There’s no sign outside, just an unmarked metal door that opens to a concrete hall that leads to a dreamless night in a barroom that reeks of mildew and regs. Seated at the far corner table, a faded bleach blonde hodad nods out, chinning his hemp necklace. The faux-beachy dame by his side slides a palm into his pocket, withdraws a crinkled statesman, and makes her way to the bar.
Zilla Rocca’s there, plotting something from the looks and sound of it. The noir-hop progenitor is “tired of these fake surfers, low-wage earners and front-page murders” in his city, and he’s brought some baggy-eyed company along to share in his angsty fatigue. An internet-cornered billy woods exchanges hard-earned grievances with the Wrecking Crew’s Has-Lo before woods’ Armand Hammer cohort Elucid burgles it all, lamenting, “Positive thinking hasn’t yielded me fart/ Neighbors out here looking thirsty and parched.”
“Fake Surfers 2” is the first single from an upcoming deluxe edition of Zilla Rocca’s 2014 album, No Vacation for Murder. According to Zilla himself, “There will be five new songs that are a continuation of No Vacation For Murder and its themes of betrayal, revenge, and comeuppance in a city of schemers, killers, and bagmen. ‘Fake Surfers 2’ is a continuation of dread and weariness from the original, this time informed by Armand Hammer and Has-Lo’s experience with racism, heartbreak, and the illusion of indie rap superstardom.”
Best to check your awkward smiles at the gate, because anyone can get got in this place.
• Zilla Rocca: http://threedollarpistol.com
• Armand Hammer: https://armandhammer.bandcamp.com
• Has-Lo: https://has-lo.bandcamp.com
• The Intelligence: http://theintelligenceband.com
More about: Armand Hammer, Zilla Rocca & The Shadowboxers
