Socalled - Ghettoblaster FLAC download

With his third album, titled Ghettoblaster, Socalled accentuates the individuality of the genre he has created, that of Jewish hip hop. Josh Dolgin, known as the rapper Socalled, combines the melodies and rhythms of Klezmer music with contemporary percussive beats and interjects the vocal stylings of hip hop artists to create music which belongs under no other genre than its own. While alternative rap has many different sub-genres, Socalled’s focus on traditional Jewish music distinguishes his music from the entirety of modern day hip-hop. Thus, the acoustic experience of listening to Ghettoblaster is a novelty. Considering Socalled’s ability to play the piano, accordion, organ, and synthesizer and the numerous guest appearances on the album, including the clarinetist David Krakauer, Irving Fields, and rapper Subtitle, it comes as no surprise that the tracks of Ghettoblaster display a very diverse and rapid array of sounds. While Socalled approaches musical genius on some tracks wherein he constructs beautiful arrangements out of a confusion of many sounds, there are an equal number of tracks which come off only as a cacophony of instruments and samples. The single You are Never Alone is the masterpiece of the album, crafted from Klezmer melodies, a variety of vocals, and a captivating whistle. The underlying instrumentation and a cappella vocalization provide the background over which a country singer, gospel singer, and rapper lyrically duel. Another highlight of the album is (Rock the) Belz, a track which combines Yiddish vocals, French rap, and an elderly narrator who tells a story of dilapidation in the city of Belz, the home of Hasidic Judaism. Songs such as (Rock the) Belz, Baleboste, and Rece Cica are exquisite examples of the genre Socalled has created: not only does he mix Klezmer melodies with contemporary hip hop beats, but he revives Jewish themes with a modern flair. While these tracks add to the musical allure of Ghettoblaster, the remaining tracks are equally detrimental. The tracks Ghettoblaster Intro, Slaughter on 10th Avenue, Slaughter Interlude, and Bikel Family Night seem either out of place or useless; these tracks generally have much fewer musical sources; fewer samples, fewer instruments, and less percussion. Socalled has distinguished himself through the combination of many melodies, samples, and vocals; these tracks lack his musical complexity. However, such complexity of sound is the flaw of a few tracks on the album, namely Good Ole Days and Heart Attack Feeling. While the initial mesh of sounds suggests that Socalled is attempting to create an arrangement out of chaos, as he did in You are Never Alone, such an arrangement never evolves from the clashing musical sources, the result is cacophony. As an album, Ghettoblaster demands an audience, if not for the allure of You are Never Alone, but at least for its originality as Jewish hip hop. Given the nature of mainstream hip hop, Socalled’s use of Klezmer music and unusual samples make the album very refreshing in comparison to contemporary rap. Admittedly, some of the tracks seem out of place or incorporate too many musical sources, yet the remaining tracks are worthy of an audience.