Yesterday I mentioned a
lack of available material for the band, Bloodline, except there was
information on other projects for at least one of the band members.
There are similar issues
with Phrase Frazier, but different. There is a Soundcloud page, but it is not
clear that Phrase performs on it, or that he set the mix.
That doesn't mean that it
doesn't make sense to listen. A rapper can act as a DJ and a mix-master, so
their musical aesthetic matters. Listening to the #NODAPL mix is an experience.
It starts with news clips and ends with them, but after the journey you have
taken musically the same quotes sound different: more urgent, more tragic, and
more meaningful. That is powerfully done, but I can only safely assume that Phrase
Frazier approves of it, and not that he made it.
That brought me back to
my original point of knowledge about Phrase Frazier, an article in Indian
Country Today:
That is not like
listening to a studio recording -- even a fairly DIY one. There are breaks,
though it is amazingly smooth considering the circumstances. There is an
immediacy to it. And there is a lot to admire about Frazier's ability to
respond and keep taking the high road while facing slur after slur.
It's an interesting
transposition. There are times when rap, based on its content and delivery, can
feel like an assault. That can only be exacerbated when you need to respond to
it.
It is hard to get past
disgust with Pyrex's racist content. It's like he doesn't even have the ability
to say anything else. Maybe rap battles are similar to wrestling, where some
people will take on hero and villain roles, but there are still better ways of
being a villain.
Without physical contact,
the fight aspects of this are very real, and it is a breathtaking relief that
Frazier is able to deliver. He builds in energy and strength and triumphs.
While Frazier does not
appear to have his own Youtube Channel, Universal Battle Realm does, and has
multiple videos of Frazier with other opponents. Conflict averse types would
probably prefer a recording of Frazier doing various tracks on topics of his
own choosing, and I cannot find that this exists at this time. However, if you
are interested in more rap battles, UBR gives you a lot to explore.
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