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Alex Ludovico with Jessie Lee of the very NSFW site Burning Angel
What initially caught my attention the first time I heard Alex Ludovico was his penchant for rapping over beats that would not be classified as 'hip hop' by even the most liberal definition of that category. Nowadays rappers like Kid Cudi and Mickey Factz (and even Eminem) routinely jump on instrumentals from club or indie rock bands, but Ludo deserves props for being one of the first to blaze those trails way back in 2006 before it became popular. He wouldn't have kept my attention any longer than the novelty of his beat selection lasted, however, if he hadn't also been a really good - potentially great - emcee.
Ludovico's diverse beat selection often serves as something of a roadblock whenever I try to introduce his music to some of my older friends who are stuck in their ways, but when Ludo jumps on established hip hop beats his skills as an emcee are undeniable to even the most traditionalist of hip hop listeners. He's shown that before with his take on Jay-Z's D.O.A., and he's done it again with his beatjacking of Kanye's Power. This song is off of a new mixtape Ludo is putting out for the site Encore Status, Heat Prey Love, due out on October 25th. Check it out:
Alex Ludovico - Powerful As Can Be (right-click to d/l)
Here's one more recent song from Ludo, going in over Rick Ross' BMF beat, which I believe is also going to be on the upcoming Heat Prey Love tape:
Alex Ludovico - Rapper Identity Crisis (right-click to d/l)
"If that rapper says swagger, that rapper usually sucks." Truth.
Further Listening:
Alex Ludovico on 33Jones
Alex Ludovico on Bandcamp
10/13/2010 5:45:50 PM posted by Fresh