Cassette Review // The Dirty Sample "Beats to Murder Rappers to" (Hand'Solo Records)

https://handsolorecords.bandcamp.com/album/beats-to-murder-rappers-to

When this cassette starts it says the name and while I realize it might not be entirely accurate, growing up I remember two rappers being killed: Tupac and Biggie.  There were probably more that don't get talked about as much, but these days it seems like a rapper is getting killed just about every week.   I don't know what it means, but it'd be nice if it stopped if for nothing else than the fact of it being another human life.

The beats first start off in a way which would make you feel like you just won a fight.  It's that victory party.   This takes us into a song which feels more like murder music as there are sharp tones cutting through it and it just overall makes me think of Michael Myers stabbing people.   The beats get even bigger now, and again, it feels like we're celebrating and a little bit like someone is about to yell "Snoop Dogg!"  Not coincidentally, it sounds like dogs are barking in the background as well.

Someone speaks of the world that died and it's feeling a little bit post apocalyptic now.   Something about the way this is moving now makes me think about "Kill Bill".   An audio clip comes on about Mandrake and then this song also samples a little piece of Geto Boys "Still".  In many ways, this cassette just feels like the soundtrack to a horror film and to have a horror film with a hip hop soundtrack would actually be quite interesting.   Michael Myers doesn't have to stab a police officer and then "Fuck The Police" plays, but something along those lines.

On the flip side there is an audio clip talking about darkness and easing the pain.  The beats are going hard and it just overall feels like fight music.  At times, I hear these audio clips come in and they feel like they're from a Hitchcock movie because they have that feeling of being more about suspense than a slasher film.   I like that this also adds a layer to these beats, as they don't just feel like you turn a corner and it's "Surprise! It's Leatherface!" but also just the anticipation.  That fear of what goes unseen in the dark.

A broken wind up toy makes its way into the next song and this also feels like it could be creepy in some way.  Have you ever seen that movie "The Baby"??  Someone is called a monster and now this next song has those big tones in it while it sounds like someone is whispering in the background in that way which would make you start running through the fog.   As more words are spoken, we get into a piano heavy song now where it sounds like someone is also screaming in the background.