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As you are all hopefully aware by now, Alex Ludovico released his latest album today for free! At the end of this post there's an exclusive track that you won't be finding anywhere else on the internet (I mention this not to brag, but rather as a heads up to the many readers with short attention spans who might otherwise tune out at the sight of another long post), but let's get things started off with a cut from the album to give you a taste of what to expect, an extremely personal tale of parental dispute from Alex's childhood:
Alex Ludovico - 1:11am (right-click to download)
I hate to jack other people's words, but producer Douglas Martin summed up the album so eloquently that it's unlikely I could do better:
Winning/Losing is about winning and losing. It's about achieving goals, winning. It's about cleaning up nosebleeds after trying to cope with a breakup, losing. It's about selling your soul to the devil in order to be the best. There is a reason why there are beats from the dearly-departed James Dewitt Yancey sprinkled all over this release. Death hovers over almost every track, whether it's Alex's belief that God does not exist, his own suicide fantasies, or the scary image of one of his characters slapping down their pregnant girlfriend and lying down on the floor with her. To coin the title of one of Ludo's all-time favorite records, death is certain.
If Kyle [Alex Ludovico] does indeed try to go out 'at 27 like the legends,' it's now my purpose to make sure he leaves a body of work behind that showcases his brilliance as an MC, that showcases his heart, that showcases his gift to bare it all, to shed the facade of the rap star and do what most rap stars fail to do: Keep it real.
As with any good bit of promotion, Mr. Martin slightly overstates the case in regards to Kyle's potential membership in the 27 Club. I've always had the sense - a sense that is based on my admittedly brief exchanges with Ludo over the years, so take it for what it's worth - that Ludovico is significantly more stable than his lyrics might otherwise indicate. As with his previous releases there is undoubtedly a dark undercurrent that runs throughout the entire album, from the titles (d.o.a., when i die pt. 2, nothing) to the actual subject matter (alcohol abuse, depression and relationship woes, to name just a few). Yet even at his darkest moments, Ludovico still maintains a level of self-awareness and humor that suggests he is, at least to some degree, in character.
Following up on his line about dying at 27, for example, Ludovico jokes, "I'm an emo f*****, let me be dramatic, damnit!" That he might not entirely be keeping it one hundred with his tales of despair by no means diminishes what he's accomplished on this album, as the greatest storytellers in hip hop have always developed their persona through a mix of reality and fantasy; see Biggie in I've Got a Story to Tell or KRS-1 in Love's Gonna Getcha for a couple of examples. Lofty comparisons, to be sure, but Ludovico earns it on tracks like his remix of Weak Stomach, a twisted reimagining of the 5 O'Clock Shadowboxers' original. Though the details of each verse on the album are so vivid as to leave no question that they contain some amount of autobiography within, Winning/Losing seems to be much more an act of catharsis than a cry for help. It's that fact that keeps the album from devolving into an exercise in self indulgence, instead resulting in something that's entirely relatable to the average listener. That said, it certainly doesn't hurt that virtually every song on here just plain knocks.
You want to hear an emcee come into his own as a lyricist, to take a huge step on his path to musical success? Cop this album, then go tell a friend!
If this post were a mixtape, right about now would be the time that I would fire up the bomb drop sound effects and have someone shouting "EXCLUSIVE!!" in the background, as the only place the following track can be found is here on 33Jones. This joint is so exclusive, it doesn't appear to even be on Ludo's own album! A tale of a drunken attempt at hooking up with the world's greatest bartender, this is classic Ludovico material:
Alex Ludovico - Expensive Whip (right-click to download)
Once again, you can stream or download Alex Ludovico's Winning/Losing for free over at his bandcamp page. Please do so, posthaste.
5/04/2010 10:45:51 PM posted by Fresh