I think it’s safe to say that Hip Hop is about as diverse and colorful as it’s ever been, and much of it has to do with Chuck Inglish. Of course, there will always be those “music-heads” that constantly squawk about how every song sounds the same. But if you can get past the “Hipster-rap” label that seems to have been bestowed upon Chuck Inglish and The Cool Kids, you can see that they have actually done a lot to take hip-hop to the uncharted boundaries that was once thought too soft, too strange, too alien or too trendy for Hip-Hop.
Read more after the jump.
With The Cool Kids currently focused on their respective solo careers, Chuck Inglish has gone the creative route with his solo offering, Convertibles. Overflowing with a myriad of contrasting melodies and rough tones, Inglish is out to prove that his type of Hip Hop is just as unique as the clothing that bears his back.
Convertibles is heavily influenced by a plethora of Chuck Inglish’s always amusing style. Inglish fills this project with 1980’s synthy dance club melodies (“Legs”), groovy boom bap, pro-era styled beats (“Attitude”), and even goes the slick, daft punk-infused route with his record “Mas o Menos.”
Inglish seems to find comfort passively swinging from one specific genre to the next. “Legs,” which features Chromeo, is heavily dance influenced, something you would see in Random Access Memories. But even with all of that going on, Inglish isn’t satisfied and actually does a fantastic job of keeping listeners thoroughly entertained. It’s like going to an Arcade, you may not like all the games, but you definitely enjoyed the experience. “Shitty Lullaby” is centered on lyrical musings of relationships gone wrong, yet lathered in an upbeat, old school nightclub groove.
The outro to the album, and my favorite, “Glam,” features man of the year Chance The Rapper. This soulful experiment is filled with beautiful trumpets that mimic something you would see in Fusion Jazz, which furthermore proves that Chuck isn’t afraid to take his music wherever he chooses. And although that’s what makes the album great, it is also the albums main weakness. The general lack of cohesion is what dims the light on Convertibles’ overall quality. Although Chuckie keeps you engaged throughout, the lack of cohesion and lyricism leaves you mildly upset. But give Inglish kudos for not being scared to try new things, because we know how most rappers are. And that’s far from creative.
All in all, give it a 7.2/10.
