WHAT'S THE WORD?: W.O.L.F. Gang

Wreckless Offensive Leaders of the Free World

By Josh Rizeberg on November 15, 2012

Wreckless Offensive Leaders of the Free World, or W.O.L.F. Gang, is a new group consisting of MC Coo Beanz and Joey Moody. These two are close friends who released a four-track EP this May at coobeanz.bandcamp.com/album/w-o-l-f. It is only $2 and it is well worth it. With the semi break-up of The Koomaniacs, the only other interesting hip-hop group in the city is illfightyou. However, illfightyou is just getting started. The group has yet to release an album. It is just starting to do shows together. So, if you are looking for a fresh new hip-hop group, W.O.L.F. Gang is it.

W.O.L.F. Gang has a '90s hip-hop aesthetic, with hints of the streets and a touch of hipsterness. Coo Beanz is one of the fonkiest beat-makers active in the local scene. His flow is right up there, too. He also has lots of talent in video-production. He could be the M.V.P. of the scene if he keeps stepping his games up.

Joey Moody fits nicely into Beanz' tracks. He's a true M.C. He has nice-spit, clever wordplay and you can tell he could just freestyle until the end of time. He has a sharp, witty, hunger to his words that makes his verses and live-show exciting. Check Moody's sense of humor on the first track when he does the "lalala" chorus. It's a silly sing-songy hook for a strange-crazy beat.

Both M.C.s spit proclamations of W.O.L.F.'s greatness.

The second song is a more intense, urgent, nasty song. It sounds like an urban musical apocalypse is occurring. The flows are perfectly in the middle. They are not playeristic, overly street or dumb. The song has smartly written vicious bars. Beanz is also a master at adding movie dialogue samples throughout this song. It makes for an even more insane feeling and sound.

These guys rap about rapping, but not in a boring way. The group's take on rapping is more of a lyrical sword-fight. It does not waste time rapping about hanging out with friends or all the other boring city stuff rappers get caught up on.

The next track, "Sophistication," is a classic Beanz beat. It's a simple sample, loop that only Coo Beanz could have found. Moody plays over the beat, peppering the weird coolness that is Beanz's track. Beanz takes the second verse and the song stays interesting all the way through.

After that song we have "We R Nobody's." To me, this was one of the sickest singles of the year. Too many people slept on this track. Find it on YouTube. It is also my favorite video of the year. The beat has a sinister feel to it. The hook and the title, "We R Nobody's, nobody's at all, just some flies on the wall, but we done seen it all ... " attests to the truth and the I don't give a fuck attitude that these two display. It makes for a refreshing vibe. W.O.L.F. Gang is cool while not claiming to be cool. The group admits they have no power, it is almost a political statement about the average man's place in society, but then W.O.L.F.  smacks you in the face with some observations about us. The group lets you know it is calling us out without making the knowledge too heavy to digest. It is a perfect hip-hop dichotomy.

The album ends with "Monsters," which is more vintage, soul, jazz, slop that Beanz blasts out into outer space for some otherworldly sensations. The chorus is blessed by Jewellz, who has the sweetest, smoothest voice on a hook one could hear in this town. The combination adds a polished Jewell of beauty to the album. She is singing about monsters in the hook, with a voice that could melt a monster.

The album can be listened all the way through. There is not one track that I did not finish or enjoy.