Tag: Rap

Maxo Kream – Punken

Now that we’ve heard some good old New York boom bap from Dave East, it’s time to switch things up to that Houston trap. Maxo Kream sounds great in his debut here, flowing over crispy Southern-fried beats with confidence and ease. Like Dave East (and most rappers, for that matter), he’s heavily invested in proving his own authenticity. Also like Dave East, he accomplishes this by telling real stories of his life on the streets. Maxo’s stories are more like quick anecdotes, though, none of which as far-reaching as Dave East’s track-length epics. This is because Maxo Kream is a man of the streets, and he makes it clear that he doesn’t aspire to anything greater than that by keeping things as simple as possible.

In Ben Westhoff’s book Dirty South, he attributes the rise of Southern hip-hop in the last few decades to their popular appeal. Rather than dazzling with quick-fire lyrics and complex rhyme schemes, Southern rap focuses on hard-hitting hooks that are simple and accessible. Maxo Kream captures that spirit perfectly.

Dave East – P2

Now here’s a true hip-hop gem, of the kind that you don’t hear much of these days. The storyteller MC is a lost craft, with today’s rappers focusing on hard-hitting hooks and quick punchlines. Today’s ADHD society doesn’t have time for the epic yarns spun by the likes of Slick Rick, Raekwon, the Notorious B.I.G., and Nas, and I think that’s a shame. These rappers create the most sublime kind of hip-hop, especially when they possess that level of realness that engenders authenticity. Dave East certainly has no problem convincing me of his authenticity, with vivid street tales that could only come from a life truly lived. He’s also musically authentic, as he enumerates his myriad hip-hop influences in “What Made Me.”

He isn’t all old-school, though. Dave East lays down some smooth trap à la Travis Scott in “Woke Up” and “Annoying.” He’s definitely at his best, though, when he’s telling stories, like the brutal crime cut “I Found Keisha.”