Flockaveli is a post-Crunk masterpiece that fixes the failures of the angry pop-rap genre best known for raucous, high-energy hits like “Get Low.” That’s to say, the shit on Flockaveli’s actually out-there and horrifying, while Crunk got points for just being relatively rowdy. None of those Crunk songs, at least once it moved from Memphis to Atlanta and for all intensive purpose got incorporated, had Buck music’s menace, the weight of Bounce, or the relentlessness of the Hardcore Lil Jon occasionally referenced as an influence. Notice, “Smoke, Drank,” the Lil Jon production on Flockaveli, doesn’t even try to compete with the energy of the rest of the album, it’s just this weak, synthy thing.
Hold up though. This is not one more contribution to the contrarian rap-nerd echo chamber about how this is some shit you just gotta be on or else you’re clueless “mane”, because that’s not what this album is anyway. This is not a rap album, it’s a dance album. A really well put-together dance record that has the uncompromising spirit and worker-bee innovation common in the country’s many regional dance scenes, who despite their differences, are collectively investigating darker, druggier sonic territory for better or worse: The moaning stumbling juke of DJ Nate and others, Araabmuzik’s drum n’ bass MPC blasts, Moombahton’s slowed-fast grooves, Clams Casino and company’s production for Lil B, DJ Burn One’s Pimp C meets Aphex Twin country rap tunes, whatever the fuck Detroit Techno’s doing these days, the still-living and breathing Jerkin’ movement, Chillwave’s depressive dance style, the stacked-tracked terror of Baltimore Club’s youth scene, Witch-house’s middle-school goth thrills, woozy Huntsville trance-rap geniuses The Block Beataz…to you know, name a few.
Appropriately though, given rap’s ever-increasing fragmentation and Waka Flocka’s anti-social rap style, Flockaveli doesn’t belong to a region or scene, but almost entirely to the two minds behind the thing: Waka and producer Lex Luger. Nothing else sounds like this really. If these dudes were holed up in a studio somewhere, and not guys holed-up in a studio somewhere who’ve made a bunch of hits in a very short time, there’d be some wonky, vaguely descriptive name for what they’re doing on “Bustin’ At Em”–an explosion of guitar shards and stuck together drums–or “Grove St. Party”–all slinky synths fighting with layers of shouts and chants-and it’d be far more pretentious than “post-Crunk.” As it stands, here’s a terrifying, energizing party record that’s available at Best Buy in a musical climate that rarely ever lets stuff like this appear unadulterated in any form other than handmade mix CDs and .rar files. So, rejoice.
Are You A Serious Comic Book Reader?
do you endure this garbage just for the hell of it? there is nothing worth writing about in the generic beats or Waka’s incredibly wack flows IMO..
Greg
6 Oct 10 at 9:49 pm
I am loving how much writing is being devoted to “Flockaveli” right now. “Post-Crunk” may be my least favorite word that is being attached to music right now and I know what people are going for, but it just sounds lazy and lacking effort in looking to describe this music.
AAAAAAHHHHHHH
7 Oct 10 at 2:42 am
Greg-
Are we really still having this discussion? The “there’s no way you actually like this stuff” accusations? C’mon son! The beats aren’t generic, listen closer.
AAAAAAHHHHHHH-
Post-crunk’s a cheap term, but it’s also accurate. This is music building on the sounds and mainstream acceptance of “Get Low” and “Knuck If You Buck”. It wouldn’t exist without Crunk, but it’s very much transcending it.
Brandon
7 Oct 10 at 8:48 am
[...] footwork producer DJ Nate’s Da Trak Genious was written at pretty much the same time as that Flocka piece from yesterday, so they certainly share ideas and also probably some wonky music-crit adjectives, but I’m [...]
Splice Today: DJ Nate – Da Trak Genious at No Trivia
7 Oct 10 at 6:19 pm
[...] “Flockaveli is a post-Crunk masterpiece that fixes the failures of the angry pop-rap genre best kn… A review of Flocka Flame’s first, giving the guy much – perhaps too much – credit for bringing a new sound. This piece offers a highly interesting breakdown of this recent ‘post-crunk’ movement. Posted by Alvar | Print | Add to Facebook | Tweet this Click here to cancel reply. [...]
SWURDIN | the linkout, week 40
10 Oct 10 at 4:27 pm
“Post-Crunk” isn’t an inaccurate term since a cursory read of Wacka’s intent and vibe in the studio and his approach is basically as if the fall of Lil’ Jon never happened. Or really, if someone who dug crunk one day said “You know what ‘Knuck if you Buck’ was missing? Trance-synths and weird Ministry-esque drum programming to bombast up the menace”.
And if you really think all rap, and really, all music is solely about technical skill then you’re missing the point of music. This approach would dictate that the only good rock music is prog, the only good rap is workman-like backpacker shit, and the only good electronica IDM. There’s an art to being craptacular, mayne.
chris
12 Oct 10 at 1:44 am
Yes. What Chris said.
brandonsoderberg
12 Oct 10 at 5:09 am
I just don’t really like many of the non-huge-single songs. Sometimes he comes up with something catchy… but a lot of the time it’s just FLOCKA, FLOCKA, FLOCKA. Then all these terrible guests! One of the bigger names on there is Gudda Gudda! I just feel that Waka works better as a change of pace on Gucci songs, or on the occasional transcendent Lex Luger track, than when he has a whole album to himself. It’s a little like listening to a whole album of Cappadonna. (Yeah, I just compared Waka to Cappadonna.)
Tray
12 Oct 10 at 7:24 pm
Tom…you are too kind my friend. Thanks for the shout out.
Librada Sauveur
19 Aug 13 at 6:25 pm
gạch mosaic bây giờ được ứng dụng nhiều lắm nhất là trong mấy tòa cao tầng, biệt thự
gạch ốp bể bơi
30 Jul 14 at 4:15 am