One Minute Reviews: Action Bronson-Dr. Lecter

One Minute Reviews
By Nathan G. O'Brien exclusively for HotDogDayz

Action Bronson-Dr. Lecter

I must admit I'm late as hell on Action Bronson.  I don't recall exactly the first time I heard about him, but I didn't check it for reals until I read that Mr. Muthafuckin' eXquire considers him a contemporary.  Action has since quickly become one of my favorite MCs.  While his cadence is oddly familiar to that of a one Ghostface Killa, skills-wize I would argue that he is actually superior. He moves effortlessly through a variety (albeit a small scope) of subject matter (some of which, just happen to be my favorite things)--pro-wrestling, weed-smoking, sports, the streets, and food.  Hella, hella food.  Dude makes me straight hungry.  I highly recommend Dr. Lecter...unless you're on a diet.  On "Ronnie Coleman" he addresses his obvious (over) eating disorder, "Lock the refrigerator/there's no controlling me/steak and chocolate got their motherfucking hold on me."  And he's got punchlines galore.  Example: "Never mess with the blanco/and that's word to O.J.'s Bronco."  Producer Tommy Mass--who is known mostly for his work with hipster-hoppers Team Facelift--created a backdrop consisting primarily of breakbeat loops.  It's a very 90's New York vibe going on here.  Usually I don't like it when rappers release multiple records in a year but I'm looking forward to seeing how this holds against Bronson's upcoming collabo album with Statik Selektah later this month.  (Ed Note: it drops tomorrow!)

Record Review: Pete Rock & Smif n Wessun-Monumental

Pete Rock & Smif-n-Wessun-Monumental (Duckdown)
By Nathan G. O'Brien on Scene Point Blank

Monumental is, in a larger sense, a tribute to a true craft. Hip-hop has existed in some form or another for nearly forty years now. But the era that true heads speak most fondly of is the mid ‘80s to the mid ‘90s. The Golden Age, if you will, was perhaps the most important time in the development of hip-hop. The ‘80s were about exploration and diversity, and the ‘90s…well, shit just got hard. Sure hip-hop has made strong moves in terms of popularity in the ‘00s and the ‘00-teens, but the focus has shifted from being skill-driven to more personality-driven. So it’s exciting when an album like Monumental comes along that celebrates the original aesthetic of hip-hop laid forth in those early years.  ...Read entire review after the jump.

One Minute Reviews: Black Monolith-Demo EP

One Minute Reviews
By Nathan G. O'Brien exclusively for HotDogDayz

Black Monolith-Demo EP

The tags on Black Monolith's Bandcamp page say "black metal, crust, d-beat, hardcore, California."  Which, aside from California (because there is really no way of telling that by listening to them) and the not capitalizing of the D in D-beat, is exactly how I would have described them.  I mean, they are not black metal in a kill-your-friend-and-wear-a-necklace-made-of-parts-of-his-skull way, nor are they crust in a adopt-a-dog-and-force-him-into-living-a-life-of-train-hopping-and-not-being-fed way, but they are incorporating all of said tagged genres. And it's pretty rad how they shift between them within' a single song.  The first track "Abandon Heart" is raging D-beat hardcore until exactly half-way through, at which point it switches to black metal-esque guitar shredding.  For fans of Wolfbrigade, Tragedy, Skitysystem, etc., as well as blackened crust like Martyrdod or Dodsdomd.  Available for free download.           

One Minute Reviews: DJ Quik-The Book of David

One Minute Reviews
By Nathan G. O'Brien exclusively for HotDogDayz

DJ Quik-The Book of David

This is the umpteenth release by veteran Westcoast MC and producer DJ Quik. Aside from his underwhelming '09 collabo with Kurupt, I am not familiar with anything he's done since his debut Quik is the Name. That was back when I was a Northwoods wigga obsessed with anything coming out of Compton with a Raiders or Kings cap and a large rope chain.  (Arabian Prince, anyone?)  That being said, he sounds pretty much like I remember him.  His production is super slick G-funk, heavy on keys and bass; and his voice still sounds like an eager youngin'.  Detroit rapper Gift turns in nice guest spots on both "Luv of my Life" and "Hydromatic."  Ice Cube shows up on "Boogie Till You Conk Out", which is nice simply because it is Cube and Quik together in 2011.  "Across the Map", featuring Bizzy Bone and one of the reigning kings of guest-spot appearances-Bun B, is far and away the best song on the album.  It has a heavy synth buzz, over which the Trill OG spits, "I'm rollin' with the homie DJ Quik, and if you don't like that you can suck my DJ dick."  At a whopping seventeen songs, David is way too ambitious. You can easily weed it down to six or seven good ones that you would actually put on your iPod.

One Minute Reviews: Quelle Chris-The S.O.N. Demo EP

One Minute Reviews
By Nathan G. O'Brien exclusively for HotDogDayz

Quelle Chris-the S.O.N. Demo EP
Quelle Chris is new-ish MC and producer out of the Motor City.  He dropped this EP free via the Internet last month.  While other QC stuff is pretty hot, the majority of this is mediocre at best.  Both on the mic and behind the boards, this is primitive stuff.  Oftentimes that's a good thing, but here it just comes off like as a lackluster effort.  His flow on this release is sort of like a poor man's version of his fellow D-town MC and frequent collaborator Danny Brown.  That being said, the track "Shitting On Niggas" is one of the illist two and a half minutes I've heard all year.  The low-end buzz is hard as hell, and I can't get the hook out of my head--"Shittin' on niggas, it's the son."  If anything, it is worth the download just for this song alone.  Expect a full-length later this month.

Restore the Power issue #2 OUT NOW~!

We are very a little bit proud to announce the long not really at all by anyone other than us-awaited arrival of the second issue of our HDD preview/teaser 'zine Restore The Power.  Cover to cover RTP is 24 full-color pages of stuff shit that will to make your eyes and/or mind shed tears and/or explode with orgasm power.  Literally half the size of HDD--5 1/2" x 4 1/4", and literally almost literally half the price--$3 ppd worldwide.  Or free w/trade and/or if asked nicely and/or demanded convincingly. Interested? Let us know!

Still available from the HDD empire:

HotDogDayz #2--$5
Restore the Power #1--$2
If You Stink At Getting Ladies, Call Me #4--$1
The Soda Killers #1--$7
All prices are ppd worldwide. Available for trade.

Coming in 2012:
New issues of all of the above and more...

Seeking contributors and/or co-conspirators.  All inquires: bnb@hotdogdayz.com