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Avg: 4.0 (37 ratings)
- Date Released: January 1, 2006
- Genre: Hip-Hop/R&B
- Style: Hip-Hop, Soul
- Label: Stones Throw
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We Say...
Whether via hip-hop backbeats or white neo-soulers like Jamie Lidell, the sound of classic R&B has been re-tooled, re-shaped and re-imagined more times than a creation myth. Few people are able to match the ingenuity and inspiration of their source material like storied DJ Madlib. Possessing both a powerful grasp of history as well as his own distinct musical personality, 'lib has proven expert at reconstituting classic grooves in a way that preserves the integrity of the original while being wholly unafraid to use it to create something entirely new.
One of those 'new creations' is Madlib's collaboration with Dudley Perkins. On 2003s A Lil Light, 'lib created a series of supple slow jams that perfectly complemented Perkins' hoarse, somewhat halting delivery. Though not exactly suave, Perkins is undeniably soulful — he lays down deep in the grooves, yammering and crooning like a sexed-up carnival barker. That trend continues on Expressions (2012 a.u.). Falling somewhere between Prince's "Camille" persona and Madlib's own Quasimoto project (but sans pitch-shifting), Perkins attacks the material with gusto, chewing through Madlib's sepia-toned set dressing with vigor and panache. "Funky Dudley" is the kind of track Sly Stone might write if he were fully-functional, Perkins' chewed-up vocal battling for supremacy with a fierce, whomping bassline. "Testin' Me" works a mellower, moodier groove, Perkins seeking relief from the Divine over hand-claps and bass-snaps. It may not sound like, say, Otis Blue, but the spirit is exactly the same. -
They Say...
Referring to Dudley Perkins' second album as a more focused set of songs than his first wouldn't necessarily be appropriate. The "singer"/rapper, as ever, often sounds as if he's either rubbing or straining his eyes to see whatever happens to be immediately in front of him, whether it's a lyric sheet or a bathroom door. Expressions does sound like less of a slapdash experiment. This time around, Perkins is more about songs than merely showing up, and though the template is basically the same (he's nothing if not a product of his '70s and early-'80s R&B collection, and he's proud to let you know exactly that), he also lends more of his personality and might've even written some of his material while clear-headed. When he sings -- he cannot actually sing -- he has a funny way of being entirely appealing, even though he's not really trying that hard. If he tried hard, he'd sound ridiculous. And he probably realizes this more than anyone else, so he shuffles on with his ragamuffin funk, expressing his love for music, women, weed, and his god. Maybe it's the weed, but he prioritizes his loves in a peculiar order. Weed is first, his god is probably second, and music appears to be ahead of women. On "Come Here My Dear," Perkins slips in a punch line that would probably get him kicked out of bed: "Almost love you as much as this music." On "Dear God," the extremely funny and very touching finale (aided by eerie, heartstrings-tugging backing), Perkins asks his god of all the usual stuff and then happily confesses that he's going to remain high as long as possible, "So when the rain comes down, I won't feel a thing." The strangest moment of all is the lone skit, in which Perkins and his girlfriend recite a domestic violence scene as if they're reading a transcript from an episode of Cops while completely blown out. Once again, Madlib provides all the bleary, bumping productions and proves to be Perkins' ideal collaborator.
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| 01. |  |
Funky Dudley |
2:47 |
|
| 02. | |
Me |
3:10 |
|
| 03. | |
Testin' Me |
4:26 |
|
| 04. | |
Get On Up |
3:03 |
|
| 05. | |
Come Here My Dear |
3:07 |
|
| 06. | |
That's the Way It's Gonna Be |
3:16 |
|
| 07. | |
Domestic Interlude |
1:21 |
|
| 08. | |
Separate Ways |
2:36 |
|
| 09. | |
Dolla Bill |
3:07 |
|
| 10. | |
Inside |
2:33 |
|
| 11. | |
The Last Stand |
2:13 |
|
| 12. | |
Coming Home |
2:04 |
|
| 13. | |
Dear God |
4:52 |
|
13 Total Tracks, 38:35 Total Length
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Credits
- Peanut Butter Wolf - Executive Producer // Peanut Butter Wolf - Mixing // Dave Cooley - Mixing // Jeff Jank - Photography // João Canziani - Photography // Georgia Anne Muldrow - Vocals // Georgia Anne Muldrow - Vocals
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