Chalice. Ühendatud inimesed. Umblu LUCD4, 2003. 68:46
The Estonian Marshall Mathers, milk chococlate m’n’m’s. So’s a young friend advised me, when she introduced me to the world of Chalice, suggesting that the young Tartu hip-hopper, “räppar”, as Estonians use the word, and his landmark CD might prove of some musical - perhaps cultural - interest.
Yo, but my old hip needs some young hop All I know is from bop You talk to me about räpp, I know it has a bad rap White boy doing coco-a, that makes me want to choke Whazzup with good young esto Doing like he is besto?
Far from an old dodderer to understand the appeal of a genre that at first blush seems like yet another effort at dissing oldsters. But then again, parenthood is part of trying to understand what is going on in the ‘hood. As well, wondering why Chalice and M squared need to wear hoodies as a fashion statement, not really caring about the answer, underlined how out of touch older people can be. It reminded one, that ancient music, such as be-bop, jazz, and good ol’e rock and roll, and their accompanying fashions, haircuts and tattoos have also been sneered at before gaining a foothold in poular culture - these days, even acceptance.
Open mind? Thought I’d give this disc a spin, try to figure out the draw. Any redeeming qualities, and perhaps the hip transplant might just become reality, if OHIP ponies up.
First off, the promo, the hype. Apparently, this debut CD, released in November, flew off Estonian record store shelves in about a week’s time. Just try and buy one, I’m told. Don’t know about pirate copies, but googling Chalice showed that the young man has international appeal. In fact, many are hailing this platter as the release sine qua non of last year.
Here’s an excerpt: If you haven't heard Chalice, you've missed the essence and quintessence of Estonian hip-hop. But not just Estonian - it's hard to find suitable analogues to the ingenious music of this young rapper.
Musically working in the areas of A Tribe Called Quest and other Native Tongues members, Chalice's music is sometimes jazz-driven, sometimes funk-driven. You can hear him sing in falsetto and rap ultra fast. But the common denominator is always a personal approach to life and music around himself.
Been a while since I’ve trucked around Tartu, hopped over the Vallikraav, had an open-air beer near Baer, smoked Primas in the Püssirohu. So, no idea what the young ‘uns are doing in their free time, but this disc gives an idea, that sonme things never change. There is still hope for inheriting the future, expressed these days in a very popular musical genre that will give way to the next fad, no doubt. Yet, there is something in Chalice’s choice expression that indicates he just may be the next great white hope.
Forget about the noise, the spittle-covered speed-rap. Knowing that it is difficult to understand youth vernacular at the best of times, it was nice to be able to read, in the accompanying booklet, the text to the “songs”. You find individuality, sensitivity - and gasp(!)- national feeling, pride. So, Chalice qualified, as a specimen to be examined under the oldtimer’s microscope.
Truth is, some tunes are almost benign, you can indeed just about listen to them. The first single released from this disc was “Preilisid on ka tegelt niisama vaadata hea”. Agreeing with the sentiment, the old goat recognized the real poetry in the lyrics. Same goes for “Laula vanaemaga, laula/Koos vanaemaga”, tho my granny would never have sung these words with me.
Chalice seems to be on the Contra path. Contra, for those out of the know, is a one-time angry-young-man-poet, pretty silent these days, now that he no longer shocks, with his in-your-face poetry. That’s what getting older will do to you, just as it did with Merca, once an angry poet, now a thoughtful mother, who these days creates even more beauty into the world, surroundings that once were, for her, dominated by sewage and despair.
Chalice is a poet on ritalin, be interesting to see what potion will come out of his cauldron a decade from now. His creative juices are very alive now, fermenting, bubbling, promising change.
Those bubbles of promise , not only the spit and sputum, spewed because of the traditional generational divide are here, foretell the chance of a greater eruption, mayhaps of wider appeal? Musically, two cuts fell into the tolerably benign zone - “Tere hommikust”, and “Kuku”. Hard not to miss the <=I>regilaulu mõju[/i] in the last. “Kuulsusenarr”, fool of fame Chalice is yet not, particularly if he feels the need to consider Ecstasy as a necessary part of the culture (“Ekstasy [kohustuslik tablett]”),
Then again, one of the most convincing raps here is “Mei saa aru”. As a call for understanding it is powerful, and as bridge-builder between the ancient divide twixt old and young, not too shabby at all.
Guess that is what drove Chalice to title the CD “Ühendatud inimesed” We are united in some fashion, expressing the unity is most often a difficult undertaking.
Final riff on the lad’s name. Why pick and use Chalice? Catholic repression cannot apply, (can it?), even though the religious implications of Communion and the Eucharist are blatantly there. Why not the Estonian translation of karikas - or peeker? The sly and sexy ambiguity - which, I understand to be a part of the draw of rap and hip-hop - of Peeker, could be used by a marketing wiz so that these efforts would not just whizz by. Peeker or Chalice, an intoxicating draught can be taken from this music by those it is meant for - and one guesses, therein lies the meaning of the name.
Musically, this is not my bag, but the words, while they take time to reach the ear, when read, and reflected upon, suggest strongly, that Chalice may leave his mark on Estonian culture not as a hip hip-hopper, the räpper soup du jour, but as a poet of depth and powerful passion and promise.
Bubbles from Tartu (2)
Archived Articles | 16 Jan 2004 | Otepää SlimEWR
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Chalice doesn't consider drugs like the part of hip-hop. The Extacy song you mentioned was a joke or diss to trance-listening drug-using youth who are called "rullnokad" in Estonia. In his interviews he has said that he got the idea of the song when he saw junkies riding in a BMW, trance music booming and screaming EXTACY on a highway in Poland.
i hope he make's it "large"
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