Huntsville, Alabama's rap scene is much hyped as the next big thing, which is ridiculous on two fronts. First off, if you haven't been paying attention, there is no such thing as a next big thing in the music industry anymore. Dudes are lucky to sell 50,000 CDs/downloads anymore. The game has simply changed. Secondly, Huntsville, Alabama's rap scene is already big, like huge, full of all sorts of quality artists, usually revolving around the Slow Motion Soundz studio, and them motherfuckers are already getting to do things like go to Norway for tours or constantly book shows throughout what's left of the Chitlin Circuit that hasn't been shut down by the cops. Plus, the internet jocks the fuck out of them, which I'm sure means mad college girl punani.
Most of the hype started with the Paper Route Gangstaz when that Diplo dude "remixed" their Fear & Loathing in Hunts Vegas mixtape, although if you hear a lot of the originals, there wasn't a whole ton of remixing being done. They already had a weird old pop music sample-based sound going on that was kind of like screwed music but more for pillheads. As the internet jocking of PRGz spread, there are always those down ass expert whiteboys who have to be ahead of the curve, and know more about something than anyone else, and those types have been jocking G-Side, especially ST 2 Lettaz and the Huntsville International mixtape. This is fine, because it's good music, and I'll be honest, I still bump the fuck out of that Fear & Loathing in Las Vegas mixtape, which I consider to be one of the best shits to come out in years... way better than this Lil Wayne or Drake bullshit people act like is great. Then again I'm more of a take a pill, crack a double deuce, and ride around in an old car for about four hours straight type of guy, so it fits my stroll.
The thing I've noticed though is, by far, my favorite rapper from the Huntsville scene is Jhi Ali. That "Alabama" song off the Hunts Vegas tape is The Fucking Shit. Plus, he drops a tight verse on the "Rollin'" song by Jackie Chain (best Azn rapper alive!), and generally just has a fucked up voice like Lil Boosie, but raps about way different shit... basically being a country ass black dude who loves pussy and money and the country. I'm not black, but goddamnit ain't no doubt I love the country and I love pussy and I really don't mind money, though I don't want it to rule my life, even though it do.
This song is off a Slow Motion Sounds comp called V.S.O.P. III, and it's the greatest motherfucking inspirational self-motivation song to ever be made in the rap music. Seriously. Forget those corny ass old school '80s songs or that fucking Nas song where the kindergarteners were all talking about knowing they can. This is the type of shit you can wake up with in the morning, pump on the shitty boom box in the bathroom as you brush your teeth with the same ratty fucking toothbrush you've had for a year and a half, look in the mirror, seeing the cracks in the wall behind you and the mildewed shower curtain and the uneven paint job, and be like, "Yeah, I'm gonna be the bestest Raven Mack that I can be." And then you go out and do what you do.
Seriously, self help too often is out of touch with those that need help. I ain't trying to hear about no Jesus bullshit or learn how frybread and pork chops is going to kill me. Self-helping other types are starting by trying to hit a half court skyhook when they need to start with lay-ups. Roll up to dudes and be chill and be like, "Be what you can. Shit is fucked, no doubt. Try to make it a little less fucked every now and then. Can I hold a dollar, bro?" Often times the reality of life is all too real, and when outsiders roll in with these This Is How You Fix It mantras, it just pisses everybody off. Hell, that's why Africa is so fucked up to this day. People don't think, "Hey, let's try to make Africa not so fucked up a little bit." They think, "Oh they got AIDS and they got genocide, let's sell a bunch of goddamned red clothes at the mall and throw money into the air and feel better about ourselves."
I am veering off the point of "Grown Man" pretty far, but I would like to brag upon the fact that my 11-year-old daughter's favorite rap song has been this song for a while too. She also likes that "Alabama" song a lot, though "Stuntastic" was her jam off Fear & Loathing in Hunts Vegas mixtape. Man, one day she's going to read Hunter S. Thompson and have friends who smoke weed and just become more hip to it all and she's going to figure me out. Shall I deny it like most parents, or act like it was different when I did it because I did it, not her? I don't know. Fuck it. Parenting is more about figuring it out as you go than knowing what's right or wrong to do. Most of those fuckers who know what's right or wrong to do are the same types buying red sweat shirts thinking it will help Africa not have AIDS no more.
So basically it's a world full of fuckers, and I enjoy the fact Huntsville, Alabama, is making so much goddamned good music nowadays, to where if you've never heard of it, there's seriously an entire back catalog of awesome music you could dig into for months and months. And nobody knows about it. Which is good. Because if it became the Next Big Thing as in opening for Lady Gaga and Kanye West and eventually headlining their own stadium brouhahas, it would no longer be what it is - which is pure and organic as fuck (organic meaning it came about naturally, not it's sterilized of pesticides, because there's crazy pesticidal homicidal suicidal bullshit in nature) and perfect just the way it is. Were my two turntables and mixer and USB connector and 4-track not in a pile in the camper trailer underneath some stuff we moved out the front room of the house, I'd do a Huntsville sampler for your ass. But as it is, the clutter of my life will force me to share my words and this single link of a song that I think is the motherfuckin' shit for you to pilfer from inside the robot race and try to find some human soul twinkle in your very own personal all too real life. God bless you bros and sisses.
STEAL "Grown Man"
NEXT MONTH: Last month!
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