THE HYPE IS OVER. Yes, that’s right. Last night, Death Grips independently released their third studio album, Government Plates. After a year of controversy and being booted from their label due to the leaking of their second album, No Love Deep Web. Since then, the Grips have started their own label, called Third Worlds, and are digitally releasing their music for free. Looks like the Grips have figured out how to undermine the corruption that is the music industry.
In my opinion, Government Plates shows Death Grips at their creative apex. The noise/hip-hop trio are by far one of the most creative forces this decade. The soft spoken frontman, Stefan “MC Ride” Burnett, unexpectedly screams raspy verses over the noisy electronics produced by drummer Zach Hill and producer/keyboardist Andy “Flatlander” Morin. These guys are of course an acquired taste, but their creativity cannot be diminished. Kanye West even cited the Grips as heavy influence for his newest album, Yeezus.
The album opens with the quick hitting song probably titled by Fall Out Boy, “You might think he loves you for your money but I know what he really loves you for it’s your brand new leopard skin pillbox hat.” The album goes on with Flatlander and Hill’s production being shown off more than ever. From the shout samples in “Two Heavens” to MC Ride’s voice being vocoded on their first single, “Birds.” MC Ride is present in the songs, but the lyrics seem to be unimportant. Most songs are only 3-4 lines long. This album shows off the creative team of Flatlander and Hill on production.
With Government Plates being their magnum opus, Death Grips are an upcoming force to be reckoned with. With the release of their own label, they pose a massive threat to the corporate music industry. Death Grips prove that one doesn’t need to succumb to corporate labels to be successful in music.
Songs to Check Out: Birds, Two Heavens, This Is Violence Now
Score 9.5/10
Ryan and Jon Do Music 