here, always waiting for new boom bap, scratched hooks featuring legendary voices, and lyricism with no room for bells and whistles.
More saxophone. I gotta go through again and do a count. I swear I didn’t even notice this until I was writing about these songs. “Lost Legend” is the title track from Baseline’s new album of the same name. I think the mentality he talks here is pretty consistent with a lot of people I play on ATSIC. The shit he talks about how all the rappers started promoting crypto made me laugh. Very on point. I follow so many rappers, if anyone gets a joke like that it’s this guy.
Eddy Jones could have had some saxophone on his knew one “What you Know”.. but he doesn’t.. instead he’s got El Zeppo & ESmitty joining him to kick reality raps over a plodding, bluesy beat that perfectly compliments Eddy’s relaxed delivery on the hook.
Then we switch gears and serve up the new one from Max Prime aka emprime. The single from his “Hardly Novices” LP finds him and Epic wobbling across a wonky horn sample that probably isnt a saxophone but could maybe be. I talked to Epic last week on Fly in Formation. It’ll be up soon on Twitch and YT, and on the end of the next ATSIC. We talk about what kept him on hiatus for roughly the same years that emprime took off, and he gave me the same answer that he raps about Max giving him: “I was chillin.” Me too guys. Me too. Welcome back.
If you enjoy music like this, support the artists. Buy their music, even if its just .99 for a single you streamed on Spotify and enjoyed. It makes a difference. So does telling a friend, or hitting like, follow, and share. Social media gives us all the option to help our favourite artists and creators reach a larger audience for free. It costs no one anything to hit share, and it’s much more effective than paying Zuck or Google to advertise to randos. Every week I make this show trying to encourage exactly that type of online atmosphere.
There’s an interview for my Fly in Formation series, talking with Ol Gorilla Bones, after the mix. HIs new album is out now on Handsolo, and they just dropped the instrumentals too.
Those interviews happen on Tuesdays on Twitch. Come by, hit follow, say hi.
UPCOMING FLY IN FORMATION INTERVIEW
Aug 29 Arlo Maverick
Sept 5 Frost Gamble
Sept 12 The Mighty Rhino & Mindbender
Sept 19 Ol’ Skool & StR8 GUttA
Saxophone.
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