Music
Review: Mars (The Mixtape) TK Wonder
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The blazing fast rhymes of Baltimore native TK Wonder were brought to this mixtape called "Mars" on Giant Step Records on June 22nd. The mixtape ranging from breakneck ("Testarossa Autodrive" by Kavinsky) to downtempo ("Yeah Boy" by Bloody Beetroots) features a number of big name producers with TK's hip-hop flavor added to them.
The highlight for me on this mixtape as a Radiohead junkie was the remix of Thom Yorke's "Hearing Damage" track from the New Moon Soundtrack. TK Wonder's lyrics were added on top of the pulsating electronic bass beat. I especially liked the sound of waves crashing during an intermission of sorts in the middle of the track. Loved the lyric "Breakin' more backs than the New Orleans levee" which is especially relevant during these tough times in the Gulf of Mexico area. TK maintains the original great qualities of the track and as my "dawg" Randy Jackson would say, "made it her own."
I also really enjoyed the remix of CocoRosie's beautifully haunting retro track "Lemonade." It definitely has a summertime feel to it (at least the chorus from CocoRosie's original track does). TK's remix version is even more interesting than the original track in that her rapping creates a sense of urgency to an otherwise meandering track.
The bass-filled title track "Mars" has probably TK's best rapping on it. The lyrics roll off her tongue and her vocal performance combined with the driving beat make for an awesome hip-hop dance track.
TK Wonder is a enormously talented rapper and her lyrics were very naturally added to the remixes on this "Mars" mixtape. Her rapid-fire rhymes allow for more lyrics per second which is probably why it seemed so natural for her raps to be in these tracks. Definitely worth checking out this remix even if it is to embrace your inner-emo for the New Moon soundtrack tune from Thom Yorke. I think if people search out this mixtape for the "Hearing Damage" remix, they'll also discover a wonderfully gifted talent in TK Wonder. Can't wait to see what's next from her!
Keep chillin'
Preview the mixtape via SoundCloud
