Injury Reserve

One Liner: Arizona rappers with both party and introspective sides.

Wikipedia Genre: Alternative hip hop, jazz rap
Home:  Tempe, Arizona

Poster Position: 23
Day: Sunday at 3:00
Weekend One Only.

Thoughts: Oh yeah, I remember these dudes.  I reviewed their 2016 album Floss a while back, and really liked it.  Well, as I re-listen to the album, I recall now what I thought then, that the second half of the album falls off some, but the first half of the album freaking bangs.  In that prior review, I gave you two of the best tracks from the album - "S on Ya Chest" and "All This Money," but the most listened to track from that album is actually the Lil Jon-esque "Oh Shit!!!" so here you go.  2.9 million streams.

First, using the Stranger Things logo to spell your song name - boss level.  "spaz rap" sounds just right. And "this that raised by the Internet, ain't have no dad rap," that is also a good line.  Good freakout track of hard rap.  Hits hard and feels good - I think it would be very fun to mosh around to in the fall.  Reminds me of some of the Brockhampton stuff or Flatbush Zombies.  Another sound I hear in this album sometimes is Neptunes/Pharrell.  I wonder if that is intentional or not - its in the singing ones.  And as I mentioned in my prior review, there are some Tribe flavors on here as well.

The group is from Arizona, with two rappers (Stepa J. Groggs and Ritchie With a T) and a producer boringly named Parker Corey.  Parker Corey is not surprisingly the white guy.  I just watched a relatively long interview video with them, talking about how shitty it was to come up in Arizona where there is zero scene for rap.  Seem like interesting dudes.  

They had a mixtape out before Floss, called Live from the Dentist Office, which broke them into the scene, but it isn't as strong as Floss.  Although, that first album boasts their most listened to track on Spotify, "Ttktv," with 4.6 million streams.

Definitely a different sound from the rest of their stuff - or at least the majority of their stuff - with this extended melancholy vibe and mostly sung lyrics instead of raps, until about half way through when he starts throwing down some unhappy ass Kanye flow through some sort of distortion pedal.  Very moody.  Nothing like the feel of "Oh Shit!!!" or the other great ones from Floss.

Then they have a new album out in 2017, called Drive It Like It's Stolen, which also isn't as strong as Floss.  So, I guess I'm telling you to go listen to Floss if you want to check this out.  I think its fun and I recommend it to you.  Just so you'll have another song to try out, here is one from their newer album, not their top song from it (just because that one, "North Pole" is kinda depressing and I'm here to have fun), called "See You Sweat," which has just over a million streams.

Sounds a bit like the Black Panther soundtrack song "Pray for Me" at first, then has the plinking drop sounds like Pharrell, and kind of a Pharrell-like flow.  The big dude has the better lyrics for sure.  

I dig this group.  Definitely would give them a shot.