It made my day when I saw this gig listing go up on Brighton Noise. No, it’s not the dreadful 70′s prog-rock ‘supergroup’ but New York’s Jaime Meline, aka EL-P, underground hip-hop producer and rapper extraordinaire.
Originally a member of influential 90′s group, Company Flow, he went on to found alternative hip-hop label, Definite Jux. As a producer he is behind some of the best and most innovative rap records of the last 10 years or so, such as Cannibal Ox – The Cold Vein and Aesop Rock – None Shall Pass. He recently produced Killer Mike’s critically acclaimed R.A.P. Music. For me though, it’s his own albums that stand out and 2007′s I’ll Sleep When Your Dead is one of my favourite hip-hop records of all time.
Like a Bomb Squad (beat-masters for Public Enemy’s classic early albums) for the 21st Century he combines tough as nails skittering electronic beats with samples and loops to devastating effect. He’s also a great rapper with his quick delivery and angry, political lyrics. Not for the faint hearted, tracks such as Run The Numbers and Request Denied from new album, Cancer 4 Cure (an 8.4 from Pitchfork) will have The Haunt shaking to it’s rafters.
In summary, if you like ‘proper’ hip-hop, get tickets for this gig!
