Working the deep underground hip hop scene in Northern Pinellas county for the past several years, first as one-half of project: SAVE c.a. hircus, and more recently as a solo emcee in his own right, Jon Ditty is finally releasing a debut solo album of his “regular-type hip hop,” its completion made possible by an impressive Kickstarter campaign that proved he has a rather dedicated fanbase via their nearly $6,500 in donations.
The cleverly titled 14-track Hopefully More Than a Blanket of ‘I’ Statements has that Golden Era groove-hawking appeal but with shades of rock edge, Ditty’s nasal tonality and bouncy serpentine flow covering atypical subject matter. “Ode to Mr. Bungle” is dedicated to Mike Patton’s cheeky avant rock group; “Hatemail to mikew422” ffers a rather amusing riff on an angry email; reflects on those baa-baa sheep-agreement type of conversations; “Obituary Blues” gets all deep and existential; and “The Guilty Pleasure of Time Travel” is an ADD-rattled, sample-strewn, word-association-riddled cut that snatches a sample from Kendrick Lamar’s “Swimming Pools (Drank)” and finds Ditty spitting verses against it that mimic the precise effected quickness of that artists’ style before he busts back into his own regularly expected intones.
Ditty presents his new album this Saturday at Dunedin Brewery, with back-up from friends and additional sets by other area hip hop-rooted talents – Foundation, DJ Hurley, BC and Stick Martin Trio.
Details: Jon Ditty CD Release Party, Sat., July 11, 9 p.m., Dunedin Brewery, Dunedin, free admission.
Check out "Ode to Mr. Bungle" below.