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| If you believe 'bling free' means the opposite of the 'get rich or die tryin'-attitude, you're not exactly wrong, but also not definitely right. We all live with trade-offs somehow and so DJ Graffiti's "Bling Free" is not to be understood in a strict moral sense: "A lot of people got it twisted", he says, "they think bling free means 'be broke'. That's the
farthest thing from the truth. 'Bling free' means get your priority straight, know where your blessings come from, take care of your family, pay your bills, then cop the chain, but definitely you need to get your hustle on." |
| But first and foremost, bling free means underground de luxe. Speaking about this one at hand, "Vol 3", the lineup really is mouthwatering. This time we get only the icing of the cake. So, it is difficult to pick any piece, as all of them look yummy. Uhm… we get the rocking J-Live-Wordsworth collabo ("Bosoms Remix") for example, a pensive Feenom Circle
("Subtle"), followed by a nice Otis Redding sample (Finale - "Change"), followed by this supa dupa Brother Ali remix ("Champion"), followed by a deadpan but precise Voice Watson feat. luckyiam.PSC, later one of the best Jeru ever heard ("War"), rhyming breathless and breathtaking - time out. |
| This could be the point where you might go back to the beginning. Or press play, put the needle down, whatever. We get Big Tone ("La Vida Loca") next, extraordinarily constructed, very slim though, and maybe only a couple of harmonies too short. Next an autobiographical dead prez (maybe only a couple of harmonies too long), later an exclusive (and nice) Slum Village
track, plus Strange Fruit Project, plus EPMD, plus, plus plus…. |
| Time for another break. Again you might go back to the beginning. Or listen to the advertising message the mixmaster is divulging. An introduction to the additional remix (yes, another one!) which treats you right. More soulful than the cuts we've heard before, starting with the veery smoooth "Could You Be" by D-Minor; louis logic's sing-song-rapping additionally.
If we got the icing before, this is the cream on top. A couple of instrumental tracks ("Mustard Seed", "Sunshine", "Magic Says"…) until we finally arrive at the phenomenal Phat Kat - "Destiny" - the perfect finale, I would say. |
| All in all DJ Graffiti is providing good quality. Something you don't hear all day. Whether 'bling free', or not, at the end of the day, it's just all about good music. And brains. Rewind! |
| review: denise |
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| tracklisting |
| 1. DJ Graffiti : Intro |
| 2. Elzhi : It's Your World |
| 3. The Procussions : Just Over Broke |
| 4. Dilated Peoples : Bullet Train |
| 5. Little Brother & Fakts One : Grown Folks |
| 6. J-Live & Wordsworth : Bosoms Remix |
| 7. Lawless Element : Against The Rules |
| 8. Izreal & MF Doom : Pop Quiz |
| 9. The Feenom Circle : Subtle |
| 10. Finale: Change |
| 11. Brother Ali & DJ Graffiti : Me & Ali |
| 12. Brother Ali : Champion Remix |
| 13. Voice Watson feat. luckyiam.PSC : Talk To Us |
| 14. Now On : Stop |
| 15. Jeru The Damaja : War |
| 16. Big Tone : La Vida Loca |
| 17. dead prez : Window To My Soul |
| 18. AML : Feel It |
| 19. Fakts One feat. Mr. Lif & Akrobatik : The Show Starter |
| 20. Boom Bap Project : Graffiti's Joint |
| 21. Interlude : Don't Get It Twisted |
| 22. Slum Village : Get Yo Paper |
| 23. The Grouch & Eligh (Living Legends) : The Clap |
| 24. The Strange Fruit Project : All The Way |
| 25. Diverse : Ain't Right |
| 26. Vitamin D : No Good |
| 27. Tajai (Souls Of Mischief) : The Dum Dum |
| 28. EPMD : Look At You Now |
| 29. DJ Vadim feat. Adad & DJ Woody : Headline News |
| 30. Soul Position (RJD2 & Blueprint) : Share This |
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| BONUS MIX : THE VIBE |
| 31. DJ Graffiti : The Vibe Intro |
| 32. D-Minor feat. louis logic : Could You Be |
| 33. Cornbread : One Fly Gemini |
| 34. Nick Nack : Mustard Seed |
| 35. Science Fiction (aka Wala Oyejide) Sunshine |
| 36. Dabrye : Magic Says |
| 37. Phat Kat : Destiny |
| 38. DJ Graffiti : Outro |
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