Stream or Download Death Grips' NO LOVE DEEP WEB

Sacramento's experimental hip hop heroes Death Grips finally release the second album they promised this year, NO LOVE DEEP WEB; however, it doesn't seem to be according to the original plan, which was to have their new record label, Epic, put out the album sometime in the fall of 2012. According to the band's Twitter account, Epic wouldn't confirm a 2012 release date for NLDW, pushing the album's release well into 2013. Death grips seems to have stepped around this by leaking the album themselves on SoundCloud, YouTube, their own website, and numerous filesharing platforms such as Mediafire.

And the NSFW cover? You can figure that out for yourself...

As great as it is to hear the album, question do come up. Is the label really not OK with this? If record sales and bottom lines are Epic's focus, then it would in their best interest to put a stop to all of this, right? Being the major label that they are, I'd think they'd have the power to flip the switch on this if they liked. Was Death Grips able to retain the right to disseminate their music as they please in their contract? Will this effect any official release plans for NLDW? We'll see, won't we?

Death Grips- The Money Store

I got got got got got.

WATCH THE REVIEW

Death Grips- "I've Seen Footage"

One thing is for sure, a whole lotta tracks have dropped from Death Grips' the Money Store prior to the April 24th album's very nigh release.

Since the group's debut mixtape, Exmilitary, many have questioned the Death Grips' legitimacy as a hip hop project. Is it really hip hop? Well, I hope "I've Seen Footage" quells the questions, because the reference to the golden age of rap is so obvious, it's almost as if Death Grips is teasing the naysayers.

The "scratchy" rhythms at the start of the track sound something like the breathy vocal samples that kick off Tone Loc's "Wild Thing," and the straightforward drum machine beat is akin to countless RUN DMC songs. The guitar riff reminds me of the numerous rap rock collaborations that occurred throughout the 80s, too. Despite the change in direction, Death Grips makes the aesthetic theirs, covering the track with sirens, noises, choppy vocal cuts, and MC Ride's forceful flow.

The lyrics reveal Ride's personal, introspective reactions to seeing images of police violence, hence, "I've Seen Footage." /via/

Death Grips- "Get Got" (LOVED)

After putting out one of the more genre-defying hip hp albums of 2011, California's Death Grips is gearing up to drop new new albums this year. For any Death Grips fan, this is a pretty huge announcement, but today, some even bigger news has dropped: The project is now officially signed to Epic Records. Of course, these two new albums will be getting released through that label, and the first one, The Money Store, will be out on April 24th.

The video above contains the latest track to come out from this forthcoming album, "Get Got." In comparison with the earliest material that was hitting ears from this project, this tune is much less abrasive. The beat isn't as harsh, and the rapping is way, uh, quieter.

There's less intensity here, and that may feel like a letdown, but a deeper listen exposes the trademark characteristics most Death Grips songs have. The busy rhythms, trippy effects, and lo-fi production style are all here. The hook is pretty outlandish as well, repeating the words "get" and "got" as if they're getting chopped and looped.

The flow gets pretty fast here, too, and it's almost as if Stefan Burnett is changing his inflection up a bit here, too. There are spots where I'm almost catching a Southern accent, but maybe that's me hearing more change than there actually is.

Still, if this track is any indicator of the other material on this release, Death Grips won't be spending 2012 releasing an Exmilitary clone. I'm bracing myself for something new.

New Death Grips Video!

Every since Death Grips dropped a new track via an ominous video on YouTube last night, people have been asking me what I think of the experimental hip hop jam. So far, I'm liking what I'm hearing. I think the reversed vocals and the muddy beat on this are a nice, trippy direction for this track.

Of course it's got me stoked on what are supposed to be two, yes, two new albums from Death Grips this year. The first is gonna drop in April. Be on the look out.

Watch a review of Death Grips' debut album / mixtape, Exmilitary, here.

Death Grips- "Beware"

A new video from California's Death Grips--whose videos actually keep getting weirder and weirder--featuring urinating in a toilet, lots of running, and tons of trippy visuals.

Exmilitary, the project's latest LP, which features Hella's Zach Hill on drums, is one of the most mind-bending hip hop albums I've come across this year. Not only are the vocals and imagery intense, but the beats are unbelievably noisy and disorienting. Watch a full review of the album here.

Death Grips- "Takyon (Death Yon)"

A new, creepy video from Death Grips for the song "Takyon (Death Yon)." This track comes from the project's new LP, Exmilitary. Listen to it here, and watch a review here.

Death Grips- "Spread Eagle Cross the Block"

New video from the Death Grips album Exmilitary. Some sweet kickflips goin' on here, bros.

Watch a video review of Exmilitary here, and download the album for free here.