Hip-hop revivalism is always a hot topic among heads. Is Joey Bada$$ just a bad impression of the 90’s? Is a sample and a drumbeat enough anymore? Are Drake and Yung Lean and Kitty Pryde destroying the purity of an artform, or advancing it beyond conservative guidelines of what it should be? “Hold My Dust” by Mark Melinoe is definitely a part of this conversation. The chorus sneers “If you don’t like it you can hold my nuts”, but the title is “Hold My Dust,” is seemingly a comment on the way vinyl makes dust auditory. The track is produced by Vintage Tux, whose name and beat remind me of the music our grandparents listened to while they wore tuxedos and Charleston-ed around. Mike’s own verses combine old-school lyricism, classical cockiness, and references to Allah and Farrakhan in a way that makes it seems as if he knows all 120 Mathematics of the 5 Percenters. This is not desperate revival though, no “kids these days” and “get off my lawn” vibes. This is the reinvention of an art form, subtle enough to be recognizable, but new enough to advance the conversation forward.
Mike Melinoe is a Detroit-based emcee. He is a member of a collective known as the Organic Geniuses or OG Tribe. Melinoe will be releasing an EP later this year to follow his most recent project, Natures of PropeR Element$.The name of the upcoming EP has not yet been announced.
Facebook | Mike Melinoe
Twitter | @MikeMelinoe
Instagram | @henryxolskool
Website | GoldAintCheap.com
