The most intriguing, and infuriating, aspect of the New Guard is how amorphous the classification can be. Even closely related artists, and sometimes the same artist, utilize a myriad of different voices ranging from the traditional (Domo Genesis) to the fearsome (Tyler, The Creator); the disjointed (Kreayshawn) to the ludicrous (Das Racist). Few groups exemplify this chameleon quality more than Odd Future Wolf Gang Kill Them All. The loosely knit collective continuously pulls forth new projects and sounds from their members, keeping any definition of New Guard Hip-Hop slippery at best and impossible at worst.
Mike G’s smooth, sing-song flow is yet another round in the chamber. Paired with the reedy, abrasive Vince Staples–who appears prominently on five of the EP’s seven tracks–the two create a fine juxtaposition which drives Award Tour. “Moracular World” finds the two over hollow drum hits that slowly become swathed in deeper and deeper layers of synthesizers. Staples’ recollection of a degenerate childhood is hilarious, profane and frightening, a pitch perfect, vintage Wolf Gang verse.
The molasses paced “Chevron” sounds like a missing track from Das Racist’s Relax, a perfect backing for Mike G’s flow to flicker and dance upon. Gentle melodies slowly pull the beat along, a somnambulistic showcase for this slightly softer side of the Wolf Gang.
“Chanel” has a fashion show feel, with sparkling synths over velvety catwalk drums. G’s voice paces the beat like a model, dipping into some speed to show some versatility in his delivery. “Vicks” has the acebric, nasty sound that is the collective’s trademark, with Vince Staples’ stream of consciousness funeral flow lacing the spacey moonscape with a distinct hint of menace that is lacking on the mostly glossy EP. Nowhere is that malice found more than on “Carrera”, a luxuriously melancholy track. “I spit with the passion of the Christ who abandoned me,” Staples raps. He channels Goblin-lite here, adding that Patrick Bateman graphic touch to push buttons and torture the squeamish on the hook. “I’m a demon/Ruling with a legion/Heart colder than the bitches decomposing in the freezer,” he rattles off casually, before giving way to Mike G’s less disturbing and more pleasantly delivered lines.
The New Guard excels because it embraces the strange, savage music that youth and a complete lack of fear can create. It bows to no pressures and prejudices about what makes true Hip-Hop, and as such, has opened the genre to a vast array of voices as never before. As one of said voices, Award Tour is a solid diversion from the norm, a lustrous and finished effort powered by twin flows; serial killers and Xanax bars, in a duet of dichotomy.
Prime Cuts: “Moracular World”, “Chevron”, “Carrera”
Award Tour receives a PAR
Rating:
P…Horrible
PA…Tolerable
PAR…Good
PARL…Kinda Great
PARLÉ… Classic
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