Son Raw Dunks On The Competition with The World's First-ever Beat Tape... with Raps: Fantasy RapBall (Bandcamp Exclusive)
Directly following his own Son Raw Vs. The Psychotic Hippies and stints producing The Council of The Gods' Trilogy and The Council member Nomad Carlos' "At Will," Son Raw is back with Fantasy RapBall. Son Raw's latest has been described as a re-imagining of classic Rap verses from the 90's and beyond and the answer to a question that has confounded humanity for ages: "what if we made a beat tape... but with raps?" Initially conceived over the course of 2020, Fantasy RapBall was developed as a form of wish fulfillment during the thick of The Pandemic, when proper studio collaborations were impossible and "free time" mostly meant yet another episode of The Last Dance.
Amidst watching clips of Michael Jordan both literally and figuratively dunking on the competition, Son Raw decided that if sports fans could cosplay as NBA & NFL coaches, he could probably grab a few Rap acapellas and mold them into new songs and, eventually, an album. Far from a collection of remixes, however, Fantasy RapBall soon evolved into a beast of its own: a compilation smashing together verses and wildly different ideas to form brand new compositions, complete with a gaggle of early 2000's-reminiscent skits. "I recorded most of this album before I started working with The Council and this is my way of showing the world what I can do when producing a full project for vocalists."
"As such, the way the verses and hooks connect is just as important as the actual beat-making," says Son Raw. The album starts off with a bang courtesy of "Sci Fi In High Def," a Psychedelic banger akin to Son Raw's 2021 Bandcamp classic Psychotic Hippies mixtape. It showcases a Fantasy RapBall lyrical dream team of Danny Brown, Flying Lotus' long-forgotten alter-ego Captain Murphy, the late great Sean Price, and Hip-Hop legend Kool G. Rap on the mic. Elsewhere, "Like I Had Cerebral Palsy" unites mythical verses from Redman, E-40, and ODB, along with a classic Busta Rhymes hook, over Funkafied production first developed through Montreal's acclaimed Loop Sessions beat-making jams.
Fantasy RapBall effectively goes into overtime with the 11-minute "D-Boy Bouillabaisse," a rapid-fire collection of assorted raps, and "Anti-Social Music," an ode to the newer school of East Coast crime rhymes. Importantly, Son Raw noted his intent was to pay tribute to the Hip-Hop icons of his youth, particularly, those who are no longer with us: "when I was revising the album, I realized DMX had passed away shortly after I sampled his Verzuz appearance, joining Sean P, ODB, Pimp C, Lord Infamous, Big Pun, and Dilla, who I purposefully sampled. Sadly, the "Fantasy" part of this tape is that I'll never be able to work with them, so this was my way of paying respect."
Best known for his writing at Passion of The Weiss, as well as his recent contributions to notable publications like Dazed Magazine, Complex UK, and The FADER (dropping soon!) Son Raw has been reporting on and contributing to the intersection of Hip-Hop, Grime, Dancehall, and other beat cultures for the past 15 years. As a DJ, he has performed at International festivals, such as Piknic Electronik, underground radio stations, such as Rinse France, and legendary parties, including Los Angeles' Low End Theory. His recent critical series, the 12-part 2020 Vision Series, explored the history and impact of 12 albums released in the year 2000. Son Raw is available to book for live performances, radio freestyles, Trance DJ sets, occult ceremonies, and funerals. Son Raw's Fantasy RapBall is currently available exclusively on Bandcamp as part of today's final Bandcamp Friday festivities of 2021.