Welcome to Mixdown, an ongoing series where Pitchfork staffers and contributors talk about mixtapes, mixes, and other beat-based ephemera that may not be covered in our reviews section but are worth discussing. Today, Wesley Case and Meaghan Garvey discuss their favorite Lil B tape in years, the return of Travis Porter, and Moondawg's We Invented Bop 2.
Lil B: Hoop Life
Wesley Case: It’s hard to believe, but the NBA season tipped off back in October(!) and finally, last night, we made it to the Finals. Meaghan, I hope you hydrated enough for this Mixdown. One superstar missing from the festivities, though, was Kevin Durant, the league’s MVP despite Lil B’s longstanding curse. Speaking of, Lil B recently dropped his latest double mixtape, Hoop Life, and not only is it super basketball-centric, but it's led by “Fuck KD (Kevin Durant Diss).” With its “Brown Paper Bag”-like hook, it might be the single most entertaining rap song of the year. But what really surprised me was how strong this massive tape is overall— it’s easily my favorite Based God tape in years. Are you waving a Hoop Life foam finger, too?
Meaghan Garvey: Yeah, this is definitely the best Lil B tape since his last coherent full-length, 2012’s God’s Father, and for me it surpasses that one too. (It’s also probably the greatest concept “album” since, I dunno, Ziggy Stardust.) It does kind of lose steam towards the end, but for a 33-song tape, it’s remarkably solid; there’s maybe 5 or 6 tracks I’d skip. I think the unified theme helped B stay on track here. And another cool thing is that, in addition to his usually dreamy, Imogen-Heap-core beat selection, there’s a lot of intrinsically Bay beats here, especially in the first chunk. I don’t even get the impression that he’s nodding towards the Mustard-wave zeitgeist (like every other rapper on the planet) either—stuff like “Off Da Bench” and “Lockdown” is closer to the slap-happy sneer of hyphy. What’s working for you on the tape?
WC: You mean, besides the “Figaro!” ad-lib? The smartest decision Lil B made with Hoop Life was sticking—for the most part—to its basketball theme. It’s not a groundbreaking idea but there’s also no one in the rap game right now doing concept tapes, so B’s dedication should not be overlooked. But what’s most charming is the fact he takes it even further by skipping the obvious—instead of songs about dunk contests and alley-oops, this guy’s got songs called “Pass the Ball,” “Call Me Coach,” “At the Freethrow” and “Foul Out”! It’s Lil B doing Lil B—taking the route others are too insecure to even consider. And yes, I’m with you on the production, a lot of which sounds like an appropriate nod to “Blow the Whistle”. (Shouts to DeShawn Stevenson.)
MG: He appreciates the quieter moments of hoop life: On “Lockdown” he says “I hoop every day cause it’s fun”! True to the spirit of Based World though—undercurrents of tragedy coursing beneath stubborn positivity—there are some dark corners to Hoop Life too. B’s out here selling dope in the off-season and, on “Marbel Floors and Pain”, he delivers the koan, “Don’t hate the player, hate the game—I hate both.” That’s heavy shit. After two hours of Hoop Life, have you come to any hard conclusions on the legitimacy of the Based God’s curse? Any hints as to whether it will carry on ad infinitum?
WC: I love KD, so I really hope not, but Slim Reaper might want to repent for his legacy’s sake. Thank you for pointing out the more dire lyrical nuggets Lil B drops, because they matter just as much as the silliness. There’s also sharp rap commentary: “Just because you’re a nerd doesn’t make you a backpacker,” on “Don’t Go Outside.” But hey, it’s not a Lil B tape without some quotable non-sequiturs. My favorite from “Only Time I Slow Down” (which also has the endearing shout-out, “Sway, man, I know you got the answers!”): “Come hop up on the dick like the 3-D hammock /That’s a real big sandwich.” It’s 2014. We’re off those two-dimensional hammocks.
MG: Fast forward to me at the club this weekend hollering “Bitch I know Toni Kukoc!” at security as they drag me out.
Travis Porter: Music Money Magnums 2
WC: That’s a “Sportscenter” Top 10 life play, Meaghan. Speaking of the, err, club, Decatur’s most enthusiastic strip-club trio Travis Porter is back with a sequel to their 2011 mixtape Music Money Magnums. Are you down?
MG: Music Money Magnums 2 contributes to the sinking feeling I’ve had about the trio over the past year or so: They’re still totally solid, but it’s starting to feel like their “moment” has passed. It’s not a bad tape (though it’s not as fun as last year’s Mr. Porter) but in Atlanta’s current landscape dominated by weirdo trappers and heavy-hearted garglers, their sound feels like it’s verging on obsolete. That’s not to deny their huge influence on strip-club-centric Southern ratchetry, but this tape just doesn’t feel remotely as exciting as anything they were doing in their 2009-2010 heyday, or even on their 2012 From Day 1 album. Wesley, has Travie been surpassed by their peers?
WC: Judging strictly by this lifeless tape, I think so. And that’s a shame because it feels like it was not long ago Ali, Strap and Quez were repeatedly setting the standard for strip-club anthems. What I’ve always found most appealing about Travie was the group’s ability to sound like they were having more fun than everyone else. I became a fan after hearing 2010’s buoyant “Sunshine on Me”, which remains a go-to summer track. But I don’t hear any of that exuberance on MMM 2; instead it’s a lot of women-as-currency lyrics delivered in a flat monotone. In the past, I’ve given them a pass, maybe foolishly, for their lack of lyrical depth, but that was because everything else was clicking. But a lot of these beats aren’t even banging, really, with the exception of the O.G. Nintendo-inspired “Pot of Gold”.
MG: Wooo, yeah, “Pot Of Gold” was the bright spot on here for me too. But like you said, they do seem to have ditched the super-exultant, wide-eyed party tracks for something more “adult.” That’s totally understandable—they’re not teenagers anymore. But they haven’t pulled it off as well as their peers Rich Kidz have in recent years; those guys have figured out how to grow up on wax by messing around with grimier, weirder sounds in a way Travie don’t seem to have mastered yet. I think the precedent for this tape may be in Quez’ fairly slept-on solo tape from last December, “Black Boe Knows 2”, which strayed from the booty-clapping for something more grown-and-sexy. He pulled that off on his own, but I don’t think it works as a blueprint for the trio.
WC: I’m hoping MMM 2 is just a momentary lack of inspiration, and Travis Porter bounces back with their sophomore album, whenever that comes. I am interested in the murkier, almost “Prostitute Flange”-ish sounds here, especially when the guys are nearly singing their lines. The warmer tone makes a big difference. Oh well, “Ayy Ladies” still goes, no matter the moment, so we’ll always have that.
Moondawg: We Invented the Bop 2
Before we dip, let’s talk about a new tape that I know is close to your Chicago heart: DJ Moondawg’s We Invented the Bop 2. I think a majority of listeners were introduced to bop with Sicko Mobb’s satisfying tape from late last year, Super Saiyan Vol. 1, and wondered how far its sing-songy style could really go. Where is bop headed, Meaghan?
MG: I think a lot of people expected the bop thing to be a quick-passing fad. I’m not saying this stuff will stand the test of time in like, five years, and most music trends spawned from regional dance trends tend to be pretty ephemeral, but it’s more than a year since the movement started to blow up locally, and We Invented the Bop 2 is a solid case for it still being vital. The first edition of Moondawg’s compilation series served mostly as a primer, the first comprehensive introduction to the scene; this round, I think it’s more about the different directions in which its artists have branched out. We’ve got the twangy, footwork-tinged alien-pop of Sicko Mobb’s “Be With Me,” the more macho, drill-informed stylings of Mikey Dollaz and I.L Will, the teenybopper boy-band vibes of groups S.B.E. and M.B.E. (both of which are more than a little indebted to Travis Porter, actually). But I think the coolest moment of the tape—and the strongest hint that this genre might have more endurance than people may have thought—is newcomer Yemi Marie’s “Love Bop.”
It reminds me of the radio-ready snap-&-b of Cherish moreso than the hyperactive sugar-rush associated with bop, which makes me think that as this sound grows more and more polished, it’s not unfathomable that it could creep into the mainstream. But ultimately this stuff doesn’t really need to be over-analyzed: It’s a cute summer BBQ soundtrack.
WC: Over-analyze? Us? Never! A BBQ sounds good right now, though. So does stepping away from a keyboard. To quote a wise man named Drama: “And like that ... we gone!”