LMNO – "Hit"

I don't know of another song quite like "Hit" by LMNO.

The vocal sample that says "hit" comes in at the beginning of every 4-bar measure, and LMNO crafts his rhymes around this single word, with his vocals ducking out every time the vocal sample emerges.

If LMNO would have said the word himself, I imagine the song wouldn't have worked nearly as well, and would have even been annoying. But the frequent switching between his vocals and the sample is an experimental success.

Album Review: Sackcloth Fashion – Fashion Expo: Round One: Tru Hip-Hop

Introduction

I didn't really understand this album when I first heard it. That was back in 2008, after I went to quite a stacked hip-hop show at Martensville Alliance Church. If the word "Martensville" is unfamiliar to you, it's a small city in Saskatchewan. If the word "Saskatchewan" is unfamiliar to you, it's a Canadian province. I say all this in case the blog happens to attract some international readers. And by the way, Martensville was a town back in 2008. That's how small and homely it is.

The show I went to featured RedCloud, DJ Episode, Propaganda, Mic Titan, and Kahlee. One almost has to wonder why a bunch of rappers and DJs from California would perform in small town Martensville, but if my memory's a reliable source of knowledge, you can trust that it happened.

I was 14 years old at the time. My dad gave me some extra money for merch, so I bought the Fashion Expo CD. It was a great and energetic show. I remember screaming into the microphone—the metal kind of screaming, or at least an attempt; I think RedCloud was holding the mic out to the crowd during one of his legendary freestyles. I also remember coming home to some math homework at about 10 PM, which I should have done earlier. I'm not sure which of the two I feel more embarrassed about now. What can I say, I was a Grade 9 student who liked music, but didn't particularly like math? Heck, that statement is still true (except for the Grade 9 part).

One other thing I remember about the show is RedCloud saying that one of the concertgoers baked a cake for the performers, and Mic Titan ate the whole thing.

Back to what I was saying at the beginning, I didn't really connect with this album initially. Sure, I liked a few of the songs, but it sounded outdated to me. This isn't too surprising, as Fashion Expo was originally released in 2000. (I own the 2007 re-release.) But the more time passes, and the more I listen to this record, the more I appreciate it.

In fact, I believe Fashion Expo is one of the most important Christian hip-hop albums ever released. Don't believe me? There's a blurb in very small print on the front cover that informs the listener that the album features over 40 emcees and DJs, and was recorded, mixed, and produced in a single studio. Talk about awesome.

This introduction borders on prattling, and there are two discs worth of music here, so it's high time to jump into what Fashion Expo is all about.

Disc One

Let's get one thing out of the way first: this album is marketed as a Sackcloth Fashion record, but it's not exactly like the group's other albums, given the previous statement about the plethora of emcees and DJs that are featured here. Basically, what makes Fashion Expo a Sackcloth Fashion project is that some of its members are involved either consistently or occasionally. Timothy Trudeau made all the beats; Brandon Musser, Byron Musser, Luke Geraty, and MaxOne make a few contributions as well. The CD booklet also indicates that Timothy Trudeau was the executive producer and chief engineer, and that the album was produced, recorded, mixed, and mastered by Sackcloth Fashion.

First up on Fashion Expo is "Unique" by DJ DNA, and it's an enjoyable minute and a half of turntablism. This track then leads into "Angels," where RedCloud, Luke Geraty, Braille, and MaxOne all hold their own; the song also features a quirky melody of an instrument I can't quite put my finger on.

And then there's "For the Money" by Coleon. This is where things start to get really good. It's songs like this that make the listener begin to appreciate how talented of a producer Timothy Trudeau is. Coleon sounds great here as well.

"Dues for Cashews" is probably one of Playdough's best songs. The track also boasts a great bass, guitar, and harmonica courtesy of Byron Musser.

Things get rather dark on "No Gray Lines" by Corey Red and Precise, which could lyrically be described as a mixture of conspiracy theories and fire-and-brimstone theology. This might not appeal to some listeners, especially in our age of superficial "deconstruction" and "exvangelicalism," but for my part, I enjoy it. Distorting the vocals in this song was an excellent stylistic choice in my estimation, and Timothy Trudeau's production adds to the apocalyptic feel.

"Runnin'" by Peace586 is laid back and bound to get stuck in your head, and Dirt's "Matthew" is so sad that it will kick you in the gut with its lamentations on youth homelessness.

I've said a lot of positive things so far, but there are a few songs on disc one that I don't enjoy that much. "Traveling" is a bit hard to listen to, as Luke Geraty's voice can be rather harsh on the ears at times. "Sub-Mission" by Future Shock and "Who Am I?" by Illustrate and Joe Bereal are both rather boring. The worst is RedCloud's "Water World," with its chipmunk voices, which is a shame considering RedCloud's talent.

It's too bad a lot of the weaker songs are bunched together in the track listing. Thankfully, the last few songs are all good. "An-eu-rysm" by Project America is chill and eccentric, and "Rising Sons" by Sackcloth Fashion (featuring Man of War and E-Roc) is just plain epic.

Disc Two

This album starts off with a sample from Star Wars. Now that's how you begin an album! Like disc one, there are several great songs and artists here, and you get a nice mix of styles.

Songs like "MIC Abruption" by Prophetics and "Clay" by Relentless just sound cool and will make you nod your head, while "The Wind" by Trey-Qel and Ajax or "The Day My Dog Died" by Greg Words are more somber and reflective. KJ-52 and Grits even have some songs on here, who might seem a little out of place, given their popularity compared to a lot of the other artists on Fashion Expo.

There's one song that stands head and shoulders above the rest on this CD though, and that's "Understand" by Christian hip-hop legend Soup the Chemist. Anyone familiar with Soup's work knows that he's a wordsmith, and his verses on this song are very imaginative. The storytelling is creative, scatterbrained, and humorous, but also disquieting and linear. There really is only one Soup the Chemist.

Sev Statik and Mars ILL have a song on here. That's a plus! I mean, who doesn't like Mars ILL? There's also a track from Jurny Big, who's a favourite among underground Christian hip-hop fans. After all, he's listed on Rapzilla's "Top 20 Christian Rappers of All Time" list. Personally, I'm not the biggest Jurny Big fan, but I won't poke the proverbial hornet's nest any further.

Conclusion

This review is clearly on the wordy side, and I haven't even said everything I want to about Fashion Expo. The production is superb. There's something that sets Timothy Trudeau's beats apart from other producers. It's difficult for me to delineate, but part of it I think is his skill at working with both samples and live instruments. The vast number of emcees on this project, and the different styles they bring to the table, really complements the variety of sounds you hear in the instrumentals.

Fashion Expo might've been released over 25 years ago, but it hasn't gone out of style. If you're an underground hip-hop fan who hasn't heard it yet, you don't want to miss out.