Review Summary: Independent hip-hop from the midwest that succeeds in bending the genre.
A few years back a friend of mine from across the hall in my dorm's mod lent me a copy of an EP from a local independent hip-hop duo. After much praise I had no doubt in my mind that it would be something I would thoroughly enjoy, considering his eclectic taste and the common ground we shared with a lot of music. Even though I was not much for the hip-hop scene at the time I still had a respectable background in and appreciation for the genre, as well as an open mind for anything that wasn't your standard radio rap single of the week. In this case, however, it took only one listen to hook me and to this day the EP stands as one of the regularly played items in my rotation.
The
Short Order EP is the first offering from the Columbus, Ohio based hip-hop hybrid that is the Lab Rats, consisting of lyricist Brian Brown and DJ KW. Make no mistake, this is no common scratch and rhyme rap pair but rather two multi-talented multi-instrumentalists that stretch the boundaries of the genre while weaving others into it. Brown performs not only as an emcee but also sports a stratocaster on stage and acts as guitarist, while KW works magic not only through the use of turn tables but through vocals, keyboards, strings and other live instruments (including a pedal steel guitar). From hip-hop to blues, from rock to jazz, there is an abundance of sounds that come from this two man show and never once do they ever slip or spread themselves too thin to support it all.
The
Intro to the EP is a brief clip of a Rodney Dangerfield stand-up, which oddly enough serves as the most appropriate metaphor to foreshadow the tracks to follow. Just as Dangerfield mastered the art of hitting one-liners one after the other the Lab Rats follow suit by wasting no time in honing and executing both their instrumental and lyrical attack as effectively as possible. KW spins beats that move effortlessly (like
Fluid, if you will) and easily through silky-smooth, catchy harmonies. However, beats and scratches actually only barely scrape the surface of the layers that get put on here among jazzy interludes and funky rhythms. Brown even sounds much like a mentor of Dangerfield in some ways, casting off an endless supply of clever and thought-provoking rhymes without a sign of hesitation. On top of that, his strat is often flowing from funky strumming to bluesy accentuation both when he is and is not tossing out lyrics.
The lyrics themselves seem to map out an outlook on the social situation of the lower middle class, blending a wry concoction of satire with straightforward honesty and truth. There isn't necessarily a looming sense of political inspiration, but the message Brown is trying convey is direct and never fails to capture the essence of his experiences. The first proper song,
Get Your Shit Together seems to imply this in its title alone but also contains lines like "
I went from beer to liquor, pot, acid to coke. Been from sick to sicker, to passing out to flat broke". This isn't a promotional or prideful reference by any means, but rather the acknowledgement that these things were and are present in his working class life regardless of one's situation.
Brown's self-awareness is also keen in the groovy bass lines of
Fluid which recites the message "
Life's like fluid, move right through it man. Take what you get, get what you put into it". It is soon followed and contradicted by the musings that "
Maybe this song is wrong, maybe the strong only survive within the confines of corporate gold mines. Maybe the divine lies within wearing a tie.". Once again, captured eloquently is an all too common understanding of one's own reality while trying to maintain a sense of optimism. Other times Brown doesn't even bother to sugarcoat things, as in
Nickel And Dimed which opens up upon a direct declaration of frustration with "
I'm sick of looking at these unpaid bills that are past due, living off fast food meals" or "
You ain't nothing but a slave to the shit you own".
Even at his most direct, it is very clear that Brown is not simply a rapper moaning about his misfortune. Those that draw a comparison to
Eminem would be far from the truth, as the only parallel would be their skin color and Brown is not simply angry and shouting it through angsty, snide remarks. Frustrated, perhaps, but his words are undeniably focused and truthful without any censors or exaggerations. Despite this, most of the songs still come off as entirely engaging and fun, even humorous in the example of
If You Want It which includes some smart references to Richard Gere, Britney Spears, and Helen Kellar just to name a few.
From here you can begin to see an inviting contrast forming in the Lab Rats' delivery and execution. Some of the tracks feature some smooth grooves, others hold down head-bobbing beats, but this is nothing to gawk at. However, the mixing is immaculate and everything KW does is so fresh that even the most stubborn hip-hop naysayer would be challenged not to get hooked somewhere along the way. The focus seems not to be on drilling a backbeat over and over again throughout the entire song, but rather on finding a means to decorate it appropriately without distracting from the ever-important presence of the lyricist.
This is a rock mentality adapted to a hip-hop approach with no nonsense in between and still enough room left for the two to enjoy and toy around with ideas. Even as intelligent and largely introspective as the rhymes get at times, Brown has the ability to establish a playful relationship with the listener through his observations alone. The ending collision of it all, the
Short Order EP, is light-hearted by nature but entirely serious all at once and above all else comes off as being very real. This debut is a strong example of what it means to set hip-hop outside of its commonly overdone boundaries and a good reference on how to do it well.
Recommended Tracks:
Fluid
Nickel And Dimed
If You Want It
