I have decided the world officially works in strange ways. When I sat down to write this article I was in a miserable mood. Having just gotten caught in the rain on my way home from work I was soaked, cold and cursing out my lack of an umbrella. I popped in Transitions, the first full-length album from Dutch producer Arts the Beatdoctor to get my mind on to other things. As the rain continued to pour outside my window, I cracked a smile and couldn’t help but realize I had found the perfect rainy day nocturnal hip-hop.
Arts the Beatdoctor is a bit of an enigma, to say the least. Scouring the Internet for any factual information I could find about the Beatdoctor’s true identity gave me meager results. What I did find was a jokester who revels in his enigmatic alter-persona. His website proclaims that “there is a new kind of medical ‘expert’ called a Beatdoctor who goes about the hospital, indiscriminately prescribing unhealthy doses of cinematic, dark and melancholic hip-hop beats to unsuspecting patients.†He then continues to describe his dosage and how the medicine feels. Now not to go after the obvious pun here, but I’m pretty confident to say that this music is by no means unhealthy, and possibly just what the doctor ordered.
In 2003 Arts made his official debut producing a track for the Lord Cyrus “Diamonds R 4Ever†compilation alongside MF Grimm. He later went on to create an EP entitled Fragments that was released on Unexpected Records. When discussing his breakthrough into the music industry, Arts mentions Dutch rappers Pete Philly and Perquisite, two artists I’m proud to say were previously covered in Flight 808. Arts says, “I have to thank Pete Philly a lot. He picked up one of my demo CD’s when I was still in my ‘indescribable abstract music’ phase. I guess he heard the potential, because we talked a bit and decided to make some music together.†Arts has since contributed with Pete Philly on albums and on a joint tour in 2007. Transitions was released in 2007 on Amsterdam-based record label Unexpected Records.
As a producer’s producer, Arts has created an album that sounds like the work of a small jazz band, not a one man-show, and definitely not the work of a one-man producer. Featuring keyboard, drum and bass sounds as well as guest appearance from Dutch rappers Pete Philly, Sense and The Proov the songs seamlessly transition from jazz to ethereal piano to trip-hop beats. Each song has a laid-back, cinematic feel that creates a specific ambiance, that of smoky bars, late-night conversations, and the wee hours before dawn when the world is eerily quiet yet also amazingly alive.
One of the best tracks on the album is the title track, Transitions. Capturing a late night ride home on the subway, the track is laced over a repetitive piano line and a saxophone sample. With sounds of the subway screeching in the background Proov rhymes, “Clearing out the mind/ peering out the window/watching the world pass by me so quickly/reflects who I am but also contradicts me/Rattling ringtones from babbling bimbos/Toilet decay, too many delays/Fuck it, its all part of the norm/Finally, last stop, station, last platform.â€
on you tube (no video, just audio)
Also check out The Anthem featuring Pete Philly. Definitely the most up-beat track on the album, the track bounces along over a sexy bass line with a chorus that chants “Arts the Beatdoctor, just give me a beat and I’ll spit something proper.†About halfway through the song, the instruments cut out, and an endearing a capella stylized with doo-wop harmonies harks back to barbershop tunes.
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There are also a ton of tracks floating around on the Internet that are not his album.
Check out the Hide Remix featuring Senna, a soul singer from the Netherlands. The song blends Res-like melodic lines over a chill trip hip-hop beat. On that note, if you haven’t, please check out the American hip-hop/soul singer Res. She was featured on Talib Kweli’s Reflection Eternal as well as on her solo album How I Do. (shameless plug for music I love that I think you should love to)
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After getting my Arts the Beatdoctor fix, I have to say I now know exactly what kind of music to put on the next time it rains all day and honestly I hope it rains again tomorrow.
Brace yourself, world. You are about to be bombarded by the stunning audio and visuals of Hip Hop’s latest incarnation, 4-ISH.
Founded in 1999 by a 23 year-old named Marco Gerris and based out of the Netherlands, 4-ISH is a thirteen member crew pushing the boundaries of Hip Hop in a new direction that can only be described as Hip Hop Theatre.
Each of the 13 members brings a unique talent, as well as a unique worldview, to this multicultural collection of artists. The group consists of a Dutch national champion DJ, a beat boxer, a martial artist, half-pipe skaters, rollers skaters, break dancers, acrobats, and a street dancer. In similar fashion to how Hip Hop music made pastiche art out of many musical genres (blues, funk, soul, rock), the members of 4-ISH unite to bring a vibrant collage of performances to the stage.
The audience serves as yet one more crucial element of the collage. 4-ISH refuses to allow the spectators to be passive; instead, the performers toss shirts into the crowd and begin call-and-response shouts, breaking the barrier between the stage and the seats.
4-ISH borrows the popular suffix -ish, commonly used to convey that something cannot be contained to one specific category, as a means of telling the public that they refuse to be pigeonholed. With the multidisciplinary nature of their performances, the ethnic and economic diversity of the crew’s thirteen members, and the versatility of each performer, the group refuses to be easily categorized, creating a unique, dynamic experience.
On the surface, the 4-ISH show tells a simple tale of a young boy who despite his best attempts at joining the “cool†cliques (consisting of break dancers, skaters, or martial artists) remains an outsider. It isn’t until he finally decides to be himself and find individual strengths that he comes into his own. Just as this Dutch crew is a patchwork of many dynamic elements, so is the spectrum of feelings (joy, sadness, inspiration) they will conjure up in the viewer. With the stage as their medium, 4-ISH takes us on an emotional journey, and in the end it teaches us this: be yourself and the rest will follow.
Gerris, who currently serves as both artistic director and multi-faceted performer, says the performance goes beyond the simple story. “It’s important to feel the energy of the show, just like in early Hip Hop,†he says.
4-ISH draws on more than just the energy of early Hip Hop. In the 1970s the neglected and overlooked youth of New York City found escape in the creativity, spontaneity, raw energy, and organic nature of the block parties that eventually birthed Hip Hop music and culture. 4-ISH consciously strives to recognize these roots in their shows.
DJ Afrika Bambaataa, who in 1975 coined the term Hip Hop and is considered one of its three founding fathers, dubbed “knowledge†as the 5th element to the culture of Hip Hop (in addition to DJing, MCing, B-Boying/B-Girling, and graffiti.) Bambaataa wanted fans to possess knowledge of how to improve one’s position in society, as well as society itself.
As Gerris explained, “It is the combination of our diverse elements that is our most powerful weapon. The sum is greater than the parts.†4-ISH is richer for its variety. And we are richer for having the opportunity to experience one of their performances.
With a show as visually stunning as 4-ISH’s, it is hard to capture its true essence and energy in just words:
In 2005, I was introduced to the music of Dutch hip hop duo Pete Philly and Perquisite via DJ S-Dub (the DJ for Dutch hip hoppers Proov). You might be familiar with this vein of Dutch hip-hop through producer Nicolay: lyrically-English musically-jazz influenced snappy beats. Often I find myself describing them akin to Talib Kweli meets A Tribe Called Quest.
Now, Pete Philly is the voice of the group where Perquisite (“Perq†he’s called) is the producer extraordinaire. Like many heads worldwide, Pete Philly first got hooked on American hip hop, in his case De La Soul.
“Started listening to it when I was 8,†Pete told me. “when I heard De La’s ‘Me, Myself and I’. I knew I was on to something, though I’ve always listened to a lot a different music. I’ve always kept listening to dance, grunge, metal and jazz as well. Perq and I are both into a lot of different music, but damn I just love that direct way hip hop communicates its message.â€
“Direct†would be an accurate way to describe their songs. Their first EP in 2004 – entitled Mindstate – had six songs with one word titles: “Motivatedâ€, “Eagerâ€, “Lazyâ€, “Insomniaâ€, “Gloomy†and “Mindstateâ€. Each word became a song concept that was spelled out over (usually) mellow, jazzy beats.
With a bit of momentum for the EP, the duo pushed to finish their 16-track full length debut – entitled mind.state. In 2005, they released it in Europe and Japan and then were picked up for distribution in North America and Australia by indie label ANTI. Despite a growing online buzz for their album – and a guest verse from Talib Kweli – promotion in the USA was nearly nothing.
“We’ve been getting a lot of love and people trying to spread and promote our music,†Pete told me at the time. “But the reality is that our American label has done next to nothing to promote our album in the U.S., so we’re still making most of our moves in Europe and Japan. Next album we’re gonna flip the script though, trust me.â€
In 2006, they released a remix album entitled Remindstate comprised of remixes of all 16 tracks re-imagined by producers from around the world including Nicolay, DJ Mitsu The Beats (Japan) and Seiji (UK).
At the end of 2007, they released their second full length studio album, Mystery Repeats. The group sequestered themselves in a little house in Northern France to record the album and drew upon their worldwide travels of the previous two years incorporating new sounds into their hip hop: flamenco, samba, reggae, afro beat.
In a day and age where hip hop is so often declared dead,
watered-down, or nothing more than Carson Daly bubblegum pop, one
might expect the South Bronx to come to the rescue. Not necessarily
the case. Turns out our savior hails from a small European country
known more for legal prostitution and hash bars than it is for the
boom-bap of hip hop. Nicolay, government name Matthijs Rook.
Representing both The Netherlands and the movement to reclaim the soul
and aesthetics of hip hop, Nicolay is today at the forefront of a
movement within hip hop that is preserving the roots and fundamentals
of the music, while at the same time pushing the boundaries of what it
has to offer.
Ever since a young’un, Nicolay has displayed a great love and passion
for music, devouring whatever he could lay his ears upon. A musical
prodigy, over the years he has become skilled at the piano, keys,
bass, guitar, and drums, all of which seem to find a way into eclectic
brand of music. Having honed his chops by playing in several live
bands specializing in hip hop and R&B, Nicolay made the natural
progression to producer around the turn of the century. However, it
wasn’t until a stroke of luck a short while later that he received his
more formal introduction into the American hip hop underground via the
famous Okayplayer website, home to some of the most historic and
passionate hip hop blogging. Phonte Coleman, of Little Brother fame,
and he began conversing on the site. One thing led to another and
Nicolay slid Phonte a beat, which later evolved into “Light It Up”,
the B-side single for Little Brother’s now classic The Listening
(2003). Their relationship continued to grow organically, at least
via the internet, the result being a two man team known as Foreign
Exchange and 2004′s much celebrated collaboration Connected. All of
this chemistry on one record while not even once having met in person,
proving that music truly is a language all its own. For a flavor of
how seamlessly the two made a transatlantic connection, just listen to
“Nic’s Groove”, a perfectly pitched track that sees Little Brother
member Big Pooh join his partner in rhyme Phonte:
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Since 2004′s Connected, it’s been a whirlwind of notoriety, success,
and production credits for Nicolay. His ever expanding discography
now includes a collection of instrumentals called City Lights 1.5
(2005), solo joints Dutch Masters Volume 1 (2005) and Here (2006),
Foreign Exchange’s Connected (2004), and numerous other productions
for various hip hop and R&B artists (Common, Mary J. Blige, Median,
Strange Fruit Project, and Cesar Comanche to name just a few). In
store for the ’08 is Foreign Exchange’s eagerly anticipated sophomore
effort Leave It All Behind and next month’s conceptual album
Time:Line, a collaboration with Houston rapper Kevin “Kay” Jackson.
Listening to Nicolay’s diverse blend of samples with live instruments,
electronic soul and R&B with hip hop sensibilities, and old school
fundamentals with progressive sounds, it quickly becomes apparent how
eloquently a gifted musician can transcend time, and even race, with
just a few soulful melodies and well-placed kicks and snares. For a
parting treat, take a look at the video for Nicolay’s remix to
Common’s “Come Close” featuring Mary J. Blige:
DJ Sho Nuff: Do all of the “what do you feel about the legalization of marijuana?”, “do you like to make beats under the influence of mushrooms?”, and “How has legalized prostitution affected you musically?” questions get annoying? Or do you honestly not get them? I always figured it would be the same as a Brasilian artist being asked about beaches and ass shaking carnival honeys?
Nicolay: Yeah, I do get the weed/clog/windmill/tulip/red light district references a lot, but try not to really get into them even though I am usually kind of relieved when people at least get the ballpark location right. They’ll sometimes think I’m from Denmark, I’ve seen the UK…. Sweden, you name it. I never really bug out over it but… I do expect writers to get their facts straight.
DJ Sho Nuff: Alright, a lot has been made about how you and Phonte worked on Connected without ever having even met. Whatever whatever. What I’m curious about is how did that affect the overall product, or perhaps it didn’t at all with technology being what it is today? Hell, I don’t even speak to half my friends any more since the advent of text messaging.
Nicolay: Yeah, around the time that the album came out a lot was said about the “unorthodox” way in which we made it. Part of that obviously was a hype created by the promo dept., but I think what people were most blown away about was that our “internet” album sounded better than most albums done in huge expensive studios with artists all up in each others faces. For me personally, I don’t think it affected the product in a negative way at all, in fact, it was the only way in which the thing could even be facilitated so we just embraced it. If anything, it affected the album in a positive way in the sense that it gave us a lead as both a frontrunner on the technological side as well as an underdog.
DJ Sho Nuff: Kanye’s Graduation and 50′s Curtis. You buy both, neither, or just one? If neither, is it only cause you downloaded torrents of both?
Nicolay: Neither. In 50′s case… well, his persona is just very far removed from who I am or where I come from, and his music doesn’t really do enough for me to bridge that gap. I don’t particularly like him as an emcee, either. Kanye is hit or miss with me, I love some of his tracks but then other tracks leave me untouched, like that song he did with dude from Maroon 5. I didn’t mess with that one. Stronger was sort of the same for me, I just wasn’t really feeling it. So I guess to summarize, I bought other albums than those two.
DJ Sho Nuff: Now I know you don’t want to see anyone die, but let’s say every past, present, or aspiring hip hop emcee and producer were on board one giant plane, and there were only 7 parachutes, who would you like to see grab a hold of them so as to see the history and culture of hip hop be preserved and even expanded?
Nicolay: It’s ironic because the first person that I’d wanna give a parachute already is no longer with us, J. Dilla. When he died, a lot of creativity and edge died with him, I’m afraid. I’d say Common, for Like Water for Chocolate and Electric Circus, Q-Tip, Phife and Ali share a parachute for pioneering A Tribe Called Quest, Organized Noise for what they did with Outkast and Goodie Mob, Premier and Pete Rock each need to get one, so do the Beatminerz. It would be interesting to see a Lost-type show with all those cats on one island.
DJ Sho Nuff: You watch HBO’s The Wire? If your answer is no, why not? If yes, who’s your favorite character and do you think Omar is gonna make it to see the end of Season 5?
Nicolay: I haven’t watched it yet, no. Phonte keeps telling me it’s the greatest shit ever, but I haven’t gotten around to it yet and I really wanna start at the beginning.
DJ Sho Nuff: In terms of Holland’s hip hop scene, do you see a lot of mimicking of more popular stateside emcees and producers or do you see the country cultivating its own organic scene, addressing its own relevant cultural and social issues? Maybe this is where all the dope, mushroom, prostitute questions can come in.
Nicolay: Right now in Holland it’s almost “not done” to rhyme in English. The cats rhyming in Dutch far outnumber cats rhyming in English, currently. I think in principle that’s a good thing, however certain circles in Holland’s scene have a tendency of hating on cats that rhyme in Engish for no real good reason.
DJ Sho Nuff: What are your favorite pieces of equipment for capturing certain sounds on your records? You don’t have to answer this if I’m asking you to give up any secrets that you don’t want idiots like me to know about.
Nicolay: It really shifts with the days. There’s a lot of different pieces of equipment that I love using on the regular. I still do get a huge kick out of messing with my analogue synthesizers.
DJ Sho Nuff: Do you sample? Why or why not? What do you feel about the current legality of sampling, including the Cincinnati District Court of Appeals 2002 ruling that any sample, regardless of length and whether or not it even is recognizable? How does this affect the indy or aspiring artist as opposed to the major label or established artist?
Nicolay: Yeah, I sample. I do always try to hide it though, I try to stay away from very recognizable loops. Recognizable to who though, is the question… When it comes to the legal connotations, I am kinda in the position where I understand both sides of the coin, but in the end… I come from a hiphop tradition where anything is up for grabs as long as you get away with it.
DJ Sho Nuff: Supposedly you’re the Dutch version of Prince, capable of playing any number of instruments (piano, keys, guitar, bass, drums, anything you touch)? How does this benefit you in the studio? How bout the classical training, do you think it ever hinders you or makes you less flexible in your work?
Nicolay: I think in no way, shape or form am I the Dutch version of Prince, if it was for height alone LOL. I play keys, guitars and bass proficiently, and I get by on the drums. It benefits me in the sense that I do not necessarily need to depend fully on quote on quote conventional beatmaking tools, but that I can add my own basslines, parts, etc.
DJ Sho Nuff: In hip hop it is commonplace for several emcees to be featured on one beat, done by one producer. Have you ever thought about flipping it and have several producers featured on one emcee, meaning you and a couple other beatsmiths get together and string three separate beats together, forcing the emcee to display his versatility and switch up his flow accordingly? Kind of the way DJ Premier will occasionally just completely switch up the tempo, melody, and overall aesthetics of one his beats midway through. I always wondered if Premier used to listen to a lot of Freddie Mercury and Queen as kid. Mercury seemed to be fearless in his approach to the direction in which he would take a song. Anyhow, maybe I’m just really naïve and you’ve been collaborating with other producers like this for years.
Nicolay: The few times I have collaborated with other producers, I have never been comfortable. It just doesn’t work for me. I have very clearly defined views and approaches that I just don’t want to compromise. However, in terms of “switching up” the tempo, melody, etc. well, we do that all the time. I realize that you can’t really consider what we do just “hiphop” but yeah, we try to keep it musically engaging as well, and so especially in the newer material such as the TIME:LINE album or the upcoming new Foreign Exchange album, there’ll be weird meters, tempo and time signature changes, bridges and b-parts, you name it. We are just trying to create records that have a lasting quality, same as the classic records that we listen to and study.
DJ Sho Nuff: Eve of the 2010 All-Time World Cup and Marco Van Basten goes down with a head injury. You’re called in to replace as head coach. Only one spot left on your roster. Cruijff or Rijkaard or Bergkamp or Gullit?
Nicolay: That is a very tough call but I would have to say Gullit. Cruijff is probably our best player ever, but Gullit is from the generation that won the European championship in 1988 and I followed that very intensely at the time. They are all amazing players but Gullit gets called in. He coaches Los Angeles now, ironically.
DJ Sho Nuff: I’ve been checking out the Time:Line sampler on YouTube (MP3 version) and I’m really digging it. Although I must admit I’m not familiar with Kay, I absolutely love the fact that you’re collaborating with a Houston emcee. We hear Houston and rap, we all think Scarface, Ghetto Boys, Rap-A-Lot Records, and gangsters. Don’t get me wrong, none of that is a bad thing. It’s just that it’s been pigeonholed, kind of like the way I feel a lot of critics have been doing with you. “Oh Nicolay, his sounds are just like 9th Wonder’s.” Just ’cause you guys both worked extensively with an emcee named Phonte Coleman doesn’t mean you sound alike. I’ll bet you’re tired of the Pete Rock one too. Anyhow, I’m rambling. Just wanted to say I think it’s fresh that you are refusing to be typecast by working with an emcee from a completely typecasted city. Now to my question. Well, two questions. One, is typecasted actually a word? And two, what drew you and Kay to appreciate one another’s sounds? Sorry, one more bonus question. I can only imagine making a beat catered to one emcee’s particular flow is a completely different beast from creating a soundscape aimed at bringing the best out of another emcee? What did you deliberately do on the record to help Kay bring out the best in himself?
Nicolay: I think what drew us together was a combination of things. Even though we come from completely different backgrounds, musically we have a lot in common, in terms of influences, ideas, etc. I guess it’s a situation where, once you find someone that speaks the same “language” in musical terms, that’s usually all you need. You are right, my approach definitely differs per artist. For this album specifically, I tried to more or less “push” Kay’s envelopes in the sense that I sent him things that were very different from “regular boombap”. Other artists may not necessarily want to really branch out but so far I have been very lucky with the people that I am working with. They are all open-minded, and that’s what’s most needed in today’s climate.
Yes, it’s been a couple of weeks. And yes, Flight 8’08 is back. Be prepared for lots of 8’08 jokes, as this is really the only year we’ll be able to have fun with our name. Did I mention that 20’08 is going to be a big year for Flight 8’08? It’s a guarantee. Like, you go to a Bar Mitzvah, you’re gonna hear some Sir Mix-A-Lot guaranteed.
First up for the ’08 is Holland. Today, our focus is on The Proov, a Dutch group whose popularity dates back to opening for Organized Konfusion, Tha Alkaholiks, and Large Professor in the late ’90s. Then, later this week, we’re going to hit y’all with an EXCLUSIVE FLIGHT 808 interview with one of today’s hottest producers. Anybody wanna guess who it is?
During the first few years of the new millennium, The Proov underwent several lineup changes, leaving MCs Cee Major and Gumshoe as the sole members. Ditching the traveling live band for nothing but turntables and mics, the new, back-to-basics Proov released “Nebula” (video above) in 2003. Says Cee Major, “as usual, I wrote about a girl who’s almost untouchable and unreachable, not at all impressed by a man’s intentions and who’s very strong mentally.” Gumshoe describes the track with a bit more resentment, “Nebula tells us about the tricky business for men meeting well educated, highly sophisticated and emancipated ladies nowadays. They’re so demanding…”
Fast forward to 2005 and the LP Battle Mode. “The Ultimate,” the first single and video off of Battle Mode, employs rapid-fire rhymes, bass synths, and party drums to work club-goers and hip-hoppers alike into a frenzy.
The Proov’s most recent effort, ART was set to drop in October 2007, but to be honest I can’t find the album anywhere online. So either it’s out or it’s not- hopefully a reader can fill me in and I’ll amend this section. The first mp3 we’ll showcase from ART, “Ballin’,” is one of those new/true school summer jams in the same category with The Roots’ “Stay Cool” and Madvillain’s “Great Day.” Turn up your thermostat, don a bathing-suit, and pretend it isn’t January.
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Finally, “How The Meter Runs.” In this track, the street-savvy braggadocio of the hook is juxtaposed with a story of a taxi driver who lacks such worldly smarts. The perhaps unwarranted hate and death threats directed at the driver range from relatable to straight humorous.
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Don’t forget to check back later this week for the interview! Hint: Our subject is about to release an LP with a Texan emcee.
