So international

After a great 8 days in NYC, I've been trying to catch up on life and soaking up G-Side's excellent, free new album, the Huntsville International Project.

G-Side is two rappers, ST 2 Lettaz and Yung Clova. They're from Huntsville, Alabama and part of the same scene as the PRGz, Mali Boi, Jhi-Ali, Jackie Chain, etc. that was showcased on last year's excellent Fear & Loathing in Hunts Vegas.

Like those artists, G-Side's music has a really distinct feel to it-- melodic, heartfelt and usually slow. I think of it as sounding like UGK minus the blues, a more blissed-out Organized Noize or maybe like Three 6 Mafia without Satan and Tiesto.

Regardless, the beats (mostly by Block Beattaz, but with a few from Mick Vegas, Bossman and others) are strong throughout and G-Side hold their own lyrically. They don't entirely escape trap, strap or rap riches cliches but they mostly come across as the kind of thoughtful, down-to-earth underdogs you'd want to root for. It's good-ass rap music.

You can download the entire album for free here.

In case you're on the fence about the minor effort involved in clicking through, here are a few songs from the album that I particularly like:


G-Side: "Aura" feat. P.T. of Untamed (Slow Motion Soundz, 2009)


G-Side: "Rising Sun" feat. Kristmas (Slow Motion Soundz, 2009)


G-Side: "Bandz" feat. DJ Cunta (Slow Motion Soundz, 2009)

1. Intro – Rob Breezy
2. Huntsville International ft Sound of Silence(produced by Block Beattaz)
3. So Gone (produced by L-Don)
4. What It’s All About (produced by Johnny Juliano)
5. Bandz ft DJ Cunta (produced by Bossman)
6. Paradise (produced by Mick Vegas)
7. Matthew Africa Speaks
8. Aura ft. P.T. (produced by Mick Vegas)
9. College Chicks (produced by Block Beattaz)
10. This Groove ft. P.H. (produced by Block Beattaz)
11. Feel The ft 6 Tre Gangsta and AC (produced by Block Beattaz)
12. Who’s Hood? Ft Yelawolf (produced by Block Beattaz)
13. This is Life (produced by P.T.)
14. In the Rain ft Bentley (produced by Block Beattaz)
15. Rising Sun ft Kristmas (produced by Block Beattaz)
16. So Wonderful ft Chrystal Carr, G-Mane, and SupaKing (produced by Block Beattaz)

By the way, track 7 is a lengthy excerpt from one of my 2 Busy Saying Yeah shows, where I blather about Huntsville for eons longer than I would have if I thought it would ever crop up on somebody's album. I'm flattered to be associated with G-Side's album but bummed to be responsible for the dullest 90 seconds of their discography.