Ode to the Guilty Simpson

ILLUSTRATION by LUKE MCGARRY

Yet another protégé of the late great hip-hop visionary J. Dilla, Guilty Simpson broke away from the “featuring” set with his very recent full-length solo album Ode to the Ghetto. Just the ensemble of producers would hype up any million-dollar mainstream album: Madlib, Mr. Porter (also known as Kon Artis of D-12), Oh No, Black Milk, DJ Babu (of Dilated Peoples and Beat Junkies), Konnie Ross, and even the G.O.A.T. himself, J. Dilla. And Guilty’s supporting guests—MED, Sean Price, Black Milk, Super MC, Krizsteel, and Konnie Ross—reveal him in a well-deserved and respected position amongst Detroit hip-hop sovereignty. His Ode to the Ghetto (out in March on Stones Throw—and a play on Beethoven’s Ode to Joy?) is raw, gritty and unflinching. From just the transition in the introduction of “The American Dream”—a Madlib track that runs a tribal beat into a melodious sample of an old Bollywood film song—you can feel that Ode won’t have anything you’ll want to skip. But if you must skip, listen to “Pigs,” a Black Panther Party-esque attack on police corruption and brutality—“You want my ID?/It’s not a problem/What’s the two and three cars for?/I’m not the mob!”—driven by Madlib’s heavy bass and sharp percussion. Or for a more romantic feel, try “Kinda Live,” with Guilty ready to serenade instead—“You felt me, with no deal/That’s why I keep you, in my world/Because you got me, it’s no lie/And what we have, won’t die”—over Mr. Porter’s gentle chords and gated claps. It’s a significant change for Guilty, but I really like it; it’s one of those tracks that lets you sit back and bob your head. And his double entendres and one-liners are so funny they’re actually serious—“You niggas wanna buck with G’s, bitch please/I’ve seen harder kids in the Chuck E. Cheese.” Ode demonstrates why he gets to work with the greats. On a show presenting some of Detroit’s very best, Guilty Simpson is easily ready to hold his own.

GUILTY SIMPSON WITH BLACK MILK, COLD STEEL (PHAT KAT AND ELZHI), INVINCIBLE AND FINALE PLUS DJs HOUSE SHOES AND ORATOR VAULT 350 | 350 PINE AVE LONG BEACH 90802 | SAT 9PM $16.50 | ALL AGES | VAULT350.COM

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