Black Milk - Elec

Things are currently pretty fucking tough in Detroit. With the overall American economy in shambles, The "D", a once proud and booming city, like many others across the nation has been steadily getting worse and worse since the mid 1970's. A struggling infrastructure, a ballooning murder rate, an out of control mayor and unemployment numbers that have sent many fleeing elsewhere have become the bleak but all too commonplace picture of the Motor City in 2008. Not unlike the past, one thing that the D is still producing well is inspiring music. While there is literally a myriad of great artist's I could speak about, today I wanna introduce those that are waking up from their 5 year coma to Detroit's own Black Milk.

Milk is a product of Detroit and his music has always reflected that. Sampling many of the records that were recorded in Hitsville, U.S.A. 30 years ago, he's created a new Motown sound that picks up right where the D's outright best producer ever; J Dilla left off. His infectious soul chops and head nodding drum patterns have captivated the entire Hip-Hop underground and earned him the respect of his local brethren. Not only is he an accomplished producer but Milk has also tried his hand at rhyming and received for the most part the whole hearted endorsement of his peers. Having already released two critically acclaimed solo projects the rap game is gearing up for his third retail release "Tronic". Milk has already promised his fans something somewhat new on his latest LP in he form of his production. Stating via interview that "Tronic" will rely less on his tried and true formula of sampling and more on live instrumentation, Milk is taking on an extremely eyebrow raising task for primarily a sample-based, Hip-Hop producer.

Many of the best and brightest Hip-Hop beatsmith's would probably shutter at the prospect of having to make an album without the use of their trusty vinyl collection. Not Milk. He's jumping into unknown waters relatively early on in his career, bravely and confidently. Original thought is the cradle of Hip-Hop civilization however, and in the end I think that this project will pay huge dividends for Milk in terms of being taken seriously as a viable Hip-Hop composer and artist. It's true that many of the today's new producer's are utilizing things like keyboard's and various sound racks and there are a lot more "new" sounds floating around, but they're doing it for different reasons than Milk is. More often I'm hearing excuses about why we're being bombarded with cheesy synth-laden opuses that ring to the tune of "I do it like this because Sampling is getting to expensive to clear"....Hmmmm, it's a real problem yes, but unless your knocking down sales in at least the ten thousand dollar range, I wouldn't be too concerned. Dre and Puff get sued for using an uncleared sample, not you Joe schmoes. To get back to my original point however, that being that Milk is undertaking this kind of a project to show he can get down without sampling i.e. display his skills, I think it's important that some of the older heads check this new album of his out.

"Tronic" could very well be a landmark LP in terms of it's lasting effects on Hip-Hop production.....I know any and every real head will check it out and with good reason. If we as a culture move toward a more live-influenced sound, who knows what potentially could lie ahead for either Black Milk, the Detroit scene or Hip-Hop as a whole? Before I send all of you blindly into what surely will be an exaltation of a perfect experiment in sound, I want to educate you on some of his more antiquated record's a bit. Therein, we have his new mixtape "Elec", that is a pretty comprehensive rundown of what he's been up to lately and what he's dropped in the past that cannot be ignored. Milk let's some exclusives from "Tronic" go on this as well, generously letting the masses grab two extremely laudable efforts way ahead of release time. "Give The Drummer Some" and "The Matrix" easily kill around ninety percent of the wackass shit other cats are currently droppin'. The cuts that DJ Premier hooks him up with on "The Matrix" alone should send you rocketing through the stratosphere with anticipation for what I'm billing as the biggest and most important release from any Detroit-based artist in years.

Maybe the spirit of Rock City can be partially restored through one of it's native sons having a bit of success.....maybe not....I for one hope it can and does but it's times like these that Milk is providing a lot of people with something that is more essential than any momentary success and that's hope. Hope for young producer's and rapper's from the D and hope for Hip-Hop maybe staying alive a little while longer.

-BIG D O





Fat Ray & Black Milk - Take Control
Black Milk - Give the Drummer Sum
Caltroit - Go Hard f. Ras Kass & Royce Da 5'9"
Elzhi - Motown 25 f. Royce Da 5'9"
Elzhi - D.E.M.O.N.S.
Caltroit - Goatit f. Elzhi & Bishop Lamont
Black Milk - Dub Rock
Fat Ray & Black Milk - Nothing to Hide
Jake One - I'm Comin f. Black Milk & Nottz
Dabrye - Special (Black Milk Remix) f. Guilty Simpson
T3 - Yawl f. Elzhi
Caltroit - Mouth Music f. Busta Rhymes
Slum Village- Call Me f. Dwele
Pharoahe Monch - Bar Tap
Young RJ - Welcome to the District f. Black Milk
Black Milk - The Matrix f. DJ Premier / Pharoahe Monch / Sean Price
Slum Village - Bootleggin
Genius / GZA - 7 Pounds
Caltroit - Bang that Shit Out f. Bishop Lamont & DJ Rhetttmatic
Guilty Simpson - My Moment
Marv Won - Talk About
Caltroit - Everything f. Kardinal Offishall
Fat Ray & Black Milk - Get Focus f. Phat Kat
Fat Ray & Black Milk - When it Goes Down
Caltroit - Inconvenient Truth

http://cdn.hiphopdx.com/audio/downloads/blackmilk-elec-2008.zip