We won’t be revoking your hipster card any time soon, Double Vision. Not after that lovely ode to skinny jeans and fat pockets. “Skinny Jeans” is the centerpiece of this Los Angeles hip-hop duo’s new, impressive debut — and a worthy centerpiece it is. Built around a chunky two-step beat, the song emanates cool. Bass on blast/Just let the beat bang/Pants saggin’ off my ass/I just let them bitches hang, raps Mackamillion (a.k.a. Jonathan Lindsay). His intonation is slow and deliberate. He relishes each consonant and slurs each vowel. In the course of the song, Mackamillion and twin brother Mr. Mackmore (a.k.a. Jarred Lindsay) name-check JanSport backpacks, slashed bandanas, and a popular dance called the Jerk. Each verse ends in a catchy refrain: So fresh, so cool…lookin’ clean in my skinny jeans.
Double Vision works the twin angle beyond the point of ostentation, and clearly it’s what defines it. The MC’s voices are so similar that if you didn’t see two heads on the album jacket, you might think it was one guy rapping. Bifocal succeeds on the merits of its slangy raps and groove-driven beats. Producers Jeff “Stress” Davis, Jansport J, Marcus D, and The Padhitters sure make some interesting music. Many of the tracks sound like riff-based instrumentals, rather than looped samples. “Walk on By” uses a doo-woppy vocal chorus. “Other Side” has a drawn out horn solo. Bonus track “It’s You” is just plain funky. Bifocal isn’t perfect, but it augurs well for a fledgling hip-hop group. Surely, these twins will be rapping long after skinny jeans go out of style. (No Sleep)
