Hail Mary Mallon – Are You Gonna Eat That? album review
If Aaron hadn't chosen to snowboard for the rest of his life, music would easily fill that hole. Avid gig-goer when finances and scheduling allows, he has seen everyone from Del tha Funky Homosapien to the Rolling Stones to Sharon Jones. An off-the-cuff writer, he started writing after he realised he would forget main aspects of the topic he spoke about... turned out he liked it. His non-musical musings can be found at the link below where you never really know what will come up. And yes. He is related to Neil.
Supergroups come and go, and side projects are now commonplace. Hip hop is not immune – Dr. Dre would never have become the self-contained superpower he is today if NWA had never split. More recently, the Hail Mary Mallon trio – Aesop Rock, Rob Sonic, and DJ Big Wiz – have released “Are You Gonna Eat That?”, a collaboration that is slick, but not overproduced. In other words, a welcome entry in today’s commercial scene.
While today’s rap has been touting the virtue of clubs, chains and Cristal (with a Lil Jon/Wayne cameo to keep the younger listeners happy), Hail Mary Mallon keeps it gangster by remaining with the old-school on all fronts. The guys have a laid-back style of delivery, as if it’s a hot day and there just happens to be a beat behind the rhymes. They certainly have the talent to bust the lyrics quick (check the chorus of “Garfield”, and pretty much all of “Table Talk” as evidence), but Hail Mary Mallon are in no hurry. Breakdance Beach certainly sounds like the 80s – pop ‘n’ lock is definitely on your mind with that beat, and the “Go! Go! Go!” will make you wish you were old enough to actually remember breakdancing. If you really want to enjoy cruising in the sun this summer, do it to “Mailbox Baseball”, and marvel as your personal cool factor notches up.
In a world where hip hop has taken a turn for the worst, it’s refreshing to hear a group of talented individuals remaining true to the ideals they hold. “Are You Gonna Eat That?” could have succeeded 20 or 30 years ago just as easily as it can today. The beats are classic retro (but not kitsch), the messages and stories are equally as relevant. Hail Mary Mallon, as odd as it sounds, have rebranded the pioneering parts of hip hop and avoided the “bling, guns, ho’s” stereotype that has blighted their peers in the 21st century.
Tags: aaron peart, Aesop Rock, Baseball, Big Wiz, DJ, Hail, Hail Mary Mallon - Are You Gonna Eat That? album review, Mailbox, Mallon, Mary, Reviews, Rob Sonic
