Hip-hop
has been on my mind a lot lately. The story I did earlier this month on
Charlotte rapper Deniro Farrar got me thinking about where hip-hop is heading,
especially locally. Then there was the three day history lesson/nostalgia trip that
began with DJ Shadow and Cut Chemist's tribute to Afrika Bambaataa, which
explored hip-hop's origins through its forefather's record collection. The next
night I was reminded of my own introduction to rap via Funk Fest where some of
its earliest purveyors Salt n' Pepa and LL Cool J provided a childhood musical
flashback ("Going Back to Cali!").
Outkast's
Friday night Funk Fest set was a reminder of how universally far reaching
hip-hop came from those early years to the point where Outkast ruled pop radio. The entire practice of categorizing music attempts to marginalize
hip-hop, but when Doug E. Fresh blasts through a couple decades worth of hits
it’s a reminder that hip-hop is some of the most universal music out there. And
as stylistic borders continue to breakdown, genre-hopping music that blurs
these lines reflects more accurately how people actually listen to and enjoy music.
Not by genre, but personal preference and quality (I guess we still have some
devout metalheads, goths, purists, and punks, but the average listeners tastes
aren't that limited).
So
to close out a month rich-in-hip-hop, here comes "Graves," an eclectic,
versatile, yet cohesive new album by Charlotte rapper Stranger Day (pictured). Like Farrar
and our own Mr. Invisible (whose Justin Aswell appears on "Graves"), musically the
Joel Khouri-produced album often builds on futuristic, textured, ambient,
beat-driven tracks (as well as rock, blues, and soul) that have as much in
common with indie-rock and electronic music as what we think of as "mainstream."
Stranger
Day celebrates the album's release tonight at Neighborhood Theatre.
With
a delivery that embraces his Southerness, rapper Shane Coble (aka Stranger Day)
often hones in on what it's like to be a product of the modern South - the push
and pull of open-minded, forward thinking youth in an area that holds fast to
its conservative roots. The line "Never held on to a Bible, but I've held on to
a rifle" is probably true for a lot of younger people in the South and simultaneously
encompasses what both liberals and conservatives think is wrong with youth in
the South.
On that same track, "Sea Full of Lions," he writes of his love/hate
relationship with the city ("I love where I'm from/But why do I stay in town/Because
I hate this ******* city/But I love who I’m around"). I think this is a struggle a lot of Charlotte
artists deal with - the struggle to leave for opportunities in other more arts
and entertainment-focused cities verses the human ties that bind (veteran
rapper Supastition, who I covered this summer, left Charlotte for Atlanta -
not just for music, but for a day job).
"Graves" illustrates these human ties as well as the strength of our music community
through a number of local and regional guest musicians. When rappers (especially lesser known ones) stack
their albums with famous guests I get the impression that it's a marketing ploy
to build exposure and play on known names. The guests on "Graves" aren't famous
though. Yet they are some of the most active and talented musicians in town and
their input feels like true collaboration. Getting back to that Southern identity theme, Jams F. Kennedy's brilliantly
relatable closing spot on the NC-themed "Thunder Road" for instance simultaneously
skewers Carolina stereotypes while honoring them.
By
bringing musicians from a variety of styles into the fold, Coble not only
expands the scope of the record but reveals what else these artists are capable
of beyond their own bands. Alex Kastanas and Ally Hoffmann, for instance, bring
more than just hook singing to their respective roles. They infuse those tracks
with their identities as well. It's great to hear Kastanas, who plays live frequently
but still seems to be getting started as an opening act live, step up in the
studio. She has an incredible, unique voice and brings bluesy soulful sass to "Process." Ally Hoffmann (formerly of rock band Center of the Sun) brings an ethereal
presence to "Razor Blades." Terrence Richard, who's known for fitful howls and
shouts in Junior Astronomers, turns in a soulful, laid back vocal on "Trade
Standoff" but still sounds very much like himself.
"Graves" does step out of the trippy, electronic mode several times. "God Shaped Hole" creates a sort of electronic goth hip-hop hybrid with Charlotte's Little Bull
Lee's assist. "Please Tell 'Em" rides on gnarly Hill Country blues. The slide rubs
grittily against metallic resonator guitar which creates a parallel to lyrics that
describe the similarly opposing relationship between a carefree, party-minded
lifestyle and authority.
Coble
addresses authority and corruption (which comes up more than once) directly on "Raw
For Profit" ("What’s the price tag on your conscious?"). Given everything from
Ferguson to NC politics, his lyrics are often timely and he touches on those
ideas throughout.
Musically
he flips from the Southern swagger of "Please Tell `Em" to citified synth on "Death
is A Killer" then grows ever darker on the stark "Hi Fives for Low Lifes" and
winds up in complete party mode with the Elevator Jay and Lotta-aided closer "All
In Together Now." The often dark album ends on a colorful up note and showcases
Charlotte emcees bonded by the party and the scene with Scott Weaver
(BabyShaker) added a punchy trumpet line.
It's
not often an album is considered in the context of what's going on locally and
nationally in a musical sense, as well as a broader social one. But with all
that's going on in Charlotte hip-hop now, maybe we're nearing a place of
national consideration.
Stranger
Day's album release concert tonight at Neighborhood Theatre will feature many
of the guests on the album, so it should be a rare showcase for all sorts of
Charlotte talent. Admission is free before 11 p.m. and $5 after that.
(Tintype photo by Jeff Howlett)
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