Every now and then someone will ever so gently remind me that I have tastemaking duties to uphold, since when I’m not bagging on rappers I actually listen to–and even often buy–music. With that in mind, I’ve decided that I’ll regularly point you to 9 joints that have the full support of my iPod, starting with
1. Diamond District: “Something For Y’all”
In The Ruff easily merks higher profile rap releases in 2009, and I’m not just saying that because Diamond District hails from DC like Yours Truly. No no no. Some bad Hip-Hop has come out of DC and will continue to, but there’s also a contingent of acts that actually know what they’re doing and consistently produce quality shit, namely those of the Low Budget crew. Kev Brown, who never fails to rep DC with his cadence and jargon, produces and guests on “Something For Ya’ll”, a new track off the official release of In The Ruff. It’s the perfect bonus track to what was already a refreshing release.
And it isn’t because I’m not a fan. When it came to new Michael Jackson material or anything MJ-related in advance of his passing, I was eager to deconstruct. In light of his passing, I’ve also written a tribute or two. But you can miss me with the wave of This Is It! tracks and footage. I listened to the track when it premiered over the weekend and I can’t muster anything outside of or beyond ambivalence. Over the past couple of years, before his passing, I spent lots of time rediscovering his music and advocating for his artistry. To feed into this “renewed interest” with This Is It! as the conduit would seem a tad disingenuous. Namaste.