Tuesday, August 10, 2010

808s & DARK GRAPES





"Like Lil B, they sound lo-fi and based, but I'd say they're more special than that." - Ekhi Lopetegi








Take a DEEP breath.

I've been swimming thru this Main Attrakionz 808s & Dark Grapes mixtape since Altered Zones featured a guest post on the subject from Delorean's Ekhi Lopetegi. Shit's pretty deep, lots of stuff to sift thru and I kind of want to go track by track on a mixtape but I have no idea what the track list is, just the songs all thrown together in a zip which you can find right HERE (via).

First thing I noticed was the sample in the "Legion of Doom" video (above). Imogen Heap, right?

I'm getting ahead of myself. Main Attrakionz is Mondre + Squadda B. Think I'm more attracted to the Mondre joints. Seem to bang a bit harder. Most of these "based" dudes don't seem like their flow could get them very far. Seems like it might be more about gettin yer swerve on, slugging back styro-cups brimming with codeine, huffing down blunts to the face, each crammed fat with the purplest of weed strains.

But it seems with some of this shit I simply don't mind.

I think Main Attrakionz has stumbled upon a new genre, somethin to umbrella over everything warped and narcotic and 'based' and slow: DRUG HOUSE.

Disorienting, sample-based music ain't nothin new. DJ Screw, them 'witch house' spliffstars, the @wayslower contingent, your 20-year-old thrift store tape deck fuckin wit yer 25-year-old thrift store Bel Biv Devoe tapes, yadda, yadda, yadda.

Shit's got a namesake anthem:



Main Attrakionz - Drug House



"All I sip is real purp
Every day my stomach hurt
Nothin but that real syrup
Blunt stay laced-up
Can't tell you which way
Welcome to my drug house
I promise you'll be fucked up"




I'm not saying I agree with this way of life. I'm not saying I dig hard on the claustrophobic, monotonous flow. All's I'm saying is if your stomach hurts EVERY day of your life from drinking so much cough syrup and you're STILL able to produce and rap on a mixtape that actually sounds this good, let alone FUNCTION, then congratulations.

No, seriously:



"My lung's half-way missing. I think my brain gone."




Here's some more shit to contemplate next time you're inhaling as many chemicals into your bloodstream as possible:





Mondre - Mondre Hot

Mondre - Complete You

Main Attrakionz ft. Waka Flocka - I'm Back On Deck





If that's not enough to chew on rite now, GRAB THE WHOLE MIXTAPE. Also according to this tweet we'll see a new Main Attrakionz mixtape August 31, a new "MondreM.A.N/Shady Blaze" project in September and the official full-length Main Attrakionz album in December.

Now exhale.

2 comments:

time warner cable said...

Hey, I'd love to check these tracks, but you're out of bandwidth.

Thomas said...

Good post. I've just been catching up to these guys...