There are a lot of Michigan rap songs on the internet, but occasionally you catch one that makes you go… “Maaannn.” 2023’s version of Juvenile’s “Ha” comes from this Flint staple. The way KrispyLife Kid plays with the song’s titular word is delightful. Sometimes he draws it out a bit; sometimes he lets it barely escape his mouth, like he is one second away from falling asleep. Plus all the punchlines you would come to expect from the man. All while getting a haircut.
Scarface “I See A Man Die (4 Hero NW2 Gangsta Move Mix 1)”
Was reading a Simon Reynolds Blogspot for the first time in a long time and it paid major dividends. It led me to a jazzy, rolling jungle remix of a Scarface tune. 4 Hero don’t miss! Released in 1995, it’s the perfect soundtrack to another scene in the middling A24 rave movie I have been composing in my head: the paranoid early morning drive after an ecstasy deal gone real bad.
Been feeling these recent Bully singles. Right here we got party grunge supreme, driven by fuzz bass and a massive breakbeat pogo chorus. I don’t know, I just wish there was an entire genre of music based around “Cannonball” by The Breeders.
People, AyooLil & Lil Sinn “Titi Got Mad”
“Titi Got Mad” is what happens when a Kanye-fried soul flip collides with that Milwaukee style psycho bounce. Talk about Midwestern Express! I miss those cookies. This older Lil Sinn tune is also of interest. It splatters catchy autotune melodies over New Orleans staple samples.
Ultra positive electro rap out of Kenya. The hook evokes Hammer at his most anthemic and the music is like a carbon copy of an electroclash carbon copy of Egyptian Lover. I mean that in a good way. Tip!
MIX OF THE WEEK: Physical Therapy “Fidget House Special 21st April 2023”
During the heady bloghouse days, a subgenre emerged: fidget house. Compared to the Justices of the world, fidget house was jacking and bass-forward. Maybe some Baltimore club influences, maybe some UK rave influences. Here, expert DJ Physical Therapy weaves a compelling narrative, especially in its early parts, where the focus is on more “subtle” variants of the style. Those records are sounding pretty good right now. But not as good as the dumbass music that comes later in the mix.