The Physics - "Fix You" x "Ready For We" (feat. Miss Malice)

Is there a better way to finish up a midterm than having a Physics song quietly slip into your mailbox?  Don't answer that, it's rhetorical.  Composed of Thig Natural, Justo, and Monk Wordsmith, The Physics are one of Seattle's best hip hop groups.  While supremely talented, the trio of O'Dea grads have been notably prudent throughout there career when it comes to releasing their smooth, crisp songs.  Since their 2007 debut, Future Talk helped usher in the age of party rap to the 206, the trio has only released one FreEP (the critically acclaimed High Society) and one three-track download (fittingly named Three Piece).  While other party rap groups such as Fresh Espresso, Mad Rad, State of The Artist, have tried to follow in the groups' footsteps, only the duo of P Smoov and Rik Rude have come close to matching The P-H-Y-S-I-C-S in quality and creativity.

State of the Artist - "Hey Hey" (feat. P Smoov & Shaprece Renee)

Fresh Espresso/Mad Rad's emcee/singer/producer/wonderboy P Smoov links up the SOTA Boys for this latest Seattle collaboration.  I like "Extrahelladope" a little more, but this joint is still up there...it's a very different, up tempo song.  SeattleCaliFragilisticExtraHellaDopeness drops next Tuesday.

Peace, Love, & Seattle,

WordIsBorn

Fresh Espresso - "Something New"

I was just bumping this a minute ago when I realized that I had yet to post this song individually.  I included it on the first tape a few months ago, but I haven't given one of my favorite tracks of '09 its proper shine on its own.  The song is another example of P Smoov's amazing ability as a producer and serves as further proof that, as he claims, "my tracks got more bombs than the cars in Jerusalem."  It's a very upbeat track that I can find no flaws with and is a great example of the sound off the Seattle duo's debut, Glamour., an album that continues to receive heavy rotation on my iPod.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,

Naughty By Noah

Previous: Fresh Espresso - "Big or Small (Ryan Lewis Remix)"

Fresh Espresso - "Big or Small" [Video]

Where the ladies at?

I guess it's a P Smoov kind of day here at thatsthatish.com.  I posted the Seattle emcee/producer/singer/wonderboy's latest song with Grynch earlier.  Now, here's the official video for one of the few songs I didn't care for on Glamour "Big or Small."  Not my favorite song, but Glamour. is definitely worth checking out.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,
Nitpicking Noah

Fresh Espresso - "Big or Small"

P Smoov feat. Grynch - "You're On"

A snippet of this song was featured on P Smoov's Face Scrunchers, Vol. 1 beat tape (which I definitely suggest downloading if you haven't already), but P Smoov (Fresh Espresso, Mad Rad) just released the full version last night.  As is typical with P Smoov beats, the song provides glossy production as Grynch and Smoov trade what ends up not being the best verses I've heard from either, but I won't complain about new, free music from two of my favorite local artists.

Peace, Love, & Hip Hop,

Northbest Noah

Fresh Espresso – Glamour. [Review]

I finally got around to copping this 2009 album two weeks ago and I haven’t been able to put it down since.  Though I was familiar with P Smoov’s other group Mad Rad, I’m sorry to say that I had not heard any Fresh Espresso before seeing them open for Dyme Def at the Mural Amphitheater a couple weeks ago.  Though that venue wasn’t the best location to showcase their music (which I feel is more suited for a dark, enclosed club or bar), I was still intrigued and picked up a copy of their debut LP.

Naturally, FE sounds like Mad Rad as P Smoov provides his glossy production as well as singing/emceeing to both groups, but Glamour., also represents an evolution in P Smoov as an artist since White Gold (2008).  Though the P Smoov production on that album is undeniably powerful it could be argued that it was too good, often overpowering the lyrics of the group.  With Fresh Espresso and Glamour., P Smoov teams up with Seattle-via-Bay Area-via-Michigan rapper Rik Rude, an emcee who I feel better matches P’s production.  When Rude goes hard, P turn’s up the heat to match him (both production-wise and lyrically—it should be noted that he has improved in this aspect as an artist as well).  The tracks that result include “Diamond Pistols” (a certified Kickdrum Anthem), “Vader Rap” (a track that samples Styx’s “Mr. Roboto”), and “The Lazerbeams,” but when Rik Rude decides to bring it down, Smoov follows right with him (something that at times was missing on White Gold).  This concoction results in some of my favorite tracks, “Something New,” “Right Here,” “Show Me How You Do,” and “Gigantic.”

FE is the perfect blend of pure, smooth, unadulterated hip hoppery.  At the end of the day Glamour. is one of the best albums I have heard this year and reminds me of ATCQ meets Dyme Def meets The Physics.  As much as I like Mad Rad for being a goofy, hilarious assembly not remotely resembling the prototypical rap group, I love Fresh Espresso for harkening back to the classic hip hop duos like Black Star and OutKast, while still maintaining their own unique sound and style.  As I’ve said before, I won’t typically push the purchasing of music on this site, but Glamour. warrants the exception.  I guarantee that you will be happy with the purchase of this album that I have a feeling, a few years down the road, we will look back on this album as a classic debut.  If you live in the Northwest, you can purchase it at most stores, otherwise you can find it here.

"Diamond Pistols"

"Right Here"

Mad Rad - "Donut Truck"

While hip hop has a tradition in political activism and low riding alike, there has always been a subculture in hip hop that refuses to take itself seriously.  From the Beastie Boys (with the exception of a few choice tracks off of To The 5 Boroughs) to old-school Busta Rhymes and Ol' Dirty Bastard (check the classic ODB assisted Woo Hah Remix video) to the Bay Area hyphy movement (R.I.P.Mac Dre).  These groups aren't as much concerned with proving how "hard" they are or changing the world with song as they are about just having fun with their music (a quality which is admirable in and of itself).

Enter Mad Rad, a trio from Seattle that represents an evolution in the hip hop of the Emerald City.  Up until the last couple years, the resurgence of hip hop in the Seattle-area had been dominated by conscious-minded artists such as Blue Scholars and Common Market, but as of late several subcultures of emcees have begun to diversify the Seattle hip hop scene.  Artists like D. Black and Fatal Lucciano have helped to develop a gangster rap subculture in the upper left (though these two artists aren't particularly great examples as MCs) and groups like The Saturday Knights, Mad Rad, and Fresh Espresso have helped evolve more of a party rap sound, while groups like Dyme Def remain unclassifiable.