Bear with me if I've made this point before. But in 2013, the average rap fan is still apt to come across some douche who can't stand rap on a moral basis but will totally watch like four sequels to Taken to see Liam Neeson murder dozens of men to save one daughter who's dumb enough to get kidnapped more than once in her life even though she lives in bougie Bel Air or something. Yeah, cool story, bro.
So here you have Mitchy Slick in "Feet Match the Paint" (check the video here), a single from his upcoming album of the same name. On the surface, he's just bragging about balling out of control in different cities across the nation. But before someone starts bemoaning the rampant materialism in rap (you know, because the entire advertising industry definitely began the instant someone thought to loop a vinyl record), let's maybe try listening harder. The chorus makes it real easy for us:
Most of my n----s got washed in the '90s
I guess the Reaper ain't really trying to find me
'Cause I'm breathing, feasting, bedroom
Overlook the beach, feet match the paint, beating
Think about it like this: if you ever lived any portion of your life under constant threat of death -- and particularly if you have actual, first-hand evidence because you've known many people from the same geographic location or demographic group die early -- not being dead years later feels amazing. You wake up a lot of days thinking about everything that could've killed you and didn't at all. This song isn't about the power of the Almighty Dollar. This is Mitch celebrating like, "Hey man, I shouldn't be alive and I am and that is awesome." Having money and travelling all over the world is just icing on the cake. I'm not gonna sit here and pretend like rap is completely off the hook for its materialism. But I think critics often overlook this celebratory, came-from-the-bottom aspect that guides much of rap.
Anyway, the album Feet Match The Paint is finally dropping next month, if UndergroundHipHop.com is to be believed. This is a full collaboration between Mitch and the producer formerly known as DJ Fresh (I guess he's going by "the World's Freshest" now). I'm super hyped because I've been waiting on this for years. Fresh's beats are just so exquisitely lush while still retaining a nervous but exciting energy. Get geeked, guys.
Quan Vu Quan Vu is the founder and editor of local music blog sdRAPS.com. He has also written about local and national hip-hop acts for San Diego CityBeat and the San Diego Reader. You can nerd out on rap trivia by becoming BFF's on Facebook or e-mailing him directly.
