Main Attrakionz f/ Danny Brown “Cloud Skatin” (prod. by Julian Wass)
A few months after touting the virtues of the self-proclaimed “Best Duo Ever,” Danny Brown puts action to words, and makes his first appearance alongside Main Attrakionz on their newest EP, Blackberry Ku$h.
On “Cloud Skatin,” a new age-y, locomotive track full of rolling 808s and atmospherics from Julian Wass — a Los Angeles-based producer, who also chips in two additional tracks for the release — Brown brings his punchlines, but spits something closer to a North Oakland mission statement than a verse:
In that Chevy blowin heavy
Main Attrak cloud rap
Lo-fi indie rap, dog I’m fuckin with that
Green Ova erryday
Money over erryday
Syrup got me stuck like a fat bitch in a wedding ring
With his pitched staccato and pointed delivery a sharp contrast to the easiness and unhurried rhymes of the Bay Area duo.
The rest of Blackberry Ku$h resides in the crackling, digital dust and haze anyone familiar with Main Attrakionz work is used to finding them in. On the opener, “Zoned Out Mackin’,” frequent collaborator Nem270 lays down a miasma of hypnotic sonic detritus and slowed sitar, perfect for the narcotic boasts of Squadda and Mondre, while Floridian left-field beat (de)constructor, Sea Things, remixes the Squadda-produced, Waka Flocka-sampling “On Deck,” into a Warp-meets-Planet Mu experimental workout.
Interestingly, the EP concludes with the Spaceghostpurrp-produced, “Stoner Gang*,” which at a surface level seems to be an ideal pairing given the penchant for lean, Screw music, and weed of all involved, but instead turns out to be an aggressive, post-Luger laptop banger where Main Attrakionz have no trouble on their verses (especially Mondre on the “Waka Flocka chopper got me smokin with no hands” line), but probably isn’t the best display of their abilities, and uses a sound that gets closer to being played out with each passing iteration of the template (or, daily). (It also looks like this track will be getting a verse from Sortahuman, at some point in the future.)
Clearly, though, these guys just like to experiment with sounds and rap over them. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that.
-SM
