Coming live from the Southside, Radio B’s new album Whole Foods hit the streets yesterday. What started as bridge-the-gap album between Live Good and Be Great and the next installment of that series, Whole Foods was suppose to be a lower profile album – but in the true form of his clique Association of Great Minds (AGM), Radio couldn’t just do any album, so Whole Foods organically turned into something much more.
Coming live from the Southside, Radio B’s new album Whole Foods hit the streets yesterday. What started as bridge-the-gap album between Live Good and Be Great and the next installment of that series, Whole Foods was suppose to be a lower profile album – but in the true form of his clique Association of Great Minds (AGM), Radio couldn’t just do any album, so Whole Foods organically turned into something much more.
I sat down with Radio at The Shop, in the Manchester section of RVA, earlier this summer – following AGM’s classic performance at Epic Fest – and he told me about the motivation he has to make good music and elevate the city’s hip hop scene.
One of the first things people need to understand is that Radio Blitz is a true fan of hip hop. His knowledge of classic records, beats, rhymes, and culture is something that most people won’t fully comprehend unless you draw it out of him – one on one. Our conversation ran the gambit: from Tribe to Jay to Nas to AZ – but what really struck me about Radio’s approach to Whole Foods was his goal of reaching a particular classic feeling. “I want to provide a pure, authentic and organic hip hop experience. Something nostalgic – that reminded you why you fell in love with hip hop and to remind me why I started rapping.”
The most appropriate review I can give of Whole Foods is that it’s quality hip hop from top to bottom. Radio really shows his range and diversity as an MC. The track, “Live From the Southside,” produced by Trac-Qaeda, gives you a real introduction to the record and Radio’s heady rhyme style. I think of Radio, both rhyme style and presence, as the AZ of Richmond. He’s not the most acclaimed feature on a record, but it’s often his verse that you find yourself repeating over and over again.
Live From The Southside – Radio B
He gets his swag on, talking what MC’s talk on the Nickelus F produced track “Dixie Normus,” and then gets his Nas/Slick Rick storytelling on with his brother Nick F on the track, "The Cart B4 The Horse." Whole Foods is the first album that Radio has work with wide range of producers. Don’t worry, AGM super-producer NameBrand still has the title track – but production really comes from Cashby, Trac-Qaeda, and Nickelus F. Radio takes you into a “Public Service Announcement” moment – without the reintroduction – on the Ohbliv produced “Journal Entry.” Radio is clear on, “If you can’t see my motivation/I don’t need to bring you around…”. When speaking about his peers in RVA hip hop, and particularly those in AGM, Radio was candid. “It’s healthy competition within our group. I see what my brothers are doing and it motivates me to work harder, go further. My brothers in AGM is who I look at and listen to – to really spark that fire within me.” He went on to say, “Sometimes we (AGM) can come across as misunderstood a bit – like we are too into our own movements – and that’s not really the case. We really motivate each other, and that competition pushes us to the next level. We’re never pulling others down – we’re about elevating our music.” That sentiment comes across in Whole Foods, because the real highlight of the album is the Whole Foods cyphers – three editions spread throughout the album, featuring 17 local spittas. I’ve never seen anything like it on record in RVA hip hop. The cyphers alone are reason enough to support the album, but the album itself is the real gem. Radio B delivers a classic for RVA. #WE SEE IT
I’ve never rated an album before – so this is a Cheats Movement first: 4.6 mics out of 5. The best Radio B album to date – and in my 2013 RVA Hip Hop classic albums of the year.
Radio B will be performing at The RETURN OF RVA HOT SAUCE on December 8th at Gallery 5. Tickets are available right now at: http://www.eventbrite.com/e/the-return-of-rva-hot-sauce-tickets-9233715291?aff=eac2
Download Radio B's Whole Foods from Bandcamp at http://radioblitz.bandcamp.com/
By Marc Cheatham/originally appeared at The Cheats Movement
