The September 2007 cover of Rolling Stone had 50 Cent and Kanye W est stoically staring at each other with the title: "Showdown! 50 Cent vs. Kanye West: Who will be the king of hip-hop?" Both artists' albums have been released - 50's Curtis being drastically inferior to West's almost-awesome Graduation - and neither is worthy to wear the crown of "king of hip-hop." Who really cares about such a juvenile reputation anyway? Hip-hop has and will always have a vibrant underground community. Generally speaking, underground hip-hop artists are signed to indie labels or not signed at all. Their production is naturally less smooth, but their 'rhymes and beats' are almost always more creative and original, employing techniques from genres as diverse as electronic, jazz, funk, and blues, while rapping more honestly about personal life, society, and politics. They usually opt for introspection instead of self-aggrandizement. Artists such as Talib Kweli, Mos Def, Atmosphere, Immortal Technique, and El-P have kept this scene alive with consistent, energetic releases. There's little reason to even consider listening to mainstream hip-hop. The genre is grotesque: crammed with lyrical clichés, pathetic icons, and eye-rolling misogyny.
The Boston underground scene has been great for years, producing fine artists like Edan and Mr. Lif. With local talent like this to learn from and emulate, it's not a surprise that Gnotes - also known as Sean Dwyer, BC '04 - has matured into a fine emcee and producer of cerebral, melodious hip-hop. His latest album Rhymes and Beats dropped on Oct. 9. I've listened to it several times since then and whole-heartedly recommend you pick it up - particularly if you're tired of 50 Cent, Chamillionaire, Akon. or any of their foolish associates.
This album is a departure from Gnotes' previous release, Inthrumental, which fused the charm of artists like RJD2 and DJ Shadow with Miles Davis' '70s rock-jazz and international music. Rhymes and Beats, like Inthrumental, is true to its name. Produced along with Canyon Cody, BC '06, the album features Dwyer, along with friends like Afro DZ ak, at the top of his lyrical game. On my favorite cut on the album, "Love to Give," a lush, soulful ballad that conjures influences such as Jurassic 5 and De La Soul, Dwyer croons: "There's no guarantees in life / Just make sure that you're livin' it right / So your spirit can grow / And what a beautiful breath / Trying to learn from the difficult lessons / And free your soul / Hold on to the positive / Build from the painful / And learn like you wanna live / Everybody's got a gift to share / I give you props if you've got the heart to care."
Lyrically, "Muddy Treble Clef" and "Throw Your Nickels" both remind me of Atmosphere, featuring Slug's characteristic wordplay, raucous choruses, and sonic sampling. The latter tune has a unique fusion of strings and guitar. "Tower of Babylon" is a smooth track. Dwyer rhymes: "Running circles around the circus of clowns / So when the sun surfaced the clouds, a purpose was found / So put it down like a foot to ground / Or an axe to grind, it's been past time / Take a look around / There's a whole wide world our your door / Start to piece together the ever-after and never-before."
With these solid rhymes and beats, Gnotes is headed in the right direction. The Boston scene just got a little better.
Spring Break
