Cavalier - Different Type Time
It seemed that if I didnât somehow repeat the process of greatness, and do so immediately, multiple times away to satisfy playlist and binge watch culture, then I âwasnât shitâ. After a while I was like ânah this doesnât feel good,⊠I donât know if I am finding joy in thisâ. I would record songs and not release them, obsess over sessions recorded in my home with 30 takes of vocals and wake up only to delete them. When it began to feel right I found solace in an epiphany that I was not obligated to operate at any other wavelength. I am moving on a different type of time, and that doesnât expire.
-Cavalier
For heads of a certain time period of NYC hip-hop, Brooklyn born, New Orleans-based rapper and songwriter, Cavalier was the one that got away. The outrageously talented artist whose name and reputation preceded him everywhere you went in the scene. The rapper who everyone knew was so dope that he had to blow, but who never seemed concerned with any of that. The pretty boy draped in Polo who stole every live show with a feather in his hair and a mouth full of gold fronts. The cat so dedicated to his own independence that even indie labels stopped trying to sign him and projects came when they came, but when they came they were undeniable. Cavalier was THAT guy for a lot of us; a silver-tongued philosopher with an eye for the poignant details of black life and a delivery as effortless as a young Ken Griffeyâs swing.
All that said, it never really felt like Cav had that moment in the spotlight that we always assumed was coming. After chiseling away through headier cult corners of the NYC hip-hop scene Cavalier was recognized for his memorable co-pilot to Quelle Chrisâ 2013 Mello Music debut, Niggas Is Men. The critically acclaimed LP helped propel Quelle Chris into the forefront of indie hip-hop (and also happened to be the first production credits for Messiah Muzik). Cav followed up with his first full length, Chief, which sports a notable Raekwon feature but also early work from producers like Ohbliv and Tall Black Guy. A relocation to New Orleans and partnership with producer/vocalist Iman Omari yielded two more projects: 2015âs Lemonade EP and Private Stock in 2018. Great records all; eagerly sought by collectors and signal boosted by influential media like OkayPlayer, Solangeâs Saint Heron, and Pitchfork. Cavalierâs bonafides have never been in question, but his new album Different Type Time feels like a revelationâa sonic suspension bridge between his rich history and the artformâs future.
Different Type Time doesnât sound like the future though, its vibrations are somewhere all their own. It sounds like jazz, like a conversation overheard in roti shop, or a pool hall, or the foyer of your old building on a fall day, front door propped open with a brick. The blues is in there too, and the southâthe American South, and the Global South, and South Brooklyn. Itâs not that it sounds like the past, but you can hear everything that came before in the thick of the basslines and the yearning of the keys. Different Type Time also doesnât sound like now, it sounds like RIGHT NOW; the bounce of the lyrics like the staccato of basketball in the park, carried on a spring breeze.
Although he doesnât rap on DTT, Quelle Chris plays a pivotal role; producing eight songs and serving as associate producer/consigliere to Cav throughout the creative process.
âThere is no time wasted in explaining things when I collaborate with Quelle. He understands the universe I am in and the realities I want to create. Heâs in them. And I donât think I can envision one without him,â Cavalier explains.
Messiah Muzik, Wino Willy, Ohbliv, Ahwlee, Child Actor, Fushou and several other producers round out the credits, all lending their talents to the albumâs spaciously soulful sound. At the center of all these alchemies is Cavalier, nimbly dancing in and out of pockets like a sidewalk game of jumprope. Different Type Time is a masterclass in this thing we call hip-hop; daring and original, yet always standing deeply rooted in the culture.
ADDITIONAL VOCALS by
LORD EBEL-CHERRY (appears on Different Type Time)
ERIC JAYE (appears on âCanât Leave It Aloneâ)
YAH-RA, (appears on Come Proper, Touch Tones)
TYDRO ELITE, (appears on TYDRO â97)
BILLZEGYPT & BLVCK SPVDE (appear on AXIOM)
QUELLE CHRIS (appears on âUp From Hereâ)
LORD CHILLA (appears on â50 Bagsâ)
SPECIAL THANK YOU TO THE UNHOUSED BROTHERS IN DETROIT AND DALLAS WHO SHARED VERSES AND UNFORGETTABLE MOMENTS IN TIME, CAPTURED SPONTANEOUSLY ON THIS PROJECT.
RECORDED IN NEW ORLEANS,
THE BAY AREA, & NEW YORK CITY by
ALEX RIDDLE, CAVALIER, CHAD ROBY / CLOUD STUDIOS
MICHAEL âMAITRE Dâ COCHRAN at LAUGHING TIGER STUDIOS
J. STYLEZ for STILO PRO RECORDING
MIXED AND MASTERED BY J. STYLEZ for STILO PRO RECORDING
EXECUTIVE PRODUCED BY CAVALIER
ASSOCIATE PRODUCER QUELLE CHRIS
CREATIVE DIRECTION CAVALIER
PHOTOS BY 35MMGOLD
LAYOUTS / GRAPHICS BY CAVALIER
SAVCAV MUSIC / BACKWOODZ STUDIOZ © 2024 \