Lose Yourself in the Hip-Hop Stylings of BadBadNotGood
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We live in the age of underbaked rehashes, overstuffed reimaginings, and downright perplexing new takes – a mainstream that deals in soulless entertainment that tries to cash in on nostalgia at all costs. But sometimes, a fresh take emerges, a ray of light pushes through the swarm of mediocrity and offers something ingenious all the while paying tribute to the trailblazing legends that came before. Because at the end of the day, to break the rules you must first know the rules. Enter instrumental band BadBadNotGood (badbadnotgoodil.bandcamp.com).
BadBadNotGood perform on NPR's Music Tiny Desk
Hailing from Ontario, the group has become revered for their off-kilter rearrangements of hip-hop classics and devilishly bombastic originals, layering intricate jazz stylings and spry improvisation with krautrock elasticity, hip-hop rancor, and soulful conviction.
With a handful of barn-burning and career-defining tracks in their satchel, including collaborations with rap royalty Kendrick Lamar, Earl Sweatshirt, MF Doom, Danny Brown, Flying Lotus, Ghostface Killah, and Tyler, The Creator (whom dubbed them the 'Odd Trio'), the quartet's marriage of jazz virtuosity and hip-hop prowess is unparalleled. Their prowess only reaches new stratospheric heights during their live sets, which are notorious for their ability to shake the ground and bond fans of all musical tastes.
Rising local hip-hop and soul label Mastermind welcome the convention-smashing outfit (which includes bassist Chester Hansen, keyboardist Matt Tavares, drummer Alexander Sowinski, and saxophonist Leland Whitty) this Thursday, Nov 21 at Tango. They'll be joined by like-minded trio BowAsWell, who have generated their own buzz through genre-melding psych jazz instrumentals.
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We chatted with the band about the limitless possibilities within music, collaborating with their heroes, and the symbiotic relationship between jazz and hip-hop.
There's a feeling of limitless freedom in your music. Who were some of the artists or acts that blew your mind and opened your mind to the possibilities of jazz?
I think we were all heavily influenced early on in our musical journey by some classic '60s groups like the Miles Davis Quintet. The way that they would take existing songs and melodies and completely open up the music was amazing. I also remember seeing Wayne Shorter's quartet in 2011 and being absolutely blown away for similar reasons. They would weave in and out of melodies in such a fluid way, and change songs almost on a whim. It was probably the best jazz show I've ever seen personally, and that kind of playing is a big inspiration for us. The concept of taking a melody/chords and expanding on it/adding your own interpretation is fundamental to jazz, but there are so many ways to do it. I think we're trying to achieve even more musical freedom in the future.
Humber College, where you all met, seems to have sparked something in you guys. Was it simply a "right place, right time" moment or did the school help unlock something in each of you?
I think it was a very special place for a few different reasons. There are a few music programs in or close to Toronto, but Humber has the largest program in terms of the number of people. Being around such a large group of people playing all different instruments and working to improve their abilities was really inspiring and motivating. It was a great bonding experience to play with people working all day or night in the practice rooms, and it was very natural to jam a lot with everyone.
You've collaborated with some of the wildest cats out there, from Thundercat to MF Doom. Is it still a shock to work with such renowned artists? How does the collaborative process differ from artist to artist?
For sure a shock! For example, we just actually played a concert in Sao Paulo with Arthur Verocai, who is a legendary Brazilian composer and arranger and is someone that we've all listened to for years. He's been a huge influence for the band so it was a huge honor and totally surreal to meet and share the stage with him.
It's really interesting to meet artists from all different generations and styles of music and see how their experiences have shaped their approach. In general, I'd say with artists that have been around a while like Ghostface it's cool to see him still have so much fun performing, and be so willing to play with kids like us! And working with someone like Colin Stetson who is an amazing multi-instrumentalist was intimidating and inspiring at the same time.
While your collaborations are peppered with musical legends, I find myself going back to the live tracks, which is where you truly cut loose. How do the two – working live versus in the studio – compare for you?
It's really hard to replicate the energy of a live show in a studio unless you really capture a specific moment or spark. A song is often like a living, breathing thing so it will naturally change and evolve as it gets played in different settings. The crowd, setting, and our own moods/energy levels can totally affect how the music sounds and it's never exactly the same night to night!
Jazz and hip-hop have always had an affinity with one another. Why is that?
I think they are really symbiotic and elements from one are always finding their way into another. They both rely on a soloist or lyricist expressing themselves over a background, and sonically they mesh really well together. Especially lately with the whole Kamasi Washington scene, the jazz sound is becoming more and more linked with hip-hop artists like Kendrick [Lamar].
What are you looking forward to most on your trip to China?
We've never been to China except for one quick layover in Shanghai, so we're really curious and excited to meet some people and see what China is like in every aspect (food, music, culture, etc.). We're also going to a few more places we've never been like Thailand and Korea so it should be a fun trip overall.
BadBadNotGood take to Tango's stage this Thursday, Nov 21 at 9pm. Tickets cost RMB 260 on the door or RMB 220 advance.
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Images courtesy of the band, NPR (via youtube.com)
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