Despite the incredible creativity of hip hop, its ability to throw up new styles, to morph and reinvent itself, it’s not every day that something genuinely fresh drops in front of you. Welcome, then, to “YoYoYoYoYo”, the debut album from Spank Rock. Drawing on the music of their hometown, Baltimore, Spank Rock make something genuinely unlike any record you’ve heard before. Of course there are antecedents, but at just under forty two minutes, Spank Rock have managed to reconfigur [Read More...]
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I don’t know how I missed this one in 2006. I haven’t been too interested in hip hop lately, that is until i got this. I loved the stuff by APC, and Sage Francis always impressed. Clouddead’s first release, as well as some stuff by Bleubird blew me away. Those guys were all taking things forward, to the next level.But unlike all those artists, Spank Rock, despite the seriously sick skills, should not be taken as seriously as those artists.
Anyhow, while falling asleep to Jimmy Kimmel one night, these guys took the stage towards the end of the program and made me jump out of my seat. By luck, this was at the local cd shop for a real nice price the next day, so i grabbed it. Honestly, the lyrics are a little juvenile for my liking, but again, I’d be foolish to take this too seriously. From the opening beats of “Backyard Betty” on to the very end, this lp doesn’t let up for a second. It’s a short sharp trip through some of the sweetest beats and rhymes I’ve heard in a long time. The minimal lo-fi style reminds me of some of Grand Buffet’s best stuff, though a little better produced perhaps. Also, there are hints of UK garage and some excellent, nasty, spacey sounds going on throughout. I can see the indie crowd digging this much more than the generally narrow-minded hip-hop status quo, which is too bad, ’cause this stuff is truly fresh sounding–where hip hop should be right about now. I’m glad I took a chance on this one and look forward to more from Spank Rock and co. I give it a five for originality in a hip hop world gone stale.
I would highly recommend this album to anyone who likes Diplo’s production and mixes. MC Spank Rock raps about the same things as Pharrel, but can actually rap. The beats remind me of Coldcut or Meat Beat Manifesto.