Lyrically, Johnson’s ability to change the rhyme scheme at the drop of a hat is probably the most captivating part about him. Together ’til tomorrow’s end? The Rise of Hobo Johnson – Hobo Johnson How are you? How’s your life? Oh, you got a man?Īre you in love? If so, what type? Is it just platonic, strictly just as friends Or the type that ties you two In his Tiny Desk Contest submission, the video starts off as a direct message to NPR’s Bob Boilen – “What up, Bob?!” – and in a deft change of pace suddenly launches into the song in a way that at first seems like a continuation of his messaging for Boilen, but is actually the beginning of ode to a fictional love interest: Hi, what’s your name? His cadence stops, starts, twists, and turns in a manner that makes his style simultaneously magnetic and confounding. Many in the comments sections of his videos have taken to labeling Johnson as a “poetic-style” rapper, but I am of the opinion that terminology is not only synonymous with spoken-word, but also a redundant way of stating the obvious because let’s be honest, all rap can be considered poetry set to music in one way or another.Īnd yes, there are qualities in Johnson’s flow that are akin to performative poetry. But for all intents and purposes the Sacramento-based musician should be considered a spoken-word artist. One of the principle reasons that the 23-year-old is separated from these so-called rappers is because he doesn’t even consider himself a rapper in the first place: “ Oh yeah my name’s Hobo Johnson I’m a rapper / I’m actually not a rapper, I like to say a musician / I play guitar sometimes too I’m just not as good as Derek,” he says between lyrics. “Peach Scone” – Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers But after watching Johnson’s rendition of a song called “Peach Scone” (many, many times), I realized that it would be unfair to rope him in with that crowd. It was hard not to see a white guy with a mangy, fro-like haircut, a shadow of a mustache, and a culturally appropriated button-up with, of course, the top button done up, and not think that I was about to see yet another musician joining the ranks of Lil Dicky, Watsky, and the rest of that infuriating ilk. But there are also times when I hear something truly inexplicable, and beyond all rhyme and reason I think to myself: For some reason, this is nice.Īnd to say I was perplexed when I first stumbled onto Hobo Johnson & The LoveMakers‘ submission for NPR’s Tiny Desk Contest is an understatement.
Like a fine wine, I let time round out these sounds until it may become something more palatable.
Most times, the flavors of artists such as these are often too harsh, bitter, or sweet to propel me to weigh in. What starts out searching for familiar artists and music videos quickly shifts to the unknown, and then, sometimes, falls off the rails altogether, and I land on something truly bizarre, confounding, and strangely… satisfying. In the wee hours of weekday nights when I find myself particularly restless, I fall down the rabbit hole that is YouTube. In a single YouTube video, Hobo Johnson and the LoveMakers have entered the limelight, and in doing so, have become the unconventional soundtrack for the doubts, anxieties, and pains of modern romance.
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