The Witzard Premier: Jack Topht's "Come On Nike" Lyric Video from We Can't Go Back Now: The Cold Rhymes Collection (EDITED BY COOL GUY BRY)
"recorded in like, 2008 by mr. ski-mask on 1-inch analog tape at the electric pumpkin patch studio on the east side of buffalo. lindsey did guitar, i did drums, and me and ski-mask did synths. i wrote the song before i had a band in 2000," Jack Topht AKA Jack Toft AKA Jack Topht with The Vegetables AKA Little Cake n Jack Toft AKA Lindsey & Jack Toft AKA TEENWOLF AND JACK TOFT wrote within a recent email exchange regarding "Come On Nike." His rather unique style has been self-described as " Kool Keith meets Crass" and has often been labelled Awesome Rap, Folk-Rap, Americana Grime, Grunge-Funk, Grunge Rap Punk/Ska, "kooky, riveting Rap, wild freak Anti-Folk Noise/Free Jazz" ( Little Cake n Jack Toft,) and "part rapper, part performance artist, part comedian/motivational speaker." Jack Topht's largely genre-less style has been compared to the likes of Bob Dylan, Minutemen frontman D. Boon, Kool Keith, Le Tigre, Jonathan Richman, Das Racist, and Ween. I would personally liken Jack Topht's output to a somehow, even more lo-fi version of Pavement with a dash of Darko The Super.
" nypirg was calling nike headquarters in the lobby of [university at buffalo] and encouraging students to complain about their sweatshop labor practices. my comedian-mentor, velvet al, came up with the punchline that their sh*t should be cheaper, since they don't pay their workers much. i worked that into a song. eventually, i had a band i could do the song with—always a staple of lindsey and my band's from 2005-2010," Jack Topht continued. Now, friend and Jack Toft super-fan Height Keech has pain-stakingly assembled a comprehensive, 22-track collection entitled We Can't Go Back Now: The Cold Rhymes Collection, culling tracks from 20 albums and endless tour-only CD-R's released over the course of the last decade. We Can't Go Back Now: The Cold Rhymes Collection is now available for pre-order from Cold Rhymes Records/Awesome Rap ahead of its Monday, Sept. 25th release. Cold Rhymes' recently assembled videos for both "TADPOLE" and The Witzard-premiered "Come On Nike" were edited together by Cool Guy Bry AKA mister from Passalacqua.
" We Can't Go Back Now: The Cold Rhymes Collection is a retrospective of Jack Topht's immense catalog. I've been a fan of Jack's music since our respective tours crossed paths at a Charlottesville, VA house show in 2011. That night, he gave me copies of RAP DRUMS, Goofy Tunes, and Songs of Love, Spleen & Tenderness. His songs went all over the place. Some songs made me laugh ( "Awkward Interactions at Yer Favorite Band's Show,") and some songs freaked me out ( "Big Disappointment.") The common thread was that they all had a strange, poignant twist and he seemed relentless and fearless in taking that "strange twist to the highest peak." Despite his wild styles, he's been anything but a reclusive, outsider artist. He’s toured the country year after year with the tenacity of a Hardcore band. Unlike that Hardcore band, there's no Jack Topht genre or Jack Topht scene for him to safely navigate. I've seen him ruffle feathers at local Hip-Hop open mic nights and Punk shows around the country. I've also seen him convert suspicious strangers into rabid fans with one set. Jack has self-released 20 albums over the last decade; some solo and some with frequent collaborators Lindsey, Little Cake, and TEENWOLF. These are my favorite songs off all those albums re-mastered. I hope this little tape is just the beginning of people taking a second look at what Jack [Topht] does."
- Height Keech (Cold Rhymes Records)