Neo Noir of the 90's: Vol. 2

From the Greek “neo” for new and the French “noir” for black, Neo Noir is a term used in film and literature. It refers to a genre that primarily uses elements of the film noir movement of the 40’s and 50’s with modern spin on style, themes and sometimes content.

Vol. 2 – Se7en (1995) – This is a film following two detectives desperate to find a serial killer inspired by the biblical 7 deadliest sins.   Brad Pitt plays the role of Detective Mills, the young ambitious cop excited to be on his first murder case. Morgan Freeman is Detective Sommerset, the jaded and broke-down investigator, counting his days to retirement. We follow these two through the investigation, discovering the remains of the killer’s victims one at a time until the climactic confrontation reveals the just how much control the killer really has.

I think this is one of those movies that most people have seen but I’m not sure if it’s properly appreciated. It actually suffers a bit from overexposure. I’d be willing to bet that if you asked most people, the last time they’ve watched this film was on cable some Saturday afternoon and it was edited for content and chopped up between commercial breaks. I’ve seen it that way a few times too. This is what made me want to revisit it. I really wasn’t sure if it still held up. So this time, it was by myself, in the dark on DVD. I almost had to turn it off before the end. I found myself dreading the end that I knew was forthcoming. I think this speaks volumes of a film that can elicit that type of trepidation and anxiety. 

As far as neo noir goes, this is one of the few films that take place in a more modern time. This is a fascinating turn for me. It’s fundamentally a dark, hard boiled police procedural, much like what you would find in a film from the 50’s or 60’s. Although the time and place have been updated, a lot of the look and feel of this film is very expressionistic in the older noir style. Much of scenes are either at night or in a dark room, with light and shadows playing with the audiences’ perception.

 A lot of noir has to do simply with light and shadows. The absence of light creates the dark cracks and crevices that evil lurks. It also creates and overall tone of stark contrast. White and black, light and dark, good and evil are all part of the backdrop. The heroes live not in the gray but simultaneously in both worlds. This is why noir lends itself so well to the brash, crude and jaded cop stories. A life of fighting evil is bound to leave some stains. It’s a story that’s been told many times, this one just does a great job at showing it at its extremes.

Most people have probably seen this film a number of times. Whether you love it or hate it, I think it deserves a second look. This time, take note especially of the visual style of David Fincher’s direction and Darius Khondji’s cinematography. This is a very post-modern film and with any luck, it will inspire you to seek out some of those classic noir films that came before it.

Enjoy.

Neo Noir of the 90's: Vol. 1

From the Greek “neo” for new and the French “noir” for black, Neo Noir is a term used in film and literature. It refers to a genre that primarily uses elements of the film noir movement of the 40’s and 50’s with modern spin on style, themes and sometimes content.

Vol. 1 – L.A. Confidential (1997) – This film stars Guy Pierce, Kevin Spacey and Russell Crowe as three detectives investigating a murder in a late night coffee shop in the star struck City of Angels in 1953. Each of these men takes their own path to reject the official story and decide to probe deeper into the mystery.

This is one of those films that I re-watch every couple of years, always wondering how it will hold up through the years. As I’ve grown older, I’ve found that I grow out of a lot of films that I appreciated more when I was younger. Most of these films came out in the 90’s; when I was in high school and had no idea why I was in love with cinema. I’m happy to report that I still regard this as a fantastic film and one of the best of its decade. Probably the best thing this movie has going for it is its character’s complexity. Lieutenant Exley, Detective White and Detective Vincennes all have very different motives and are each given a separate arc. It’s hard enough to write a good arc for one character and a lot of films fail miserably at it. The construction and execution of three separate arcs that all lead to the same place, is what sets this film apart.

Most of the noirish elements we see have to do with the period that the story takes place. The costumes, cars, props and even the billboards seen in the cityscape all seem to exist together beautifully. I took special notice of how some of the cars and neighborhood seemed to be much older and rundown than the rest. This type of attention to detail gives the world that is built a more lived in feel.

One of the things however that makes this film a neo noir in my book is Kim Basinger and Danny DeVito’s characters. Basinger plays Lynn Bracken, a high end prostitute that is supposed to look like screen legend Veronica Lake. She’s here essentially to give a ‘hooker with a heart of gold’ spin on an old noir trope: the Femme Fatale. She won the Oscar for Best Supporting Actress for that roll. Devito plays Sid Hudgens, a tabloid writer that makes deals with Detective Vincennes to bust Hollywood’s stars. He perfectly represents the seedy underbelly of a noir world. He has no heart of gold and no arc. His motives are purely selfish. This type of archetypical character is a throwback to the backbone of classic noir.

If you haven’t seen this movie, I highly suggest you watch it. Its rich story and characters are reason alone. If you have seen it, I would say it deserves a second look. This is the type of film that gets better with repeat viewings. Its attention to detail gives you something new to discover and its complex plot will most likely reveal something you had missed or forgotten since your last visit.

Enjoy.

Certified Copy Review (Spoiler Filled)

This will be a spoiler filled review but I am pretty confident that this film is fairly spoiler proof. That being said, it is available on Netflix Watch Instantly and I would highly recommend that you watch it before you read this.

I feel as though I recently turned over a new leaf in my life as an appreciator of art. I’m able to find the value in a smaller, quieter and slower film than when I was younger. I no longer dread melodrama. I used to be of the opinion that if something severe or tragic didn’t happen in a story than it wasn’t worth telling. I’m not really sure what happened to me but I seem to have developed the ability to become just as engaged in a small story in recent years.

Certified Copy is Iranian filmmaker, Abbas Kiarostami’s newest movie starring Oscar winner, Juliette Binoche and opera singer, William Shimell. The film begins with author James Miller (Shimell) giving a seminar on his newest book in Tuscany. A woman in the audience (Binoche) gives him her address and they meet up the next day to spend the day together discussing art and the validity of its originality while she gives him a tour of the country-side.

At one point in the film, an observer in a café assumes that the couple is married and Binoche decides not to correct her. Instead, she carries out a long and detailed conversation with the barista about her husband and her unhappy marriage to him. This is the point that the film sparks. The couple spends the rest of the afternoon in the perceived charade of a long relationship. The discussions and arguments are heated and passionate and the details revealed make the audience wonder if there really is something more to these two.

It’s a great credit to the screenplay (also by Kiarostami) that he never tips his hand. If you listen to the conversations closely, all sorts of clues are given. But the more you think about them, all of these clues are circumstantial evidence; leading the audience in both directions simultaneously.

The weight of this film is not in the mystery or whether or not you can properly solve it. The point of this film is that there is validity in the emotions that are brought out by art and love. The originality of a piece of art or the authenticity of a relationship has little bearing on the audience’s response. Isn’t this the nature of any film using actors to portray a love story anyway? We all know that Humphrey Bogart and Ingrid Bergman are not really former lovers trapped in unoccupied Africa. But that doesn’t change the way your heart sinks when you find out that their lives “don’t amount to a hill of beans in this crazy world.” Even this film could be considered pretty derivative. It’s sort of the lovechild of Orson Welles’ “F is for Fake” and Alain Resnais’ “Last Year at Marienbad”.

Are they or aren’t they? Did they or didn’t they? These are a few of the questions you will find yourself asking over the course of this film. The beauty is not in the answers of these questions, but in the revelation that the answers don’t matter. The film was able to elicit an emotional response from you without ever revealing the true nature of the relationship on display.

If a copy of a painting or a sculpture has artistic value, then a copy of a relationship should have an emotional value…. If both of these premises are true, a film about both should be worth its weight in gold. This film explores art and its emotional relationship to its audience and the abstract concept of originality. This film probably makes the best case that true artistic value comes from its audience and not the artist. And the fact that this film says that so with such skill and elegance can only mean that it can’t possibly be true….

The Best & Worst in Cinema 2011

I think it’s been a pretty good year. I really couldn’t settle on a definitive list of 10 so I added a few. My list is long winded enough so……

16. The Muppets – This film proves that two out of three really ain’t all that bad. What I mean is that I’m very impressed with how good this film is as a whole when the second act is really pretty bad. There was also a sub-plot that I thought was really weak. With all of these going against it, I’m surprised I loved it as much as I did. I’m sure some of my enjoyment was due to nostalgia, and a lot was due to watching my wife’s face light up every time Ms. Piggie was on screen.

15. A Lonely Place To Die – This may not be the most intelligent thriller I’ve seen this year but it more than gets the job done. The trick is that you’re not likely going to notice the plot holes while you’re watching it because you’re too busy trying not to fall off of the edge of your seat. The cinematography is breathtaking in the most literal sense of the word. It’s essentially a long cat n’ mouse chase sequence that takes place on the cliffs of the Scottish Highlands. It also refreshingly builds character pretty well, all things considered. Although some are expended, none are expendable.

14. Attack The Block – I wasn’t quite as in love with this genre flick as a lot of my peers but it did do some great things. The opening scene has a group of gangsters attacking and robbing a defenseless woman. I’m not sure how it does it, but it still manages to get the audience to empathize and cheer for this group of otherwise unlikable hoodlums. I also love the fact that CGI was never overused in this film. It is primarily used to blend the creatures and for backgrounds. The guy in a monster suit always has more gravity than a superimposed rendering.

13. Melancholia – Lars Von Trier has a knack for making beautiful films about ugly subject matters. It’s no wonder that his most beautiful film so far is about apocalyptic depression. I definitely don’t think this is a perfect film. And I had some issues with the way the story was presented. But, this film gets a lot of points from me for its sheer beauty alone.




12. Norwegian Ninja – This may be the least post-modern film I’ve ever seen. I’m not even sure if Director, Thomas Cappelen Malling has ever actually seen a movie. I’m pretty sure his experience lies mainly in old Godzilla films and James Bond trailers. Very appropriately called “…the Rushmore of ninja films”, unique and peculiar are not really strong enough words.

11. 13 Assassins – I think this is probably my favorite Takeshi Miike film to date. Hearing that the final 45 minutes is one epic battle scene made me a bit gun shy. But it ended up coming together amazingly. It was shot coherently and you actually know where the action is coming from and going throughout the entire fight. This is something that most big budget action flicks lack horribly.

10. The Artist – This is a black and white silent film from France featuring a man with a pencil thin mustache and his cute dog. We all know that I’m a sucker for quirk but the reason this film shows up on my list is that at some point, it moves past the novelty. The story and characters are engaging, the acting is phenomenal and the score is great. 

9. Super – 99 percent of this film deserves to be so much higher on my list. It did so much right. This film accomplishes what Kick Ass failed so miserably at two years ago. It’s a self made superhero flick that actually exists in the real world. Its ability to remain grounded and treat the violence with the type of reverence it deserves is what I’ve been looking for. Unfortunately this film contains what should now be referred to as: THE WORST EPILOGUE IN CINEMA HISTORY. I’ve never seen two minutes of film undercut everything the rest of the film was trying to say so significantly. It reeks of studio involvement. Do yourself a favor… towards the end of the movie, when the screen washed red, turn it off…. There’s nothing left for you…

8. The Skin I Live In – It was really great to see Spanish auteur, Pedro Almodovar get back to his creepy side. All of the classic Almodovarisms are present: gender issues, power struggles and strong femininity. But this film gives us something that we haven’t seen from the director in the past 20 years or so, a scare. In fact, the last time we’ve seen anything like this was also the last time he worked with Antonio Banderas in Tie Me Up, Tie Me Down. I’m always excited about new Almodovar, this film just reassured me.

7. Tucker & Dale Vs. Evil – The evil that our two heroes battle in this film are numerous. Stereotypes, psychopaths, hygiene, low self esteem and a whole lot of bad luck all play a part in ruining an otherwise perfectly normal bromantic weekend away. The result of these forces all simultaneously conspiring against the titular characters is the best blend of horror/comedy since Behind The Mask. I’ve seen pure joy on celluloid… and it goes by the name of Tucker……….. & Dale.



6. Rango – It’s a rare occurrence that one children’s film would make my list in any year. This year has two. This is a great animated feature that is clearly in love with the films that have come before it. It’s basically a comedic version of a spaghetti western with nods to Fear and Loathing, Chinatown, Apocalypse Now and many other great films. Cinematographer, Roger Deakins works as a Visual Consultant on this film and it shows. Imagine giving one of the greatest working cameramen the opportunity to design a scene in which his only limitation is his imagination. The camera is infinitesimally small, weighs nothing and can go anywhere… mainly because there is no camera.


5. I Saw The Devil – This is a Korean revenge thriller that is not for the faint of heart… and that’s saying quite a bit. Director Kim Ji-woon is quickly becoming one of my favorite Korean auteurs. You may remember his western, The Good, The Bad and The Weird made my list last year. Although I don’t think his latest is quite as good as that one, his extremely kinetic shooting style is showcased here very well, especially in a particular shot that takes place inside of a taxi. I would also suggest some of his other previous work like A Tale Of Two Sisters and A Bittersweet Life.



4. Another Earth – In the spirit of Primer and Moon, this film is exactly what I’m looking for in science fiction. The sci-fi aspect of it is used to explore a deeper philosophical subject matter. This film is about regret more than anything else. What if a place existed that occupied a carbon copy version of you; the only difference is that the other you may or may not have made the same decisions that you have. Would you be terrified at the prospect of finding out or would you even be able to help yourself from seeking out the answers to all of those ‘what if’ questions that occupy so much of our attention? I would also add that I’m pretty tired of hearing people refer to this as “Melancholia Light”. The two films share one similarity but are ultimately about very different things.

3. Resurrect Dead: The Mystery of the Toynbee Tiles – Documentaries are strange things to me. I’m never really sure how properly analyze them. It seems like I always end up watching them somewhat begrudgingly. This means that I’m very pleasantly surprised when I find one that l like. This is a great example of what I always want to see from a doc though. It’s about something that is very foreign and obscure to me but obsessed over by the subjects of the film. This was the formula for King of Kongs a few years ago and works even better here. The story plays out like an intricate mystery. And as the audience, we are exposed to the facts using the same timeline that the people investigating the mystery were. This seems so simple, it’s like every episode of Law & Order you’ve ever watched. The difference here is that by the end of the film, you are painted a portrait of a man that is much more telling of his psyche that any interaction or interview may have given us.

2. Take Shelter – Sometimes the beauty of a film is in its isolation. This isolation comes from the perspective of the character that the story is being told from. When the two possible outcomes of the story are apocalyptic doom or total mental collapse, it’s hard to decide which outcome would be worse. Both will lead to the end of the world as we (the audience) know it. This film is tense, depressing and unsettling. It is also hopeful and beautiful and everyone should see it.

1. Certified Copy – I’m not going to say too much about this film here because I’m almost done with my full review. It’s on Netflix Watch Instantly right now so obviously, I highly suggest that you all go watch it. It’s also just been announced as a Criterion Collection release for May so put in your pre-orders now. This film is an extremely layered comment on the nature of art in general and it demands to be talked about. So, watch it tonight then come back and read my full spoiler filled review.

Classic Film Available For the First Time in 2011

The Complete Jean Vigo – This set includes all four films that Jean Vigo made from 1930 – 1934. He died at the age of 29 to tuberculosis. Watching these films leaves no doubt that had he the opportunity for a long career, his name would be up there with Renior, Bunuel and Cocteau. He does things with the camera and editing that revolutionized the art form.

Leon Morin, Priest – My 2nd French film in this category. This one is by my favorite French director, Jean-Pierre Melville. I think Nazi occupied France provides one of the most interesting backdrops for any story. When this story is told by Melville, who was part of the French Resistance, you can bet you’re in for something amazing. Among films about faith, I put this one right up there with Passion of Joan of Arc and Winter’s Light.

From the bottom of the barrel to the bottom of my list – Because I always like to leave on a sour note.

Red State – Kevin Smith’s newest film is a borderline disaster. It has far too many plot points as an attempt to cram as much of his own political beliefs into about 75 minutes of film. It is kind of interesting however as a study of American extremism. Both the left and the right wing in this country are flawed in the sense that: if applied to every situation, the logic folds in on itself in a whirlpool of contradiction. I find it fascinating that an ultra-conservative could have written this exact screenplay, changed the church to a mosque and labeled it “a chilling tale that vividly illustrates America’s need to protect the 2nd amendment and The Patriot Act…” We’ll file this under: Accidentally Insightful.

The Rum Diary – This film wasn’t super horrible but it was by far the most disappointed I’ve been with a film this year. Withnail & I fans (such as me) were excited by the notion of Bruce Robinson directing an adaptation of Hunter S Thompson’s work. On paper, it actually sounds better than Terry Gilliam doing it. Unfortunately, it just didn’t work. Among many other valid criticisms, it was just plain boring.

Sucker Punch – This isn’t so much a film as it is a collection of Zack Snyder’s fetishes all on screen at the same time in a mass of incoherent thought. I’m not even sure where to start. The plot really doesn’t make any sense, the characters are weak and the action doesn’t even look good. CGI and slow motion is a dangerous mixture and he mixed a lot of it. You really shouldn’t have your audience staring at a weightless intangible dragon for any longer than it has to. I think the worst part of this film however, is the fact that Snyder actually thinks of this as a girl power movie… apparently his version of feminism can’t exist without high heels, short skirts and stripper poles. Even Michael Bay’s films are more honest about their sexism. Now, don’t get me wrong, I like sexploitation as much as the next guy. But there’s a reason that I watch Jack Hill movies. At some point, Pam Grier is going to take her shirt off. Those films (for better or worse) are very honest about what they are: exploitation. This film contains hot girls in scantily clad outfits, fighting evil while dancing on poles... All the while, the director clumsily weaves together a ridiculous plot as an attempt to faux insight… The only insight to be gained from this movie is the fact that Zack Snyder has a Sailor Moon fetish.

Bellflower Review

I can’t really say that I loved this film… or that it’s a great movie. Actually, I barely even liked it. The acting was pretty sub-par and the characters were almost impossible to relate to. A lot of the story was hard to follow and the rest was hard to care about following……. What I’m trying to say, is that I highly recommend this film… Are you rushing out to buy it yet? I wonder what part of this review will be quoted on the poster……. Maybe I should just end this review here. I mean… are you even still reading this???? No, I wasn’t talking to you. I know you’re cool. Anyway, where was I? Oh yeah, I was telling all of you to go watch this mediocre movie.

The truth is that for all of its faults, there is something so right about this film. Digital filmmaking, for me has always been something that I’ve considered to be somewhat of a necessary evil for independent cinema. The cameras are lighter, cheaper and easier to use and the video is simpler to edit. The digital age helps keep the overhead of a film manageable; allowing many more artists the opportunity for their voices to be heard. All of this being said: I still prefer the look of film. Film looks cinematic. So, in spite of all of its advantages, digital is still just a great way for an artist on a budget to be able to feasibly capture the images he wants.

Evan Glodell’s film flies in the face of this sentiment. He is not just using the format on a technical level as a more practical means to an end. Bellflower is actually the best example I’ve seen of a filmmaker embracing the format on an artistic level. The gadgetry involved in the plot of the film stems from the handmade tinkering Glodell did on the cameras he made for the film. He actually fabricated two cameras including his Coatwolf Model II. This is a camera he created using the image capturing from Silicone Imaging SI-2K digital camera and adding a bunch of fitting and homemade lens adapters to it.

The film also includes a flamethrower that Glodell says he built for about $60 worth of Home Depot stuff and a Buick Skylark named Medusa (which also throws fire). This film is one crying Sandra Bullock short of being Jesse James’ wet dream (and possibly an Oscar contender). Unfortunately, this film’s problems are much less complicated than the mechanics involved in making it. This film, quite simply has no likeable characters to speak of. They’re not even all that interesting. And when your characters are not interesting or likeable, there is no empathy. And when the audience lacks empathy, the plot has no weight. And blah, blah, blah… I’m not going into Storytelling 101 for everyone here. I think you get the point.

In summary, this film works on a very specific level. And its that level that inspires people like me want to make films not so much like this one; even if the making of this film is better than the actual film. Hell, I’d even watch the making of the making of this film.

My Top 10 Hip-Hop of 2011 (The Wugazi List)

2011 was a pretty great year for hip hop. Among other great releases, I will always know this as the year of Wugazi. Wugazi is a mash up music from the legendary New York based hip hop collective, Wu-Tang Clan and D.C.’s prolific strait-edge punk band, Fugazi. Doomtree’s Cecil Otter and Swiss Army producer (Swiss) Andy Lund collaborated to create the LP titled 13 Chambers. This is flat out my favorite thing to happen in music in many years. Mash ups like “Sleep Rules Everything Around Me” ( Wu-Tang’s “C.R.E.A.M.” with Fugazi’s “I’m So Tired”) and “Nowhere To Wait” (Gravediggaz “Nowhere To Run” with Fugazi’s “Waiting Room”) and pretty much every other track on the record perfectly blend Fugazi’s frenetic but melodic tones with Wu-Tang’s trademark roughneck style.

So this year, I decided to create a top ten list of original hip hop releases. I had a hard time deciding if Wugazi or any other mash up should be considered an original release. It’s definitely a new sound that has been creatively formed by artists. But it’s also the product of two separate artist’s previously released material. In the end, I decided that it is new and original music. Just listen to it and you’ll agree. So, there it is right? I just spoiled my number 1. That’s what I thought too… But then I checked Emery’s Official Rulebook Pertaining To Eligibility of Media Relating to Top 10 Movie and Music Lists Vol 7. And much to my surprise, I stumbled upon this passage: (that I just made up)

Amendment 26A: Regarding Mash Ups ”……any mash up consisting of either Wu-Tang Clan music or Fugazi music is eligible. However, music consisting of any combination of both previously discussed artists within the same track is considered a prohibited performance enhancing mixture and will result in immediate disqualification from list participation…

Wow… well that pretty much seals it. Sorry guys but my hands are tied. I guess you just hit a little too close to the heart. You see, like a lot of people my age, I started listening to Wu-Tang in the early 90’s. I had a very close friend that turned me on to a lot of great punk rock shortly after. Bands like Operation Ivy, NOFX, Face to Face and of course Fugazi were only a few of the groups I grew to love during my high school years. I still maintained a deep love for the Wu, Tribe, De La and The Pharcyde but most new hip hop that came out in the late 90’s and early 00’s really didn’t interest me. I was much more interested in the under-produced DIY feel of the loud, fast and deliberately offensive sounds of the punk bands I loved. So when I hear Wugazi, I think of it as a custom soundtrack of my life about 15 years ago. It’s as if Cecil and Andy hooked me up to one of those thought sucking machines one night while I was asleep, stole my dreams and ran it through Pro-Tools… Or, more likely, they may have just had similar childhoods as me and my friends…. But I guess I’ll never really know the whole truth. As a consolation, I’ve decided to name this year’s list after Wugazi. I am also using this post to officially announce my campaign to use the word “Wugazi” to replace “cool”, “rad” (and all variations) “hello”, “goodbye”, “I love you” and “please pass the machete.”

Well in the past decade or so, hip hop and punk rock have switched places again. The under-produced DIY sound that used to come from tattooed and pierced punk bands has changed to a commercialized, trendy fad that is more closely associated with a fashion style than a type of music. Meanwhile, with artists like Atmosphere, Living Legends, Doomtree and Sage Francis emerging onto the independent music scene from all different backgrounds; hip hop has evolved into an art form that once again, actually attracts artistic people. The political and social sentiments that were once part of the common repertoire of groups like Fugazi, Operation Ivy and Crass are now more likely to be heard coming out of the mouths of songwriters like The Blue Scholars, Brother Ali and Sage Francis. The youthful angst I used to love from AFI, The Vandals and Face to Face is echoed in the sounds of Grieves, Prof and Pigeon John. Maybe you were into the love songs from The Descendents (I was), do yourself a favor and check out music from Atmosphere and The Grouch. Or maybe you were more of a Dwarves or Guttermouth fan, well Mac Lethal’s here and nobody’s having more fun than him right now. The point is that necessity is the mother of invention. And when punk rock became more invested in looking cool in a music video, a need arose for an independent scene that kept its focus on the music. So I say, thank God for people like Cecil Otter for proving once again that great music has nothing to do with how cool you look in the video.

And now, without further adieu (800+ words is enough) - The Top 10 Hip Hop Albums of 2011:

10. Apathy - Honkey Kong

Well holy sample clearing Batman!!! This album’s got a little bit for everyone. He samples everything and everyone from Snoop Dog, Notorious B.I.G. and Digital Underground to Denzel Washington in Training Day and the entire final scene of The Breakfast Club complete with the Simple Minds song. DJ Premier shows up on “Stop What Ya Doin’” and even Xzibit does a verse on “The Recipe”. Apathy has a great rough-neck, East coast voice and his flow is completely legit. He raps about where he’s from, the way things used to be and how he’s going to quit the business if he can’t get rich. I dig this album a lot. The tracks that work are great. It would have probably been higher on the list if he would have trimmed some of the fat off of the stuff that doesn’t work.

Most Wugazi Lyric: “I ain’t grow up like ‘Leave it to Beaver’ or Mike Seaver / I’m from where the white trash invented the wife beater…. Hallelujah!” From “East Coast Rapist”

Most Wugazi Song: “Honkey Kong” featuring Vinnie Paz & Jedi Mind Tricks

9. Doomtree - No Kings

I’m not sure if this is the album I was waiting for from the Midwest collective. But the fact of the matter is: it doesn’t matter what you expect from them, they don’t release bad music. Dessa and Cecil Otter are probably the best lyricists of the group P.O.S. and Mictlan might have the best flow of the five MC’s. And Sims is very quickly becoming my favorite member as a great wordsmith with the quick delivery. Paper Tiger, Cecil Otter and Lazerbeak provide the beats. There are no bad Doomtree beats but Lazerbeak is by far my favorite producer (not just of the group). I put this on the list because I liked it right off the bat. At the time I’m writing this, it’s only been out for a few weeks and I haven’t really been able to spend much time with it yet. It very well may deserve a spot higher on this list as I listen to it more.

Most Wugazi Lyric: “If you welcome every trespass and every tramp’s a guest, / give what they will take from you and every theft’s a gift. / Hold too tight to what’s in your hands and in your chest, / and the future it won’t open, palm readers can’t work fists.” From “Little Mercy”

Most Wugazi Song: “Bolt Cutter”

8. Prof - King Gampo

I just had to put this record on this list. I saw Prof for the first time at the Atmosphere show this year and was very pleasantly surprised. This guy’s a little weird but in such a great way. With lyrics like, “Holy mosh pit, osh-gosh-bigosh, it’s completely retarded the size my crotch gets...” and “You can find me stiff, like a samurai, on a llama ride, down a waterslide, getting’ sodomized…” you just had to know he was a lock for any list I’m writing. But don’t get it wrong. He isn’t silly on every track. He just has a great knack for it. “The Season” is about how he grew up and his frustration with trying to break into the business. In “Myself” he tells stories about his childhood and his broken relationship with his father. And “Daughter” features fellow Minneapolis star, Brother Ali in a metaphorical statement about their music. He’s also a pretty amazing blues singer. “Lucky” and “Whiskey” give him a chance to show off his pipes. I should also mention that he releases all of his music completely free.

Most Wugazi Lyric: “Swallow MC’s, twenty-four seven / Like a hungry clock, I go back fo(u)r seconds….” From “Anomaly”

Most Wugazi Song: “The Season”

7. Atmosphere - The Family Sign

Atmosphere is still my favorite recording artist and Slug is still my favorite songwriter. I doubt they will ever release anything that wouldn’t be in my top ten in any year. This release is the group’s most mature so far and lyrically it shows. There are several tracks that showcase Slug’s ability to paint a picture that rivals Bob Dylan, Neil Young and Warren Zevon. There must be something in that Minnesota water that spawns creativity. You’ll find several artists on this list from the same state including the previously mentioned Dylan and Zevon. It seems as though recently, Slug has been a lot more about telling stories that all can relate to than telling personal tales of his own struggles. Remember, years ago this was foreshadowed “… I need to start writing pieces about other people’s problems, ‘cause the strangers are startin’ to get worried...” (from the Lucy Ford EP’s). Songs like “Became”, “If You Could Save Me Now” and “The Last To Say” are very well written stories from an amazing wordsmith that seems to be playing things a little closer to the chest these days. I have to say, I like the personal stuff better. The simple fact is that knowing that you are hearing a made up story about someone else actually makes it less relatable. I would also nitpick that I am disappointed it the use of guitar and keys in the songwriting stage. I love seeing Atmosphere on stage with a full live band but that’s partially because it gives such a different sound to the songs that were produced and recorded on Ant’s drum machine. I’d much rather hear hip hop that is improvised for a full band than written and recorded with the band…. But maybe that’s just me…. Hey, it still makes the list.

Most Wugazi Lyric: “All around the world, it’s the same bar / wishin’ that the jukebox had some Gang Starr.” From “Millennium Dodo”

Most Wugazi Song: “Became”

6. Blueprint - Adventures In Counter Culture

This one took me a while to really get into. It’s very different than anything else Print has come out with previously. Although it is similar to his other work in that, he picked a concept and built a great album around it. This record has a lot to do with the state of the industry today and how he seems to find himself in the world but not of it. The track “Wanna Be Like You” is a statement on celebrity and the public’s fixation on it. As he puts it, “We wanna be like you, with all your fame and wealth / ‘Cause if we can’t be you, we’ll have to be ourselves.” The next track, “My Culture” makes a laundry list of problems with hip-hop culture and almost asks: ‘why not sell out?’ He doesn’t rap on every track, some songs like the single “So Alive” and “The Other Side” he shows off his funk/soul singing voice. I think that’s part of why it took me so long to really fall for this album but I’m pretty sold on it now.

Most Wugazi Lyric: “You wanna deeper meaning inside of these sentences / Then play this song backwards for subliminal messages.” From “Automatic”

Most Wugazi Song: “Radio-Inactive”

5. Raekwon - Shaolin Vs. Wu-Tang

Have I mentioned that I’m a fan of Wu-Tang music?... This year saw two releases from the group and for some reason, Raekwon’s solo effort feels much more like a Wu release than Wu-Tang’s newest EP, “Legendary Weapons” released later in the year. Maybe it’s because “LW" has guest vocals on almost every track. Wu-Tang has eight living members. How is it that they can release a 14 track record with only two tracks that don’t contain non-Wu vocals? Also, there is no GZA and Method Man only shows up for one verse. Well, enough about that one. Let’s take a look at the album that actually made the list. As usual, Ghostface is the most common guest but we also hear verses by Method Man, Inspectah Deck, Busta Rhymes, Nas, Lloyd Banks, Rick Ross and a few more. It’s hard to pick out individual tracks on a good Wu album. I just really like the composition of the entirety of the release. “Chop Chop Ninja”, “Butter Knives” and “Ferryboat Killaz” are a few that probably like more than the others but I don’t tend to skip around this CD very much at all. It has great production and the whole thing flows together very well without sounding repetitive or mundane.

Most Wugazi Lyric: “...then I chanced it. Blood can always beat mud. Mud is part of bein’ thug. I guess it’s advance. We from the streets.” From “The Scroll”

Most Wugazi Song: “Chop Chop Ninja” featuring Inspectah Deck and Estelle

4. Eligh & Amp Live - Therapy At 3

Eligh’s 2010 release, “Grey Crow” was my favorite album last year so I was super excited for this one to come out. I was especially excited to find out that it was a collaboration with Zion I producer, Amp Live. I think Amp is one of the most underrated producers in all of hip-hop. His versatility is flat out amazing. His styles range from a more traditional west coast sound to a southern rap swing style to a 90’s industrial Nine Inch Nailsish sound and everything in between. Most importantly, he’s good at everything. Eligh still has one of the best flows in the business. A fast rap over slow beats is one of my favorite things ever and this record is full of them. Lyrically, this album is very similar to “Grey Crow”. This is not a bad thing, he wears his heart on his sleeve and a lot of his songs are about personal conflicts and transitions in his life. In “Devil’s Medicine”, he tells about his struggles with a cigarette dependency. “Barely breathin’, can’t believe I’m able to incorporate the fast rap style, gotta be God/ But God, why can’t I let go….” And in “Ego Killer” he confesses “..constantly thinking about my poor body imagery then overcompensate by telling myself I’m finer than everyone else in the room / WOW….” This is a great album and more evidence of how great of a year for hip-hop this has been. It probably would have been number one on any other year’s list.

Most Wugazi Lyric: “Edging God Out is an acronym for the evil I face all day… “ From Ego Killer

Most Wugazi Song: “Ms. Meteor” featuring Steve Knight.

3. Pharoahe Monch - W.A.R. (We Are Renegades)

I think this is Paroahe’s best work to date. W.A.R. feels as much a call to arms as a hip hop album. He recruits the likes of Phonte, Immortal Technique, Jean Grae, Royce Da 5’9”, and even Vernon Reid and Citizen Cope to his cause. The title track features Immortal Technique chanting the chorus “….Overthrow regimes in the name of the cause. Renegades, never slaves, this means war…” over a continuous guitar break by Living Colour’s Vernon Reid. In “Assassins”, he tells an Orwellian vigilante story of 3 superhuman assassins portrayed by himself, Jean Grae and Royce Da 5’9” on a mission to protect the public’s most basic freedoms. Pharoahe’s amazingly smooth delivery shines through on every single track and his word play has always made me smile. It’s worth noting that in a year that saw new releases from both Wu-Tang and Raekwon, I still think the best thing to come from the East Coast is this album….

Most Wugazi Lyric: “But these eleven and half shoes, you can’t fill those/ I make headlines like corduroy pillows.” From “The Hitman”

Most Wugazi Song: “Clap (One Day)”

2. Evidence - Cats and Dogs

Mr. Slow Flow is back this year with a follow up to his acclaimed “The Weatherman LP”. This album took me by surprise. I’ll be honest; I was never a huge Dilated Peoples fan. I knew who they were and liked some of the songs but for whatever reason, they just never caught on with me. I also always seem to gravitate more towards artist’s solo efforts than collaborative group’s records. This is his first release on the Rhymesayers label and as long as I’m being honest, I’m not sure when I would have gotten around to picking this up if it had been on a different label. I’m a big fan of the world that this label has been building and how they have been expanding from the Midwest outward to both coasts in the past few years. This release is a half retrospective and half progressive look at one of the most respected hip hop artists recording today. The track “It Wasn’t Me” works as a great introduction to his style and general attitude. And “To Be Continued” and “Late for the Sky” remind us that there is definitely more to come. The guest list is quite impressive as well. Raekwon, Slug, Aesop Rock, and DJ Premier all contribute. Hearing a Wu member do a verse on a Rhymesayers album brings a big wide smile to my face (Raekwon also recorded a verse on Freeway & Jake One’s record a couple of years ago).

Most Wugazi Lyric: “The flow’s connected like I knew people / Director of photography…… I shoot people.” From “It Wasn’t Me”

Most Wugazi Song: “It Wasn’t Me”

1. Sims - Bad Time Zoo

As far as I’m concerned, this album doesn’t contain a single misstep. It’s a concept album calling for social change and revolution. That’s nothing new to hip hop but Sims manages to deliver his message in the least condescending and self-righteous manner ever. He calls out his own “10 cent Zenisms” in one track. In another he explains “I don’t go a day without a button pressed….” It doesn’t seem to be a call to any specific action. It’s more like a call of awareness. The record is also full of great literary references from Herman Melville, Phillip K. Dick, George Orwell and Ray Bradbury. In fact the whole album uses one of Bradbury’s short stories “The Veldt” as a symbol of the cutthroat dog eat dog world we find ourselves in. Lazerbeak provides the beats…. Lazerbeak is a genius. Honestly, I’m pretty familiar with pretty much everything that the Doomtree collective has released and I would have to say that this is probably his best work to date.

Most Wugazi Lyric: “The master’s tools will never dismantle the master’s palace...” From “One Dimensional Man

Most Wugazi Song: “Sink or Syncopate”

Well, there y'all have it. It's a little long winded I know. Please comment with feedback telling me how awesome I am... Your prize for making it to the end is this handy-dandy link to free Wugazi music... Download the whole thing for keepsies..

Enjoy!