Clams Casino has made a career of producing stratospheric head-space beats for artists from ScHoolboy Q to The Weeknd. The sound he originally curated helped elevate the careers of an entire roster of so-called “cloud rap” artists, but Clams’ musical style has hardly remained confined to a single genre, much less a subgenre. Through both direct contribution and indirect influence, he’s helped define much of the sound that hip-hop in general has taken on over the past decade.

As a result, Clams Casino, who goes by Michael Volpe when he’s at the DMV, has always maintained a following apart from the artists he contributes beats to. He’s previously acknowledged as much with the release of an EP and three mixtapes which pieced together odds and ends and offered up instrumental versions of his tracks, but these releases remained secondary to his role as a beat-provider for other artists.

Now, on his debut studio album 32 Levels, Clams Casino has finally moved his name from the liner notes to the album cover, enlisting a whole cadre of collaborators for 12 tracks of entirely new content. 

The album is essentially split into two parts, with the first half focusing on hip-hop while the second takes on a more melodic feel. To that end, the first six tracks are built around contributions from rappers Lil B, A$AP Rocky, and Vince Staples, all of whom he’s provided beats for in the past.

Staples takes the lead on “All Nite,” a glitch-addled track which could have been right at home on the LBC rapper’s Summertime ‘06 album, alongside the Clams-produced “Norf Norf.” It’s not quite as at home on 32 Levels, but it’s a welcome addition all the same since Staples shows up in his signature style, serving up more of the rapid-fire tales of Long Beach gang culture that made his own albums hits.

But it’s Lil B who gets the lion’s share of feature time on 32 Levels, racking up four separate guest spots on the album. This should come as no surprise considering the long-term collaborative relationship that the Based God has shared with Clams Casino, but it’s ultimately disappointing if you’ve come to grips with the fact that Lil B just isn’t a good rapper.

He fails to keep up with Rocky on “Be Somebody” and he squanders two good beats with his listless anti-flow on “32 Levels” and “Witness,” turning in rhymes like, “Big boss, call me big boss, call me Rick Ross/ Fredo Santana, yeah I got the hammer/ Yeah I’m army strong with that pink bandana/ I’m a Navy SEAL so you know I get scanners/ Call me a Marine cause my money come faster.”

As the late Capital STEEZ once rapped, “They say hard work pays off, well tell the Based God don’t quit his day job.”

But I digress. Part of the thrill of being a Clams Casino fan is getting to have your pick of which vocal tracks make the cut on your playlist, while getting instrumental versions of everything else. It’s a choose-your-own-adventure, and everybody wins. Volpe’s production can stand on it’s own musically–as evidenced by “Skull” and “Blast,” the only two tracks on the album not to feature guest appearances–or it can be augmented by artists from a range of different genres.

By the time the sixth track is over, so is the focus on hip-hop, shifting toward a more indie pop and R&B tone. Unlike much of Volpe’s previous work, which leaned heavily on vocal samples from artists such as Imogen Heap, 32 Levels features more original instrumentation and direct vocal contributions, particularly on the second half of the album.

Kelly Zutrau of the band Wet, Samuel Herring from Future Islands, and solo artist Kelela stand out in particular, with Herring sounding like some strung-out, robotic approximation of Nick Cave on “Ghost in a Kiss,” and Kelela sounding every bit as urgent on “A Breath Away” as she did on her excellent Hallucinogen EP last year. Some fans might not be as charmed by Mikky Ekko‘s poppy crooning, but again, pick your poison, it’s all here for the taking.

The end result is an album that certainly showcases Volpe’s versatility, if not his ability to stand on his own as a headlining artist. Volpe seems to have forgotten from the start that he’s the headliner here, relegating himself back into liner note territory and allowing his guest artists to command the mix. Ironically, it’s still his Rainforest EP and Instrumentals mixtapes that provide the best evidence for his competence as a solo artist. 

Still, he makes a strong case that Clams Casino is a name you should know, negotiating through multiple genres while maintaining his signature sound from start to finish. So if ethereal synths and somnambulant vocals imposed onto 808s with a gritty Southern cadence sounds like something you’d get down with, then you’re bound to find something to like on 32 Levels.

Download 32 Levels on iTunes.

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The post RESPECT. Review: Clams Casino’s ’32 Levels’ appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

On a new record with the Nutley, New Jersey-based producer Clams Casino, Detroit-native rapping entity Danny Brown asks is it really worth it: The fast cars and ice, new girls at night, etc. Hear the thought-provoking new track from the Adult Swim Singles series below:

“Worth It” is also up for free download via Adult Swim’s site. What’s your take? Do you wanna live that life?

The post New Music: Danny Brown & Clams Casino – “Worth It” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

With the many surprise projects that have already hit the streets, we can now anticipate the quality A.L.L.A album from ASAP Rocky. According to the “Purple Swag” artist, we won’t be waiting too long:

“Honestly, it’s finished. I’m mastering it right now. It’s coming soon, seriously soon. I don’t consider it a surprise — you put it out there and its art, that’s the surprise. I hope people are surprised by my album. I don’t know what to expect, I just do what I do.”

Although we only have minimal information at this stage, the diversity of the project is what will make this production stand apart from previous releases. With collaborators like LLA, Clams Casino, Lykke Li and FKA Twigs jumping on board, we expect nothing less than superb.

ASAP also talked about expressing his versatility from a unique angle, or more specifically, a ‘deeper, musical, intellectual side’:

“When I first came on the scene it was more of this trendy, bourgeois, pizazz attitude. That’s still me, but at the end of the day I think that kind of overshadowed the whole purpose of me doing what I do. I’m an incredibly diverse artist, I’m a universal artist. At least that’s how I see it.”

I can’t give nothing else away. – asvpxrocky

The post ASAP Rocky Readies ‘A.L.L.A.’ Album appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

ASAP Ferg is known for getting the party started with his music, but this time he is taking a different approach. Produced by Clams Casino, the powerful, conscious record touches issues from race, to the controversial Mike Brown case (we posted Tink’s latest track earlier today, which also touches on this sensitive subject). The track is featured on Ferrg’s upcoming Gangsta Grillz mixtape Ferg Forever that will drop on Black Friday. This is a dope track that speaks to how a lot of people feel right now. Get into it below.

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The post New Video: Vic Mensa x Clams Casino – “Egyptian Cotton” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

JJ DOOM is back and black. Seriously, the album cover is now black this time for some reason. Key to the Kuffs, the collaborative effort between DOOM and Jneiro Jarel came out a year ago, but the duo has decided to repackage it and include remixes and collaborations that either didn’t initially make the cut or that were recorded after the release. Based on the tracks that have been released so far, it’s probably worth a listen. According to the album’s Amazon page, there will also be songs featuring Clams Casino and Beck. Listen to the new tracks below and tell us which one is your favorite. “Pause Tape” gets our vote.

Also, check out our interview of DOOM.

The post JJ DOOM Releases 3 New Tracks appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Nacho Picasso and Avatar Darko finally deliver their anticipated collaborative project, Vampsterdam. The very dark EP features production from AraabMuzik, Raised Byy Wolves, Blue Sky Black Death, Clams Casino and plenty more. Stream below or download here and peep the press release below.

Coming of age on the streets of Seattle, Nacho Picasso and Russian-American Avatar Darko have only become brothers of scum in the last couple years after meeting at SXSW. Nacho’s twisted, syrupy slow raps and Avatar’s flippant attitude toward everything except his Russian heritage are all a given. The two degenerates also bring out the best – or worst – of each other, depending upon how its looked at, both in content and style. Vampsterdam is the result of many drug-fueled, early-morning recording sessions in Seattle and Los Angeles.

The post EP Download: Nacho Picasso & Avatar Darko – “Vampsterdam” appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.