Putting the word “King” in your name is one of the most audacious choices a young MC can make when deciding to launch a career. It’s a term that rappers have bandied about with over the years, but rarely to the extent of making it the first word in their rap name. Simply put, if you’re going to call yourself “King,” you have to come with a high quality product at every turn, otherwise you look like a pretender to the throne. King Louie may still be on the come up, but he’s already inspired such feverish devotion among Chicago hip-hop fans that the royal part of his moniker already seems earned. The Motion Picture continues Louie’s constant prolific streak, and acts as another worthy stop on the road to his upcoming full-length Dope & Shrimp. Even crazier is the fact that this tape is apparently acting as a clearing house, gathering up the rest of Louie’s stray features, YouTube exclusives, and a few newer tracks. If these are the scraps, then the entrée looks incredibly promising.
King Louie’s wide-screen view of the rap world at large continues to be his largest advantage. This isn’t to say he’s consciously bucking his Windy City affiliations, giving props to guys like LEP Bogus Boys and Rockie Fresh, as well as delivering an increasing number of collaborations with young firebrand Chief Keef. On The Motion Picture, Louie handles menacing, Southern, post-Luger tracks like “I Can Make It Back” and more sky-dwelling crossover songs like “Elevation” with equal effortless skill. He’s a rapper who can deliver gritted-teeth threats and self-mythologizing boasts with the same everyman charm. His takes on previously released tracks like Drake’s “The Motto” (repurposed here as “Yolo”) expose further dimensions, as he employs a more halting flow that makes higher use of the empty space between the track’s sub-rattling bass hits. When latest anthem “Motion Picture” finally drops 20 tracks after the affair starts, it’s almost like he’s just showing off.
Lawless Inc., the label launched by former Kanye West manager John Monopoly and Larro Wilson, has wisely positioned King Louie as their flagship artist, recognizing his potent combination of sixth man and star player qualities. The Motion Picture finds Louie and Lawless revving their engines, ready for the probable take off that will occur once Dope & Shrimp is released. Now it’s up to us to grab on for the ride.
By: Erik Ziedses des Plantes.
Photos By: Danny Manhattan
Special Thanx: Phill Roche
Filmed at the @ELEVATOR_ studio s/o Louie, DGainz, Larro, John, Lawless Inc, Danny Manhattan
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