I hope you have all heard Elzhi's outstanding ELmatic by now. Will Sessions, the quickly rising Detroit band under current discussion, is the instrumental vehicle for re-imagining Nas's illmatic beats for that project, which were originally spun by now-legends like Premier, Pete Rock and Q-Tip. From the outset, Elmatic was clearly an ambitious project given how the record is considered an immaculate milestone of hip-hop history. But if there was any lyricist who could adequately stand up to Nas's performance it is Elzhi, who is without doubt an emcee's emcee and true student of the craft. And true to form, he killed it.
But aside from Elzhi's lyrical performance, the live-oriented instrumentals that sit beneath and seep between his vivid imagery and immaculate cadence, are an equally strong pearl that really put the project over the top. If the instrumental breakdown toward the end of "Life's a Bitch" doesn't make you feel like you own all the bunnies and rainbows and lollipops in the world, then I'm not sure what will. It's really beautiful, feel good music.
I was reminded of this tonight when Chedo threw on "Life's a Bitch" during the radio show, and all of us in the chat room were cooing about, fawning over its breakdown in the second half. Despite how rad Will Sessions are though, I don't think a lot of people know who they are, which, to be entirely transparent, isn't an unusual fate for backing bands (The Band, The Funk Brothers). So I decided to dig out this mixtape to share and shed the light.
You can stream "It Ain't Fair But It's Fun" and "Life's a Bitch" (Elmatic) below, then click the link to download.
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/06/09-It-Aint-Fair-But-Its-Fun.mp3|titles=09 It Ain't Fair But It's Fun]
[audio:https://thecomeupshow.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/07-Lifes-A-Bitch_Feat.-Royce-da-59-and-Stokley-Williams-of-Mint-Condition-Prod-Will-Sessions.mp3|titles=07 Lifes A Bitch_Feat. Royce da 5'9 and Stokley Williams of Mint Condition (Prod Will Sessions)]
Download: Will Sessions - Leaks (Beat Tape)
Sometimes, all you need is some good instrumentals to listen to. Luckily, Bronx duo Ivy-League Zombie (Tut-Piece and Roku) come through with Cheap Sake; 100 Yen. Clocking in at around 40 minutes of nonstop beats, this was the perfect music I needed for studying today. If you're looking for background music, Cheap Sake; 100 Yen definitely fits the bill, though that's not to say the music doesn't deserve to be paid attention to in its own right. Both Tut-Piece and Roku do a great job of carefully crafting a fusion of hip-hop, jazz, funk, and soul into the beat tape, creating a good amount of diversity among their beats. My only wish is that each beat was its own separate song. Instead, we get two songs, representing each beatmaker's work. Stream and download Cheap Sake; 100 Yen below.