RHYMEFEST
Rhymefest’s new mix tape, Man in the Mirror, is a much more interesting treatment of MJ’s work. These are freestanding tracks, not remixes, each built around a loop from a Jackson or Jackson 5 song, and little of the source material is instantly recognizable to a casual fan. Though it samples the King of Pop as though he were a mere mortal, Man in the Mirror is worshipful in its own way—in the skits Rhymefest talks with a Michael Jackson impersonator (about the way other races see black people, about the pressure he feels to put thug shit in his rhymes), and he sounds so sincere that it doesn’t feel tacky. This mix is also a lot more fun than the Thriller retreads. Rhymefest isn’t the most nimble MC, but he’s got a sharp sense of humor and irony, and his unfancy flow gets a boost from his smart-ass wordplay—not to mention the guest turns from Wale and Talib Kweli. The producers—including the shit-hot Mark Ronson—are clearly thrilled to be messing around with some of the most primo R & B of all time, and they bring their A games. Man in the Mirror is packed with thrills no record exec would dare dream up: “No Sunshine” uses a quick loop of the vocals from the original song’s bridge to create delirious chipmunk-soul mania, and the skit where Rhymefest asks the fake Michael Jackson for his advice on groupies and relationships flirts so openly with cheap-shot humor that when it doesn’t take the low road it’s like watching a tightrope walker not quite fall. Download this while you still can.
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PAPER ARROWS
Bill Dixon With Exploding Star Orchestra
(K Records)
