Edo G‘s 2000 DJ Premier link “Sayin’ Somethin'” was very representative of Boston’s rich tradition in Hip Hop. From Guru to Esoteric, Mr. Lif to Reks, emcees from in and around Boston have had a lot to say about their city and the world at large. While 2008 was largely devoted to celebrating Termanology and Reks being embraced by the fans, the bloggers, and some of the best producers in Hip Hop, 2009 has yet to produce a new face from the city that truly has powerful impact. Without the video presence, and even hiding his face on his album cover, Roxbury’s Boycott Blues lives up to the Edo G tradition of street perspective-meets-lyricism, and in his debut Irony, he’s most definitely sayin’ somethin’.
“I Like That” is simple mathematics, over one an intricate song. Boycott Blues uses a stream of consciousness approach, dropping simple phrases, like “don’t sleep a wink, these ain’t the streets to dream on,” in a way that aligns with Mos Def‘s verbal introductions a decade ago, with a similar cadence. Lead single “Chkabloaww” also has a ’90s Brooklyn feel to it, with the obvious gun reference, that the emcee uses to compare to his vocal blast. On paper, these subject matters may seem very simple, but Blues‘ wordplay is superior, and his mic presence is strong enough to walk the line between Rap that appeals to the streets and the backpacks, two often polarized crowds in his city’s scene. Some of the concepts, such as “Supaflythrudacity” seem far-reaching, as this song also uses emcee metaphor, comparing his abilities to those of a super-hero. Although the track has originality, it’s hard to sustain the audience on a journey that focuses so much on street corner perspectives, not those of the super-natural. Lackluster songs like these are overshadowed by the album’s finest offering, “Da Math,” with G.O.O.D. Music veteran Consequence. Originally surfacing years ago via a DJ JayCeeOh mixtape, this song was stripped of its obvious samples, and re-worked beautifully, as both emcees tell stories where something didn’t add up, and one’s had to be carried.
Another emcee, Insight, of Project Move/Electric Company fame is at hand for many of Irony‘s best productions. His minimalist samples, compensated by complex arrangements give this album the kind of sound reserved for street/art appeal found in seminal music from A Tribe Called Questand The Pharcyde. The music is brooding, jazzy, and colorful enough to let Boycott Blues‘ verbal accounts puncuate the music lovely. “Son, Sun” uses stretched sounds, background effects and careful keys to make a slow rhyme pattern come alive. “I Like That” has chord progressions that give the grim street accounts a glimmer of hope, and allow Boycott Blues to hover above the cliche subject matter with a more dynamic message. Not all of the album is slow though, as “A Will & A Way” has a swirling Premier-esque timing, with a lot of horn samples, changes and building moments that match Boycott perfectly when his voice says “I’m tryin’ to get out the hood.” This album was carefully produced, and contains the quality rarely found between emcee and producer in the independent arena in 2009.
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Irony is not a perfect album, but it is a damn good debut. Shy from the attention most emcees crave, Boycott Blues lets his careful writing do the talking. Like Krumbsnatcha and Guru before him, this emcee knows the streets, and presents their story with the kind of craft and cleverness that makes any Hip Hop fan see the vision. This album’s vocal presence is masterfully matched with production, most notably led by Insight. This one of the best Boston-related Hip Hop debuts since transplanted Edan burst on the scene at the top of the decade.
