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This has been buzzed about for quite some time, and Theophilus finally comes through with his hotly-anticipated collaboration with fellow hipster favourite and NY native, A$AP Rocky.
The collaboration certainly comes off well, with the biggest notable being the surprisingly heavy vintage influence on the production. The Big Spender sample requires little background information, adding a heavy dose of classic cool to the track, and that foundation is embellished with horns and a laidback tempo, whilst a pounding bass and sharp claps infuse the hip-hop sensibility needed to work this old soul-esque production into a hip-hop environment. The raps are decent enough throughout, with both acts feeding off the natural charisma of the sample to deliver confident, easygoing performances that give the track a wholesome, well-rounded feel. Something very different, and that’s the best possible route for this collaboration.
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It still confuses me why Theophilus isn’t a mainstream favourite already. He’s signed to a major, has a very diverse, mainstream-friendly sound, is a little eclectic with his fashion, and generally has a good knack of making catchy, easy-to-digest music.
This one is from the upcoming Lovers Holiday II project, and combines an upbeat core with a laidback sensibility that makes for a very replayable alternative/R&B/hip-hop hybrid. Thick and bassy electro synths create a thumping backdrop, whilst the soft vocal mellows things slightly, and an ever-changing percussion keeps the track a little unpredictable. The combination is effective, and the progressive nature underpinning the whole thing gives the track a feelgood vibe that will find favour with many mainstream fans. A very good hybrid effort from an underrated talent.
Theophilus London-Last Night (LVRS Anthem)
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Theophilus London is certainly one of the more genre-crossing, boundary-free ‘rappers’ around these days, and this alternative track undoubtedly stands out as one of his better tracks to date.
Many will be familiar with it from its superb use as a sync in the How To Make It In America season 2 teaser, though unfortunately the official music video doesn’t quite work as well as the trailer did. The idea to go with a more tongue-in-cheek approach doesn’t really pay off here, given the uplifting energy in the track, which would have been far better suited for a more focused, motivational video, and could have resulted in a big hit for Theophilus. It’s not without its moments though, and there are some entertaining snippets, whilst London’s charisma is evident even in the face of thematic incongruence.
There’s almost a hint of Andre 3000 about his offbeat, non-conformist style on the whole and hopefully he’ll continue to improve himself. The audio can be found on his Timez Are Weird These Days album, out now.
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HBO are seriously putting the work in, and having recently released the season 2 teaser for Boardwalk Empire, they’ve also let the teaser loose for this superb series. My TV viewing will increase exponentially when these two shows return!
HTMIIA is undoubtedly one of the most feelgood, easy-to-watch TV shows in recent memory, drawing rightful comparisons with Entourage but with somewhat more relatable characters and realistic storylines. There isn’t too much given away here but I did catch a couple of stills involving Rachel, suggesting her role in the series isn’t quite finished yet, whilst a couple of newer characters appear to be given some focus alongside those we already know and love. It was also previously announced that Kid Cudi’s Domingo character will have a more prominent role in the next season, which will undoubtedly be interesting viewing.
Before you ask, the song in the trailer is Theophilus London-I Stand Alone, taken from his upcoming debut album Timez Are Weird These Days (July 19th).
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Big fan of this track when it first dropped, and whilst I didn’t end up replaying it as much as I thought I would, there’s no denying it is a solid track.
The video is pretty offbeat and most of it has a very candid feel, with a paparazzi-style focus that adds a slightly different perspective to the track. Initially, I felt it wasn’t the direction I would have chosen as it seems to cheapen the audio a little, but the video does progress in a manner that uses the ‘real’ filming style well by portraying the evolution of the characters’ relationship.
The photoshoot scenes add the necessary hipster scenes, and round off the video fairly well. It’s not a classic by any means, but it’s decent enough and does improve over the course of the video. Audio can be listened to here if you’re not familiar..
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I’m guessing that’s a pretty big feature for young Theophilus, seeing as I always see Tegan and Sara’s name in-and-around mainstream circles.
Pretty big fan of this track too, delivering a similar production to Flying Overseas with a stuttery, thumping percussion that suits Theophilus’ stop-start rapping style brilliantly, along with pop/soft electro samples that blend a throwback vibe with a futuristic sensibility.
Fantastically harmonic work on the hook too, as both vocalists come together for a catchy, melodic chorus that almost guarantees this will have a very diverse fanbase. I’m becomign quite a big believer in this guy’s talent, largely down to the very, very high quality of his work in the last few months. You can both preview and download this great bit of music in the widget included: I highly recommend giving this at least a listen, as I’m expecting big things from Theophilus in 2011.
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Not work/school safe!
Big move for Theophilus, as he’s managed to snag Lindsay Lohan for a short video to his cover of Tweet’s Oops. The audio itself is actually really good, being a refreshingly-modern take on the memorable R&B jam.
The video is a dark, sordid collection of Lohan (and miscellaneous cohorts) doing all sorts of things, held together by a theme of drugs and sex. It’s a really good fit for the audio, as the smooth, winding feel of the song matches up perfectly. Worth a watch.
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I’ve been enjoying this song for a couple of weeks now, and let you all down a little by not posting it: it simply got lost in the shuffle of the huge music releases of the last fortnight.
It’s a relaxing, soulful piece that boasts influences from a wide range of genres, as the hip-hop flavour blends with a soul sensibility to deliver an enjoyable fusion sound. With the diversity of the acts on show, you’d certainly expect that to be the case, and they each bring worthy contributions to the track.
The video creates a retro, vintage feel in both the ‘story’ of the video and the grainy effect used in filming, and combines that with a datamosh effect on the transitions to further play up to that hybrid feel. Really smooth, enjoyable track that’s worth grabbing: do that here.
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A collabo to set the ‘modern-day’ underground heads (I really don’t want to use the word hipster!) off, this is undoubtedly a collection of some of the best young acts around.
Theophilus and Blu come through with two great verses on this track, with Theophilus definitely impressing with one of his strongest verses to date. Huge fan of this soulful, vintage jazz-inspired beat, with the prominent horn melody blending effortlessly with the hip-hop sensibility in the percussion. Boykins comes through with a typically smooth hook, rolling out some whispery vocals to strengthen the soul aspect of the track.
Theophilus London-Life of a Lover Remix ft. Blu and Jesse Boykins III
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