Ladies and gentlemen, it’s true what your parents told you when you were just a little pup. You can be anything you wanna be when you grow up. You wanna be the president? Well you go right ahead, as long as you have the determination and drive to follow through with what you want.
And then there are those pesky types called “realists” who like to argue that this is a world where things like living in the shitty part of town really do hang that price tag around your neck, unless someone stands up and points right at it.
This message bought to you by your friendly neighborhood Subliminal Orphans, a seven-piece hip hop group based in good ol’ Philadelphia. Sub-O combines eclectic live music with a party platter of sonic textures, from shredding electric guitars to warm keyboards, honey-coated vocal harmonies courtesy of emcee/vocalists Keen and Reg. Head vocalist Tu-Phace spits rapid-fire barbs, and the whole thing is a big-ass boot through your speaker.
Double Dippin’, one of the many prominent tracks off of the debut album Soul. Remote. Control., brings to mind the great no-bullshit rap groups of the mid-nineties, and the great underground rappers of today. It begins with Keen’s smooth voice laid out over a troubled piano. She then proceeds to tear into the beat with a barb aimed at the White House. “I got a story to tell/about a group of Americans living in hell” sums it up, speaking volumes not only about the fact that minorities are disregarded and paid minimum wage and treated based on class status, but that most of those people are unspoken for. It says, ’sure, if you can afford it you can broadcast your message to the world’ - but what about the message of the common man? Or the struggling single mother? It’s always always uplifting to hear someone taking the mic to say something along the lines of, “I would like to thank my senator/for not patrollin’ my perimeter”. Nobody should have any illusions about the truth of lower class neighborhoods not having their own voice.
“THIS AIN’T NO CLUB TRACK! THIS AIN’T NO BUMPIN IN YOUR ESCALADE TRACK!”
Thank GOD. The dirty distortion and blown out vocals provided by guitarist Wiley and Tu-phace on the track “Orphans” give you the perfect disclaimer. It says ‘you can listen to synthesized throwaway ice rap if you want, but you could also rock out and listen to someone with something to say.’ Reg later raps about wanting to remain “pure as an artist” saying, “Garden variety gangsta? No thank ya.” Jeez, the stuff speaks for itself. “I never felt like I had a point to prove/I was and always will be a dorky dude” Tu-phace says, rhyming about being picked on for having white friends and eclectic tastes, saying because he doesn’t rap about his cash, he’ll never be famous.
The general theme that Sub-O has going here is bullshit will always reign supreme unless you stop to call it out. They do their part by spreading their message, and all they ask is that you listen. You can still enjoy yourself while rockin’ out, especially to the killer stuff these guys dish out.
The Sub-O cats probably never dreamed about being president when they grew up, but that’s because without artists like these guys, who’s gonna speak on the behalf of the world you DON’T see on the TV?
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July 25th, 2006 at 1:23 pm
They rocked the july 7th show - serious energy
July 27th, 2006 at 12:35 am
hell yes they did!