| The indie-versus major-label dichotomy no longer has the same significance it once had. Alternative forms of marketing and distribution have made making a living through music more and more a reality. As a result, the proliferation of independent acts has caused a glut in the market whose audience, while growing, can't sustain. So while there are major indie players, most independent artists retain only a small core group of loyal followers, though both fall under the label "indie." Furthermore, with groups like Modest Mouse, Interpol and the Shins crossing over to mainstream audiences, the commonly held notion by independent artists of "indie equals good" versus "commercial equals bad" no longer applies. Nowhere else is this more apparent than in contemporary hip-hop. No equivalent of Outkast or Missy Elliot exists in independent music or rivals the production skills of Dr. Dre, Timbaland or the Neptunes. It is in this context that Busdriver's Fear of a Black Tangent finds resonance. The album chronicles the conditions inherent in breaking as an emerging artist, especially a black artist who has something to say. And despite their superior talent, black artists must perform to mostly white audiences who are not ready for positive images of blackness. Nor does indie-dom offer much of an alternative. Although the alternative market offers more artistic freedom, the backpacker dynamic still remains. Fear of a Black Tangent is, as the name suggests, a story detailing the issues that come with attempting to have a unique artistic voice. Busdriver takes stabs at both "happy black rappers" and "hipsters who dress like Russian spies." The songs cover small club touring, independent music promotion and the barrage of uninspired hip-hop releases on the market. The album features a myriad of indie hip-hop's most prominent players, including tracks produced by Daedelus, Omid and Danger Mouse, appearances by fellow Project Blowed emcees 2Mex and Abstract Rude, plus remixes by Nobody and Prefuse 73. Busdriver's quirky vocal density perfectly matches the album's playful sing-song production. His verses are as original and catchy as anything in the mainstream today, while at the same he retains a singular style all his own. - The Daily Texan |
1XLP/Out Of Print