Skid Row: Front and Back

Y'all need to get your hands on this.

I'll just repeat what I've already said on Flickr:

Here are the front and rear panels of the new Pip Skid album (it's a Digipak!), Skid Row, which you must pick up on March 30th (or on the 13th, if you're in town).

This is the first commercially available recording I've been involved with design-wise, and hopefully not the last.

All of the illustrations, inside and out, were handled by my homie Eddie Ayoub (aka "Edge"), while the "Skid Row" lettering and album design were handled by me.
Eddie, if you remember, also handled the illustrations for The Pip Donahue Show and I Can't Be Stopped, both of which I also designed.

Haven't seen these in person yet, but all reports are quite positive from those who have.
You may not have noticed, but the front is actually an homage to Ice-T's classic Power album.

Just think, Alex Steinweiss invented the album cover, just to have it shrunk, with cartoon animals relieving themselves on the back. :D

Among The Decade's Best

Gritty goodness.

Last month, I was asked by Stylus editor Jenny Henkelman to write about my favorite local rap release of the decade (hey, y'all can yell in my ear all you want about how the decade will actually end when 2011 hits...life's too short to care about that). Without hesitation, I told her that it was John Smith's Pinky's Laundromat, and I'd be happy to write about it. For those of you that aren't near enough to the city to pick up a copy of the December/January issue, here's what I jotted down:

The best MCs have the ability to tell a vivid story. In John Smith's Pinky's Laundromat, you get 13 of those, touching upon themes like sex, drugs, violence, hard times and love. There aren't enough good rap concept albums, and Smitty ties the affair together via his interactions with the patrons of the titular laundromat. Unlike many rap album skits, there's no need to skip these, as they never cease to be entertaining, and they're breezy enough to not wear out their welcome.

For me, this album marks where Smitty found his voice and true rhythm. Where he'd previously cram a lot of info one line, here he paces himself and weaves compelling tales about crackhead pot dealers ("Taxicab Confessions"), aggressive short-order cooks ("Iron Chef") and less-than-lovely lovers ("Bumpin' Uglies"), all within the confines of this fine city, particularly the North End. My favorite track: "Bible Belt Babylon", a moody ode to Peg City on par with Nas' "N.Y. State of Mind". It's that dope.

Not only is this a great lyrical achievement for Smitty, but unending kudos also goes to mcenroe – the album's producer – for providing the gritty sonic landscape.

Up-and-coming rappers should aspire to make something this good.

You can purchase Pinky's from Peanuts and Corn directly, Phonographique, eMusic, or iTunes (if you're a Canuck, you can see the five-star review I gave it, where I also compared "Bible Belt Babylon" to "Streets of New York". I still stand by that).

Some quick notes...

The MySpace page for Rod Bailey's previously mentioned project is up, so go check it out! http://www.myspace.com/heyroddybailey

My man DJ Brace is set to release his Electric Nosehair in Nostromania album, July 19th on Balanced Records. You can check out a couple of tracks here and here, and don't forget to peep the video below!