Monikker Music

Suicide Notes is a self-titled concept album by a concept hip-hop duo in Austin. This is their debut album and dictates their respective characters' series of suicide notes. Suicide Notes released this album in December. It's gotten coverage in the Austin Chronicle, popular Austin blogs such as OVRLD, and more. Monikker's Hip-Hop Blog will be posting a new podcast show featuring an interview with Suicide Notes rapper/producer HADES (also, Protextor will be there). 

Dark humor permeates this record. Even many of the song titles are part of the album concept. Those song titles bear names of real artists who killed themselves. Despite the concept and thematic material being so dark, this isn't one of those scary horror core albums. The characters, Frankie Donatello & Boo G. Ratchet (another funny, quirky name - "bougie ratchet") rap about their fantasies, failures, and frank feelings on life. Sometimes they come across a little nerdy in the sense they're analyzing and thinking too hard about things. Their funny interludes and skits aren't meant to be taken literally.

The record opens with a nod to golden age with some great boom bap beatboxing. The album production sticks to a boom bap foundation but also explores synth-y, electronic-influenced rap beats. One of my favorite production trends on this record is their use of funky, digitally manipulated vocal samples on choruses. Examples include the songs "Ernest Hemingway" and "Bad Dreams." This is a great sound that rap fans should find dope.

Suicide Notes' first single, "Kurt Cobain," was released in the latter half of 2015 with an accompanying music video. The song features instantly recognizable keys, samples, and bass parts. It's a funky East Coast hip-hop vibe. Frankie and Boo G drop their tongue-twisting rhymes over turntable samples. "Kurt Cobain" has the type of production that I can see the lyrically-minded, now-defunct West Coast group Jurassic 5 rapping over. Live bass, slightly funky, live authentic percussive parts and scratches. This isn't any of that mainstream crap.    

The masterminds behind the record go by the stage names of HADES (plays the character of Frankie Donatello) and LROY (Boo G. Ratchet). They're not only the rappers and characters, but also the producers of the music. In addition, the record was released on the Austin hip-hop label Black Market Pluto, which is headed by HADES.  

HADES and LROY have been working on great records with other Austin artists too. They were both involved in Protextor's new album SHIFT. LROY was credited on P-tek's song "Breakdown," and HADES has multiple production credits on SHIFT. These artists do seem to fit well together, as they all mesh their talents with a lyrical hip-hop style in unique, unconventional and slightly nerdy ways. It feels right that an artistic, open-minded city like Austin would be dropping dope hip-hop records such as these.
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