Mista White, From the Basement

Mista White has been making a troublesome nuisance of himself in Houston since 1996. Since then, he has released albums, protested, spouted off, and otherwise bothered the people who have suits and pens and things like that. His music, when broken down the way Mista White himself surely will be in Gitmo in the near future, is your basic electronica, in the style of the Chemical Brothers.

Like Negativland, however, White has absolutely no regard for copyright, and many of his compositions are rife with samples lifted from the news. His sole music video for “Generic Ad” follows suit. That being said, he has a wonderful sense of beat and rhythm and a propensity for knowing exactly what sounds a particular piece calls for. The end result is passionately political dance music that is obviously anti-everything-established-ever.

That being said, if the rest of the world was as capable of releases like From the Basement as Mista White is, then maybe we’d all be bigger, better people. His presentation and presence is utterly perfect. The CD comes in plain white cardboard with what almost looks like hand-typed track lists. The insert is brown cardboard, and the thank-yous contain the name “Tyler Durdin.” The back is blank except for the phrase “It’s Later than You Think.” The entire DIY ethic is present in Mista White, and it was this dedication to his approach that brought him to SCR‘s attention. In other words, he is his work in every way.

Let me be plain. To like this album, you must like electronica. You must be utterly fed up with both the corporate and government military complexes that reign over our fair country. You must not like George W. Bush. If you do not meet these criteria, then you are wasting your money. If, however, there is something inside you that cries out revolution, you will appreciate what Mista White has to say. You will fall in love with the message of “21st Century” and be struck dumb by the perfect melding done in “N.W.O” with politician’s samples that make a seamless rap. If you’d rather be fighting the man, then you will like From the Basement.