Straight No Chase [Week 26]

Welcome back for this week’s edition of Straight No Chase, your one-stop shop source for all things hip-hop here on EARMILK. This comprehensive weekly feature aims to share hip-hop based content we may have missed during the past week, while also highlighting memorable content we did cover. In addition to the recap of our best hip-hop posts, SNC also includes a Video of the Week, Project of the Week, and staff-selected noteworthy upcoming releases.

As any hip-hop head worth their salt knows, these days music floods the blogosphere by the millisecond. Consequently, the landscape of hip-hop is forever changing. There are countless rappers, both established and up-and-coming, as well as renowned and budding producers and beatsmiths dropping their fair share of dope music for the listening masses. It is our mission to mine the interweb for both audio and visual gems, delivering them straight to you for your auditory consumption. But enough with the jaw jacking: let’s cut straight to the chase

STRAIGHT KILLER, NO FILLER

Roc Marciano- “Sincerely Antique” (Feat Action Bronson & Willie The Kid)

Roc Marciano has been bubbling for a while but has slyly made his way into the rap scene in a major way this past year. His ability to create incredible stories with his raps and the Mr. Cool attitude he exudes has made him a new fan favorite. He recently made his mixtape The Pimpire Strikes Back available for stream as a precursor to his album Marci Beacoup. He collaborated with Queens rapper Action Bronson on smooth sounding track was produced by The Alchemist and is titled “Sincerely Antique”. The mixtape has a lot of features and is definitely worth the listening to.

Childish Gambino – “Melrose”

Childish Gambino is known for his creativity across the board whether it be acting, music, or stand up. Recently though it would seem as though his music career has been picking up steam. His album Because of the Internet is set to release December 10th. “Melrose” was made aware to the public via a tweet to Jhene Aiko who he has been working with a lot lately. The track diverts from the previous work of Gambino’s, this time around choosing to sing rather than attempt to tear the booth down as he does in other songs.

Stream below and stay tuned for the holiday release of his album.

XV – “Melrose”

Following up the Childish Gambino post from earlier in this section I found it fitting to add XV’s freestyle over the track. The difference in approach is a great touch, with a number of references boosting Childish Gambino. It is great to see that type of collaboration in hiphop. To close the song you hear the voice of a kid yelling “delete all that shit!” Funny enough I have seen the Vine clip that it was sampled from which makes me enjoy this song that much more. Listen below.

Play

XV – Melrose (ReFreshed) (04:31)

Download

ON THE ROCKS: WEEKLY RECAP

Here’s a recap of some of the best hip-hop covered this past week on EARMILK. Take a couple of minutes to stroll down memory lane and revisit a few of tracks brought to you earlier in the week. For those who may have been snoozing at the wheel, here’s your chance to play catch up:

[Original Post]

VIDEO OF THE WEEK

Rome Fortune – “I Said”

Rome Fortune appreciates weaving intricate storylines or plots into his short three minute videos. While the visuals are forced to communicate information at break neck speeds, the creativity and forethought behind each one, makes them incredibly special. This week, he released “I Am,” showcasing his three minute storytelling style.

The track itself is comparable to a loveable goofball: strange and awkward at times, but eventually it begins to warms a special place in your heart and you grow to enjoy its presence. Fortune’s previous singles have had a dark or ethereal tinge to them that “I Am” moves away from. Instead, you are greeted by bombastic horns, cool vibes, and inventive braggadocio rhymes. Its video reflects this shift; gone are visuals draped foreboding darkness, screaming of murderous intentions, replaced by a colorful world filled with sunshine. Fortune runs into some trouble, but the ending shows him and a woman walking into the sunset together, which hints at something positive.

It’s a cool video, one that will have you hitting the replay button to catch the small details. His forthcoming project is on the way, but for now we can only enjoy watching his videos.

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PROJECT OF THE WEEK

As hip hop transcends into new territory, it’s only natural for particular themes to arise. When artists such as Scarface, Kool G Rap,Raekwon and The Notorious B.I.G. delved into what would later be known as mafioso rap, which began in the late 80’s and grew exponentially throughout the 90’s and 00’s, everyone that was apart of the scene suddenly began dressing in suits and name dropping figures such as the late “Teflon Don” John Gotti in their work. Though the music was fantastic, the issue occurred with the perception from the general public. This was but one of the reasons that the genre became associated with a host of shady activities.

Now that times have changed, the contemporary state of the music space, an area chock full of ADD ridden individuals who find solace in expressing themselves in 140 characters or less, seems to appeal to a new crowd, crowd which would prefer to buy their vices through a local connection instead of selling their various weapons of choice on their own particular stage. A crowd that embraced drug culture to the fullest sense and have no shame in admitting their consumer status. The past had everyone and their mother brushing that non-existent dirt of their shoulders, but now it’s almost impossible to avoid the blog star rapper whose drug cocktail fuelled exploits result in a lukewarm 16 bars.

But where does Long Island rapper and producer Roc Marciano fit into the mix? An emcee who embodies the hustler profile to the fullest, Marci has been a large part of the reemergence of the cigar and fedora heavy styles that are becoming mainstays in the world of the underground. The Pimpire Strikes Back, a 16 track cinematic affair featuring a number of soul heavy joints that proves his status as a don in the rap game. With production from Alchemist, Madlib, and Lord Finesse, as well as appearances from Meyhem Lauren and the larger-than-life Action Bronson, Pimpire could very well go toe to toe with some of the best mafioso projects that were released about 20 years ago. If this is just a taste of the upcoming Marci Beaucoup, we’re sold.