The Knux are reminiscent of
The Cool Kids, not in sound or aesthetic, but in the feeling they elicit upon first listen. It is not often a rock critic gets excited about hip-hop. But these guys have a serious handle on their beats, and are more than anything else, a fun listen. P.S. HEADPHONES UP!
Rap is such an interesting, splintered genre. On the one hand, you have the faux-rap of radio hits and pop-schlop. On the other, you have amateurs making beats and pretending they know what to do on top of them. Lots of these dudes either start making tracks for other people, or are pseudo apprentice to a bigger name who nurtures them to stardom (e.g. for both: Kanye West). The best rappers combine a unique style of flow and rhyming with fresh, snappy tracks that they (hopefully) have a hand in producing, but its been tougher and tougher to gather attention, especially in the indie-hop community.
Enter The Knux (short for the Knuckleheads), two brothers from 'Nawlins, displaced by Hurricane Katrina, making music in LA. These guys clearly have some gritty rock influences in their production, but the flow is reminiscent of classic Outkast and other hip-hop greats.
For example: derivative track "Watchu Say" has lyrics that seriously channel Big Boi, while the beat kind of samples Imogen Heap's song of the almost-same-name (Jason Derulo eat your heart out). The chorus here is not a sample at all; sung in a flat, anti-autotune classic hip-hop refrain style. It might be love, you guys.
"F*ck You" is currently making the blog rounds, so we figured you should have a copy. The single is brassy and jumpy, highlighting the duos ability to make a truly great beat while laying down some great verses. Enjoy.
The F*ck You EP is out now. Stay tuned for a review.-
joe puglisi
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MP3: The Knux - "F*ck You" (The F*ck You EP)
The Knux on Myspace