calgary zoo – two blue apes wreak havoc

File under rap / boom bap / soul / funk / indie

Calgary, Alberta to Vancouver, BC transplant producer / rapper Planit aka The Dirty Sample is on a serious roll. Canada’s hottest up and coming producer, for obvious reasons, and for even more you’re baby ears may not realize. The Dirty Sample is a dope emcee who’s turntablism based production style is a mix of old soul and crunchy boom bap. A gritty flow rooted in witty, confessional storytelling and a preference for rich, sample based, slightly dark, but neck snapping production. Equally impressive is the tense and urgent mood that ‘Two Blue Apes’ manifests and maintains from start to finish. Incorporating random vinyl and movie clips to root the projects flow and momentum. The attention and development of detail in ‘Two Blue Apes’ is a refreshing change from the latter of the homogenized norm.

Imaginations Treetrunk’s Chadio flows like your mom watching a Tom cruise movie on the banger ‘Wake up’. ‘Hunting cats’ is shit your pants dope with a Madlib kind of bump producers cream all over themselves to get. The albums best song and beat are a dirty sample solo ‘Time To Get Ill’. A wicked homage to wildin’ out a little too much on the liquid courage. Planit raps ‘I don’t drink often, but when I do, I unleash.’ A close second would be ‘Visions part 2′ featuring Cam the Wizzard. Both emcee’s kill a simple, but effective beat with dope verses. If you’re not a Cam the Wizzard fan I will not hesitate to punch you in the face.

What don’t I like. Not much. I mean, The Dirty Sample and I share the same taste in influences and sonic color. I can appreciate a project that doesn’t try to be more than what it is, but at the same time, explores and incorporates the limitations forced upon it by financial reality. You can tell The Dirty Sample agonized over every little knob twist, and acid chop, and snare hit, and backup vocal. The album feels like effort, and it pays off. ‘Two Blue Apes’ is very vocal and sample heavy, which is good and bad, and there are a couple beats I don’t think rule the world. That’s about it.

The best music and art that is born out of independent means and scenes all over Canada gets shit all for recognition. That’s just how it is. Overlooked, under represented, disassociated and plain out fronted on cause ‘real’ artists are too broke to pay the rent. The Dirty Sample’s ‘ Two Blue Apes’ is an unfortunate victim of the contemporary artistic climate, yet is another strong, well rounded, mature and skillful contribution to independent Candian rap that nobody’s ever heard.

7.4 monkeys in a barrel out of 10.

Tags: Album Review, Neferiu Records, Planit, The Dirty Sample
Posted in Album Review