| “Ain’t no party like an art rap party cuz an art rap party’s so smart,” raps Project Blowed emcee Open Mike Eagle on opening track “Art Rap Party,” and his debut album, Unapologetic Art Rap, would definitely be the perfect soundtrack for just such a party. Amongst songs about everyday issues such as being an individual, living on very few funds and having to work a 9-to-5 to do the things you love, OME also criticizes corporate rap puppets and questions the very existence of art rap. He avoids coming off as preachy, preferring to approach subjects with a loose, laidback delivery and whimsical wordplay, even tapping SNL writer and stand-up comic Hannibal Burress to ask “WTF Is Art Rap?” with an interlude that is better than usual, but we’ll have to see if it stands the test of time. Open Mike Eagle is dope throughout, sure, but what really makes Unapologetic Art Rap that perfect party platter is the collection of quirky beats by Exile, Maestroe and Alwayz Prolific that would fit in on any Busdriver album. While there isn’t really a bad track out of the 15 songs, there are some definite stand-outs: OME describes his delicate juggling of work and rap over a warped and chopped doo-wop sample for “I Rock”; controlled chaos impedes on a more traditional hip hop beat for “Easter Surgery,” a song about young love and religion that owes a lot to Jefferson DeJesus’s beautiful jazz vocals on the hook; and he confronts reality on “Pissy Transmissions,” a slow bluesy rocker with a Beck-like anti-folk hook and Ween-like guitar noodling. Also features guest appearances from Busdriver, Nocando, Serengeti, Alpha MC and his Swim Team crew. Unapologetic Art Rap probably won’t win over any commercial or thug rap fans but it is a great example of how to successfully step outside the traditional boundaries of hip hop – and ends up as the perfect art rap party platter in the process. - Urbnet Magazine |
