Turbulence: “Notorious”
It’s hard to keep track of whether the hipsters are hating or loving Pitchfork at any given time, and the latest I’d heard is that the blogs were displeased with the indie media juggernaut (oxymoron?) for becoming too “blog-like”, because apparently people don’t like blogs, not even the people who write them. Regardless, one positive thing that has occurred since the blogification (new term!) of Pitchfork is the creation of their Infinite Mixtape project. Basically, it’s a glorified way for them to get away with posting random mp3s that they like a lot, and though I can’t say I always agree with their choices, I’ve definitely found some great songs thanks to the project. One such song is “Notorious”, by Jamaican dancehall rapper Turbulence (né Sheldon Campbell). I’m confident I wouldn’t have discovered this song if not for the Infinite Mixtape, and my life would definitely be slightly worse for it. The track was originally released two years ago, but has been rereleased as the leadoff song on an XL Records-curated compilation entitled Serious Times, and is basically just really freaking awesome. It’s got a well sung hook (Turbulence has a surprisingly good voice) and infinity-steps-better-than-Sean Paul verses, and it definitely has the potential to fill dance floors around the United States, just as it’s been doing for years in Jamaica.
MP3: “Notorious” - Turbulence ((highly recommended))