bell hooks by BBU
Are you ready for a transmission straight from the streets of the Windy City? You better be, because today Мишка is happy to present bell hooks, the brand new album from Chicago's very own BBU. Picking up more steam with each passing day, this four piece is primed and ready to burst onto everyone's radar. After hearing their feature on The Hood Internet's debut album, we knew we had to do something bigger with BBU. Joining up with Mad Decent along the way, the momentum behind the bell hooks project got even stronger.
Epic, Illekt, Jasson Perez, and DJ Esquire are the creative force behind BBU (short for Bin Laden Blowin! Up or Black, Brown, and Ugly, depending on the day), and they're committed to making socially conscious rap that doesn't sacrifice an ounce of fun. Pulling sounds from all over, including the rap of their childhoods and also the rich juke culture of their home city, BBU have truly created a soundtrack to their artist-activist lifestyle. From the impetus behind the title (the nom de plume of feminist writer Gloria Jean Watkins, in case you ain't knowin') to the poem that opens the album, BBU aren't afraid to speak their very unique minds. But these nimble wordsmiths make sure to keep the energy sky high across all of bell hooks.
Featuring beats by Stefan Ponce, Montana Macks, The Hood Internet, and more, bell hooks is packed to the brim with politics and personality, whether it be on the juking fringe anthem "Outlaw Culture", 90s music paen "Kurt De La Rocha", or the double time dense rhymes of "Cormega." These 17 tracks have also got guest verses from Das Racist, GLC, and the whole thing is mixed by DJ Benzi. It's a thrillingly unique rap release that sets the bar high this early in the year. If you're in the midwest, be sure to go celebrate its release this Thursday at Schubas in Chicago. If you can pull yourself away from listening to bell hooks that is. Listen and download below, and check the full tracklist after the jump!
Tracklist
Credits
Mixed by DJ Benzi
License
All rights reserved.
A New York City fixture since 2003, Мишка (“Mishka,” or “bear cub” in Russian) clawed their own path through the often homogenous streetwear world, beginning humbly as a small t-shirt upstart and maturing into a full blown cut & sew powerhouse.