“I go by many names. You may know me as dat “Neon Icon”, “Carlos Slim”, “Peach Panther”, “Mr. Jodie Highroller”, but you can just call me. . . Riff”.
Now, you see kids what the problem here is? Trap rap and it’s offspring were actually formed with such a loose production standards that within a year of the initial 2015 – ’16 uprising, it had become mass marketable, simple to master and mix, and simpler yet to throw any old dick off the streets behind a microphone if he is on enough mind-throttling drugs. Mumbling until the break of dawn about how everything is “Gucci”, and they have more money than they know what to do with.
Newsflash, bud. That’s because no one taught you basic accounting in school, which likely isn’t all your fault, okay?
BUT THERE WAS AN ERA, MY FRIENDS. Loooong before your “16 angry”, “small green submachine gun”, and “Boat” rappers, few people really weren’t living a straight ignorant enough lifestyle to begin to write the kind of content we hear about today. One such hero I have already mentioned, and will use according to kick off my piece today:
RIFF RAFF.
https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=LA6VFZ-3Nsc
Alright. I’ll admit it. That was pretty dope. As much as Riff’s style generally consists of “mostly” A-B rhyming bars, and hearing him call out celebrity names for 4 minutes at a time, it is UNIQUE. We will likely never see another crazy dude to the level of Riff in our lifetime (safe choice), and we should be thankful about that for two reasons.
Reason Uno One El The First:
I’m pretty sure the world isn’t ready for Dolcé & Gabbana sidewalks.
Reason El Second: The Againining:
‘Nuff said.
I could talk about Riff for hours, but let’s flip genres and talk about a release so fresh that it could cover up the smell of your roommate not cleaning up his dishes for weeks at a time.
Just last week, thrash mainliners Havok released their newest album “Conformicide”, and overall it is at best, a Havok album. I honestly really like them as a band and have always been very drawn to the noticeability and the POUND of an actually important rhythm guitar, but on a few songs at least, that isn’t even. . . present? Take track seven for exam:
https://www.youtube.com/shared?ci=wVjOWGTDXJA
Basically, if that day-one, six-note chug-break was all someone brought forth to a writing session, MAYBE YOU COULD ADD TO IT? Even the solo on this song is four different licks just bashed together, which only makes it sound weaker as a whole. Perhaps I’m just growing jaded to the whole thrash scene of late, but can someone put out an fast album that doesn’t waste time, or alter the mix? My least favorite thing overall is that the actually leveling for instruments is so varied, sometime for effect, but other times. . . ? A shining example is the prominence of the bass guitar on a track like “Hang ‘Em High” and then the bass BASS-ICALLY not existing on tracks like “Claiming Certainty” where in the pre-chorus you can even almost hear the cool run being done. Almost. Encompassed as a whole, “Conformicide” is a very “Thrash” album, and if all you are looking for is more of their previous release “Unnatural Selection” this is more of that but weaker, which was just more of “Time Is Up”, which was better still.
Like, 7.3 / 10.
Kthnxbi.
-Bear