Hipster-hopper Theophilus London impressive, bumpable

Theophilus London charmed me with his “This Charming Mixtape” all the way back in January, so why it has taken me this long to convey his freshness with written word is hard to say. I do know that I’m not going to be charged with missing the boat on this rapper/singer/fashion icon (“Dog I dress your stylist”) in the making. Mr. London is the reason I got into fresh detective work in the first place, so it only makes sense to return from my extended blogging vacation with enormous praise for him.

“This Charming Mixtape” hardly is original material in that, in the true spirit of mixtape culture, it’s a reworking of various songs. Lauryn Hill, Whitney Houston, Kraftwerk and even Amadou & Mariam’s “Sabali” (Do yourself a favor and check out the original song) are rapped, sung and breathed heavily over by London. The effect, however, is an eclectic sampler that successfully portrays London’s unusual hip-hop style. And it’s so so so bangin’.

Skeptics would be smart to take note of “Crazy Cousins,” “Always Love You,” “Grey X Sage” and really, the whole first half of the album. The second half slows down considerably (save “Take My Eyes Off of You,” a surprisingly non-offputting remix of Lauryn Hill’s classic), while still remaining solid. You’d be right to sense some hipster vibes, but London isn’t simply a phenomenon built on a gimmick. He’s a pastiche of a ton of crap, but he’s also a clever rapper and, as I have YouTubed and heard, quite a performer. Both the hipster and hip-hop head circles (but NOT XXL) are intoxicated with him, so he’s certainly someone worth keeping in your radar.

London released “This Charming Man” in April, and it’s just as substantial as his mixtape. He might not have grown since January, but if we’re charging rappers with a lack of development between mixtapes, someone better arrest Gucci Mane ASAP. Anyway, last week or so I came across his latest track, “Pull My Heart Away (rmx),” from what I would assume is a new project. It’s good. The beat is off-kilter and satisfying, and when London prefaces his entrance with his unmistakable grunt, you can’t help but smile. Get it “here”:http://2dopeboyz.okayplayer.com/2009/10/17/theophilus-london-–-pull-my-heart-away-rmx/.

Theophilus London is like a grown-up version of The Cool Kids, a less vulgar version of Spank Rock or maybe what Drake would sound like after taking acid continuously for five years. So, he’s about as unique as a self-aware Brooklyn artist can be these days. This doesn’t mean my adoration for London is mashup lust, which always is easy to fall into. He’s dope and hip, but he’s not dope because he’s hip. It’s not completely pointless to argue his musical relevance in relation to his counterculture fixation, but I don’t feel like doing it. What it comes down to for me is: London might seem crazy for rapping nonsense over techno beats and wearing lots of leather, but in 2009 I think that only makes you fresher.

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