Send "B. Dolan " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Thephoenix |
 Although I've always found B. Dolan to be one of hip-hop's mightiest politically charged performers, his disc-length poetic pieces have confused (and even bored) the piss out of me. That said, numbskulls (like me) who like to wash down anarchy with speaker candy can thank Anticon legend Alias for laying a dozen fine frameworks through which the Strange Famous underboss could, as old white folks say, "do some raps."There are thousands of MCs who rhyme about high-ranking war criminals and corporate genocide, but few wax progressive notes like Dolan. Like his long-time accomplice Sage Francis, Dolan plays both the abstract artist and the accessible bong-toking poly-sci professor. It takes a liner note and lyric look-along to absorb the full dose, but "Marvin" clicks immediately. Same goes for the thoughtfully morbid "Border Crossing" and "Kitchen Sink," on which Dolan throws everything from introspection to a wee bit of bounce. Most important, though, is the way a jab like "Buddy Buddy" can criticize without pointing fingers. Indeed, "Fifty Ways" exposes whores better than any righteous subterranean attack on Young Jeezy's vapidity....full text |
| Altpress |
| After a slew of mixtapes and guest spots, rapper/poet/activist B.Dolan is back with the follow-up to his 2002 debut, The Failure. Indie-rap icon Sage Francis, who re-released The Failure in '08 on his Strange Famous Records, is also behind Dolan's latest, Fallen House, Sunken City. If you've never heard Dolan, you'll be surprised at how much he resembles Francis in both voice and flow. They also share a love for politics too, as Dolan is known for founding knowmore.org, a website that educates consumers on the ethical conduct of corporations. On Fallen House, Dolan avoids his typical avant-garde style for a more straight up hip-hop vibe. He's aided in this task by Anticon genius Alias, who produced the entire record--his spastic, head-nodding beats are so good, that they occasionally overshadow the headliner. However, that's not due to any lack of talent on Dolan's part, who's on the top of his game throughout the disc. He lets loose on "Marvin," furiously rhyming until he hits a wall of emotion. On "Fall Of T.R.O.Y.," he teams up with P.O.S. and Cadence Weapon for a scathing editorial on the current state of hip-hop. Even if you don't dig Dolan's work, it's impossible to say he's not passionate about his art--it oozes from every line he delivers. Fallen House is proof that underground hip-hop still has bite. (STRANGE FAMOUS) Eddie Fleisher...full text |
| Popmatters |
| Those of us who lean to the left side of Rush Limbaugh have been living in a post-Obama haze for far too long. The battle for change was not won with his election. That was when the battle began. Yet, even before he took office, many of those who proudly wore “Hope” t-shirts [myself included] kicked up their feet and awaited the realization of our clothing slogans, while Republican pundits and lobbyists picked apart the foundation of positive action with calculated attacks of confusion and misinformation. As such, the timing for this B. Dolan album could not be more crucial. Dolan’s flawless 2008 debut The Failure was, more or less, a concept album that followed the ravings of a survivalist as he descended into madness in a post-apocalyptic bunker, with only his intelligent computer as company. The most striking tracks, Evel Knievel ode “The Skycycle Blues” and “Joan Of Arcadia”, aurally fleshed out the legends of complex historical characters. It was a highly personal record, one Dolan had been developing since the early ‘00s, but it could have been released at any time. Fallen House, Sunken City is a more time-specific record. The opening track “Leaving New York” samples bits of press and handycam footage of 9/11. Since the late ‘90s, Dolan had lived in New York, working fairly close to the twin towers. After the attacks, amidst his own growing paranoia, he moved to Providence. Combined with “The Reptilian Agenda”, which samples Dick Cheney, these tracks set the tone of the album. Fallen House, Sunken City sounds like the kind of pissed-off independent hip-hop albums that flourished in America from 2002 until the fall of King Bush II, the kind that played their part in the election of Barack Obama and fostered a culture so desperate for change that, for a fleeting second, change seemed inevitable....full text |
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