In a relatively quick succession to the debut street release from the Chicago-based indie-pop/hip-hop group, Cocaine 80s – their latest project (headed by super producer No I.D.) dropped Ghost Lady earlier this month. The conglomerate known affectionately as ‘Cocaine 80s’ is comprised of a number of musicians and artists in their own right which includes G.O.O.D. music affiliate, Common, Kevin Randolph, Steve Wyreman; in addition to several Roc Nation associates, Rob Kinelski, Makeba, and lead singer James Fauntleroy.
Ghost Lady is the follow-up mixtape to their debut EP which dropped this past June, aptly titled The Pursuit, aiding to the mythology of their name and spurring interest with the musical concoctions presented; reflecting (possibly) the meaning behind, who and what is Cocaine 80s? Certainly, the foundation behind understanding who they are does not take away from the music being created within this magical team, as The Pursuit provides a glimpse into the vision these artists possess. Although the way their title came about is unclear, in the same way that they all sort of ‘appeared’ on the scene without warning – the Cocaine 80s sound is a pleasant break from the monotony of what you find on the radio…in any genre.
This isn’t your typical No I.D. presentation, formerly known for a series of hit singles, and working with artists such as Jay-Z, Kanye West, Rihanna, Drake, Usher, Alicia Keys, and most recently, producing most (if not all) of Big Sean’s freshman album Finally Famous. Given such an impressive resume, it wouldn’t be far-fetched to dub No I.D. as a pioneer in the game, as he already holds the title (unofficially) as the sole “Godfather of Chicago hip-hop”. However, both The Pursuit and Ghost Lady explore a variation of sounds, that can quite possibly be characterized as a mixture of rock, pop, folk, R&B, jazz and of course, not straying too far from the foundation that No I.D. is mostly known for. Although, Ghost Lady is a bit more acoustic than The Pursuit, as the only track relying on a pure hip hop vibe is the single, “Six” featuring Common. Similarly, Common’s appearance on both EPs are found in the second track (“Summer Madness”), and are possibly the strongest entries on either mixtape. Ghost Lady also revisits a track off of it’s predecessor, entitled “Not No More” – in a more spirited, up beat, ‘scat’ version, but still very much coupled with an acoustic guitar, except now drowned out by percussion.
Ghost Lady is not nearly as satisfying for an EP, as the release comes to an abrupt end – with “The Legend of the Heart”, this being said in the most positive way possible. It truly leaves you wanting more. But hopefully this means we can look forward to an LP coming soon from the group. A brilliant combination of eclectic tastes completely comprised inside of a 7-track mixtape, this is for the hip-hop head with an affection for different styles of music embedded inside of one playlist.
Download here: http://www.datpiff.com/Common-Cocaine-80s-Ghost-Lady-Ep-mixtape.275581.html
Jhood Is a no one at this point he wont get a response