Send "Theophilus London " Ringtones to your Cell 
| Pitchfork |
That said, its easy to see what the draw is with London: By cutting straight rhyming with large quantities of R&B's 80s futurism and teen-friendly pop, he represents the contemporary ideal for a modern MC. And unlike, say, B.o.B. or Kid Cudi, you never get the idea A&Rs had to massage a rhyme spitter past into a Billboard-aspiring present. That's pretty much been the plan from Day One for London, so there will be no protests of compromise. Problem is, the smug entitlement, unctuous self-satisfaction, and cornball loverman raps reveal its bloodline to the drunk uncle of current radio rap: Common's Electric Circus. But that was a whole lot of momentarily misguided ambition, whereas Lovers Holiday has London with his grip on the controls, putting together a concept EP of sorts that attempts to capture the angles of humankind's most complex emotion but mostly just reminds me of places where I pay too much for work slacks. The coked-out couture-pop of "Why Even Try?" is typical of the hollowed chill preferred by London, and whatever novelty could be gleaned from having Sara Quin (of Tegan and...) as a guest is spoiled by giving her the role and vocal processing of any given R&B gun for hire. If you ever needed a primer on what made "Yamaha" a display of The-Dream's mastery, go check out the rental version of "Little Red Corvette" offered by "Strange Love". The idea of whether this is "real hip-hop" is moot; it simply falters as pop....full text |
| Planetill |
| Theophilus London crept up on Hip-Hop. Even though he has been tagged as a Hipster, a purveyor of Pop-Hop and he wears his jeans hella fitted, his movement has been practically unfettered. It doesn’t hurt that his industry buddies outrank a lot of start ups in the rap game. Plus he has a grand way with a song and that’s obvious in his latest project Lovers Holiday. The 5 track EP is all about the ladies and the layers of his interaction with them. The themes amble from the uncertainty love conjures, to taking off into the friendly skies with your favorite lady, to watching random, unknown gold digger types get drunk and show their vajayjay on the internet. I believe Mr. London said that particular song was dedicated to Katt Stacks. I’m just glad I missed that video. At first listen it is very easy to dismiss London as a Kid Cudi clone with less exciting production. There are some similarities between London and Mr. Rager, especially in tone and tenor. The open and at times overly synthesized foundations Mr. London employs can sound low rent. However, there is a lovely complexity to his song construction that is sometimes betrayed by the equipment he has at hand. It’s a hindrance to all this magnificence that the critics claim for London, but he is still creating some really interesting songs....full text |
| Djbooth |
| Artist: Theophilus London Title: Lovers Holiday Producer(s): Dave Sitek, Devonté Hynes, Jokke Ahnuld Lead Single: Why Even Try Twitter: Theophilus London on Twitter Website: Theophilus London's Website Share: 36 2 Share 38 Share Buy: Believe it or not, there was a time when hip-hop was fun. In fact, at first it was almost entirely about fun. (What, you thought Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five dressed in fringed leather because they wanted to look hard?) It’s hard to pinpoint exactly when hip-hop became so allergic to having a good time, but the early ‘90s are as good of a guess as any. Like Nirvana and grunge had killed the Motley Crue hair metal bands, N.W.A. and gangsta rap killed MC Hammer and back-up dancer rap. Just like that, flashing lights, flashing suits and unbridled fun, the kind you have dancing at a really good wedding, were looked at suspiciously, as if there was something inherently false about fun. Any expression of enjoyment had to be encased in stacks of cash, booming bass and enough booze to kill Charlie Sheen. Theophilus London isn’t the only one unafraid of smiling, but he’s certainly at the forefront. A Brooklyn rapper/singer/emerging fashion icon/Olympic speedskating champion, London has catapulted into the spotlight over the last two years thanks to his hard to describe blend of hip-hop, pop , rock and dance. It’s like if Prince and Kid Cudi had a baby, and that baby grew up listening to a lot of Morrissey. Thankfully I’m far from the first writer to fail to accurately describe Theo’s music - can I call you Theo? Good, cause I’m lazy and it’s easier to type – so our only hope of coming away with any sort of understanding is to get into the actual music. Namely, his Lovers Holiday EP, the five track prelude to his eventual debut album and follow-up to his I Want You mixtape. Love or hate it, there’s simply not too many people making music like Why Even Try. In fact, there may be almost none. Built around the kind of sparkling synths and bouncing live bass lines that even modern pop doesn’t use anymore, Why Even Try is an instantly infectious example of Theo’s appeal. While the record is undercut with somber tones, those aforementioned instruments and a melodic hook almost demand one of those full on “stuck in a traffic jam” car singing sessions. But it’s on Strange Love that he really cuts the strings loose, founding the song on a clapping drum line perfect for live shows and then building the hook into a restrained but still eminently singalongable (it’s a word now) chorus. By the time the second verse rolls around you find yourself dealing with a very unfamiliar sensation. Could that be? Yes, it is. Fun. Just because London wanted to make sure I couldn’t so cleanly describe Lovers Holiday, I have to note that Girls Girls $ doesn’t fall in line with my “return of the fun” hypothesis. While the heavily electric Girls Girls is certainly a party record, it’s weighed down with a self-conscious cool. It’s notable exactly because it’s unexpectedly obscene after the universal appeal of Try and Strange Love, as is London included it primarily to prove a point. You can almost hear him thinking, and while that kind of introspective meta-analysis certainly gives me a lot to write about, I don’t particularly want to listen to it. (If you were going to throw the H word (hipster) at Theo, now would be the time to start warming up your arm. )...full text |
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