Staying relevant in Hip Hop’s underground might be an endeavor trickier than before.
With the mixtape game oversaturated, old heads sitting on DJ Vlad’s couch complaining about skinny jeans, and fans allergic to paying for music, surviving as an underground artist is at the very least a challenge.
I’ll be the first to admit that we (today’s Hip Hop fans) over-fetishize experimentation for the sake of being different. As a result, artists have to play mockingbird and tend not to devote themselves to a particular sound. Jacks of some trades, and masters of mimicry. To see an underground veteran like Busdriver manage to ignore these branching, hype-backed micro genres and stick to building out his own sound is damn near a miracle. From Memoirs of an Elephant Man, Driver has given all to his craft, leading to weaving in an element of mastery within the house of Hip Hop’s experimentation.
Busdriver has built his own house–scratch that–sovereign nation across a river from artists hopping on whatever sound is trending on Pitchfork. I think it’s that honesty in experimenting that has left Busdriver an amazing and powerful artist.
With this latest video and single coming off his new mixtape Thumbs (dropping Nov 6th): Driver reminisces on the effort thrown into mastering his craft, and nods to all the homies that have stuck with him on his journey. The track is easily enjoyable and Driver feels so comfortable and assured in his skill which leaves me no other option but predict Thumbs will be an exceptional mixtape.
You can pre-order his mixtape HERE
Art by your homie, Arthur Banach
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