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RJD2 makes pop music
Jan 24 2007
Nas claimed Hip Hop is Dead with the release of his latest album last year and it sounds like RJD2 agrees. He told Pitchfork back in September “I’ve gone rap free in 2006” and he’s making good on this promise with the release of his third album The Third Hand on March 5th.
Once signed to esteemed independent hip hop label Def Jux, he is now with XL recordings and is about to release his poppiest album yet. It may horrify you, you may be repulsed but if you’re honest, you could see it coming. From Deadringer - the DJ Shadow-esque sample heavy hip hop record to Since We Last Spoke - a synth-laden funky indie-rock update with vocals by RJD2, his career thus far has displayed an eagerness to experiment and The Third Hand is no different. Moving towards a strange mix of major chord 80’s pop, soundtrack composer tendencies, MOR and vocally driven arrangements he pushes this ethos further. If you’re looking for a reference think “Making Days Longer” from Since we last Spoke but that’s only half the story.
Recorded with all live instrumentation in his basement, You won’t find no sampling here. Take the two tracks below, both of which have the core RJD2 rhythm but accentuate it with the elements listed above. “Get It” has cooed background vocals and tinkly keyboards while “Beyond the Beyond” is a spacey groovy workout with archaic synthesizers. I’m not sold as yet, and much of the album veers too close to MOR pop to really standout.
In the aforemented Pitchfork article, he claims the record is born out a desire “to make pop music” which is all well and good (As he says Queens of the Stone Age essentially, make great pop music) but The Third Hand is, at times, too bewildering / abstract to make a dent in the alternative pop universe.
MP3s
The Third Hand is released on the 5th of March
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Man, I was quite worried about his whole Pitchfork “pop” manifesto, but this is brilliant brilliant stuff. There’s nothing as good as either of these on Deadringer or Since We Last Spoke imo.
Crazy excited for this album now. Thanks for the clips!
1I too was a little apprehensive given the description, but I am pleasantly surprised. I won’t go as far as saying it’s better than his previous material, but it’s just different in a good way.
I’m wondering what the deal is with RJD2 and Murs doing albums outside of Def Jux. I don’t know the wording of this deal with XL, but I know the way Murs’ deal with Record Label was worded it seemed like there was a possibility of him doing more work with Def Jux. It would seem on par with several other acts that XL has signed to release “side projects” from their main output.
2He’s not ruling it out, and his work as part of Soul Position would suggest he’ll return to hip hop beats in the future. But he’s on a long term deal with XL so who knows.
Doctashock - I’m diggin’ your site
3A white producer has lost faith in rap music, quick! Someone must inform Grandmaster Flash!
4Shit is straight whack. I always kinda felt RJD2 was on the verge of making full blown poppy music, but didn’t think it was an album away. But RJD2 was always kinda boring anyway.
5aack, i fully recant, having listened to more.
6Tones, what exactly do you think of it?
7well, his voice is just completely underequipped/overextended to hold down the lead of an entire LP. the production is still brilliant, probably better than before. really smart drums and synths and samples. but i hadnt realized how fully it was an “RJ sings pop songs” album.
it’s double sad becaues i wish the production for soul position, aceyalone, etc was this good, but instead it sounds like the awesome rappers are getting the throw-away beats and he’s saving the excellent ones for his own sad sad voice. hmm, there’s a mashup concept in there somewhere.
8good answer, comparable to my thoughts on the matter. Unfortunately the label kind of shot themselves in the foot by releasing these two tracks to bloggers as they are not quite representative of the rest of the album (read: they’re largely missing vocals , unlike the rest of the album).
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