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It's no secret that I'm not a huge fan of the type of hip hop that's been making it's way out of the South over the past few years, but I'm always interested in hearing what unsigned artists are doing with the music regardless of where they're located. So when I received a promo for 5th Flow, a trio of emcees based out of Houston (two members, Rahlo and Supreme, are from Texas, while the third member, JClay, originally hails from Chicago), I put aside my regional bias for a moment and gave their music a listen.
Their latest mixtape, A Quarter to a Half, features the type of production that has an unquestionably "Southern" feel to it and will no doubt appeal to fans of UGK, Plies or just about any other emcee from south of the Mason-Dixon line. It's not necessarily the type of music I would normally be checking for, but I have to admit that the group is quite good at what they do. The beats on the majority of A Quarter to a Half are what I would classify as typical of southern rap - occasionally veering into "ringtone" territory - but the three emcees in the group manage to keep things interesting even over subpar beats, in part due to the fact that they each have their own distinct delivery.
For me, the standout track on A Quarter to a Half is California Dreamin', which samples The Mamas & The Papas song of the same name, giving it the honor of being the only hip hop track I'm aware of that uses the group as its source material. Crunk rap mixed with folk music from the 60's might not sound like the makings of a hit, but the song is actually quite good. Check it out:
5th Flow -California Dreamin' 2008
One more track from the mixtape, featuring the instrumental from the current Down South anthem, Shawty Lo's Dey Know:
5th Flow - In This
JClay tells me that 5th Flow has sold over 100,000 mixtapes worldwide, which, if accurate, is not only a rather impressive sales figure for an unsigned group - hip hop or otherwise - but it also suggests that there remains a large audience for Houston-based hip hop, even if the demand isn't quite as high as it was during the peak of the Swisha House era. Perhaps Def Jam's marketing team should get in touch with them to see what their secret to success has been, because they've managed to outsell at least a few members of Def Jam's roster.
Click here to download the Quarter to a Half mixtape. (megaupload link courtesy of JClay)
You can find more info on 5th Flow over at their website, Pink Slip Records, as well as their MySpace page.
4/23/2007 07:00:01 PM posted by Fresh