do you guys see bmore becoming a mature genre? (not mature as in lyrics about existentialism but mature as in stylistically developed and varied enough to become something that will be around for the next 10 years) or flavor of the year?
Here's the dilemma. There's been some progression, especially if you listen to some of the late '90s stuff, and then compare it to Rod Lee or DJ Technics tracks -- much more developed, some pretty interesting percussion, etc. But it's been more or less hijacked as the hipster booty dj flavor of the year, and now anyone with fruityloops and serrato can churn out remixes using the basic bmore-shuffle riddims (there are like 3 or 4 main rhythm patterns that get recycled). Very little imagination, it's just a way to put a hipster-twist on popular hip hop and r&b. Aaron Lacrate I guess is the poster child of this, and actually all the old skool Baltimore guys hate him for being what he is: a suburban carpetbagger who's piggybacked on a 20-year-old music culture who now gets bigger gigs than they do because he's white. They have started making anti-gutter-music shirts in Baltimore in protest (tried to find a pic, but couldn't).
Have you listened to either of the Blaqstarr EPs floating around? Superstarr on Mad Decent and... an older one, I can't think of the name. They are definitely next level, you can't pigeon-hole them into bmore, but they are definitely out of that scene. Weird dark harmonizing, loads of ideas, very nice drum programming -- the intricacy reminded me of vintage RZA, seriously! It's beautiful stuff, and it gives me hope.
Spankrock I wanted to like more than I did... I got the impression the producers are better DJs than beat-makers. The tracks were overstuffed, not very coherent. Also not very representative of baltimore club, but sort of born out of a bmore-philly-hipster collision. The rapper (also named Spank Rock, confusing!) had a falling out with some of the DJ/producers I think; his new EP (bangers & cash) is a pretty one-note 2 Live Crew homage.
DJ Assault is Detroit -- depending on who you are you call it ghettotech (the commercial name), ghetto bass, fast shit, whatever. Detroit's booty scene peaked earlier than bmore (around 2000), and had more techno influence than Baltimore (which has more breakbeats, I think a go-go influence), but both scenes cherished a lot of the same records early on: italo, Chicago house, Miami bass, etc. There's still a lot of people who make and like the music, but it used to be THE Detroit music, it was EVERYWHERE from like 1998-2000. Then it declined for several reasons. Scene infighting, which broke down on racial lines; increased interest in dance music circles which made the artists look for quick cash-ins outside Detroit (Detroit's scene was really competitive, but people didn't could rest on their laurels when they played other places); and rap catching up to the bass sounds. Fergie songs are basically ghettotech according to a lot of Detroit people.
