Mixtape Roundup: Steve Ricks and I'Bee Sunny Millio & A-Rod

Hey what's good everybody? So as I've done in the past, I like to do quick little write ups on mixtapes I find on Datpiff. So I hope you are ready for another neat Anhedonic Heaphones mixtape roundup.

Murky doesn’t even begin to describe my recent find on Datpiff—INDICA, the second mixtape from rapper Steve Ricks. Heavily atmospheric, incredibly dark and claustrophobic sounding, Ricks and a bevy of producers work to create a sound that is somewhat both post-Yeezus, and post-Because The Internet, but is also relatively original in its own right.

I wish I had more information about Steve Ricks—he has a Facebook page with only 48 likes right now, and a Twitter page with roughly 30 tweets. Between this lack of a social media presence, the otherworldliness conjured up on INDICA, and the rather unsettling cover art to the tape (borrowing from the visuals How to Dress Well uses during live performances of “Suicide Dream 1”)—it all only assists in the creation of an air of mystery surrounding him as a performer, as well as this album.

To be fair, INDICA is not as heavy of an affair as I’m making it out to be. On tracks like “For You,” Ricks lightens up quite a bit, and even cracks some clever jokes throughout the course of the tape. And within that murk is lots, and lots of kush smoke. Ricks spends a bulk of the tape blunted as fuck, (I suppose that makes sense since “indica” is a type of cannabis plant) and many of the album's 10 tracks dedicated to the stickiest of the icky, including the aptly titled "Colorado." but this is far from a novelty act, like that song "Because I Got High." INDICA is serious business. The attention to detail on the production is admirable, and Ricks shows a rather incredible sense of confidence on this album.

In the little blurb that you get on Datpiff to talk about your release, it’s explicated noted that INDICA is meant to “juxtapose” the sound found on Rich’s debut release from last fall, Sativa—an effort that did not have as cohesive of a sound. Ricks has succeeded in cohesion this time out though. Clocking in at a very brief half hour and change, INDICA is paced very well, and actually takes its time—it doesn’t feel like a short album. And that’s not to imply that it’s a chore to listen to. I think it’s the depth of these songs that gives it a very rich listening experience. 

Even though I've been doing this for well over a year now, it still surprises me to no end when an artist or someone associated with an artist contacts me through social media and inquires as to if I will review their album. Like it's just a surprise that people that aren't my mother are reading this blog, but also it's amazing to me that someone would think a review from Anhedonic Headphones is a good thing to include in their press clippings.

I'm actually really bad about stuff like this—listening to things that are passed my way. I approach each one with a little hesitation, because I mean what happens if I don't like it? What do I do then? Just ignore it and hope that the person never follows up? So, in full disclosure, after being one of the 60 people that read my ILLClinton review last month, a member of the hip-hop duo I'Bee Sunny Millio and A-Rod contacted me via Facebook (their message ended up in my "Other" folder so I just saw it, like, three days ago) and wanted to know if I'd take a listen to and review their new EP, Confuciu$.

Also available courtesy of Datpiff, Confuciu$ is, in sharp contrast to INDICA, an incredibly laid-back affair. Coming in at less than a half hour, the duo focuses on clever lyricism throughout, and they use primarily fun, old school influenced beats gathered from a handful of producers—most notably the marquee name of 9^th Wonder, handling duties on the bombastic, soulful, and infectious “Beautiful Lady.”

Both Sunny Millio and A-Rod show incredible skill with their delivery right out of the gate on “Nature,” and never let up until the end, showing a wide array of influences, but also providing a youthful exuberance and originality to the EP. One would think that by using a different producer for each of Confucius$’s proper eight tracks, it would lack a universal sound. While it does span various styles of hip-hop, including a more modern trap-influenced take on some tracks, it all works together very well, showing a range in the dynamic between the duo.

Both INDICA and Confuciu$ are available as free, sponsored downloads from Datpiff.