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Reviews
It’s usually a disaster waiting to happen when we see these hybrid projects of rock mixed with hip-hop artists. Ever since “Rock This Way”, artists have been wanting to cross these two worlds together, and at times it works but more often than not it’s like
Eddie Murphy collaborating with
Rick James: Two people great at their fields, but when together, shit sucks.
Luckily for the
Blakroc project, you have not only talented hip-hoppers like
Mos Def (who can pretty much cater to any style of music anyways) but you also have the members of
The Black Keys at the helm, who have Hip Hop sensibilities (especially since
Danger Mouse produced their last album,
Attack and Release.)
Relaunching after some years in the abyss, the acclaimed Okayplayer Records, home to some of the most revered acts in Hip Hop history makes its long awaited return to business. Much like the label's own rise from the ashes, South Carolina rapper Danny Swain - or Danny! - embarks on his comeback of sorts, with his new album released through the OKP label.
The spirited and animated rapper/producer has had more than his fair share of musical obstacles and industry politics to hinder his progression. But after much grafting and co-signs from The Roots' stickman Questlove and the empirical Jay-Z, Swain's Payback LP carries extra momentum upon its release.