Sunset Review :: Cakes Da Killa – ‘The Eulogy’

February 20th 2013

Ask your Dad what rappers discuss in hip hop music.

Go on, do it.

If he’s anything like my Dad, he’ll have mentioned money and guns before dropping some expletives with varying degrees of offense tied to them. Whether we’re talking the shorthand for dogs with girl bits, or words that rhyme with “figure” or “maggot”, the point is that hip hop is commonly perceived in pop culture as being about over-the-top displays of ego and masculinity. The times are a-changin’ though, and a homosexual rapper who likes to be addressed as Cakes Da Killa has stomped his boot into the middle of all this mess. Does he bring some well-needed balance to the hip hop scene? Well, sort of.

First and foremost from a listening perspective, Cakes Da Killa’s delivery is superior to a large number of the many rappers grovelling over the internet for private time with your ears. He puts a sharp edge on all the right consonants, marking out his own precise path above the twitchy, chopped-up beats. While doing this, he manages to ride the beat in such a way that each phrase slips perfectly into place like pieces in a chunky jigsaw puzzle. It’s not the best on the rare occasion that he tries to sing, but somehow I don’t think we’re supposed to take the lyrics “I’ve been thinkin’ ‘bout dick; nah nah nah nah” very seriously. The parody of Frank Ocean’s ‘Thinkin Bout You’ (below) really underlines the differences between the mission statements of the two artists, but we’ll get to that.

 

Now, this article isn’t primarily about sexuality in hip hop just because the rapper happens to be gay.

The Eulogy mixtape itself is actually a massive statement about that subject. A monologue in between tracks preaches, “Our whole fuckin’ world is being run by perverted, undercover fags that run around talkin’ about how straight they are”. So in reaction to that world view, Cakes decides to talk about how gay he is. No filter.

Cakes tears shreds through the air as he viciously describes anal sex and how he’s going to “f**k your boyfriend”. Sometimes it’s done tongue-in-cheek, other times straight-faced, but always with the same passion, confidence and machismo as the most hardened stereotypical gangster/rapper.

Because of this, it might seem that he’s doing the exact opposite of what Frank Ocean is doing for the acceptance of sexuality in hip hop, but I don’t think that’s the case. While Ocean croons sweet love songs about the difficulties and intimate moments of his first homosexual love, Cakes doesn’t sugar coat anything. He speaks honestly about who he is, which is integral to hip hop culture. Shock value hits home more often than not, and it’s much more likely to desensitise people from their homophobic misgivings than the feelings evoked from Ocean’s (admittedly wonderful) poppy RnB.

Homosexuality in hip hop can be a touchy topic, but Cakes Da Killa ignores all notions of taboo and just goes for it. He’s not against a bit of humour either – you’ll likely snigger at the hilariously overdetailed descriptions of car seat sex, and at the inclusion of a brief Eiffel 65 sample. When all is said and done though, Cakes’ unfiltered storytelling, wit and passionate delivery is what really drives this mixtape towards its original purpose – showing the world that you can completely disregard hip hop’s barriers and get away with it.

The Eulogy mixtape is our Sunset Album of the Week (15.02.13 – 21.02.13)

Grab it for free here.

 

 

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