Pep Rally, Hoodie Allen [MIXTAPE REVIEW]
Ladies and Gentlemen, the time has come. Pick up your pom poms, loosen up your spirit fingers, get a few stretches in – it’s time for the Pep Rally. If you weren’t aware, Hoodie Allen is a burgeoning rapper coming straight out of college and poised to squeeze himself right into the popular sample-based hip hop scene. He’s been around for a while, but really seemed to surface when he released “You Are Not A Robot,” an instant banger with a Marina and the Diamonds sample that you’ll be singing until you lose your voice. This song appears on Pep Rally alongside songs with samples by Alex Winston, VV Brown, The Black Keys, Ingrid Michaelson, Beach House, Death Cab for Cutie, Two Door Cinema Club, Flight Facilities, Florence + The Machine, and Yeasayer. I can’t think of a better way to appeal to both the indie lovers and the mainstream mafia.
Compared to his past releases, Pep Rally shows a side of Hoodie Allen that seems to have progressed by leaps and bounds. He opens the album with “Look At What We Started,” showing off his true ability to rap rather than being just another white college kid testing the waters. Throughout the rest of the 11-track collection, the new and improved Hoodie Allen showcases a catchier flow, wittier lyrics, and a lighter vibe. What’s not to be forgotten is the talent of Hoodie Allen’s new producer, RJF, who surely plays a part in creating this new sound. Somehow RJF seems to turn the samples into sounds more impressive than the originals, flawlessly lacing them into Hoodie’s lyrics to create an unforgettable outcome.
But Hoodie Allen doesn’t fall short of his producer’s skills. He has proven through Pep Rally that he possesses the creative skills needed to be a modern day rapper. He’s able to cleverly hold a multi-syllabic rhyme scheme for several bars while keeping a steady storyline. Lines such as “But I can’t wait to drop, Slim Fast” and “I’d rather be the host, Chelsea Lately” show that he has mastered the ability to rap “Big Sean-style,” a move often heard by other star rappers such as Drake. And if that doesn’t prove that he’s put himself on the map and ready to go far in the game, listen carefully to his song “Party at the Beach House” – “But me and RJF are really in the league now / with no beach house / just a sand bucket we can shovel dreams / or we can hitchhike and make it by other means / but if I sit tight I’m sinking the submarine / and sippin’ bubbles / I’d rather just sip the bubbly.”
“Party At The Beach House” – Hoodie Allen
The shortcomings are few and far between. Sometimes Hoodie’s lyrics are a little too reliant on similes to really tell a story fluidly. I wish I could hear a slower flow and a more relatable story in a few tracks, but I didn’t expect the likes of this coming off an album called Pep Rally. I suppose I’ll have to anxiously wait for his next release. And if he maintains the skill and creativity heard throughout Pep Rally, I wouldn’t be surprised if his next project gets released through a major record label.
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Related Posts:
Hoodie Allen Interview with Sunset in the Rearview
“Words of Wisdom” – Hoodie Allen
“You Are Not A Robot” – Hoodie Allen
