Assassins, Fantomas, Mutantes and Serpents

Here's a little secret: I like hip-hop. Not all of it; not even most of it. I despise the top-selling hip-hop stuff out there -- the violent, hypermasculine, misogynistic gangsta rap, the East versus West posturing, the bling-bling and the self-promotion. But that's just the stereotype, and as is often the case, if you look away from the steaming pile of crap in the middle of the room and start exploring the corners and corridors, you will see that there is a wealth of treasure out there waiting to be found.The best of hip-hop is characterized by two things: engaging beats and rhythms (vocal as well as instrumental); and intelligent, often witty, wordplay. There are lots of examples out there, often at the fringes of the genre. (OK, maybe I just perceive them as fringes. For all I know, everybody who knows the genre knows of the Welsh hip-hoppers Goldie Lookin' Chain. No?)Thus we come to Buck 65, a discovery in the '07 SXSW files. You may be surprised to learn that Nova Scotia had produced any sort of hip-hop artist. I was. But then, I'm a provincial American lout who believes that Canadians live in igloos and marry beavers. Anyway, this song, _Kennedy Killed the Hat_, is not traditional hip-hop, but it sure is fun. The vocals remind me of Joy Division and the rhythms and lyrics make me think of Shriekback at its best. And Buck 65 is offering free downloads of his new 5-song EP on "his website":http://www.buck65.com/. I loves me some free music.