Red Pill & Hir-O

It's hard not to spin "The Kick" and feel the only thing preventing Red Pill and Hir-O from gaining more recognition is time and an overcrowded marketplace.

If Hip Hop’s golden era was all about superhuman emcees with names like Redman and equally ourterworldly claims like Reggie Noble’s threat to, “Snap Michael Myers’ neck”, on “Rated R,” then the second decade of the aughts has placed us squarely in the era of the everyman rapper. The likes of J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar have mostly made their mark by picking up where Kanye West left off circa 2004. They rhyme equally well about their flaws, hedonistic desires and anything other than the actual craft of emceeing. The most commercially successful rappers generally eschew intricate wordplay for being relatable. It’s a decidedly different time period. Enter Detroit’s Red Pill and Hir-O, who manage to succeed as a hybrid of both eras.

Red Pill may currently lack the name recognition of Cole or Kendrick, but he’s every bit their kindred spirit in terms of crafting relatable rhymes based on his experiences and emotions. He’s very effective at painting vivid pictures without resorting to the dreaded “struggle raps.” Likewise, Hir-O juggles melodious offerings that compliment his partner in rhyme while still keeping the listener’s interest. And he really rises to the occasion on “Architect” and “Half-Remembered Dream.” The project occasionally stumbles when listeners are presented with what are essentially third world rapper problems such as being the opening act for an unreceptive audience as on “Best Rapper.”



Generally, what Red Pill offers is himself. “Half-Remembered Dream” showcases anecdotes about an alcoholic mother and struggles with poverty so detailed that they include references to clothes reeking of cat urine. And while it’s billed as a single, “We Are Not Like Them” is arguably one of the more nuanced looks at Occupy Wall Street offered by any emcee. Guests are kept to a minimum, and there are enough references to Christopher Nolan’s 2010 blockbuster, Inception, to tie the proceedings together without drifting into concept album territory. The project draws its title from the jarring sensation used to wake both Inception’s fictional characters stuck in multi-level dreams and those still figuratively sleeping on the duo’s skills.

If The Kick has one major flaw it’s that Red Pill and Hir-O rarely display the kind of passive listening, entertaining offerings that ultimately separate elite emcees from the faces in the crowd. As Red Pill points out on the title track, he makes a conscious choice to sacrifice some entertainment value for a positive and uplifting listening experience. But enlightenment and entertainment don’t have to be mutually exclusive. Relating to the everyday struggle and uplifting listeners is as noble a cause as any, but over the course of 52 minutes, it can get repetitive.

It’s hard not to spin The Kick and feel the only thing preventing Hir-O and Red Pill from gaining more recognition is time and an overcrowded marketplace. They already roll together as a dynamic duo in the fashion of Gang Starr or Eric B. & Rakim, and they sport names that could easily fit with 90’s rhyming superheroes. As it currently stands they’re respectable—more than solid but not yet spectacular. But even rhyming superheroes sometimes have humble beginnings, and The Kick serves as a great platform to display Red Pill and Hir-O’s growth since 2012’s Dream Within A Dream.
- HipHopDX.com

Detroit's own rapper/producer combo Red Pill and Hir-O drop their latest track "Waiting On A Train." Considered musically gifted and socially outcast, the BLAT! Pack members have been making noise recently in the studio and have been making even more on the national stage. Appearing on MTV's RapFix yesterday, the blue collar two released the first single off their upcoming effort The Kick. - Complex Magazine

Video interview with MTV RapFix! - MTV

Yesterday I posted some footage of One Be Lo rhyming alongside some artist I was completely unaware of, Red Pill. Being impressed by what I heard I decided to venture around the internets and find out if he had any music out there. Turns out he recently released this album back in January. A culmination of the last two years of his life, for better or for worse. - 2dopeboyz.com

Hir-O, the self-proclaimed “Super Duper Music Producer Semi-Automatic Beat Machine,” is a mix of humbled confidence and organized eccentricity. His Detroit-rooted mixture of electronic music, soul and boom bamp has blossomed into an undefeated record in Michigan beat battles, and his instrumental album The Voyage Home (Download Here) closed 2010 as one of the year’s best. With placements for acclaimed Ann Arbor natives Tree City and Celsius Electronics, Lightheaded member Othello and various members of his BLAT! Pack crew under his belt, even more even more collaborations are in order for 2011. In a quirky, detailed interview with MichiganHipHop, Hir-O talks about the creative process behind The Voyage Home, clues readers into his future projects, and acknowledges the nunchucks that drape his neck during performances. - MichiganHipHop.com

Red Pill and Hir-O are back at with this new heat off of their upcoming mixtape, The Feel Of Falling. “Something Like 50 Years” is an ode to those that have been sleeping for like something like 50 years. Definitely looking forward to The Feel Of Falling dropping. Red Pill is ill with the pen and it’s no secret that Hir-O has been steadily moving up my list of favorite producers over the past year or so. - KevinNottingham.com

It’s undeniable that the Occupy Movement across the country is growing on a daily basis. What’s good to see is that more musicians and artists are finding ways to use their crafts to keep momentum going.

Regardless of if it’s folks like Talib Kweli at Occupy Wall St. or Lupe Fiasco bringing food to those at Occupy Oakland, musicians and artists getting involved is vital to any real revolutionary movement being sustainable. You have to feed the creative spirit as well folks.

There’s a benefit show planned for next Thursday, Nov 10th at the Old Miami with a variety of MC’s donating their time to help raise funds for general supplies. Those who are braving the cold and occupying Grand Circus Park right now could really use it. Thus all of the MCs on the flyer above will be giving their all to raise some scratch for the occupiers. Hell, let’s Rockupy and not just Occupy.

Two folks out of the Blat Pack camp, Red Pill and Hir-O just released a song this afternoon called “We Are Not Like Them” that feels energized by the Occupy Movement nationwide. Actually, it’s energized by the fact that the rich get richer and the poor pick lent out of their pockets. Despite sounding as if they recorded this two weeks ago while watching protesters get kicked out of Zuccati Park, it was actually recorded months ago. Talk about foreshadowing. Check out the track below and hit Old Miami a week from today if you can. - MetroTimes (Detroit)

"The Michigan State alum recalls growing up in a place where Hip Hop was hard to find and how he progressed to be part of Detroit's emerging array of talented voices...." - HipHopDX

"We’ve all had one of those jobs where you’ve just been so fed up, you’d rather take the immediate L and quit, than endure the long term headache...." - The Smoking Section