Citizen Cope
The Clarence Greenwood Recordings
I can't for the life of me remember what inclined me to buy this album a couple of years ago, and even today I still have no idea why, but I can tell you honestly that I do not regret it. Clarence Greenwood, the voice of Citizen Cope (and former DJ for Basehead) has a tendancy to immediately mesmerize you with his subtle genius. He has an interesting dichotomy to his music. It's incredibly passionate, but at the same time has a seemingly disinterested feel to it. My friend once described it as "it sounds like someone snuck up on him with a recorder while he was just sitting around playing his songs in his room." His music is poetry. You have your hip-hop beats, your mellow piano melodies, all with your easy-listening pop. The lyrics are visceral and moving... not something to be ignored or dismissed.
Standout tracks include (but are not limited to):
Pablo Picasso
Son's Gonna Rise
Sideways
Penitentiary
Hurricane Waters
Bullet and a Target
Fame