Well, it finally happened.
Old year transitioning to new year. We break it all up into digestible yearly morsels. It’s how we humans organize our history. I, and we, being humans, put periods at the end of every 12 months of music, art, film, whatever. At the Hassle we do Year End lists, and I always, fer sure do a list of my very fav local releases. And then also, fer sure, there’s a record or two or more that I hear early in the next year that I wish I had heard before that period was put in place so that I could have fucking included it.
SOLO SEXX and their EP is one of those records. Came out right before Thanksgiving, 2015. 6 tracks. Two MCs and a DJ. Vulga Vulva (Heather), Julez (Velvet Vulture), and DJ Casio Brass (Slim Tim). And it is a truly shockingly awesome batch of underground hip hop. From right here in Boston.
Hmmmmm… maybe this gang is the spark to light the ever sleepy Boston underground rap scene.* Never mind what they might be though, here on their EP they are a very, very fun, living collage of some of the best facets of hip hop over the last 30 years. MISSY ELLIOT, DEATH GRIPS, PUBLIC ENEMY, SALT N’ PEPA, MIA and plenty of other groups pop and underground show up as part of the DNA of SOLO SEXX. It’s a really potent mix all projected through a female fronted counterculture prism of now.
One of my fav tracks has got to be the take down track “Hipster Chick”, chock full of the sirens and funk of TERMINATOR X and DJ PREMIER. Meanwhile Heather & Julez spit all about phonies while spreading real class consciousness. “Jacket Girl” is also incredible, reminiscent of MISSY’s flow (with occasional well placed soulful asides) over DEATH GRIPS vibe production, wobbly bass colliding with psychedelic feels. This one is probably my favorite of the bunch when it comes down to it. Honestly though, all six tracks point to an insanely bright future for this trio. Can’t wait to hear more and see this crew live.
Some choice slices from within:
“I aint’ a cracker cuz I’m fried like a frito” from “Drugz (Do You Have It)”
“My indie playlist… Catch you all off guard.” also from “Drugz (Do You Have It)”
&
The DEVO samples throughout “Party Muzik (Baile Funk)”
ALSO, check out the band’s About @ https://solosexx.wordpress.com/:
“Solo Sexx are 2 rip-rollin’ riotous girls from Boston & Amherst, MA. We’re ready to get your brains fried and your no-no spots electrified, Solo Sexx is a big middle finger to a consumerist, male-driven circle jerk of a hip hop game that’s been played against itself for far too long.
With a fearless sense of humor and a no-holds barred attitude, Solo Sexx turns the hip-hop hypocrites on their head and leads fans to a whole new horizon: with homemade beats and outta sight rhymes! Solo Sexx proves that the alternative to the add-water-and-stir rap chumpitude is funkier, fresher, and just plain sexxier than ever before.”
*I honestly hope that I am so wrong, and that I am just somehow ignorant of a thriving Eastern MA rap scene. So let that hate email rain!! I’d love to know what I’m missing.