On first look, the duo RPxSB give off two particular vibes: Bay Space and MF DOOM. We’re not sure if the latter is an affect on Roddy Picante and Keep-Bizzy, or Rock Plaid and Survive Bullshxt, however the a number of pseudonyms, sturdy visible aesthetic and versatile model of their current Creatures album collection actually might remind hip hop followers of the just lately handed rap legend. Equally, the Bay Space (RPxSB hail from San Francisco), can also be kown for producing innovative artists. The weirder-than-weird artwork scene there may be chargeable for the innovative kinds of E40, Andre Nickatina, Too $hort and, after all, Tupac Shakur. Following in these illustrious footsteps, RPxSB’s Creatures might put this duo on the identical Bay Space map.
RPxSB aren’t precisely new; their YouTube channel goes again to 2014, the place the chums started releasing “spit clips,” movies the place they rapped collectively over widespread beats. Roddy Picante additionally has a number of solo tracks launched round 2015, nevertheless it appears they deided early on that working collectively was higher. It actually seems to be to be extra enjoyable if their movies are something to go by.
The duo has posted lots of these clip-style movies in addition to in-studio and enjoyable pictures of their life whereas creating (or partying) over the previous seven-odd years, and it was a sensible transfer to doc all this chaos. It gave a face and a vibe to RPxSB lengthy earlier than they have been doing extra structured albums and movies for unique tracks. The duo contemplate themselves filmmakers on prime of being hip hop artists. These high-quality movies the place followers can get to know the blokes will make them really feel like they’re coming alongside for the experience.
Flash ahead to 2 years in the past, RPxSB started working in earnest on unique tracks and launched their first LP, Audioporn. Their movie manufacturing enterprise, now known as Mobligated Movies, additionally solidified with the discharge of the primary video from this album, “SamOl.” The occasion vibes have been nonetheless there together with his tongue-in-cheek shot at Pussy Riot, however their sound from this album on could be a bit mroe grounded in indie rap and, dare we are saying it, aware hip hop.
Mentioned aware rap was tempered with a wholesome dab of irony, as soon as once more A’la MF DOOM or Odd Future, nevertheless it’s there nonetheless via all RPxSB’s releases over the previous three years, and there have been many. The duo launched two full-length albums in 2020 and two lengthy EPs (one other kind of collection) and an album, an EP and a one-off single in 2021. That’s nothing in comparison with 2022: the three Creatures albums are their second, third and fourth long-plays this yr, and it’s solely September. That’s lots of work.
We’ve established that these two positively put the work in, however their model makes it appear easy. As with a extremely good dancer or actor, audiences watching RPxSB’s movies or listening to Creatures will get misplaced on the earth these two expert rappers create. It comes each from the stream and the manufacturing on this case. With a various producion model starting from funk to lure and each Roddy and Bizzy having wonderful vocal timbres and lyrical prowess, it’s actually a can’t-miss.
Act I of the Creatures collection is Issues that Kill Me Inside, launched August 26. Opening with a easy, semi-atmostpheric observe known as “Skyfall,” the introspective tone of Act I is about from leap. The beat on “Skyfall” is minimal because the duo flex their rapping muscle tissues. No mumble rap or one phrase per bar right here; the flows roll off these golden tongues sooner and smoother than the hip hop world has heard from anybody in years. Additionally they change kinds fairly simply. “Skyfall” has a kind of Mike Jones-meets-MF vibe the place the jazzy, in some way much more chill second observe “Climate Patterns” has a extra gravely, syncopated format a’la Nas or fellow Bay Space artist E40. Act I closes with “Indie Playlists,” a spotlight of the entire collection the place the pair reminisce concerning the golden age of hip hop. A favourite of the aritsts themselves, one more well-produced black and white mini movie with 90s vibes that match the track.
Act II: Boar, dropped on September 2, predictably has a a lot completely different vibe than the primary act. No much less introspective in lyrics, the music and verse are extra aggressive, as is the subject material. Second observe “Kevin Nash” is downright creepy, giving Geto Boys’s “Thoughts Taking part in Methods on Me” vibes, whereas the trappy “Fentanyl” that includes Actual Ones is has a chill but eerie high quality. The creepily named closing observe “The Demon Hour” is surprisingly pretty peaceable with actually attention-grabbing sound design.
Act III: JOPO simply dropped final week on September 9 and it probably the most lighthearted installment of Creatures. Primarily based on the cartoonish album artwork for every installment (Issues That Kill Me Inside is a smiley face surrounded by medication and Boar is, effectively, a boar), JOPO is a kind of clownish character and the album has extra foolish vibes, not less than musically. Additionally taking from the golden age of clowns, there’s a great deal of 50s and 60s sampling in tracks like “Unhealthy Lemons” and “Bip Metropolis Blues.” JOPO can also be in all probability the funkiest of the three installments, taking the soiled south and Houston undertones to the forefront. We have been proper to identify that Mike Jones model, it appears, because the closing observe right here, “281-330-8004,” is a callback to a lyric in Jones’s “Again Then” hit from 2005 and it’s additionally sampled within the observe.
In a good music world, the Crreatures collection could be blowing up already. With vocal and lyrical chops that rival the greats like DOOM and Nas, indie uniqueness like their Bay Space neighbors E40 and Nickatina and soiled south funk like Mike Jones, RPxSB are nearly too good for this period of hip hop. With various model, epic flows and one thing for everybody, when you like actual, good hip hop, do your self a favor and change into one of many Creatures.
The complete Creatures collection is out now and will be streamed on Spotify together with the remainder of RPxSB’s discography. Take a look at their equally epic movies on their YouTube and VEVO channels.
