I've decided to revive my New New series on another new-ish artist. I mean, he's been around a minute, so I'll just claim that he's new to me to cover my bases. And his name is Wafeek. Try and forget that name.
In actuality, his first mixtape was released in 2006, but he didn't get much shine off of it. I guess neither the mainstream nor the blogosphere had much of a lane for an indie artist from St. Louis. Nelly has been the only notable hip hop influence from Missouri and even he wore out his welcome in recent years. But I think Wafeek can keep the fans he gains as long as he stays away from the roids and body oil for album cover photo shoots. Has there ever been a more masculinely insecure attempt at a cover besides Brass Knuckles?
Wafeek -
The Aristocrats Mixtape
Feekee & The Flux Capacitor
After a few years in between, Wafeek came back with a new pair of mixtapes. Now I must have just been sleeping on the posts about him, because his first return venture was The Aristocrats Mixtape which was exclusively pushed and promoted by The Smoking Section, which is my personal second favorite rap blog after 2dopeboyz. And I didn't even cop that free download until I accidentally stumbled upon his newest project earlier this year which featured some awesome Kanye 808s remakes. And I know darn near every tape this year had some Kanye ode, but this one seriously stands out above the rest right up there with Charles Hamilton's super long-titled one. Wafeek goes in with no sense of abandonment, aided by the undeniable forces of autotune. Yet he doesn't use it as a crutch like every single Yung Burg or Weezy song dropped within the last year. He uses it as a selective weapon. He uses it creatively. He uses it in context. He uses it when it sounds good. That's why autotune probably won't just kinda die off after The Blueprint 3 drops. It'll fall off the hooks of the mainstream singles, but it has a legitimate lane where it can sound good, and Wafeek explores that lane and thrives in it when he chooses to use the hated plug-in.
But what really sticks out to me about Wafeek's music is that he effortlessly breaks the mold on the subject matter he touches. I listen to a ton of CDs and mixtapes that I enjoy sonically, yet the rappers don't lyrically stand out in talking about anything that everyone else hasn't covered. Wafeek takes his concepts there and keeps your attention. Whether it's a crazy balance of self-deprecation mixed in the same bag as unconscious braggadocio or a less than comfortable dissection of racial relations or the heart-wrenching detailing of a girl discovering something on a computer, Wafeek isn't scared to go there. To me, it's the anti-SHow TuFli thing that I've been talking about. While I enjoy TuFli's mixtapes, I don't feel him pushing any real boundaries or separating himself from any strong-headed emcee. Wafeek's tapes are enjoyable and then even further up their replay value by being crazy original stylistically and conceptually from song to song. Some individual standouts to me in that way are "Instant Gratification" off the former tape and "Day in the Life" off the latter tape.
So I'm impressed. I really hate when I discover people super late. I wanna be there from the opening bar of someone's career, but that's not often possible. So I just gotta pick up on Wafeek from right now and go with him for the rest of his future music catalogue. Hopefully you will, too.
... but do take my word for it.
I chronicled the first mixtape in his "Fox 5" series and then eventually threw up the next two ... and finally here's the final two I forgot to post!
So late on this mixtape, but best know I had it Dee-Elled and on repeat the day it came out. As presented on 2dopeboyz.
Charlie Hilton -
I posted the Show TuFli tapes yesterday, and now I present you with fellow Demevolist Music Group rapper B/A. I'm pretty sure he was formerly name Baghdad. I think. But I gotta say, this one has to be my favorite Demev project I've heard aside from Charles' tapes. It's perfectly serves its purpose as being ... highway music. Bump this stuff in your car. I did on my last trip back from school to Louisville. I made it all the way there. So that must mean something. Doesn't it?
B/A -
Highway Music
... put 'em both together and you got yourself a super spork.... put 'em both together and you got yourself a super spork.
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I missed posting Show TuFli's last two tapes. Maybe it's my fanboyism towards anything CH related, but I enjoy these tapes. Unfortunately he's not half the lyricist that Charles is, but he's still definitely a competent emcee. Sometimes delves back into stereotypicalness a lil' too much for my taste, but still pretty nicely focused tribute tapes anyway. The first is an ode to my OutKasts, the second to one Eminem. The first one he put out was to Jay if you remember.
Show TuFli -
