‘Drown ‘Em in Beats, Save ‘Em with Rhymes’
Nocturnal Sound Krew & Slapp Symphony
(Slapp Symphony Music Group)
The Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts responded to complaints about R&B and hip-hop being lumped together in a single Na Hoku Hanohano Awards category by giving those distinct music genres separate categories. It’s now up to the music artists to show there is enough happening in Hawaii to sustain them. R&B might be in doubt, but with this collaborative project by Slapp Symphony and Nocturnal Sound Krew joining previous releases by the Angry Locals, there should be serious competition among worthy contenders in the hip-hop category in May.
The official hard-copy version of this album was released late last month without traditional distribution or promotion, but the format is important. It allows Slapp Symphony’s Leti "Let-T-Let" Leti and James Westbrook to present the songs in an order that makes the album more than the sum of the individual tracks.
Several tracks stand out.
First and foremost, Slo-Mo describes the human cost of Hawaii’s continuing crystal meth epidemic in stark, compelling style with "Ice Palace." The phrase "You’re turning paradise into a war zone" could be the theme for Hawaii’s next anti-"ice" campaign.
Bladez Whyte & ODDisC hail the bliss — and occasional risks — of getting high on less lethal substances with "So High." Samoan Dynasty likewise proclaims commitment to Hawaii’s hip-hop culture with vivid imagery and wit in "On My Briefcase."
Commercial pop-oriented selections by singer-songwriters Kimie Miner ("Is This Love?") and Maryann ("Waking Up") add appealing female voices to the project.
An 11th track, "Salt Lake," which isn’t listed in the album credits, pays homage to the "ghetto" streets and "projects" of the Salt Lake area — originally a beautiful freshwater refuge for endemic water birds that was destroyed to build a golf course, tract homes and chock-a-block high-rises. The lyrics combine a touch of humor with a defiant pride reminiscent of John D. Laudermilk’s classic "Tobacco Road."
Do women really refuse to "mess with" guys from Salt Lake? Oh well! It’s a fine close to the album as well as a shout-out to a beloved ‘hood.
www.slappsymphony.com
"Salt Lake"
‘I Found My Love in Waikiki’
Brad Kawakami
(Lele Music Productions)
Recording artists didn’t stop releasing singles in various formats when the Hawai‘i Academy of Recording Arts eliminated the Na Hoku Hanohano Award for single of the year. If anything, the number of single releases increased. HARA restored the category in 2010 and added a category for EPs in 2011. That’s good news for singer-guitarist Brad Kawakami, whose three-song CD release — described as a "limited-edition single" with two "bonus tracks" — will have a shot at a Hoku in the EP category.
The title song is an original. Songwriters have been describing the romantic delights of Waikiki for more than a century, and Kawakami’s composition upholds that time-honored tradition. "One look into her eyes and I knew," he croons over a smooth, contemporary hapa-haole arrangement. The next time the visitor industry wants a new theme for a "come visit Hawaii" campaign, the search can begin and end with Kawakami’s song.
As for the "bonus tracks," Kawakami and his co-producer partners, DJ Pratt and Herb Ohta Jr., put a new spin on "Blue Hawaii" by having Kawena Mechler harmonize with him in some places and echo him in others. Kawakami and his celebrity guest studio musicians also do a beautiful job with "Ei Nei." Romantic ballads are clearly his niche.
A synth-track faux string section is the only musical miscue in these three recordings.
"I Found My Love in Waikiki" is available at www.bradkawakami.com.
www.bradkawakami.com
"I Found My Love In Waikiki"
