"My body's so impatient
now," indie R&B artist Kelela paradoxically sighs on new track
"OICU." While being unable to bear sexual tension any longer is a
common R&B trope, nothing about the L.A. singer's collaboration with NYC
electro-rap hybrid Le1f and Kansas City producer P Morris suggests
impatience.
Kelela's voice climbs up Morris'
walls of rewinding whooshes and moaning synthesizer like ivy. In his eyeballing
opener, Le1f drawls compliments "I think you're hella rare" through
thick layers of AutoTune. He wants to head out the front door, though his
unhurried tone suggests he's comfortable waiting. The outside world is all
about change; in an insular club time comes to a standstill. There's plenty of
time to "tell me where you wanna go," as Kelela calmly demands with
handclaps backing her. Fiery passion and embracing the heat of the moment is
enjoyable, but "OICU" prefers the slow burn.
Categorizing 21 year old rapper
Kitty's work as a "joke" is still oddly pliable in 2014. Though she's
been practicing her craft for two plus years, releasing stellar tapes of
bleary-eyed music like D.A.I.S.Y.
Rage and last year's Impatiens,
many staunch hip hop fans see it all as hokum. They hear the fragile
vocals and weightless cloud rap beats and go running for the hills to find
solace in muscular boom-bap. Not so much a male/female issue, they're agitated
by a perceived lack of seriousness. Any MC who isn't a consummate professional
isn't worth their time.
That said Kitty's been
deceptively serious since the jump. Sure in "Okay Cupid"
she was lovingly ripping off "Thinking
Bout You" for a few seconds and waiting around for "drunk dials
at 3:30 AM", but there was a heartbreaking obsessiveness to it. Kitty
herself acknowledges "I'm not familiar with this type of devotion"
and that admission guarantees the relationship she's "idealizing"
won't last.
Despite wobbly new single
"marijuana" not being much concerned with relationships, it's still
consequential. Gliding atop Chrome Blaze's chortling electronics, Kitty frets
about not landing a label deal and falling into obscurity. She's at a point
where she has to assure her mom she's "doing great" because it's been
awhile since she's seen a Klonopin. To stay in control, Kitty rattles off
everything she's not going to do: "not gonna piss on the carpet, not gonna
roll on the ground." And if none of those promises land, she'll make jokes
to cope. "I've got all the rays Imma be a sunshine, making raisins out all
of the grapes," she cracks. Sure Kitty can be humorous, but that's not all
she's about.
Kitty's heading out on tour at the end of the month for a string of U.S./Canadian dates which you can find below.
Tour Dates:
6/30 Columbus, OH- A&R Music Bar
7/1 Detroit, MI- Shelter
7/2 Cleveland Heights, OH- Grog Shop
7/4 Toronto, ON- Wrongbar
7/5 Montreal, QC- La Vitriola
7/7 Cambridge, MA- The Sinclair
7/8 New York, NY- Highline Ballroom
7/9 Philadelphia, PA- District N9ne
7/10 Washington, DC- Rock N Roll Hotel
7/11 Raleigh, NC- King’s Barcade
7/12 Atlanta, GA- Masquerade
7/24 Dallas, TX- Club Dada (w. Awkwafina)
"Simple" that's the
only way to describe "Dilla Plugged In", the first taste of De La
Soul's upcoming Smell the D.A.I.S.Y. mixtape, which will feature the
hip-hop icons tackling J Dilla beats. That adjective could be appended to every
single part of this offering. There's the bare-bones cover, recalling the
trio's 3 Feet High and
Rising which turned 25 last month. A reconfigured Dilla beat from the Old
Donuts collection, epoxied by piano chords and impossibly on-point
drumming. Even the group's rapping deserves the term; so laid-back that Pos'
doesn't seem to mind repeating his lead-off verse in the mission-defining "Plug Tunin'".
But minimalism can be absolutely
marvelous and "Dilla Plugged In" is a perfect example. Give the
aforementioned drumbeat a round or two and you'll be nodding along in unison. Dilla's drums have long
been praised and in an effort like this, you begin to understand what all the
hubbub is about. Even Posdnuos can't keep from commenting, "Drums are
heard sounding off each and every person" he giddily rattles off. Those
piano chords are imbued with similar warmth, ringing out without clanging. And
then there's the "Plugs" heralding the D.A.I.S.Y. Age like 1989 never
left. "Musical notes will send a new motto," Trugoy promises without
a hint of the disaffection that marked De La Soul is Dead.
More than just "capturing the essence of Dilla" De La reclaims an
entire era. Not bad for something so "simple."
Smell the D.A.I.S.Y. is coming soon, along with a new album
entitled You're Welcome and Premium
Soul on the Rocks, which will be produced entirely by DJ Premier
and Pete Rock.
