In this current music climate filled with multiple projects releasing daily, new rappers bursting onto the scene left and right, and artists going cross-genre more than ever, it’s incredibly difficult to get noticed and more notable, it’s even more difficult to get noticed in a genre so secluded to the younger generation (especially) like a jazz band. BadBadNotGood takes their smooth, hip instrumentation and aesthetic and covers prevalent hip-hop songs (specifically their Odd Future Sessiona, which can be found on Youtube) as well as some classics (like Electric Relaxation and Mass Appeal). On first thought, one might question why a group like BadBadNotGood (BBNG for short) has been able to get as popular as quickly as they have – well, they’re tapping into an area that no other jazz band is doing right now, and even if there happens to be a jazz band doing covers of hip-hop acts, are they releasing quality videos to match? Are they doing sessions with rappers where the rapper raps over his beat performed live by BBNG? More importantly, is their appearance clean and simple yet addictive? I’d think not. BBNG is connecting the dots perfectly, and if they strike while the iron’s hot, there’s no doubt in my mind that they will ride the wave of critical acclaim in the hip-hop community. By combining popular rap with jazz, they’re tapping into the younger generation. The pre-25 year old children including, more importantly, the 90s kids. How often is it that you hear a teen listening to jazz? Not often; BBNG is virtually alone in this area. How they decide to target and advertise to that age group is going to be instrumental (no pun) in their success as a band.
Based Is How You Feel Inside: 4/5
Fall In Love: 4.25/5
Improvised Jam: 4.5/5
Mass Appeal/Transmission: 5/5
I Got A Bad Feeling About This: skit
Salmonella: 3.25/5
The World Is Yours/Brooklyn Zoo: 4.25/5 (not good use of the piano loop on “The World Is Yours”)
Freedom/Billium Evans: 5/5
Listerosis: 4/5
Camel: 4/5(it’s hard to live up to the greatness that is Flying Lotus’ “Camel”)
Title Theme/Saria’s Song/Song Of Storms: 4.75/5
Outro/Glasper: 5/5
4.36/5 – BBNG’s choice of song’s to cover greatly brought life to their instrumentation, picks.