ProbCause

posted by Monster on June 9, 2011 in Uncategorized
0 13 15

onmyowncover1 ProbCause On My Own feat. JDM

It’s difficult cyphering through all the pitch emails that come in from relatively unknowns. You see potential in some, none in others. It becomes a question of whether or not you feel comfortable putting your “stamp of approval” on something via a post. These are total blogger problems and frankly nothing to stress about, but for some reason it gnaws at me. This whole process is made easier when an artist hits the inbox ready tested with resume experience that includes opening gigs for Twista, Steve Aoki and Raekwon. In this case the artist in question is Chicago’s ProbCause.

When I spin “On My Own” I sort of get a post Death Row Records, early 2000's R&B feel from it. Prob keeps it easy breezy, JDM provides the vocal support. Overall it’s a nice track, one that will be featured on Stir Fry, Prob’s debut mixtape set to be released on June 21st. You can also catch him sharing the stage later this summer with the likes of Common, Major Lazer, David Guetta and others at the Chicago North Coast Music Festival over Labor Day weekend.

A video for this track can be viewed after the jump, and a dog wearing sunglasses can be viewed in the photo above. It’s a win-win. - Pigeons and Planes

Prob Cause :: Spring Cleaning :: Casualiving/Bonafied Entertainment
as reviewed by Pedro 'DJ Complejo' Hernandez

[Spring Cleaning] Judging others gets the best of you more often than not. Sure, occasionally one can predict the music on a CD simply by looking at the cover, but more often than not the cover art is deceiving. Yet, the cover art is many times the only thing a fan has to go off of. In Prob Cause's case his cover art shows a scrawny white kid with what could be a faux hawk holding a mop. Sure, it fits with the theme of the album, "Spring Cleaning," but it doesn't shed much light into the music. Prob Cause's bio does little to help. He's a kid from Evanston, Illinois who claims he's made an impact in the game through his creativity on the mic. It's a claim a thousand other rappers have failed to live up to, so my hopes aren't too high. Given Chicago is know for speed rap and conscious rap, I expect Prob Cause is going to give us his take on conscious rap.

Prob Cause sheds all preconceptions to pieces right out of the gate with "What Your Looking For"

"I'd like to welcome ya'll to what I've been on and up to
So let me get you caught up, give you something to bump to
You haven't heard me lately, word up to those who hate me
But you can't say my shit don't knock up on your speakers, baby
...
So this one's for the people, yes I'm just trying to feed you
Keep you occupied and locked inside until the sequel
So plug it in your ride, I can change your vibe
Like make your weed taste better with a different high, life
And I'm hoping that you hear me
Don't hesitate to holler if you feel me"

While hard to convey in words, Prob Cause's stand out feature is a super smooth flow and perfectly timed delivery. The kid can deliver a verse almost effortlessly, flipping words and switching cadences in an impressive manner. Prob Cause can also drop dope lyrics:

"I got a lot of friends, I set a lot of trends
I mix a lot of sounds, I got a lot of ends
Commit a lot of sins
Don't get a lot of spins
But I'ma change that, try to stack some commas and
My account is thin, I'ma need a paper weight
Trying to get my paper straight, eating off of paper plates
Trying to get my china up, y'all gon' fucking rhyme or what?
Corny rappers time is up"

Prob Cause's cocky yet humble lyrics are the perfect compliment to his effortless delivery. Prob Cause's flow stays consistently fluid, even when his topic matter tends to be a bit eclectic on this album. He remake's Charles Hamilton's only hit on "Chicago Girls" with good results. "Blog Rap" finds Prob Cause detailing the changing landscape in the rap game, where internet buzz can be more valuable than a major label. "Saturday Morning" finds Prob Cause comparing the good times in life to the feel good feelings one gets during just that time.

"Spring Cleaning" is a solid mixtape for a young rapper who has plenty of talent to make a dent in the game. Outside of a few borrowed beats, most of the songs are original production with Prob Cause dropping his smooth, focused rhymes on the track. The name reflects the nature of this collection as this CD contains what feel like random odds and ends Prob Cause had lying around. The disjointed nature of the CD makes it even more impressive as Prob Cause's leftovers are still head nodding. Overall, it's an impressive CD that far exceeded all expectations I had when I first saw it. That said, while the mixtape is solid, a focused full length would really show whether or not Prob Cause can leave his mark on the game. - RapReviews.com

Chicago has become known as a breeding ground for innovative MCs. ProbCause brings the lyrics of a backpacker with the sensibilities of a musician. Originally a percussionist, Prob was a studio rat from a very young age. As an MC, he is a master of writing conceptual tracks. “iGirl” is a mellow paced, kick-thumping track that serves as a character study for the archetypal superficial young female. - Dan Videl (Urb Magazine)

PROFILE. Just because ProbCause and the DH play live hip-hop doesn't mean they sound like The Roots. The Disfunktional Hipnotik — a full backing band of five for emcee ProbCause that includes drums, keys, sax, guitar and bass — play funk so heavy that it feels like it's from the waning days of the '70s.

"We're not really looking for a sound," says drummer Jonathan Meacham. "We just let it happen."

What Meacham alludes to is how the band straddles the line between an uppity jam band and hard funk celebration: Think of a jammy live performance al la Wattstax.

ProbCause is an unassuming Chicagoan who, when he's on the mic, can master his flow to ride the tide of an alto hook or drive as hard as the kick drum and snare.

Already signed as a solo artist with two albums on his hometown's Bonafyde Records, this is his first venture as a front man. Who needs a DJ when he's got the DH?

"There's no major difference between these guys and a deejay," says ProbCause. "It's just more interesting because your flow isn't in sync with a metronome. It's a live thing."

Since forming a little more than 10 months ago, the sextet has become one of Roxbury's best kept secrets, keeping themselves busy in their basement studio. They signed their own deal with Bonafyde. Headlining their EP release party at Harpers Ferry tonight, the group is poised to give fans a taste of their style and what to expect on their full-length album due later this fall.

"All of the tracks we recorded in the studio were live. We didn't record every part to mix in later, we just sat in the same room and played. All of the instrumental parts were live takes and some of them are first and second takes," says bass player Greg Nordholm.

ProbCause and the DH add to their uniqueness as a group by thriving on some of the sounds that influenced hip-hop to begin with — funk, a sound that never goes out of style and is best heard live.

T.K. Hall - Boston Metro

Artists such as Kanye West, Common and Twista have proven that Chicago sits at hip-hop's peak, but the organizers of a show scheduled for Saturday at the Abbey Pub intend to prove the local scene will be percolating for years to come.

"Chicago's Next," staged by Evanston's Gravel Records, aims to bring the next generation of Chicago hip-hop to the stage, granting artists a chance to play a sizzling hot venue, while giving fans a preview of what's on deck.

"The idea is to really shed light on the up-and-coming groups that are putting in a lot of work, but don't have the means to do a venue like the Abbey because they are so new," said Tim Stroh, the head of Gravel. "All of these groups are really focused and determined to get their name out there, and they are actually good."

The showcase will feature acts from around Chicago and the suburbs including UI Family, LabRats, Smokee Bassment, Moodswangz, and Probcause. In addition Chicago veterans (and Gravel acts) Earatik Statik and Matlock will perform.

Stroh learned about the groups through different channels, he explained. "Probcause and LabRats are from around my way up in Evanston, UI Family and Moodswangz just caught my attention with their hard work," he said. But the one constant, he added, is that each time he's seen them perform smaller venues "the fan reaction has been great." - Chicago Sun-Times

Probcause and the DH are a great live hip-hop group that found a great fusion of jazz, blues, and rock overlaid with speedily delivered high impact rhyming.
- Emergenza.net

Charles Hamilton professed his love for “Brooklyn Girls” and now ProbCause does the same, but with a Chicago predilection for the “Windy City’s” best.

ProbCause is a young Chicago emcee who has previously released two full length albums on the Indy label, Bonafyde Recordings, as well as an EP with his live band. ProbCause is now prepping his latest full-length, Spring Cleaning, which is due out this summer. - HiphopDX.com

Blogs > Major Labels? For real that might just be the future. Here is the first leak from Probcause’ Summer Spring Cleaning entitled “Blog Rap.” - Fake Shore Drive

The smooth rolls on with an OurWordIsBond exclusive from ProbCause. In case you were scratching your head at the name, he’s a young Chicago emcee who has previously released two full length albums on the Indy label, Bonafyde Recordings, as well as an EP with his live band. ProbCause is now prepping his latest full-length, Spring Cleaning, which is due out this summer. ProbCause works well on this track, minor hesitations on the hook, but the second verse brings it home.

"Aint never lived West so I won’t touch that"… Your damn right, no disrespect to the fine Chicago women out there, but come to San Diego and get your lid flipped. - Our Word is Our Bond