On his way to being a heavy hitter in the Ozone underground, MidaZ the Beast has teamed up with lots of people and shown lots of different manifestations. For his latest release, the five-song #LIVENIGGARAP EP, he once again rolls with Central Florida producer Sharp to cast his bars in dark and moody East Coast hues, a canvas especially tailored for the seasoned gruff and gravel of MidaZ's flow.
More than just beats, MidaZ's storytelling rhymes are set here in a cinematic soundscape rich in atmosphere with veins of urban blues and jazz. In a current hip-hop milieu flooded with basic Soundcloud rap, it's a particularly substantial listening experience.
Besides a nod to Nas in the EP's title, the original cut "Live Nigga Rap" even riffs on the legend's song of the same name while still bearing MidaZ's own lyrical signature. This is classic street heat here.
MidaZ the Beast and Sharp's #LIVENIGGARAP is now streaming everywhere.
There are few bigger Jesus and Mary Chain Stans around here than me. I mean, geez, look no further than this column's title. But one person who gives me a serious run for the title is local noise-droner Danielfuzztone, whom I actually ran into in a bathroom at a JAMC concert all the way up in Atlanta back in 2012.
Well, his devotion is now publicly enshrined on the track "Ringing Sound" off his latest two-track single. Although staying true to the Danielfuzztone electro-drone aesthetic, the song is a manifold salute to the brothers Reid. The hook that rises from the din echoes their famous melodic arc, and the title and song length are lifted straight off "Upside Down." Check it out along with 13-minute A-side "Take My Meditation" on his Bandcamp.
