The Coup tests out this new track from their October 30th release, Sorry To Bother You, on Epitaph. Guest verses from Killer Mike and Das Racist.

New from Steve Aoki’s Dim Mak Records imprint is this unexpected collabo between ATR and Boots of The Coup. This is up on Itunes now with new remixes.

    Their fifth release, Pick a Bigger Weapon, is laced with keyboard synths, handclaps, basslines and pure soul. While Boots’ lyrics still reflect a genuine distrust of the government, calling for rebellion and action with almost every line, Pam the Funkstress interjects with cuts and scratches whenever the music allows. Add to the mix verses by Black Thought and Talib Kweli, along with production help from Tommy Morello, Parliament-Funkadelic, Dwayne Wiggins, and the Gap Band, and you have an uncompromising modern rap album. With this dense lineup, it’s indeed no letdown, as Pick a Bigger Weapon is perhaps the duo’s best work to date.

    Songs like “Shake Yo Ass” and “My Favorite Mutiny” find the same old Boots, delivering real life raps, not just rhetoric. The production on these songs are up tempo, funk-filled and perfectly compliment Boots’ energetic delivery. On “Laugh/Love/Fuck”, Boots proclaims: “I’m here to laugh, love fuck and drink liquor/and help the damn revolution come quicker” - which, in a sense, sums up Boots’ disposition. Other tracks like “Head (of state)”, “I Love Boosters”, “Tiffany Hall” and “The Stand” are revolutionary anthems, delivered funky party music. From geo-politics to everyday street imagery, Boots doesn’t sermonize or lecture; instead he remains committed to storytelling, with a passion that is very reminiscent of Chuck D on Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet. Whether the songs use intelligent dark humor (BabyLet’sHaveABaby BeforeBushDoesSomethingCrazy), or are blatantly bizarre (Ass-Breath Killers), The Coup perfectly meshes great songwriting with rhythmic production.

    Pick A Bigger Weapon does have moments where the songs run a bit long (“Captain Sterling’s Little Problem”) and some verses seem redundant, but overall, the project is lyrically and musically solid. Boots tirelessly calls for action and distrust, in a way that sounds very organic and uncontrived. With the release of Pick a Bigger Weapon, The Coup maintains its position as ready-to-go-revolutionaries, who happen to make intelligent funky ass music.

Four album’s deep, The Coup’s Party Music continues the trend started on Kill My Landlord – the sticky-icky funk, usually reserved for his Bay Area “patna’s”, Digital Underground, The Luniz , or Too $hort, but strong political lyrics typically found on records by Public Enemy. Boots plays the part of the militant ghetto spokesman once again, attacking wall street golden boys on “Lazymuthafucka”; or on “Wear Clean Draws”, an open letter to his daughter, he states “Tell your teacher princesses are evil / that got their money cuz they killed people / If somebody hit you, hit ‘em back / then negotiate a peace contract”. Boots stance is offensive as it is entertaining (in a Kill My Landlord sort of way).

While Party Music sticks to the script, it does lack the everghetto sense of humor found on their 1999 release, Steal This Album. There are no songs about “Cars & Shoes” or “Sneakin’ In” on this album, but instead, more abrasive and less entertaining riot anthems, such as “Get Up” or “Ride The Fence”. Furthermore, The Coup also resorts to using familiar melodies from already proven party music, such as “8th Wonder” (“Everythang”) and Tha Eastsidaz “Got Beef” (“Pork And Beef”) Nevertheless, Party Music does have it’s Coup staple songs, such as “Ghetto Manifesto” or “Nowalaters”; forever funky tracks making it worthy of the price of admission, especially for The Coup’s longtime band of bedroom revolutionaries.

Unfortunately for them, The Coup’s “fuck-the-police-and-burn-the-flag” attitude couldn’t be timed worse after this country’s newfound sense of patriotism, and it’s unlikely that they’ll win too many new fans with Party Music, thanks to its underlying messages. Ironically, their fantasy that was to be portrayed on their album cover has come true, and in the long run, may have bitten them in the ass.

I must admit, at one point, I was a part of the guilty masses who chose to sleep on the crew’s last two projects. While I always liked their singles, at a younger age, maybe I wasn’t ready for the strong political messages they were sending (yet, I still rocked Public Enemy and The Goats ?) Or maybe it was the fact that I could never find their albums in stores, due to poor independent distribution. Whatever the case may be, now, as maturity has set in, it almost seems essential to go back and research the group’s earlier works, for Steal This Album is a lyrical and musical masterpiece. Full of beautiful production from the back-up band, and sarcastic, conceptual songs, each sending out the message that something isn’t quite right with the way life is in the ghetto.

Lyrically, Boots speaks with a west coast twang, exploring a wide variety of topics, from the strong political messages sent to the favored rich folk on tracks like “20,000 Gun Salute” (this slug’s for Newt!) to the simpler, more humorus side shown on “Cars and Shoes”, a hilarious contender for the most ghetto fabulous song of the year. Most of the album’s tracks revolve around the life of Boots, working at McMinimun Wage Hell, and trying to avoid the trials and tribulations attached to everyday ghetto livin’, – besides the obvious and overdone gang and drug wars. “Breathing Apparatus” seems to be the only song touching upon thug life, yet the aim of the song isn’t to glorify the lifestyle, (as it takes place after the drama), but rather to show the health field’s blatant disregard for the lives of those without medical insurance. “The Repo Man Sings For You” (starring Del The Funkee Homosapien) pits Boots against the Repo Man in a lyrical argument over furniture, while “Sneakin’ In” is a brilliant, Pharcyde-like, throwback to the crumbsnatchin’ days of youth, sneaking in to everything from the movies to the Summer Jam. Perhaps the album’s most powerful song, lyrically and sonically, is “Me and Jesus The Pimp In a ’79 Granada Last Night,” an autobiographical (?) tale about a boy who’s mother was killed by her pimp, which turns out to be his father.

Musically, the crew borrows styles from many different genres, with plenty of influence from funk pioneers like Bootsy Collins, (probably where Boots dervies his name from), all the way to wigged out, classic rock sounds with a soulful twist, explored on tracks like “Fixation.” With so many other groups exploring the fusion of hip-hop with live instrumentation, The Coup also shines among them, churning out a slew of non-repetitive, musical backdrops, that keep the listener’s interest throughout.

With so many messages buried underneath the band’s expressions, it’s obvious that Boots isn’t using hip-hop just to get paid, but instead to use it as a way to relay important messages that need to be heard. Even the LP’s title suggest’s “stealing this album”, making it clear that Boots wants his words to be heard, even if it means giving the sh*t away. As an audience, let’s do everyone a favor and support The Coup, so Boots doesn’t have to get another visit from the repo-man, eh?