Theophilus London

If Theophilus London is anything, he is not normal. I kept seeing his name pop up on hip-hop blogs while wading through the dozens I frequent. Unfortunately, he was getting bashed pretty hard. Finally, I saw him on a blog that catered to a wider array of music genres, and they loved him. I figured it was time to give him a shot about a month ago, and I haven't gone a day without listening to him since. London builds a style with so many types of music that it would be impossible to pick them all out. A very vague description of his music would be hip-hop fused with 80s electronica revival. It's not too hard to see why the hip-hop blogs hated it. A perfect example of the spectrum of his music talents is his mixtape, "This Charming Mixtape." From the very first song, "Grey x Sage," it is clear that you're in for something new. London sets himself apart by being exceptional at both singing and rapping on eclectic beats. Just when you think you've pinpointed this guy's style, you hear "Always Love U." Then when you've wrapped your brain around that you get slapped with "Hum Drum." So, now you've adapted once again, and you're pretty sure you've figured it out. Then "Take Your Life" comes on, and you have to accept that you have no idea what you are listening to, but you do know that you love it. If I had to compare London to anyone, I would say he is somewhere in between Kid Cudi, Lupe Fiasco, Common, and Santigold. However, it is a disservice to his music to compare it to anything. How this man came from Brooklyn, I have no clue, but I'm so glad it happened. Download the mixtape at thischarmingblog.com and go nuts.