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Miami hip-hop powerhouse Mayday first tasted crossover success a few years back thanks to "Groundhog Day," a collabo track with Cee Lo Green and DJ Craze whose bouncy sing-song raps dovetailed nicely with the era of Gnarls Barkley. And though the group went quiet a little while after, by 2008 Mayday retooled and came back swinging.
Group originators Plex Luthor and Bernbiz beefed up the lineup with an added MC, battle star Wrekonize, and a stellar cast of live musicians, including, in a very Miami touch, a conga player. This proved to be the magic formula for Mayday, and over the last couple years the group has climbed back up to the top of the heap.
That comes partially due to the friendship and support of Lil Wayne, who can be seen rocking Mayday T-shirts in recent videos. But it also thanks to party-ready tracks that go over well during rowdy live shows that have likely resulted in a few pregnancies.
The hunger and fierceness is palpable on the group's most recent album, Stuck on an Island, a 19-track whopper that, of course, traffics in a good chunk of epically building funky hip-hop anthems like the title track. But it also displays a broad stylistic bent in the deeper cuts. "Picture Perfect," for instance, features Slip N Slide chanteuse Shonie and comes off as a female-friendly slab of moody soul. "Worst Case Scenario," meanwhile, features the Money Making Jam Boyz and is nominally a rap song, but is really built on aggressive, distorted guitar.
Oh and if you really really like the album -- as well you should -- and have a little less than a stack to burn, for $700 consider buying it as part of the Mayday VIP package. You'll get the CD, a T-shirt, a bottle of Jack Daniels, the privilege of hanging out with the dudes in the studio, and a tattoo by artist-to-the-stars Baller B. What are you waiting for? Jack doesn't come cheap these days!
