SUNDAY MORNING DOUBLE FEATURE: THIS ONE IS FOR THE HOMIEZ

Yo, what's up my homiez? As you all know, Cobras is smoothed out on the hip-hop tip, keeping it real at the gym (right) when I'm not cruising the "hood" in my 5.0 ragtop. I'm dope and fresh. Like Mountain Dew Code Red I'm "as real as the streets". Word.
There are two distinct types of this so-called "rap" music that I enjoy. There is the "weird" stuff, like Dr. Octagon or ODB, and then there's the "hard" stuff, like Public Enemy or Geto Boys. The commercial stuff can suck a dick (besides Brokencyde and Cyco Eva -- those guys are awesome!). Here are two examples of what I mean by the "weird" stuff and the "hard" stuff, both of them debut albums from around the dawn of the millenium, both of them by rappers who have appeared on IC in the past. Word.


BUSDRIVER - MEMOIRS OF THE ELEPHANT MAN (1999)



First, the WEIRD: Busdriver, real name: Regan Farquhar.
Last seen on IllCon HERE, where I claimed that Mr. Farquhar "combines the inside-out, upside-down fractalizations of a good acid trip with the unsettling speed and confusion of an 8-ball to the head." Indeed. Hyperspeed, freeform poetry of the mindfuck variety. Crazy stuff, and highly recommended.

Download HERE
Purchase HERE
Myspace / Last.FM


IMMORTAL TECHNIQUE - REVOLUTIONARY, VOL. 1 (2001)



Next up, the HARD: Immortal Technique, real name: Felipe Coronel.
Last seen on IC HERE, where I wrote up this album's predecessor, the aptly titled Revolutionary Vol. 2. To quote myself: "... you really can't deny the sheer power and lyrical artistry that I.T. puts forth, proving that he is both one of the most talented AND one of the angriest rappers out there ... this album just fucking KILLS, and can serve equally well as either a booty-shaking party accessory or a chin-stroking meditation on philosophy, politics, race, and violence. This is what It Takes A Nation of Millions To Hold Us Back sounds like 15 years later, with all the same malice, hard beats, and unexpected insight -- only cranked up to 11, stuffed full of Peruvian coke, and armed with two machetes and an AK".
Volume One shares a couple of redundant tracks with Volume Two, but there's still plenty of good stuff on here if you've already got that one. Brutal shit. Word.

Download HERE
Purchase HERE
Myspace / Last.FM


PS: RIP to one of our country's finest actors, Mr. Dennis Hopper. WTF x2. And by "WTF", I mean "WHAT THE FECK?"