by JAY WATTS III

The fall’s hottest, bangin’ rap release won’t come with massive support from any international marketing campaign, top-shelf liquor tie-ins or much of anything else, other than earnest nods of approval from the sort of folks who went nuts for the Langley Schools Music Project (a collection of pop covers performed by a mid-’70s music class in British Columbia).

Da Hiphop Raskalz is the nom de guerre for a project recorded by New Yorker Dave Soldier (whom I reckon none of you will place as a member of “mideastern acoustica and contemporary Andalusian dance” outfit the Spinozas), a series of the bumpin’-est numbers composed and performed by a group of young Harlem-dwelling kids from the Amber Charter Grade School.

While some of the tracks lurch dangerously into the territory of pre-teen sonic schizophrenia (the early-onset anthem “Feel the Beat,” with its hyped-up ellipses and Cage-like piano, is some real ODB shit), Sweetness’s “Do the Lollipop” is a respectable leftfield crossover dance hit, with the MCs personified as various sweets that “give you cavities, that y’all don’t wanna have, cause they’re really bad for your teeth.” Word.

Not to be confused with Biggie’s “What’s My Name, Who Shot Ya?,” the Boys and Girls Club of the Night’s “What’s My Name” is close enough to a really stoned ESG B-side, with wicked electro bass lines, Casios jumping in at bizarre times—and a drummer who keeps better time than ESG’s, come to think of it.

A lot of tracks are up for download, from such soon-to-bes as the 911 Rock ’n’ Roll Coyotes, Chelsea & the Mighty Lions, los Nonameos and the euphemism-heavy the Muffletoes, along with exclusive in-studio photos (whoa!), and detailed information about the process, so check them out at www.mulatta.org/

DaveSoldierDaHipHopRaskalz.html, but after that, you’re obligated to order a copy, or at least do some remixes... n

BECAUSE I AM YOUR PIE… goldkicks@gmail.com

>> Music Listings