Joel Rapaport is without question one of the hardest working, and consistently present figures in the Sydney hip hop scene, being involved in various bands as an MC and/or guitarist, including The Alphabetics, The Phonies, Usutu and Mamacita, all on top of his solo work as MC Rapaport, coming runner up in 2006′ Scribble Jam MC battle, and being the brains behind the collaborative “Sketch the Rhyme’ performance at the recent Underbelly festival. And yes, Rapaport is his real name.
This disc represents Rapaport’s debut release as far as I can discern. I find these sort of promo single type things a little confusing, I’m sitting here ready to write a review and I’m not sure whether these tracks have been lifted off an EP that’s been released, is about to be released, or whether this is a release in it’s own right, or… Anyway, that aside, this is two tracks of solid hip hop, all produced by Rapaport himself. He’ drafted in no less than ten other musicians to help him out. Most intriguing for me is Peter Farrar’ contribution on alto sax and horn arrangements. I’ve seen him perform in improvised mode on numerous occasions, and seeing his name attached to this was a little perplexing at first. I asked Peter about this the other night and he said something like “nah it’s not that weird, I do lots of stuff†– fair enough.
If I had a criticism of the lead single, ‘Show Em That You Care’, it would be that it’s achingly familiar. The chorus; “take your hands on a holiday and throw em in the airâ€, should give you a pretty good idea of what it’s all about. Good vibes, smooth licks, danceable tempo – quintessential party tune, so TURN IT UP!!! Also on the disc is Terrorism, which besides being my personal highlight, is a topical rap about the stupidity of the war on terror, and the dangers of religious fundamentalism – “they think killin people’ gonna get rid of evil, it ain’ gonna work, they’re just makin it worse†– set to a loping, very large, synth driven break. There’ a grimey remix by House of Representatives (Max Gosford & Jozz Scott) thrown in as well.
This doesn’ push many boundaries, but it’s tight, honest hip hop, and will no doubt gain the strong local following it deserves. Rapaport has a unique, witty, and thoughtful presence, which comes across in his lyrics and his description of himself as “Sydney’ most neurotic MCâ€. Hopefully we’ll be seeing and hearing more from Rapaport in the coming months.
Tom Smith
