Schematiks
February 19, 2019
THE GREEN LLAMA STRIKES!
Dibia$E (dee-bee-aah-see) also known as The Green Llama and Diabolic, hails from Watts, California and has been releasing beats since 2010 under Alpha Pup Records as well as Fat Beats Records. As an alternative hip hop producer, he started out producing with an 8-second sampler then eventually graduating to (what looks like) an AKAI MPC60.
My introduction to Diabia$E was the classic Katie way. I was on YouTube listening to an artist I’d already fallen for — another producer named Awlee to be exact — and I found a whole jam, called Put In Work. The backing video was a cut and edited documentary on Rodney Mullen, a skateboarding trickster who I fell into a separate relationship, but all the same. In love. Let’s get into it.
Good Vibration - “A just clap ya hands n to the beat huh!” A classic bop identifying The Green Llama as the perfect combination of boom bap, and lofi with beautifully seamless jazz samples.
Spamburger (ft Selfish) - honestly, Selfish. Sir, you got that real rapper voice. That heard him for the first time and I was like “who is that?” Thinking he been in the game… but he’s been around since 2017.
His flows and cockiness lay well over this track, where Mr. Dibia$E samples this real retro, Mr. Rogers PBS mix into a grungy hip hop masterpiece.
Don’t Ask - I just imagine a birds eye view of a big group of young black boys and girls dressed in all white flowing shirts and dresses, running down the middle of he street in a concrete jungle. Smiles on their faces, lookin’ like real freedom.
How U Feelin’ - Count Von Count tho? This one sprung him up into my favorites, and I smiled as soon as I realized how he’d tied the Count into the concept of this song. “Oo, another feeling!” Says Count as this songs funky synths and perfectly unquantified drums make you think of how confusing, stupid and radical emotions can be.
Can’t Get Over - ‘Scuse me, who you think you are sampling Frankie Beverley?! Gotta be a bold mf. But rightfully so! The diabolical dude managed to flip this track without straight lifting, and seamlessly bringing Frankie’s smooth toned voice back in for the chorus and then back out without a hitch. *pause for applause*
HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Presets
Usual Strut
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Please take the time to not only listen to this album, (available on Apple Music and Spotify, hello) as well as his previous ones CHOCKED with jams like Baker’s Dozen and Sound Palace… they have amazing bops on them like my personal favorites of his: Genie in The Sky and They Act Brand New.
Also! If you live in NC like me, he will be performing with Raund Haus at The Pinhook in Durham on this Saturday!
LISTENIN’ LINKS: