Ladies and gentlemen, it's the weekend.
It's also cold and rainy, but given our spring this year that's no surprise.
What is a surprise is Toussaint Morrison. This local rapper/musician is stunningly talented and ready for big things.
I had been attending shows by some friends of mine (relevant post pending) who were repeatedly splitting the bill with Morrison, who would perform under alternating incarnations - either with his backing band The Blend or as a member of Lazlo Supreme. Either way, it was impressive stuff, the kind of music where you sit up and take notice. It's saying something when you are going somewhere to see your friends and another act starts to really draw your attention, and Toussaint Morrison has done just that.
Harnessing the energy of his splintered personalities, Morrison handles the mic with a deftness and dexterity few emcees possess. His wordplay is complex and free flowing, working with the music rather than against it. Unlike a lot of the rappers who only wish they could, Morrison can carry a tune as well, so his hooks and performances have a greater range than your average hip hop show. His energy and professional craftsmanship are of the caliber that when you find yourself greeting friends and reconnecting, one of his songs will start and everyone stops what they were doing to watch the stage. When the beats start to bang your head starts to nod, instinctively. I had seen Toussaint Morrison perform a handful of times when, during one of his sets, I turned to a friend and realized aloud "Damn, he's really good, isn't he?" I got a knowing nod and grin in response. Imagine my excitement, then, when Morrison started tweeting about the release of his excellently overwhelming mixtape Toussaint Morrison Is Not My Homeboy.
Spanning 12 tracks and running a breathless, relentless 45 minutes, the mixtape is a series of genius samples and intricately worded lyrics, courtesy of Morrison and partner in crime Dr. Wylie. In the first track alone I caught references to subjects close to my heart like Left 4 Dead, Suicide Booths, Streets of Rage, Hand Over Fist, Zelda and Hyrule, all followed by a chip-tuned outro to the song. I have to admit, I'd heard the track live and it bangs, no doubt. But to hear the words so clear as to realize all the references he'd been making, it made my head explode at his wit and pop-cultural name-checks. An entire track devoted to exploring the themes of Marvel's Civil War? Done. A come-and-get-it confrontational about Street Fighter? Yup. Nerd love aside, the guy writes lyrics that are heartfelt and honest, as well, like on the sentimental 'Lady & The Vamp' which makes great use of a Passion Pit sampling. Other tracks use great source material as well, like Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand. Seriously, trying to unpack this dense mixtape is like playing spot-the-reference, not just in lyric but music as well.
Check out Toussaint Morrison's free mixtape here, and peep the video for the excellent 'Walk Thru The Wall' here. The artist also keeps a blog of his thoughts and writings here. If you have a chance to see the man live, do yourself a favor and go! His live shows hooked me, they'll get you too.
It's also cold and rainy, but given our spring this year that's no surprise.
What is a surprise is Toussaint Morrison. This local rapper/musician is stunningly talented and ready for big things.
I had been attending shows by some friends of mine (relevant post pending) who were repeatedly splitting the bill with Morrison, who would perform under alternating incarnations - either with his backing band The Blend or as a member of Lazlo Supreme. Either way, it was impressive stuff, the kind of music where you sit up and take notice. It's saying something when you are going somewhere to see your friends and another act starts to really draw your attention, and Toussaint Morrison has done just that.
Spanning 12 tracks and running a breathless, relentless 45 minutes, the mixtape is a series of genius samples and intricately worded lyrics, courtesy of Morrison and partner in crime Dr. Wylie. In the first track alone I caught references to subjects close to my heart like Left 4 Dead, Suicide Booths, Streets of Rage, Hand Over Fist, Zelda and Hyrule, all followed by a chip-tuned outro to the song. I have to admit, I'd heard the track live and it bangs, no doubt. But to hear the words so clear as to realize all the references he'd been making, it made my head explode at his wit and pop-cultural name-checks. An entire track devoted to exploring the themes of Marvel's Civil War? Done. A come-and-get-it confrontational about Street Fighter? Yup. Nerd love aside, the guy writes lyrics that are heartfelt and honest, as well, like on the sentimental 'Lady & The Vamp' which makes great use of a Passion Pit sampling. Other tracks use great source material as well, like Modest Mouse and Franz Ferdinand. Seriously, trying to unpack this dense mixtape is like playing spot-the-reference, not just in lyric but music as well.
