After debuting our new Canadian hip hop mailbag post series, the Rap-Sack Backpack yesterday, I realized that we covered Toronto, the Prairies and Vancouver, but nothing from out here on the east coast. That in and of itself isn’t unusual, as we aren’t usually sent a ton of Maritime hip hop these days, but I still thought I’d try and find something hip hop-related from out here to post up.
Turns out I didn’t have to look too far. A quick look through my expansive to-do list turned up the Number Theory EP from Moncton-based producer Hotbox. When he’s not making thumping, soul-laced beats, Hotbox can be found teaching high school math as his alter-ego Lee Pearce – and that might explain the title of his recently released EP. Considering my father taught high school math for years, I know better than most how exciting a job it is, but Hotbox is an ECMA-winning producer, so I don’t see him quitting his nighttime gig anytime soon.
And who would want him to? As long as he’s making the kind of big, ballsy, golden-age influenced (the bouncy track for the 9-man posse cut Oatmeal Lumps would not be out of place it ’88, and that’s a good thing) beats that are found on this Number Theory EP, I’m guessing he’ll have plenty of folks checking for him. He certainly has plenty of East Coast MC’s checking for him, as there’s an impressive assemblage of talented dudes on this EP. If you’re not way up on Maritime hip hop, you might not know who guys like Expedyte, Radar or Phakt are, but that won’t much matter when you hear them hungrily attack a great beat like Little Bits. And you can hear them, because Hotbox is giving away his EP for free, so go ahead and check it for yourself.
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MP3:: Hotbox – Little Bits f. Expedyte, Radar & Phakt
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MP3:: Hotbox – Millipede f. Spesh K & Jay Mayne
WEB:: www.hotboxbeats.blogspot.com/