[Dig Of The Day] Video: Busdriver – Imaginary Places (2002)

When talking about hip-hop in the early ’00s, most people will think first of artists that were on the frontline of the commercial rise of the game. Aficionados, however, will think of an era when the underground took a different turn when it went completely experimental, and sometimes even weird (positively speaking) when it comes to the alternative approach, or indie if you will. Of course, heavy experimenting already took place in the golden era, but many artists arose somewhere between ’98 and the early ’00s, providing us with releases that are nowadays considered legendary in certain circles, and sometimes even highly influential. Therefore, we had names like Zion I, Aesop Rock, Eyedea, Mr. Lif, Cannibal Ox, Atmosphere, and many others that in all of their might of creativity were often passing the boundaries of the abstract.
That eccentric party features another fella that started his long ride on the streets of LA in the late 90s, and he goes by the name of Busdriver. Marking his arrival with the album Memoirs of the Elephant Man in ’99, he made a strong foundation with his clever, interesting, and dexterous style, but did not reach that underground highlight until his second studio album Temporary Forever that, in the later years, was included in several lists considering, generally speaking, ‘best underground albums of hip-hop’, even though it ironically still stands criminally underrated.

This year we’re celebrating the 20th anniversary of the album, and with it, the release of the single Imaginary Places that even today stands out with, well, practically everything. Instrumentally based on samples from classical compositions from the 17th and the 19th century – Minuet and Badinerie from the Suite No. 2 in B minor of Bach‘s Orchestral Suite, and Caprice No. 5 by the Italian violin virtuoso Niccolò Paganini, the track vibes in a seriously different way that anybody had a chance to hear up to that point. Following in the same fashion, Busdriver himself changes the flow tempo in such oscillating ways, somewhat mimicking the pace of Bach‘s Baroque-style ouverture, leaving the listeners utterly flabbergasted. Even the very lyrics were ahead of their time, not to mention the part when he says; “Kids…if you really want to piss off your parents buy real estate in an imaginary place, oh yes…”; with the Metaverse craze of today that hits quite different than it used to.
Last, but not least, the beat was produced Paris Zax that also produced several other track on the album, which, if you’re interested, is available on Busdriver‘s Bandcamp following this link right here.

So there you go – another, almost forgotten gem from the Los Angeles underground scene that’s really worth your time, as well as all other releases throughout the years…if you’re up for it, that is.