MC Lars & K-Flay – Single and Famous EP
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Hot on the back of his recent full-length album ‘This Gigantic Robot Kills’, MC Lars brings us this 7 track EP with Illinois rapper K-Flay. The two have appeared together a fair amount recently so putting out a joint album makes a whole lot of sense and it does incredibly well in introducing K-Flay to MC Lars’ fans.
She is easily the most surprising/impressive thing about this EP if you’re a newcomer, pretty much upstaging the ‘veteran’ MC Lars on every track. That’s not to say what he brings to the EP is bad, it’s just that his co-star is the highlight here. Lars is somewhat well known nowadays, having built a solid fanbase with extensive touring and output of the highest quality. This could have easily just been more of the same as ‘This Gigantic Robot Kills’, but instead it has turned into it’s own little animal, full of tight beats, intelligent lyrics and managing to remain incredibly catchy throughout.
It kicks off with a bit of role-reversal, K-Flay gives her view on Lars and vice-versa. It’s a tongue-in-cheek opener that does well to introduce the album and the relationship between it’s two stars, bigging them both up without a hint of ego. It’s sly humour is very knowing, which carries through the rest of the EP.
Also worthy of a mention is ‘Altered States’- a smart, sometimes funny, irreverent run down of the US States from their perspective. Very reminiscent of early Lars, in particular ’21 Concepts’ from the Graduate LP. Again, it’s K-Flay who stands out here though.
This is followed by the serious-faced bragging song ‘The Game’, taking it’s subject matter from typical chart rap. It’d be a bit sickly were it not for the playful tone and that wry sense of humour I mentioned earlier.
Easily the best track on offer here is the album closer; title-track ‘Single & Famous’. Everything about the song works, showcasing the play-off of styles perfectly. The lyrics seem bitter but knowingly so, and the beats are supported by a chugging guitar riff and even a little solo towards the end.
So, that’s that – the future was always going to get brighter for MC Lars but now he’s got K-Flay along for the ride and she’s destined to be huge.
Rating: 
. Get some K-Flay in your life. (And Lars too. He’s good).
The Mp3′s are available at singleandfamousep.com for only $3, which is around £2 in real money. Madness.
