Library Steps – Rap Dad, Real Dad

Interim Series: THE AWESOMENESS OF JAMES, PT.3

Also included with the awesome G N’ R LP set (for my birthday) was this newest Library Steps CD, which James says he received as a duplicate copy when he only ordered one. So I get the extra! Sweet!

I came to know of Jesse Dangerously through James (he sent me a couple of his albums and I loved them both). Here, Dangerously pairs with Ambition (and a bunch of guests, none of whom I know by name but that’s ok) to create a record I instantly loved. 

Now, y’all know I don’t know much about rap music, but I know what I like when I hear it. And based on my own preferences which I truly cannot put into definitive words, this disc is (already) the Rap Album Of The Year, for me. Seriously, it’s that good!

Musically, it’s an overall slower vibe, a chill, jazzy, groovy thing that’s not in any rush. Sure, when the song is angry, the music is too, but it’s never quick. The tracks feel old school, the scratch of an old LP is there, and it just feels damn good. It’s all friggin’ glorious.

Lyrically, they have a ton to say, and it’s all done with conscience, intelligence, self-awareness, humour, and care. There’s way to much to try to tell you about it all, but it’s a lot and it’s brilliant. One stand-out is a darker track, GJHS (Genocide Junior High School), which tells the tale of the creation of Canada, and the horrors committed in order to achieve it. Not every rap is a history lesson/reminder… And this is only one of the tracks on a truly strong, widely-varied, often incredible record.

In Sum: 

Brilliance. Loved it all. THANK YOU JAMES!