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Alex Ludovico - Marlboro 27s
If your aversion to cigarette smoke is as strong as mine, there's a good chance that you've never been exposed to the concept of "Smoker's Karma." Simply put, the idea is that if you're generous enough to give out a free loosie to a fellow addict that act of charity will eventually be reciprocated in a sort of cancer-promoting version of Paying It Forward. There's an underlying cynicism to it, an unspoken acknowledgement that while the recipient may not be paying for the cigarette with money, they'll eventually be paying for it with their health.
With Alex Ludovico's musical rumination on this concept, Marlboro 27s, the Atlanta transplant offers up a similarly nuanced view of repaying favors within the music industry. Ludo's embrace of emo/punk/hipster culture was a couple of years ahead of the rest of hip hop, in small part paving the way for a whole generation of emcees that found commercial success by adopting a similar " target="_blank">look, sound and lifestyle. Yet he's still waiting for that karma to be repaid through recognition by, or collaboration with, those who found fame and fortune on the trails that he helped blaze before them.
Given that this song was recorded during the same time as Fame Kills (and it's original title, Wayne Mclaren, continues the theme of dead celebrities from Fame Kills), an album that spent much of it's time dwelling on the downside of celebrity, there's something of a conflict of interest in his request for payback. And given that the song was originally titled Wayne McLaren - the man behind the "Marlboro Man" ad campaign of the 70's and 80's who later died from lung cancer - he's clearly aware of the conflict. Having recently passed along word that he's got three new projects in the works, and a Tupacian 65 songs waiting for release, he seems willing to take the risk, however.
Here's the mp3:
Alex Ludovico - Marlboro 27s (right-click to d/l)
5/21/2012 6:30:00 AM posted by Fresh