First, an intro: gospeltruth here and I’m pumped for the opportunity to contribute to Loudersoft.
Now: Nothing has more impact on our musical lives than stuff that we grew up on. The hip-hop genre in particular is constantly progressing and thriving off of change, but lately we are seeing a lot of coming-of-age artists harking back to the music they grew up with in the 90’s. And… let’s be honest, the 90’s were the shit.
The Raider Klan Mafia is a collective of artists that has garnered an impressive following with their throwback vibe, mostly off of the success of their leader, Miami rapper/producer SPACEGHOSTPURRP. Purrp (who recently signed a deal with 4AD) and his followers have a style that is heavily influenced by the supernatural and demonic early Three 6 Mafia days. They also draw from the Houston sound made famous by DJ Screw and UGK.
But let’s focus on the M: given their distinctively Memphis sound, it seems only right that the Raider Klan would have a member from the 901. Enter Ethelwulf, representing East Memphis for the Raider Klan. On some of his tracks Ethelwulf has a speedy delivery, reminiscent of Bone Thugs-n-Harmony and his Bluff City forefather, Lord Infamous.
His song, “FLAW OF PERFECTION,” from the mixtape The Wolf Gang’s Rodolphe has been on repeat in my headphones for a week straight. This short in-and-out track brilliantly samples the 90’s hit, “My Boo” by the Ghost Town DJ’s, and Ethewulf gets his Layzie Bone on and absolutely laces the track. Listen and download the addicting track below. If you like what you hear, go get the mixtape, which includes Chopped N’ Screwed versions of all songs as well.
