Deniro Farrar - "Nervous"

Deniro Farrar takes flow patterns very seriously. His verses don't deviate a single syllable for this whole song. That's not unusual for Mr. Farrar. He's almost always sharp & crisp like that.

But, you know, North Carolina. That's a sweet spot for hip hop, always has been, where Dirty South crashes up against East Coast True School heads. This is the state that gave us Supastition and Petey Pablo. I mention them because Farrar, at times, sounded like a CRISPR splice hybrid of those two exact emcees. "Nervous" is not one of those times, though. This is a good rapper getting great before our eyes -- his last two EP's are cold killer material.

The point is getting distinctive, right? Carving your own lane? Evolving your own style? I'm preaching to a dwindling congregation, but my conviction has never wavered on this. I'm not rooting for Deniro Farrar because he's "talented" -- that shit is cheap and abundant -- but because he's becoming a unique talent. I would wish the same for any of you reading this: become the monster you alone were destined to be.

The actual video is a clever low-budget triumph. Just a couple simple sets and some carefully coordinated camera work. It doesn't look like a million bucks, but it sure as shit keeps you watching. The same charisma that sells this cat onstage translates to The Youtubes: "telegenic," they used to call it.

As for the extended outro, well, I reckon he earned it.

Third time in a row I'm awarding a Three Dicky verdict. This streak is strictly accidental, but I'm none too worried about featuring some good shit for the rest of September, either.

"Born Bad" - Stranger Day

Me and DJ Multiple Sex Partners reviewed the last Stranger Day single, "All In Together Now," and we didn't have nice things to say. As always, the artist disagreed. So when this new single, "Born Bad," showed up, I decided to outsource the review to DISPATCHES author Louis Mackey, in the interests of Science. His notes follow verbatim, but perhaps the real lesson here is "Don't ask Louis Mackey to review videos."

From the Desk of Louis Mackey, 10-06-2014: Right away you’re hit in the face by the obvious two-by-four of reality that he shouldn't be rapping, but he pushes himself just hard enough to come off as almost but not quite acceptable.

Despite that, there were times throughout that I actually caught myself vaguely feeling this. Those brief moments were immediately interrupted by the that, geez, it kinda even reminds me of a hick, 4 miles outside of town Southern Illinoisan accent, coupled with recurring glimpses of his upper body.

But really though -- what keeps him up till when I wake up? Aimlessly driving around the Georgia reject suburbs? Those shots reminded me of the wasteland of poor central Ohio. He should get a job and a gym membership and probably stop smoking pot.

Oh, and: I fucking hate trap beats but this one is actually pretty cool.

Editors Note: Stranger Day is from North Carolina. Not that it matters.

"All In Together Now" - Stranger Day

Hump Jones: Welcome to yet another formal installment of THE INBOXXX, which has basically devolved into a phone call between Burlington and Los Angeles, at this point. This morning we're checking out North Carolina act Stranger Day, which is a pretty excellent name.

DJ Multiple Sex Partners: It's really not.

HJ: Joining me is Los Angeles video director and occasional rap beat producer DJ Multiple Sex Partners, my co-conspirator since the days of Wombaticus Rex.

DJ MSP: Nobody cares about Wombaticus Rex.

HJ: This is true. We've got a great, catchy beat here, big mellow horns, classic break. And ass shots, wall to wall to wall.

DJ MSP: This is basically PBR letting these guys shoot a video at one of their events.

HJ: According to the submission copy in their email, that is pretty much exactly what this is. There is not a huge amount of self-esteem on display here from either sex. First dude up is a solid rapper, just boring.

DJ MSP: I've done gigs like this. You get a lot of girls who want to be actresses drunk, get them to sign release forms and watch them compete amongst themselves for attention. It is horror. You have to drink so much to fall asleep after working a day like this.

HJ: I love how most American males would consider that their peak achievement in life and you're still suffering. Do you think this dude is a good rapper?

DJ MSP: Yeah, but that's about it. He's that dude who's got it down but you know he's just never going to make it because he's not saying anything. Then again, I felt the same about Mac Miller and G-Eazy so my track record is...yeah.

HJ: This next dude must have a full-time day job being mistaken for Earl Sweatshirt. That's a tough cross to bear, right there.

DJ MSP: Once they draw the camera back, this party is pathetically small, dude. That water slide is an embarrassment, I thought they knew how to party in North Carolina.

HJ: They do, it's just not evenly distributed. This Elevator Jay cat is at least interesting, once he gets rappitty-rapping, he's got charisma and flow. I keep getting really distracted by the awkward, drunk dancing in the background. The whole vibe here is like an episode of COPS more than a house party video.

DJ MSP: I think the moral here is that Pabst Blue Ribbon just has way too much marketing money and we need to get some.

"Go To Work" - Has-Lo and Castle

Good to see Mello Music Group taking advantage of the best emcee on their roster again. Granted, they just signed Open Mike Eagle and everyone in Diamond District is on point, but still: Has-Lo is a gem. Castle is damn strong, too, and the chemistry here is outstanding. This track is the lead single off their upcoming album "Live Like You're Dead" which promises to be an ambitious banger.



Also, that badass cover art is courtesy of Philly phenom Dewey Decibel, who also raps pretty.