Friday, November 03, 2017

Band Review: Phrase Frazier


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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