Devin the Dude and Blowfly in Houston Chronicle
MattSonzeezy
91 Posts
Dude got front page of todays entertainment section in our daily paper. Huge photo and shit. That never happens here. Quite a coup. Like whoa... So excited. http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/headline/features/3512325.htmlDec. 9, 2005, 3:20AMHouston's Devin the Dude marches to the beat of his own hip-hop
By LANCE SCOTT WALKERFor The Chronicle "I think it needs bass," said Houston rapper Devin the Dude from his spot crouched on a stoop behind the studio engineer's chair. He then looked up and across the room. "You got a bass?"He was talking to 1970s funk/soul legend Blowfly, who had played at Rudyard's Pub the night before and was recording in the studio before his band had to take off for Austin. Devin and Blowfly were collaborating on a track, but they didn't exactly know what track, or even what it would be about."Collaborating is just all about ideas," said Devin, as the bassist ran out to the van to fetch his instrument. "You just get in here and see what happens. No planning. You never know what's going to happen."Devin the Dude, who performs at Havana Grill and Bar Sunday, is an anomaly as far as Houston rap is concerned. Our city has always been known for its hard, ugly side ??? most notably with scowling characters such as Scarface and the Geto Boys and DJ Screw, and even with the newer crop of MCs, such as Mike Jones and Slim Thug ??? but Devin has always been a singular, independent entity.He is one of the few local MCs who can't be pigeonholed as making a particular "type" of hip-hop, and he's not closely associated with any other local rappers. And instead of making the rounds in the inner Loop for his live appearances, he has spent time hopping across the pond to play shows in Europe ??? and plans to go back next year.His lyrics are stories rather than the self-referential braggadocio ventures used by a lot of rappers. He crafts themes in his songs, voicing other characters in a flawless, almost conversational tone. You could call his music "witty" or "clever," but each of those terms infers that a nudge of the elbow toward the listener is needed to make sure they "get" it.With Devin, there's nothing to "get." He's just Devin. His personality inks itself into every corner of every track, coming together most perfectly in Go Fight Some Other Crime, from last year's To Tha X-Treme (Asylum/Rap-a-Lot). In it, Devin and a car full of rappers are stopped by the police, whose conversation (also voiced by Devin) with Devin and rapper Cory Mo actually becomes part of the rap.The officers stop Devin's Cadillac after a police dog picks up a "questionable" illegal scent. But it becomes evident through the track that the officers are drug traffickers themselves and don't want anyone infringing on their trade.Devin's delivery is his trademark because it's so believable ??? relaxed, sharp and perfectly executed.With that in mind, his collaboration with Blowfly was particularly interesting to watch. Blowfly's lyrics would leave even comedian Richard Pryor's mouth agape ??? filthy, raw and unforgiving. To pair it with Devin's smooth delivery would be a challenge ??? one that both welcomed.In the studio with DJ Domination (Geto Boys), it all came to life. Blowfly's bass plugged into the mixing board, and he crafted an early Jane's Addiction-esque bassline. Producer DJ Domination recorded it, cut it up and began to mold it into the song, bit by bit until he'd stitched it all together with the final beat, which came through the speakers and inspired a congregation of nodding heads in the room."That's it," Devin remarked, looking over at Domination. "That's what I wanted to hear."Devin the Dude Performs Live Sunday Dec. 11th at Havana, 818 Travis, Downtown Houston, 10 p.m. with PKT, Jokaman, Lower Life Form, DJ's Witnes and Ceeplus. Presented by HoustonSoReal...
By LANCE SCOTT WALKERFor The Chronicle "I think it needs bass," said Houston rapper Devin the Dude from his spot crouched on a stoop behind the studio engineer's chair. He then looked up and across the room. "You got a bass?"He was talking to 1970s funk/soul legend Blowfly, who had played at Rudyard's Pub the night before and was recording in the studio before his band had to take off for Austin. Devin and Blowfly were collaborating on a track, but they didn't exactly know what track, or even what it would be about."Collaborating is just all about ideas," said Devin, as the bassist ran out to the van to fetch his instrument. "You just get in here and see what happens. No planning. You never know what's going to happen."Devin the Dude, who performs at Havana Grill and Bar Sunday, is an anomaly as far as Houston rap is concerned. Our city has always been known for its hard, ugly side ??? most notably with scowling characters such as Scarface and the Geto Boys and DJ Screw, and even with the newer crop of MCs, such as Mike Jones and Slim Thug ??? but Devin has always been a singular, independent entity.He is one of the few local MCs who can't be pigeonholed as making a particular "type" of hip-hop, and he's not closely associated with any other local rappers. And instead of making the rounds in the inner Loop for his live appearances, he has spent time hopping across the pond to play shows in Europe ??? and plans to go back next year.His lyrics are stories rather than the self-referential braggadocio ventures used by a lot of rappers. He crafts themes in his songs, voicing other characters in a flawless, almost conversational tone. You could call his music "witty" or "clever," but each of those terms infers that a nudge of the elbow toward the listener is needed to make sure they "get" it.With Devin, there's nothing to "get." He's just Devin. His personality inks itself into every corner of every track, coming together most perfectly in Go Fight Some Other Crime, from last year's To Tha X-Treme (Asylum/Rap-a-Lot). In it, Devin and a car full of rappers are stopped by the police, whose conversation (also voiced by Devin) with Devin and rapper Cory Mo actually becomes part of the rap.The officers stop Devin's Cadillac after a police dog picks up a "questionable" illegal scent. But it becomes evident through the track that the officers are drug traffickers themselves and don't want anyone infringing on their trade.Devin's delivery is his trademark because it's so believable ??? relaxed, sharp and perfectly executed.With that in mind, his collaboration with Blowfly was particularly interesting to watch. Blowfly's lyrics would leave even comedian Richard Pryor's mouth agape ??? filthy, raw and unforgiving. To pair it with Devin's smooth delivery would be a challenge ??? one that both welcomed.In the studio with DJ Domination (Geto Boys), it all came to life. Blowfly's bass plugged into the mixing board, and he crafted an early Jane's Addiction-esque bassline. Producer DJ Domination recorded it, cut it up and began to mold it into the song, bit by bit until he'd stitched it all together with the final beat, which came through the speakers and inspired a congregation of nodding heads in the room."That's it," Devin remarked, looking over at Domination. "That's what I wanted to hear."Devin the Dude Performs Live Sunday Dec. 11th at Havana, 818 Travis, Downtown Houston, 10 p.m. with PKT, Jokaman, Lower Life Form, DJ's Witnes and Ceeplus. Presented by HoustonSoReal...
Comments
its cool that dudes like weldon and blowfly are out there keeping the cycle complete by working with the next generations of music.
no dress code right?