Dour Candy

Though he\'s been on the scene for a solid decade now (debuting in 2003 with *Camouflage*), Billy Woods has stayed extremely under the radar, unknown to all but the most intense subterranean hip-hop archeologists. Over the last 10 years he\'s dropped a gang of records (solo joints as well as group efforts with Super Chron Flight Brothers and Invizzibl Men), established the label Backwoodz Studioz, and consistently impressed thanks to his densely layered, reference-heavy lyricism paired with against-the-grain production. On *Dour Candy*, he joins forces with Blockhead, who provides plenty of adventurous, sample-driven beats ideal for Woods\' wordy storytelling. Standout tracks include the horn-driven \"One Thousand One Nights,\" the first-person taxi-driver jam \"Hack,\" and the spooky closer, \"Cuito Cuanavale.\" Intensely personal and autobiographical, this isn\'t the kind of music you\'d throw on at a house party. But for fans of left-field, heady indie-rap, it\'s pretty solid.

Summer 2013 saw the release of Dour Candy, a collaboration between Ninja Tune artist Blockhead and critically-acclaimed rapper Billy Woods. Woods’ buzz was at an all-time high coming off the release of History Will Absolve Me, his 2012 opus that was on virtually every rap-related “best of 2012” list. Blockhead comes into this project newly removed from his high-profile collaboration with indie legend Illogic. Dour Candy catches both artists in a moment of flux and that momentum propels this tightly wound LP. This is Woods first project with a single producer, and he is joined on the mic by Aesop Rock, Open Mike Eagle, Moka Only and Elucid of Cult Favorite. Album artwork by Ashes 57.

Rapper Billy Woods recorded a grip of tracks with Cannibal Ox's Vordul Mega on his 2003 debut, but has remained obscure. His latest, with production from Blockhead and a feature from Aesop Rock, finds his distinctive vision intact.