It’s been over a year since Dijon SAMO (FKA LaVi$h) released an official album. And today, we present to you his breakout work Life, As We Know It [LAWKI, for short]. We$t Coa$t born and bred, the Nouveau Riche Records (URNR.TV) representative began working on LAWKI in 2011. For two years, SAMO took the time needed and the space required for his creativity to reach new heights; he brought in his production team, ForeverToday, (primarily working with Sa’eed) to create the unique sounds that effervesce throughout the album. And as you’ll discover, a vast majoroty of the album is 100% original. Only “REM” (produced by Sa’eed) and “Vices” (NAEM) sample Toro Y Moi, a favorite of both SAMO & Sa’eed. SAMO has matured over the last two years, and it shimmers throughout the album. He’s also built quite the catalogue, including work with Rome Fortune (soon to be released), Western Tink, Buddy of i AM OTHER, Casey Veggies, Pyramid Vritra, LeftHandMitch, and Ceej of Two9.

The album was originally delayed after the Polaroid Co. threatened to sue SAMO for originally titling the album Polaroid (a reference to SAMO’s desire to capture the good and bad times that characterized his life). So he did what any self-respecting (and attorney-lacking) artist would do : he scrapped that whole project, changed his name from LaVi$h to Dijon SAMO, moved to New York, and renamed the album to LAWKI (but Fuck the Polaroid Co. was probably an alternate title). The final album was recorded in New York, Texas, and LA, charting his physical and artistic moves around the country. SAMO’s focus was to build his fan base nationwide, as he’s begun picking up speed in his hometown of Los Angeles, Texas (where he toured every major city) and New York City (headlining shows at SOB’s with Shabazz Palaces, and Santos Party House with Ree$e, Western Tink, and Sam RUBIK). And he’s not just courting the rap world. SAMO has been busy lately collaborating on a limited release of merch with URNR.TV, preparing the album’s visuals, and he recently shot a commercial for Pure Fix Cycles out in LA.

back cover

This album is SAMO’s most precious body of work, keeping his voice almost stubbornly alone on a majority of the tracks. Only NAEM, Buddy, and Niko G4 show their voices on this album. Even the production comes from close to home: 3rd Kingdom, Dijon SAMO (he included some self-produced tracks), ForeverToday (his production team), Chuck Wun (of FT), and Sa’eed (of FT) are the only producers on the 13-track album. Sa’eed, a longtime collaborator of SAMO’s, is also a Nouveau Riche favorite. His galactic tonalities and aerated pitches have projected him into a brand of music that few can simultaneously control and allow to auto-define. This mollifying sound is the basis for much of the album, targeting each track with whispers of his influence.

While SAMO’s attempt at garnering a wide audience are endearing, what’s most admirable about this project is its distinctly-relaxed, West Coast atmosphere. Yet there’s no hyphy nods, #BASED nuances, or three-wheel lick-hittin. SAMO is able to siphon the aura of his own particular experience(s) into this album, not rely on pre-existing aesthetics. He explores a host of sounds to capture and explore the aura of his Left Coastal perspective. His roots shine through each and every note on LAWKI. Whether he’s referring to his time in Atlanta’s Zone 6 [Z6ne], Brooklyn Akhis, or the Texas heat, he carries the distinctly-spreading sounds of his dear West Coast. His keen ear for easily-reflected sounds resonates throughout, elevating and dispersing his words directly into the essence of his listeners.

And through this atmosphere, he creates a symbiosis between his sounds : each “region” of rap carries its own aesthetics to those surrounding, amplifying each one’s influence on the other. His trap-hungry snares are accompanied by synth elevations: ATL meets the spirituality of the Pacific sun; his occasional boom-bap currents flow over a bed of hushed trumpets; NYC clobbers into the repose of a coastline cruise; his chopped/slurred drum pangs regain their calm from tamed keys: Screwston, TX slows to the graying skies of the misty Bay area. No matter where life takes SAMO (or, more accurately, where he directs his life), he has no choice but to nod to the sounds of his guarded core. LAWKI is one of the best examples of an author ignoring the perception that one must “know their audience.”

He isn’t speaking to anyone, for anyone, or under the authority of anyone. LAWKI is an unadulterated body of work. SAMO speaks from his own experiences, and projects himself into his own metrics of a successful life. Lending itself to no trend in particular, LAWKI presents a pure individual. Focused, thoughtful, and adventurous, the album reads like a suggestive manifesto. There are no messages or demands made, only an honest exploration of the person SAMO has grown to be. Discover him below.

Listen and buy the album on Bandcamp below.

or stream on SAMO‘s Soundcloud.

The post ALBUM PREMIERE : DIJON SAMO – LIFE AS WE KNOW IT (LAWKI) appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.

Over the weekend, fans celebrated the life of the legendary DJ Screw on the 13th anniversary of his death. Aside from furthering Houston’s presence in the rap scene, the DJ was the innovator behind one the most recognizable sounds ever: chopped and screwed. The hazy, slowed vocals over jarring cuts and chops take on a life of their own and bring an entirely new dimension to songs. The sound is ubiquitous within Houston music and is generally the first thing that comes to mind when fans think of the city’s music (save for, perhaps, grillz). Following Screw’s innovation, many other DJs ran with the sound, from the likes of Michael Watts of Swishahouse fame to OG Ron C, who is carrying on the tradition today. While the difference between great and terrible screwed remixes is vast, a properly-executed one can be even more enjoyable than the original. Therefore, in honor of DJ Screw, we’ve compiled a brief list of some familiar songs that are better slower.If you’re looking to get your feet wet in the sound, this is the pool for you. Enter the land of Screwston below.

Westside Connection – “Bow Down”

DJ Screw takes the piercing horns provided by Bud’da on the original version and muffles them in a sea of dirty sprite. The result is a much more menacing and scary threat than Westside Connection’s angry original.

UGK – “One Day”

UGK’s classic off Ridin’ Dirty is already melancholy, but DJ Screw manages to milk a little more sorrow out of Bun and Pimp’s vocals. The high-pitched harmonizing of the chorus is gone and replaced by tortured crooning.

Chamillionaire featuring Z-Ro – “Denzel Washington”

As mentioned, DJ Screw was the pioneer, but plenty of other DJs followed suit and put their own twist on the screwed & chopped sound. Michael “5000” Watts goes back a long way with Chamillionaire, and has remixed plenty of his records. “Denzel Washington,” though, off Cham’s Mixtape Messiah 7, is one of the standouts. Accompanied by another Texas legend in Z-Ro, Chamillionaire’s fast-paced flossing stops to smell the purp here.

Drake – “Marvin’s Room”

Houston may be home to the screwed sound, but you don’t need to be from there for your music to fit. Drake’s music has been screwed and chopped plenty of times. In fact, Ron C has chopped up all of the Toronto rapper’s albums in full. The undeniable winner, though, is “Marvin’s Room” (okay, “Trust Issues” is up there, too). The drunk dial has never sounded sadder and more desperate than it does right here.

The Weeknd – “Wicked Games”

Continuing with Ron C’s Toronto connections, here he manages to make The Weeknd’s music sound even darker. “Wicked Games” gets turned on its ear as Abel‘s vocals cry out in pain over a plethora of chops.

Bonus: Big HAWK – “I’d Rather Bang Screw”

Another fallen Houston legend, Big HAWK, delivered a classic when he professed his love for DJ Screw and the whole chopped and screwed sound. While it doesn’t have a non-screwed counterpart to compare it to, it’s only right to pay homage to the song as it encapsulates the entire city and sound.

The post 5 Songs That Sound Unfathomably Better When Chopped & Screwed appeared first on RESPECT. | The Photo Journal of Hip-Hop Culture.