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25.) Cities Aviv – Digital Lows


Another example of the internet allowing for interesting rap styles to appear in unlike regions, Cities Aviv is a Memphis rapper whose unique flow can perhaps best be described as “RZA but with a slight southern drawl.” It’s a free download at his Bandcamp site, so download this immediately. The sound on Digital Lows is at once very traditionalist and also supportive of the sort of forward-thinking samples that get you noticed on music blogs. It’s got the top-end keys and 808 drums of the Memphis sound, but instead of syrup-thick mid-South synths these beats use indie rock samples and video game music. Closing track “Float On” is a reappropriation of Modest Mouse’s “Float On” (and, really, it’s been like a decade since that song came out so its fair game) in a really surprising and effective way; it isn’t just a sample, it’s using the song as if it were a canvas made of found art. The whole album is very consistent, but the highlight is “****everybodyhere” (linked above), a song that samples every bit of soul EXCEPT soul vocals. In this track Aviv boasts, his voice full of swagger, “In this 8-bit world, I’m Bowser.” ‘Nuff said.