B-More Gutter music might be ready to leave town
By RICHARD BECK | March 19, 2007
DJ Blaqstarr |
The 8/4, 130 bpm assault of Baltimore club music has been alive and well since the early ’90s, but recently there have been signs that the local sound might be going national. An MTV “You Hear It First” feature a few months back generated buzz and not much else, but with the release of DJ Blaqstarr’s Supastarr EP (Mad Decent) and DJs such as Aaron LaCrate and Debonair Samir getting radio play in Philly and New York, B-More Gutter music might be ready to leave the city limits. Or maybe not. Remember when reggaetón was going to change the face of music as we knew it?
DJ Blaqstarr, “Supastarr”
Singing like a greased-up Prince, Blaqstarr crafts a beat that clicks and clacks harmlessly along until a big, trashy bass drum knocks the bottom out. He’ll be producing tracks on M.I.A.’s next album, and this is a good sign.
DJ Blaqstarr, “Shake It to the Ground”
One bass boomp, one synth clap every other beat, and MC Rye Rye’s voice layered all over itself is all this “less-is-a-lot-more” track needs. I almost can’t imagine dancing to the thing, but it’s refreshing to hear someone go really minimal on principle rather than half-ass it because it sounds neat and weird.
DJ Debonair Samir, “Keep Your Hands Off My Girl”
Samir is either a forward-thinking guy or a middle-school girl, because this is a remix of a Good Charlotte song. Joel Madden’s voice is still pretty bratty, but you wouldn’t believe what wobbly synths and gunfire can add to the mix.
Aaron LaCrate, “Smile Lil Trily Allen”
“Smile” was a lonely-sounding song to begin with, but it wasn’t till LaCrate added a crew of yelling dudes and monotone synth-string hits that she sounded as if she were in danger. The soaring mid section is really terrific, but otherwise this one doesn’t take off.
Related:
Tear the club up, Low Budget and Aaron LaCrate, Nights on the town, More 
- Tear the club up
"What Samir and I bring to the table is that we were both coming from a real street hip-hop sentiment," says LaCrate, "and that’s where club in its origin came from. As much as it may have been comprised of rave breaks, there was nothing rave – I always say there was nothing white-boy about it." Lily Allen, "Smile (Aaron LaCrate Gutter Remix)" (mp3)
- Low Budget and Aaron LaCrate
The B-more æsthetic is all about making tracks you can either fight or fuck to, and Low Budget and Lacrate stick that formula throughout Gutta Music.
- Nights on the town
In last year’s “Circuits” year-end wrap-up, we heralded the reach of Boston out to the world at large. This year, things got pretty radical inside the Hub. We Are Cassette, "Angels We Have Heard on High" (mp3)
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The latest vehicle for Hilary Duff (and poor Haylie, who looks like the drag-queen version of her pretty sister) is an insipid mess not worthy of the tweens who flock to such flicks. Watch the trailer for Material Girls (QuickTime)
- Goodbye nasty
Anyone even minimally versed in Ms. Blank's œuvre would chuckle at the idea of her trying to keep things clean. Emerging from Philly dirty-rap crew Spank Rock, Blank distinguished herself among a sea of rap dudes with her dizzying spitfire attack and willingness to get nasty in a manner that was both playful and intimidating.
- Dance Monkey: Jeffrey Ross
She’s not dead. I could swear I saw her working in the make-up department of Filene’s Basement.
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The world’s largest collection of recorded music has gone up for auction on eBay with a starting bid of $3 million.
- The 100 unsexiest men 2007: 10-1
These guys couldn't turn on a radio
- Less
Topics:
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, Joel Madden, Good Charlotte, Aaron LaCrate, More
, Joel Madden, Good Charlotte, Aaron LaCrate, Debonair Samir, Less
