The hip-hop purists are mad as hell. You can spot them easily with their wooden jewelry and shea butter oils. Or perhaps they’re those large fitted cap-wearing nostalgists who get aroused at the thought of the 1990s with the same carnal fervor Republicans feel for Ronald Reagan.
Fact of the matter is, the fun, party-centric, generally meaningless strain of rap is closer to hip-hop’s original roots than their favorite conscious rapper or the it “bringing New York back” artist. Once more, the genre has grown in its 30-plus years to encompass a wide swatch of different colors and moods. But, it always has to go back the early days of some emcee rhyming cool shit over a disco or funk beat in front of a room of people looking for a good time. The brotherly duo of Slim Jimmy (23) and Swae Lee (21) (Aaquil and Khalif Brown, respectively) form Rae Sremmurd, who have the whole “facilitating a party” formula down pretty well, in an updated form that fits squarely inside contemporary culture. When they’re in top form, they’re among the best at moving speakers and feet in hip hop; this is all to evident on SremmLife.
Tupelo, Mississippi-born and Atlanta-based, Rae Srummurd, (which is supposed to be Ear Drummers, Mike Will Made It’s imprint through Interscope, spelled backward, but isn’t. It’s kind of more of an anagram than a palindrome. This is your smart-ass moment) shot straight into the public’s eye over the summer with their instant hit “No Flex Zone.” Soon thereafter, an even better record “No Type,” was released, which silenced claims of the duo being a one-hit wonder. Now, at the top of 2015, their major-label debut, SremmLife, is released and shows even more crossover appeal and potent hits on the horizon. The opening track, “Lit Like Bic,” is rambunctious with slight touches of a dirty guitar. It’s an ode to being completely and utterly inebriated. “Up Like Trump” comes later, menacing, with a sinister piano and explosive bass. The song, which is more or less about chasing the dollar, is as alluring and grisly as the power of the dollar itself. “Throw Sum Mo,” with Nicki Minaj and Young Thug, is playful, bouncy and features both a harmonic bridge and two of America’s hottest rappers. They hold their own with the two stars with enormous personalities. It’s high point in terms of charisma on an album full of charisma.